On a sweltering summer day, a family found themselves stranded on a remote Midwestern Road when their car ran out of gas. Faced with the daunting task of reaching the nearest service station, the father decided to embark on the long trek, leaving his wife and children behind in the shade of the vehicle.
As he trudged along the hot asphalt, he hoisted a heavy steel gas can. Passing a nearby construction site, he noticed the workers lounging in the shade, enjoying their lunches and escaping the heat.
Pricked by compassion, one of the workers called out to him and tossed his keys over, offering the man his truck. Grateful for the unexpected gesture, the father accepted the keys, knowing this act of kindness would make all the difference.
A couple of hours later, the family returned to their stranded car, this time in the comfort of the worker’s truck. They filled up the gas can and thanked the construction crew for their generosity.
From that day forward, every time the family passed a construction site, they felt a warm appreciation in their hearts for the kindness of strangers and it changed their overall psychological make up of what humanity entails.
Each of us has what it takes to make life easy for someone else. However, if we can’t help them, let’s at least not add to their burden.