Jackie Chan truly said, “sometimes it takes only one act of kindness and caring to change a person’s life.” Kindness is a value that every human should possess as it makes a human more human. If life is a gift then kindness is the gift wrapper, this is how important this value is to humans. Act of kindness, when used as a gesture, provides a person with honor and respect. One such act of kindness was portrayed by a beggar which drastically elevated his standards making him a different man from what he previously used to be.
Sarah is a 34 years old lady who is a mother of two little angels. She is still young and follows her dream of training yoga. She is living her desired life where everything is going according to her. In the pursuit of her dreams, she worked harder and reached a point where she owns a Yoga Studio named Darling Yoga Studio.
Sarah hardly gets time to spend with her beloved family, however, she manages her time accordingly. She is blessed with her two kids and an amazing husband. Apart from her family, the only thing she was concerned about was her yoga studio.
Sarah is a co-owner of a Yoga Studio with her sister Emily Darling. Sarah diligently trains yoga to everyone, be it kids or geriatric people. Her passion for yoga can never get decreased and she tries to invest her most of the time in training yoga. Her day starts with Yoga and ends up doing the same.
One day, Sarah had to take care of the studio since her sister was out of town. She was the last person to leave the studio. While locking the door of the studio, her finger got pressed a bit which added on to the pain she developed the previous day. This made her take her engagement ring off her finger and place safely inside her pocket.
Sarah could sense the joyous faces of people walking down the street. She thought it to be a sign of her happy meeting and further tried to reach home as soon as possible. She could not wait to see her kids and husband and she wanted to prepare something special for three of them. She started thinking of a recipe that won't take much time and tastes delicious at the same time.
While walking, she caught sight of a familiar face whom she used to observe almost every day. She never got a chance to help that man earlier so she thought of helping him out that day. She went to him and dug out of her pocket some loose change to contribute a little from her side. She smiled and finally left for home.
After having dinner, the family of four enjoyed the warmth of the fireplace and Sarah sang her children to sleep. The evening was magical for everyone Sarah's husband thanked her for being on her side and held Sarah's hand which made tears roll down Sarah's cheeks. Sarah's husband, while expressing his thanks, experienced something unusual.
Sarah's husband Bill is observant hence he could make out the slightest difference made by anything and anyone. That day, he could not feel the engagement ring on Sarah's hand so he thought that it might be possible that Sarah did not like it hence is not wearing it. So he dropped the idea of asking it and was all set to sleep.
The next morning, when Sarah was preparing breakfast, Bill noticed that Sarah's finger was smashed and swollen. He brushed off his negative thought and asked about the injury. She told him about the incident that happened two days back. Bill sighed and asked if she has kept the ring safely. She did not answer and ran into her room.
Sarah reached for the overcoat she wore the last night and began to search the pockets of the coat. She searched over and over again as if she would get the ring on every search. She could only find some coins, keys, and coupons. She even checked the sleeves of the coat thinking that the ring might have slipped from her finger and rolled down the sleeves which were quite impossible.
Disappointed Sarah, cleared every cupboard and almirah present in the house, not once but multiple times. This made her anxious and she started remembering the activities she did the last evening. She remembered that she kept the ring inside her pocket but now, she was not able to find it.
Amidst her revision of her activities, she remembered the help she provided the old man by giving him some coins. Sarah, without wasting the time traced her path back in the hope of meeting that man again, however, deep down she was sure that she would not be getting to meet him again ever.
For Sarah, the ring holds significant importance. It was her engagement ring with which she was emotionally connected. Though the ring was made up of diamond, the only thing she was concerned about were the sentiments attached to it hence never wanted it to move out of her sight.
On rushing back to that very street once again, she could see no single soul wandering there. Her gut feeling was constantly telling her that the man won't be there as he caught hold of a valuable thing that would definitely help him in making him a little richer than what he used to be.
Bill could not see his wife this way. He tried his level best to console Sarah but she was adamant to catch the man and get her ring back. Bill even told her that he would get another ring of the same design for her, but no, for Sarah, it was not just about the ring but the memories that with the ring she held.
Sarah thought her careless nature to be her biggest mistake. She blamed herself for having the ring lost and listened to her husband's advise that was not to think about it anymore. She did not want to forget it, but, she could do nothing about it. therefore, she moved on.
