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SALT LAKE CITY — Everyone has different talents or skills that can make them uniquely able to help in certain situations.
Maybe it's recognizing a child's fear and singing to calm them. Or, perhaps it's a willingness to give from your pocket. This week, our readers sent us stories of different ways they helped or were helped by another.
On how small the world really is:
Cliff Summers
"While pumping wells in eastern Utah, I stopped to get a soda and saw a couple of young people with a cup asking people for money. Their car had Idaho tags from my county, so I filled their car and bought a meal. Come to find out, they had gone to school with two of my children and when we were living in Kansas they stayed with my parents."
On giving the gift of service for a girl's birthday:
Amber A.
Photo credit: Amber A.
"We had just finished having our little girl's 4th birthday party at Gardner Village and we decided to walk around and get a treat before heading home. An older gentleman and his wife noticed that our daughter was all dressed up and wearing a crown. They told her she was so beautiful and they loved her dress. We told the couple that it was her birthday and the wife was eating a caramel apple and wanted to give our daughter a piece, we told her that is where we were heading. The man then started to sing, 'Happy Birthday' to her and she lit up when he was singing. Then the man got in his pocket and handed our daughter a $10 bill and told her to go buy something nice. It was the nicest thing a stranger has ever done for us."
On the joy of helping others:
Angel J.
"I work at a gas station in Orem and on Friday the 13th (also my birthday) I had an older lady enter my store walking with a bit of a limp. As she got closer I greeted her and asked what I could do for her, she replied 'I need to get some gas, but I fell down a few days ago and I'm not sure if I can pump it by myself.'
"I told her I was sorry for her accident and that I was more than happy to help her pump her gas. I asked her how much fuel she wanted to put in, as I explained we would have to pre-pay before I could help her pump it. She said she just needed about $5 worth of gas to get her to church and back home.
"She thumbed through her wallet for about 5 minutes before she said she had left her card at her granddaughter's or had misplaced it. She opened her change part of her purse and started counting pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. After helping a few other customers I looked back at her and she had managed to find about $3.40. At this point I grabbed $2 from my wallet and told her I'd help her out.
"As I set the pump up I followed her out to her car, I noticed she was so fragile she couldn't manage to open her gas tank door so I did it while she got in her car and attempted to get comfortable. When I was done, she looked up at me with a twinkle in her eye and said 'thank you so much, you really didn't have to do that, and I really appreciate it.' I told her "she was welcome and I was sorry for her pain and fall. She said she wanted to bring money back and asked my name. I told her it was Angel and she said 'You are an Angel." The feeling was amazing, I felt really good after helping her, and she seemed very grateful and appreciative for my assistance. Moral of the story, paying it forward definitely has its rewards and material possessions can never replace the feeling of helping those in need."
On the power of a song:
Jesi E.
"A few weeks ago I took my 18-month and 6-month-old girls to a car shop to have our car worked on. As we walked into the waiting area my youngest started crying because she was hungry and my oldest suddenly became frightened of the new building and strange place. I struggled to get the three of us through the door and situated on the chairs so I could feed the youngest.
"A man waiting there started singing to my frightened little girl, who perked up and stopped crying. He sang to and with us for about 15 minutes until his wait was over. It completely made my morning! His act of kindness calmed my frightened child and allowed me to calm the other. How grateful I am for a stranger's thoughtfulness."
Have you seen any moments of service or kindness? Do you want to share a story about something that made your day? Email a brief story (100 words or fewer) along with any photos or video to crosenlof@ksl.com.
