Life has a funny way of connecting people. My story started with a moment of frustration at the local grocery store. I was at the register, empty-handed because my wallet was missing. As I apologized to the cashier and prepared to leave my items behind, a young boy stepped up. He was slight, with glasses and clothes that had seen better days, but he had the kindest eyes. He quietly offered to pay for my groceries. I was stunned and told him he absolutely didn’t have to do that. He simply said, “My grandma says to do good when we can.” How could I argue with that? He bought my few things, which were just the ingredients to make soup for my daughter who was home with the flu. I was so grateful I made him give me his number.
When I went to his house with my daughter Sarah to repay him, we discovered his world was much bigger than that one kind act. His grandmother, the woman who taught him about kindness, was in the hospital facing a surgery they couldn’t afford. Eli was trying to raise the money himself, a massive burden for such young shoulders. We went to see his grandmother, Julia, and were immediately charmed by her gentle spirit and her obvious love for her grandson. Sarah and I knew we had to do something more than just return twenty dollars. That night, we saw the staggering total needed on their fundraiser page. We couldn’t pay it, but we could tell his story. Sarah wrote a heartfelt post online about the boy who helped a flustered stranger without a second thought.
For a while, it seemed like nothing would come of it. Then, as if by magic, the internet embraced them. People from all over were inspired by this young man’s selflessness and wanted to be part of his story. The donations started small and then grew into a flood. The fundraiser shot past its goal, and we got to deliver the incredible news to a shocked and grateful Eli. His grandmother got her surgery and recovered beautifully. We often visit them now, a forever bond forged in a grocery line. It proved that no kind act is ever too small. Eli’s lesson from his grandmother was true: when you put good out into the world, it finds a way to come back to you, sometimes in ways you could never imagine.
