When was the last time you did something kind for a complete stranger?
Now, if you think this question is silly and that you shouldn’t bother being there for someone you don’t even know, remember that doing good is always worth it.
Being kind to people, including those random people you encounter every day, could impact their lives more than you can imagine.
Plus, you never know which of those strangers will be there to stay and become an important part of your life.
The story that Briana Hefley Shepard posted on the Facebook page Love What Matters talks about the unusual friendship
between a girl named Rio and the train drivers who were impatiently waiting for this young woman to greet them from her large window.
This story will melt your heart. Make sure you read the story till the end.
“Our company moved to the new location about three years ago. It is located right next to the train tracks, which means we have a front row seat to all the locomotive action.
It wasn’t long before the hosts noticed Rio waving at them and they waved back. Over time, it became their ritual.
They blew their whistles, she ran to the window, they opened their windows and everyone waved and smiled from ear to ear. I shed tears almost every time.”
“Then, a few weeks ago, Rio started school.
Her transition to day school hit me a little harder than I expected, but I was hit hardest the first day the train came by and she wasn’t there.
They blew their whistles, opened their windows, but I was the only one there crying and waving weakly. The next day I made a sign.
I simply wrote, ‘School started.’ I heard the whistle, ran to the window and held up my sign. This was three weeks ago.”
“Oh, I cried.”
“This morning, just a few minutes after I entered the store, there was a knock on the door. It was a man in a bright yellow T-shirt with earplugs hanging out of his ear.
I thought he was a bricklayer coming to talk about construction, because that’s what we do here. I was wrong. He was there to ask about the little blonde-haired girl waving at the trains.
She was one of the hosts and everyone was wondering what happened to her.
They had a short train today, so they stopped further down the tracks, came to our building and knocked on our door. Oh, I cried.
They had seen my sign, but they couldn’t understand what it said. They had assumed that school had started, but they had to make sure.
He said that her greetings made their day. For three years they shared these moments.
“They want to do something for her; she misses him. She asked if they could send him something, to which I said of course! They will send him a birthday present in a few weeks.”
Witnessing their unconventional friendship over the past few years has been nothing short of magical. Knowing that it affected them as much as it affected us fills me with love and hope.
“Today’s visit and your continued kindness towards Rio reaffirmed my faith in goodness and humanity. These are moments we will remember forever.”