The Storm That Brought Us Home: How a Simple Act of Kindness Came Full Circle
Nearly twenty years ago, on a rainy October night, a small decision I made ended up changing two lives—mine and someone else’s—in a way I never expected.
I was just starting out, a young waitress finishing a late shift at the local diner. The rain was relentless, turning the roads into shimmering rivers as I made my way home. I gripped the steering wheel tightly, my heart pounding with every gust of wind.
That’s when I saw him—a man alone at a run-down bus stop, soaked through and shivering. He looked lost, his thin jacket barely enough to keep out the cold. Something about the way he stood there stopped me in my tracks.
I rolled down my window. “Are you okay?” I asked.
He nodded faintly. Despite my initial hesitation, something deep inside urged me to help. I unlocked the door. “Come in. Let’s get you warm.”
He quietly thanked me as I turned up the heater. I took him to my small house nearby and offered him dry clothes and a warm meal—simple comforts that meant a lot that night. He told me his name was James. I was Celia.
There was a quiet heaviness about him, but he was polite and deeply grateful. I gave him a place to sleep and, the next morning, I handed him a little cash and an old bus ticket I had saved for emergencies.
Continue reading on next page…