A few years back, my boyfriend Andy invited me to meet his parents for Christmas. We booked an early morning flight on the morning of Christmas Eve and arrived at the airport before the sun was up. As we were waiting in line to check in, we noticed a lanky kid with a military haircut and glasses(who couldn't have been much older than 18 years old)in a t-shirt and shorts, shivering on a bench with his t-shirt stretched as far as it would go over his knees, hugging himself in the cold weather. As we watched, people kept walking past him without seeing him, and my heart went out to this poor kid.
Without a word, my boyfriend walked right up to the kid on the bench and they started chatting. As I watched from line, Andy pulled off the sweatshirt that he was wearing (his favorite)and handed it to the shivering kid, who broke into a huge smile of appreciation and wonderment.
With tears in his eyes, Andy walked back to line and in a gruff tone, told me that the kid was a soldier just trying to get home to see his family and it was the least he could do for the little guy for his sacrifice.
That was 7 years ago and I was lucky enough to marry Andy. I sometimes wonder what happened to that lanky kid in the airport, and am grateful to be reminded of the impact that even the smallest bits of human kindness can have on others.
Submitted by Anonymous
We've all had people in our lives who have made a positive impact on us. A parent or grandparent, a sibling who was there for us, or maybe even just a guy who shines shoes for a living? Whoever they are, tell us their story so they can inspire us even more.
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