When was the last time you did something kind for a complete stranger?
If you think this question is silly and that you shouldn’t bother being there for someone you don’t even know, remember that doing good always pays off.
Being kind to others, even random people you encounter each day, might have a greater impact on their lives than you could ever imagine.
Moreover, you never know which of these strangers might stay and become an important part of your life.
The story shared by Briana Hefley Shepard on the Love What Matters Facebook page is about the unlikely friendship between a little girl named Rio and the train conductors who eagerly awaited her cheerful greetings from her large window.
This story will melt your heart. Make sure to read it all the way through.
“Our business moved into a new building about three years ago. It’s right next to the railroad tracks, which means we have front-row seats to watch all the locomotive action.
It didn’t take long for the train crews to notice Rio waving at them, and they began waving back. Over time, it became her ritual.
They would blow the whistle, she’d run to the window, they’d open their windows, and everyone would wave and smile from ear to ear. I teared up almost every time.
Then, a few weeks ago, Rio started school.
Her transition to full-time school hit me harder than I expected, but the first day the train passed by and she wasn’t there, it hit me even harder.
They blew the whistle, opened their windows, but I was the only one there, crying and waving weakly. The next day, I waved again.
I simply wrote, “She went to school.” I heard the whistle, ran to the window, and held up my sign. This happened three weeks ago.
“Oh, I cried.”
“This morning, just a few minutes after I arrived at the shop, someone knocked on the door. It was a man wearing a bright yellow shirt and headphones hanging around his neck.
I thought he was a construction worker wanting to talk about a project, because that’s what we do here. I was wrong. He was there to ask about the little blonde girl who used to wave at the trains.
She was one of their highlights, and everyone had been wondering what happened to her.
Today, they had a short train, so they continued along the tracks, arrived at our building, and knocked on our door. Oh, I cried again.
They had seen my sign but couldn’t make out what it said. They assumed it meant she had gone to school, but they needed to be sure.
He said her waves made their day. They had shared those moments for three years.
‘You want to do something for them; they miss her.’ She asked if they could send her something, and of course, I said yes! They’ll be sending her a birthday gift in a few weeks.
Witnessing their unconventional friendship over the past few years has been nothing short of magical. Knowing it touched them as much as it did us fills us with love and hope.
Today’s visit and their continued kindness toward Rio reaffirmed my belief in goodness and humanity. These are moments we’ll remember forever.
