Kindness is a blessing, both to the recipient and the one who bestows it. In a world full of crises, people are especially touched by a spontaneous selfless act; and in many cases, kindness is contagious.
When one Australian family decided to reach out to a stranger and share their grace over the holidays, they were surprised to get more than they bargained for.
It was Christmas, 2021, in the town of Yarrawonga, located in the state of Victoria, Australia. Ali and Chris wanted to celebrate the festive season with their grandchildren, so they took them to a local Chinese restaurant.
As they sat down for a family meal, they spotted an elderly man at a table near theirs. The man, Phil, was alone and didn’t appear to be expecting anyone.
For many, Christmas is a cheerful time when families and friends come together and celebrate the holiday spirit. Seeing a man sitting alone with no one to talk to, was too sad for Ali.
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She sent her then-eight-year-old daughter to invite Phil over to join them for their dinner.
The girl went to his table and asked him to eat with them, and, to their joyful surprise, he heartifully agreed.
In a post shared to The Kindness Pandemic group on Facebook, Ali’s sister, Helen, expressed how touched she was when Ali told her about the man, saying that “if it was her dad or mom,” she hoped that someone would invite them as well.
Sitting with the family, Phil began to share his stories of his time in the military and his wife in the nursing home. His tales were warmly received by the kids, who Helen told The Epoch Times were “very well adjusted” and were raised to be “kind and considerate.”
Kindness is contagious
When they were finished, the family wanted to go one step further and pay for Phil’s meal. When they asked for the check, however, they were told that the whole bill was already paid. As it turned out, another table heard what Ali and her family did and was inspired to pay for their meals, continuing the Christmas spirit.
“The fact that another table of people also acted with kindness by identifying a kind gesture and paying for dinner makes this story extra special,” Helen said, in what she called an act of “double kindness.”
“I cried when my sister told me what they did,” Helen added. “I feel acts of kindness like this is a beautiful thing, it gives faith in humanity back to people.”
Truly touched by the event, Helen took it to Facebook and shared the story via a post on The Kindness Pandemic group to inspire others to display their generosity and good will to others.
“Often, people read these things to get a good feeling or a smile when they need it, too,” Helen said.
Sure enough, the post garnered a very positive response from the group, with 22,000 reactions and more than 1,500 comments.
“Beautiful! I still believe in kindness in this mixed-up world full of challenges,” one netizen commented. “I’m sure he really enjoyed your company & his meal as much as your family enjoyed having him there. Wonderful of the other people to pay for you all. Kindness re-paid.”
“Brings tears to my eyes!” another comment read. “That dear old man will remember their kindness and the little girl will remember his stories… It is the snowball effect weaving the magic!”
With enough acts of “double-kindness,” it can indeed become like a righteous pandemic, spreading from person to person, through communities and past borders, bringing peace and harmony to every infected area.
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