Rob Edwards had just celebrated 21 years of marriage to his wife. He felt happy and knew that it was a special day. But his week wasn't over yet.
But he was looking forward to another event that was just around the corner.
Rob's children were the most important thing in his life. Cole, his oldest child had just graduated from high school.
He was so proud of his boy. but he could never have guessed what would happen to him in the next few days.
Rob decided to get all of his work out of the day before his Cole's ceremony. It was an important day, he started his long list of things to do with the bank, It was quiet in the morning and not many people were around.
But even though it was quiet Rob wouldn't have minded if there was a line that went out the door, today was important.
Rob didn't think that anything could ruin his good mood when he noticed a woman rushing into the bank. She looked worried so he said she could walk in front of him in the line.
The woman didn't seem to trust him, she was hesitant to accept his offer.
She looked at him with suspicion before opening the door. She fidgeted with her back before looking ahead of Rob at the cashiers. Then her eyes drifted to the exit.
Rob was a little sad that she was hesitant, acts of kindness were definitely a commodity these days. She seemed stunned that he would even consider letting her cut in front of him.
She finally looked over at him with a smile and said a thank you before walking in front of him. Then it was just a little bit of small talk between two strangers.
They talked about very casual things - traffic, weather, and the like. The woman would look over and nod while nervously looking at the cashier.
She could have been having a busy day and needed to be quick. Maybe she just had a lot of things on her mind. Still, Rob noticed the way she clung onto her bag as her life depended on it.
Then he noticed the sweat starting to form on her forehead, she was nervous about something.
“Today my son graduates. I’m slowing down and want to savor every minute,” Rob told the woman.
“Oh yeah? He must be excited,” she said, finally joining the conversation. Her hand went down to her pocket and gripped something inside.
Rob couldn't help but spill more about his family and how proud he was of his son. It was such a big day not only for cole but also for him as a father.
He was overflowing with joy, He got out his cellphone to show photos of Cole. But in his excitement, he dropped his money and credit card onto the floor.
The woman acted first. She bolted to the ground, faster than necessary. She scooped up the items and looked Rob right in the eyes.
“It’s so wonderful your boy is graduating. I would do anything to make sure my boy has the same future.” She hesitated, still holding his belongings.
“I completely understand. I’m here to get him something for the big day.” He wanted to take out a stack of bills and watch the look on his son’s face as he counted them.
It was going to be fun-money for him to splurge on whatever he wanted. But he needed his card and she was still gripping it tightly.
She finally handed his things back with another nervous smile and a couple more beads of sweat. A free cashier called for another customer.
The woman thanked Rob once again and scurried for the desk. He would never be prepared for what this woman had done … and was about to do.
The woman clumsily brought out a stack of papers and a bank book. Her face had gone white and looked as if she was about to fall over.
He noticed her hand go down to her pocket again, this time shoving it deep inside.
She glanced back and Rob again, then quickly looked away. Even if he was utterly happy, he couldn’t help but notice the very stranger behavior.
It only got weirder when she leaned in and whispered something to the cashier. Whatever it was, made the employee’s eyes turn wide in surprise.
It was finally his turn. He approached the employee’s desk and completed his transaction with a big smile on his face.
However, that smile wouldn’t last for long, as what was about to happen next would shock him to the core.
He slipped his card to the cashier and asked for the sum in 10s – it would be more fun for his boy to count that way.
But the cashier suddenly looked at her screen with wide eyes. “I’m sorry, sir. I can’t give you that amount.”
Rob stared back, wondering what the problem was. He was sure he had enough in his account.
He had triple check before he left! The other worker came over and slipped him a note. “It’s from the woman, sir.”
He turned to see the woman rushing out of the bank. What was going on?! It was then the panic set in.
He reached for his money clip and card bundle again. She had scooped it up, but had she grabbed it for a different reason than just giving it back to him?
All the cash was there. And so were the cards. Thank god. The answer had to be in the slip of paper she had given him.
He quickly opened it and gasped at the brief message that looked like it had been scribbled in a hurry.
Next, the cashier slipped him a plain white envelope. This wasn’t happening.
He stood there, speechless, trying to put the pieces together that had lead to this unforgettable moment. The words scrawled across the paper burned into his brain.
The reason for the odd behavior was now clear. “I’m so sorry. I suffer from anxiety and it’s hard for me to be out of the house.
