Good people come in all shapes and sizes, all ages, all colours and can be found almost anywhere, but sometimes you have to look for them, for they don’t go about tooting their own horns, making a public spectacle of themselves.  It’s encouraging, I think, to find these people and know that kindness & compassion still exist.

A simple act of kindness

Izayah Edwards is a senior at Merrillville High School in Crown Point, Indiana.  According to his bio on his scholarship application …

“My ultimate goal in life would be to become a pediatrician and help kids in need. I am most passionate about my education, I work hard. I am a great candidate because I am self driven and things that I set out to do, I give my all.”

About a month ago, Isayah began working as a bagger at the Jewel-Osco supermarket in his town.  One day last week, an elderly woman was checking out and as he was bagging her groceries, he saw her struggling … counting and re-counting the bills in her wallet, but coming up a little short.  Izayah, according to a woman who was next in line, didn’t hesitate, but pulled out his own wallet and quietly handed the woman a $20 bill.The woman who was next in line snapped a photo and posted it on Facebook, and from there the story went viral.  Last I heard, Indiana State Representative Lisa Beck is planning to honor him at a ceremony with Crown Point’s mayor soon.  This young man is going to be a fine pediatrician someday … I believe in him.

Another young person steps up to the plate

It seems that the youth of today haven’t yet discovered greed and selfishness … let’s hope they never do!

This one happened at the McDonald’s drive-thru in Waynesville, Ohio.  I will let the recipient of the kindness, Brittany Reed, tell you the story …

“Tonight as I was leaving football practice with my three kiddos my 4 year old was so tired he started crying and acting a fool as we were getting in the van. My 7 year old daughter started crying because I told her we were having red potatoes as a side for dinner and clearly she wasn’t a fan sooo I threw my hands up and said FORGET it – McDonald’s tonight!

We go through the drive through, order food, all three kids are now crying for one reason or the other. I go to pay – I LEFT MY PURSE AT HOME. Welp now I wanted to cry. I look at the young man with tears in my eyes just from being stressed and annoyed and say ‘hun I am so sorry but I have to cancel that order I left my purse at home when we went to football tonight’ WITHOUT HESITATION he takes out his wallet and swipes his card before I could even say ‘no I will be right back!’

I was like ‘wait no hun it’s ok I will come back through’ then he replies ‘no it’s totally fine, my pleasure’.

I snapped a quick picture and asked his name to which he replied Wyatt Jones ma’am. I told him I would be right back with cash for him and he tried hard to talk me out of it.I just want his parents to know how KIND and COMPASSIONATE your son was tonight! He made this stressed out momma pause for a moment and realize this is exactly what we parents are trying to do, raise great humans. Well Wyatt sir, you are an amazing human!!!

I went back and handed him cash and had to make him take it because he didn’t want to take more than he had paid but I wanted him to know that when you put good out in the world it comes back to you ten fold!

Wyatt, do not let this world change your kind heart young man for its people like YOU that will change this world for the better!”

I fully agree.

A helping hand from across the border …

The wildfires on the West Coast are devastating … millions of acres of land has been razed, homes destroyed, lives and livestock lost.  Firefighters are exhausted, their numbers nowhere near sufficient to control these horrific fires.  Last Wednesday, help arrived in the form of firefighters from Mexico’s National Forestry Commission.  The five crews from Mexico — a total of 100 firefighters — will help fight the Sequoia Complex Fire, which spans more than 144,000 acres.According to Eduardo Cruz, the Mexican agency’s national fire director …

“Fires do not have borders, fires do not have different languages and cultures. In the end we all speak the same language when it comes to fighting fire.”

I try hard to keep politics out of my Wednesday ‘good people’ posts, but I cannot help mentioning how so many people in this country have followed the rhetoric of the person in the Oval Office in denigrating Mexicans, and yet just look … they are risking their lives, giving of their own time away from their families, to help us save homes, land and people.  Remember this next time you hear someone put down Hispanics or Mexicans … or any other ethnicity.  There are good people everywhere.  For my part, I offer a heartfelt thanks to these wonderful firefighters for their assistance!

Good critters doing good things

Magawa, a giant African pouched rat, has been awarded a British charity’s top civilian award for animal bravery, receiving the honor for searching out unexploded landmines in Cambodia.  The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals, PDSA, started as a free veterinary clinic in 1917 and has honored heroic animals since 1943.Magawa was trained by a Belgian organization that has taught rats to find landmines for more than 20 years. The group, APOPO, works with programs in Cambodia, Angola, Zimbabwe and Mozambique to clear millions of mines left behind from wars and conflicts.

Magawa is the group’s most successful rat, having cleared more than 141,000 square meters of land, the equivalent of some 20 soccer fields.  Before Magawa, all the recipients were dogs.