Greg, a rugged construction worker with flecks of gray in his beard, left his site and headed toward the train station on a chilly November evening, . This incident changed his life forever.
At 40, he had a wife, Diana, a 15-year-old daughter, Jamie, and a 12-year-old son, Alex, waiting for him at home, and each day he worked hard to save for their future.
That day, something unusual attracted his attention.
After working day, he came back home. When he entered house, a woman is holding a baby stood by the exit. She looked out of place, well-dressed yet worn and out of season, as if she hadn’t planned to spend her day there.
“Excuse me, sir?” Her voice was shaky.
“Could you PLEASE lend me some money for a ticket? I have money at home; I just need to get there.”
Greg didn’t respond immediately. The weight of his paycheck felt heavier than usual.
He decided to do something he rarely did.
“Alright. Let’s start by getting you two something to eat,” he said
“Order whatever you’d like,” Greg offered.
“Don’t worry about it.”
The woman gave him a grateful look. “Thank you, really. My name’s Lily, and this is my son, Matthew.”
Greg smiled. “Nice to meet you both. I’m Greg.” He signaled to the waiter, placing orders for himself, Lily, and her son, even though he wasn’t particularly hungry.
“So, where are you headed?”
“Home, hopefully. It’s been…a difficult time.” She struggled with her words, her gaze dropping to her hands.
“I don’t have my phone or wallet. I didn’t mean to end up here, stranded. My plan fell apart, and suddenly, I had nothing.”
Greg nodded. “Sounds rough. Are you sure you’ll be alright once you get home?”
“Yes. Thank you. You don’t know how much this means to me.”
“Here,” he said, pressing the envelope that had his home address and his entire check into her hands.
“Take this; it’s part of the money I’ve been saving up for my children’s education, but I can see that you and Matthew need it more right now. Get home safely, and don’t worry about paying it back.”
“Just get home safe. It’s the right thing to do.”
But he didn’t know that his connection to Lily wasn’t over yet.
By the time he arrived home, exhaustion weighed on him. Just as he and Diana sat down to a quiet lunch, a commotion outside drew their attention.
His wife peeked through the window, her mouth dropping open.
“Greg, you might want to see this.”
The door opened, and a man in a sharp black suit stepped out. Greg opened the door cautiously, uncertain of what to expect.
“Uh, can I help you?”
The man offered a polite smile. “Hello, sir. Are you Greg?”
“I’m here on behalf of Ms. Lily. I believe you helped her yesterday at the train station.”
A mixture of relief and confusion washed over Greg’s face.
“Lily? She’s…she’s okay?”
The man nodded.
“Yes, she’s more than alright, thanks to your kindness. She is actually a notable figure in this town, a celebrity of sorts, though she’s recently fallen on hard times.”
The man reached into his briefcase and pulled out an envelope, handing it to Greg.
“Ms. Lily has set up a scholarship fund for your children. Your children’s education is fully funded, and there’s a little extra to help you in other ways as well.”
The man smiled, his voice gentle.
“Because sometimes, a small act of kindness is worth more than all the wealth in the world. She wanted you to know that your compassion saved her life, and now she hopes to change yours.”
“I just…I didn’t expect anything in return. I just wanted to help.” he said.
Greg turned to his wife, his voice barely above a whisper.
“I guess you really never know how much good a little kindness can do.”
