Today I have a story for you that will warm your heart and renew your faith in the genuine kindness of strangers.

We were recently on vacation in Oregon and I was browsing in a bookstore, when I met a man who brightened the day of many future kindergarten students and their teacher. I was wandering through the children’s book section when I heard someone saying something about buying books for everyone. Jokingly, I said, “Hey, I want in on that!” (My kids make fun of me and tell me that I make a new best friend everywhere I go because I talk to everyone.) Well, the man said, “Sure! Pick a book!” I laughed and kept browsing. He came over and said, “Go ahead! Pick a book.” I laughed again thinking we were still joking. At that point he said, “I’m totally serious. I’m buying you a book.”

I had been browsing for interesting books for my classroom and grabbed the ABC book about rocks that I was dying to purchase. I said, “Ya know what, I’ll take you up on it!”

Here we are with my awesome new book and a renewed faith in the kindness of strangers. 

I told him that I am a kindergarten teacher and that I would share his kindness with my students for years to come. I started getting a little teary eyed and he said, “I’ve got to turn my back on you because you’re getting me all emotional!”  I started chatting with his wife and she said, “Yep, I totally wouldn’t put something like this past him.” He just sounds like the type of guy who reaches out to people and has a giving heart.

This was the most amazing surprise for me. We had been exploring rocks during the day and I thought this would be a great book to add to our rock provocations in the classroom. I knew I wouldn’t be buying the book because I didn’t have a wallet.

***side story***

On our way to our destination in Central Oregon, we stopped at a gas station in Gresham. I accidentally left my wallet in the bathroom and didn’t notice it was missing until I was 3 hours away. We called the gas station and they found it intact. Through Facebook I found many friends who were close to Gresham or passing through and offered to help. In the end, a relative of a friend picked up my wallet and mailed it home to me. Again, I’m amazed at the kindness of strangers.

Back to that book about rocks…

I can’t wait to bring it into my classroom this year, but mostly I can’t wait to share this story with 20 little people and help shape the way they perceive kindness. This man in the bookstore, my new BFF, bought something for me but I will certainly remind my students that kindness doesn’t need to come in a monetary form. This man was showing kindness from the goodness of his heart, as we all should do.