Days passed by and Sarah slowly was forgetting about the ring. Moreover, she was getting engrossed in her everyday activities. She succeeded in diverting her mind from that ring incident and whole-heartedly focussed on Yoga.
Sarah's family was having a great time since there was nothing they were stressing about. Everything was running well and Sarah was again handling everything the way she used to do earlier. Little did she know, she would face something shocking.
Sarah, as usual walking down the home after closing her studio. She was in a rush to reach home as she had to prepare dinner for her family. She called her sister and started explaining to her the schedule for the next day. She suddenly stopped when she sensed someone following her.
While she stopped by a road, she sensed the follower going back. She felt a little secure and taking her time, she turned back. On turning back, she saw something unexpected. A series of events flashed before her eyes. That time she was more confident and powerful and stepped towards the stranger.
She was some steps away from the figure who followed her. While covering the distance, she observed the place. She saw the same hoodie, same boots and was sure the face she was about to see would be similar. Sarah was unarmed and thought about what would happen if she got attacked on going nearer to him.
Sarah, with all her guts, approached that man and said, “I don’t know if you remember me, but I think I gave you something that’s very precious to me.” She was sure that the answer she would be receiving would be a no, however, the answer she heard made her heart restore the faith in humanity.
In a very docile way, he answered, "was it a ring?". "Yeah, I have it, I kept it for you,” he said. Sarah thought never in her wildest dream that she would be getting back her ring which she lost all by her mistake. She felt blessed yet again and her eyes were again filled with tears but this time, the tears were of joy!
Sarah was running out of words. The ring was too special to her and when she lost it, she lost the faith of getting it back again because she never got to hear positive things about beggars hence she thought of letting the ring go. However, this kind gesture turned her perception upside down. She knew deep down that a simple thank you might not have been enough, something bigger had to be done in exchange.
The name of the guy was Billy Ray Harris. He was destitute and a vagrant as well. The homeless man had no choice but to sleep in squalid conditions. On getting the ring, he was conflicted by the thoughts of selling it and t give it back. Billy discussed selling the ring and even went to see how much it was worth according to the local jeweler.
Billy went to a local jeweler to know the worth. After examining the ring, the jeweler was willing to give $4000 to Billy on the spot. Billy's life would drastically experience an elevation if he takes up the cash. Billy realized that meant that he thought it was worth a lot more. He thought about taking the cash but in the end, Billy Ray decided to keep the ring.
While going back from the jeweler shop, Billy realized that the ring could be very essential to somebody, therefore, he decided to wait and see if somebody comes in search of it. The decision he made was moral and would turn the course of his life forever! He gave up on his needs and thought of the feelings that were attached to the ring, hence, he made the right decision to return it.
As Billy gave the ring back, Billy spoke of the temptation to sell the ring and said, “I just couldn’t do it. I’m not saying I’m an angel, but I’m not a devil either.” Sarah appreciated and was amazed by the kind words he uttered. He added, “I could tell exactly how much it meant to you as soon as I held it up.” After this statement, the only thing she said was, “it just makes you realize there are good people out there.”
Sarah was deliriously happy to see the sincerity that Billy Ray possessed. She thought highly of him as he was so moral. Sarah Darling and her husband Bill realized that for his compassion they were required to repay. Sarah expressed, “it was just such a feeling of loss when it was gone, so I am so eternally grateful for him.”
Sarah couldn't think how fortunate she was to lose it to such a kind and honest man. Sarah along with her husband decided to set-up a fundraiser for their hero in disguise. They set up a GoFundMe page and hoped to raise $1000 for his honesty as a donation to Billy Ray. To make other people aware of his kind act, they took his story to the internet.
The reaction that the page got was greater than what they both expected it to be. They aimed to help the guy to pay for a few meals or purchase some new clothes but he could now get more than that. “We set it up because a lot of people that were touched by this story expressed interest in helping Billy Ray. We set the goal for $1000 and were hoping to achieve maybe $4000 because that is what he was offered on the spot for the ring,” said Sarah.
A contributor, all the way from England, wrote, “In life what goes around comes around Billy-your sweet actions, despite being dire straits yourself, prove that there is humility in the world. You are one shining example. Lots of love from across the pond.” Other people shared their harsh experiences, praising Billy for his morality.