I didn’t mean to be rude. Thank you for your kindness. Congratulations on this wonderful day.” But what was in the envelope?
He stood there staring at the contents for a good minute before he could finally speak.
The two employees assured him it was real and even if it was something they had never seen before, there was nothing wrong with keeping what he was holding.
He felt the joy turn into a new level that brought tears to his eyes. It was money – $200! But he still couldn’t understand why.
The apology note was already more than enough. Rob needed answers so he ran out the door.
Rob scanned the street. She was already pulling away. He bolted at full speed, waving his arms and trying to get her attention before she disappeared.
Thankfully, at the last minute, she saw him and stopped the car.
When Rob approached the woman and after catching his breath from running he said, “I can’t take this!”
He tried to hand back the envelope through her window, but she pushed it back, insisting he keep it. “But why? You don’t need to do this.”
The woman explained how he was well aware that her condition made people uncomfortable. Going out to the bank was a big step for her. But even if she had been a bit “off”, Rob’s words had touched her in a very deep way.
As a mother, she understood what he was feeling, even if she had trouble showing it.
“When you talk about your boy, you glow. You’re a blessing to him, I want to bless him too”, the woman explained.
She gave a genuine smile and nudged the envelope back again. Rob wiped away another tear. There was just one more question.
It was none of his business, but what was in her pocket? She chuckled and pulled out a little figurine of an angel.
Her son had given it to her when she needed comfort in difficult times. Rob thanked her over and over again and begged to take a picture together. She obliged and they went on their separate ways.
The time for the graduation ceremony came, Rob was overjoyed and couldn’t stop smiling. He was so proud of his son, but what had added to his happiness was the incident with the woman.
He couldn’t get it out of his head, so he made a post on Facebook about it. The response was CRAZY!
Everyone loved that story and there were countless comments. “First of all kid, I can’t believe your boy is 18! Second, I’ve been thinking a lot about the transformational power of love and kindness.
Our life is as a vapor…it is here and then it’s gone. Thanks for sharing your blessings…”, somebody commented on Rob’s post.
A Facebook friend of Rob’s also wrote, “The whole point of life right here! And it could not have happened to a more deserving person. Great story Rob Edwards! And so well told, as per usual.
When you write a book look me up. I reckon I got a few titles for you already!”.
Rob couldn’t hide how much the woman’s action had touched him and how grateful he was. “I was so touched. I don’t know her name, I’ve never ever seen her before. But I will never forget her love. I asked to take a picture with her. And hugged her neck. We need more of this in the world today,” Rob wrote, “…not the money.
But kindness. I hugged a complete stranger today. My son who I love with all my heart was shown love,” he said.
“Many of you who know me know what I believe in. Sounds kinda familiar, doesn’t it? It warms the father’s heart to love the son.
I am blessed. Cole Edwards, I’m so proud of you! To my bank customer friend. THANK YOU!” Rob added.
A heart-warming fact is that in the US there is an entire day dedicated to doing random acts of kindness in February.
That day you just choose a random act of kindness and you perform it for a stranger just to help them and brighten up their day. But that’s not all.
“What a precious story! Thank you for sharing! God bless her for sharing love and being an example of what love looks like.
We need more love in the world!!!” wrote another user on Rob’s post. The funny thing was that through the comments we found a similar story to Rob’s.
Another strange and heart-warming story was told by an Imgur user named “gingersnap1316”. The user claimed that while she was at home alone someone rang her doorbell.
When she opened the door she didn’t recognize the man standing in front of her. Then the stranger asked her something really weird.
“Are you Karen?” the stranger asked her. “I told him no, that Karen was my mom and he gave a quick smile and handed me an unmarked envelope, and walked away.
I get inside and open it up.” What was inside the envelope shocked her! It was $1,000 in cash along with a letter!
“Please accept this gift as an act of random kindness. A cherished member of our family devoted much of her time and resources to helping people through ‘Random Acts Of Kindness’. She gave to others in many ways, and always did so anonymously.
One way our family has chosen to honor her memory is to continue in the tradition of helping others in the community with acts of random kindness,” the letter wrote.
“A ‘Random Act Of Kindness’ does not have to involve the giving of money. It can be as simple as sharing your time with someone, lending an ear, or offering a compliment.
The most important part is that the act is unsolicited and done so with no expectation of anything in return.”
Every kind act has a huge impact on someone and it’s really nice whenever we can to help someone in need.
So be kind and the faith in humanity will be restored!