When homeowners check the footage caught on their doorbell cameras, they are often looking for a porch pirate stealing their package. But a Tennessee woman’s camera was focused on something entirely different – responses to kindness. The touching reaction from one Amazon delivery driver moved her to tears.
Christine Long, who lives just outside of Nashville, has always aimed to make a difference in the world, even if it’s a small one. And her recent effort did not go unnoticed. In fact, it has inspired many and helped restore others’ faith in humanity.
Christine, an avid online shopper, was leaving gift cards on her porch for all the delivery drivers braving the cold winter to deliver packages to her home during the holiday season.
“I know how hard they’re working to get everything delivered by Christmas, so it was just a way to say thank you,” Christine explained to The Epoch Times.
As such, she doesn’t mind spending on the $10 and $15 fast food/coffee shop gift cards. She pins the gift cards, at eye-level right outside her doorbell on her porch beside a note that reads: “Attn: delivery drivers. Thank you for delivering our packages, please take a treat!”
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After everything was set, all she had to do then was just sit back and watch their reactions. She said many drivers were pleasantly surprised upon seeing the gift card. They usually grab a gift card and say thank you, giving a nod or a friendly wave towards the camera.
Christine said that she loved watching their reactions as it gave her joy in seeing such happiness on their faces. One that particularly stood out was a response from an Amazon driver, which moved Christine to the core and affirmed her little deed is indeed impacting lives.
“What? Ah, you’ve got to be kidding me,” the driver exclaims in the doorbell cam footage upon seeing the gift cards.
But what he said afterward is what moved Christine to tears.
“I didn’t think anybody cared anymore. You don’t even know how this is gonna help us.”
Seeing that footage, Christine was overwhelmed with emotion to see how a small gesture can make someone so happy. She never knew the driver’s name but after sharing her footage with Love What Matters, the story went viral until it eventually found him.
“He stopped me in my neighborhood a few days after the video went viral, and told me he saw it,” Christine told The Epoch Times. “He thanked me for posting it, thanked me for the gift card, and wished me a Merry Christmas.”
Christine, an HR executive, came up with her gift card idea during the 2020 holiday season. Initially, she set up a basket with snacks but that wasn’t a success, due to the delivery drivers being on a tight schedule, they didn’t notice or take the snacks.
She decided, instead, to try whatever gift cards she could find and hang them on her porch so that drivers could grab a quick meal or a drink at their convenience.
“I ended up gifting one card to one of my friends’ husband,” Christine recalled of her trial run. “His wife shared it on Instagram, and said he was so grateful.”
Also Watch: the Facebook video
Inspired by Christine, one of her friends adopted her expression of gratitude to the delivery drivers by hanging gift cards on a wreath by her front door with a sign.
While Christine joked that her friend’s set-up was much cuter than hers, the “cuteness” isn’t what matters. It’s the intention that really matters, and Christine has gifted at least 20 cards thus far.
Christine’s willingness to make a stranger’s day shows that there is still hope and kindness alive in the world. Delivery drivers are accustomed to quietly leaving their packages, with no expectation of such a special expression of gratitude. But when they drop something at Christine’s house, one can be sure that they would leave with a smile on their face.
Whether they show it or not, most people have pain and suffering in their lives, and being kind to everyone makes all the difference.
“Some days, it’s all we ever need.”
