When was the last time you did something kind for a complete stranger?
If you think this question is silly and believe you shouldn’t worry about being there for someone you don’t even know, remember that doing good always pays off.
Showing kindness to people, even those random individuals you encounter every day, could impact their lives more than you can ever imagine.
Plus, you never know which of these strangers might stay and become an important part of your life.
The story Briana Hefley Shepard shared on the Facebook page “Love What Matters” is about the unusual friendship between a little girl named Rio and the train conductors who eagerly awaited her wave from the big window.
This story will melt your heart. Be sure to read it to the end.
“About three years ago, our business moved to a new location. It’s right by the train tracks, which means we have front-row seats to all the locomotive action.
It didn’t take long for the conductors to notice Rio waving to them, and they started waving back.
Over time, it became their ritual.
They’d blow their whistles, she’d run to the window, they’d open their windows, and everyone would say ‘Hello’ and smile from ear to ear.
I shed tears almost every time.”
“Then, a few weeks ago, Rio started school.
Her transition to daycare hit me harder than I expected, but on that first day when the train passed and she wasn’t there, it hit me even harder.
They blew their whistles, they opened their windows, but I was the only one there, crying and weakly waving back.
The next day, I made a sign.
I simply wrote: ‘She’s gone to school.’
I heard the whistle, ran to the window, and held up my sign.
That was three weeks ago.”
“Oh, I cried.”
“This morning, just a few minutes after I walked into the shop, someone knocked on the door.
It was a man in a bright yellow shirt with dangling earbuds.
I thought he was a construction worker wanting to talk about building, because that’s what we do here.
I was wrong.
He was there to ask about the little girl with blonde hair who used to wave at the trains.
She was one of the conductors’ favorites, and they all wondered what had happened to her.
Today, they had a short train, so they stopped along the tracks, came to our building, and knocked on our door.
Oh, I cried.
They had seen my sign but couldn’t make out what it said.
They assumed she had gone to school, but they needed to be sure.
He said her greetings had brightened their days.
For three years, they shared these moments.”
“They want to do something for her; she misses them.
They asked if they could send her something, to which I, of course, said yes!
They’ll be sending her a birthday gift in a few weeks.
Witnessing their unconventional friendship over the past few years has been nothing short of magical.
Knowing that it touched them as much as it did us fills me with love and hope.
Today’s visit and their continued kindness towards Rio have reaffirmed my faith in goodness and humanity. These are moments we will remember forever.”