When Bill and Sarah told Billy about the response people gave, he couldn't believe what they were saying. Then, she said, “I like it, but I don’t think I deserve it.” He could not understand the generosity of people and added, “what I actually feel like, what has the world come to when someone returns something that doesn’t belong to him, and all this happens?”
This incident completely changed Billy's life. In this regard, he states, “I still see some of the same people, but only now, instead of coming up and giving me change, they’re coming up, shaking my hand, and you know, saying ‘hey good job.'” The honesty and righteousness paid off.
Billy was no longer homeless and had enough cash through charitable donations to purchase himself a car and even placed a down payment on his own house. Billy never thought it to be a jackpot hence was not being so materialistic. Little did he know that this was just an initiation of his luck!
Billy thought the house and car to be secondary and the greatest gift he received was the reunion with the family. 16 years was a big deal for him to stay away from his family. Billy's family could able to track him only after he appeared on TV with a tale.
Since Billy was not in contact with his family, the family heard rumors that their brother had passed away. The appearance he made on the television made his family relieved that Billy was alive. Billy not only got his living standards elevated, he was also offered an opportunity to meet his brothers and siblings.
Robin, the eldest daughter of Billy stood up to find her siblings were alive or not. She searched on social media and could trace her brother's profile in which it was mentioned that he resided in Wichita Falls, Texas. “I got on the computer one morning and I knew it was my brother as soon as I saw the picture,” said Robin.
Billy Ray Harris was overjoyed when he reached out to his sibling. He became very emotional and said, “I’m glad that we all got in touch with each other. I was really worried about them and they were worried about me, and there were so many stories going around in Texas that I was dead or in Arkansas and nobody knew anything.” Billy talks to his family almost every day, he added, “We are actually talking about having a family reunion. I can’t wait I got happy feet.”
Every news channel was following Billy's story, but NCB News took a step further and decided to arrange a surprise when they got to know how excited he was to meet his family with whom he had lost all the contacts in the last 16 years. Bill and Sarah were also invited to speak their experience on that show. While Billy was in an interview, he had no faint idea that his family would be waiting backstage.
Billy was busy sharing his experience when all his brothers went to the stage. Billy was not able to speak further and let his tears flow down his cheeks. He abruptly stood up and embraced his brothers filling that whole studio with emotional vibes. He managed to thank the News channel by saying, “This is a really big surprise, I’m in shock.”
Not only brothers but Billy's sister, Nellie also came along. She talked about how she felt when she initially got to know her brother was alive. She said, “We had been wondering for years, where is he at? Is he alive?”. With eyes full of tears, she stated that" it means the world "to have her large brother back in her life." Billy also became an uncle and had a lot of nieces and nephews in the course of that 16 years.
The interview was quite long but one thing that did not fade away throughout was Billy's smile. It was a delighting reality for Billy. He never imagined that someday he would get to see his familiar faces. He added, “I never would have thought this. This is a total shock.”
Billy is so grateful to Sarah and Bill since they were the people who endorsed him. He thanked everyone by stating, “I want to thank all the people that helped me out I want them to see where all their efforts, blessing and kindness are going.”
Sarah encouraged Billy's generosity and stated, “Overall, it just makes me feel good,” She added, “a lot of people came together to change this person’s life when he is someone who really deserves that. He definitely seems like his spirit has been rejuvenated. He has the chance to express himself more, you know to buy a new car and buy new clothes.” Sarah's husband Bill added, “He’s just a solid guy, and you can tell he’s probably going to make it out alright.”
Billy not only got his family back but also added two new friends. He acquired Bill Krejci as a brother and promised to remain in contact. It is definitely going to be a lifetime friendship. Adding to it, three of them decided to meet often and share a friendly family bond.
With time, Bill and Billy's bond strengthened. They both shared a common interest that is sports and often go together for a basketball or a hockey match. Bill, in an interview with NBC, mentioned, “I knew immediately that he was someone that was on the same wavelength as me, and I was looking forward to being able to go chat with him once in a while.”
On being asked about the ring, Bill informed, “We talked about a lot of things related to my family’s ring and the many donations. We talked about one day in the future the ring may one day be passed down to my daughter.” The ring was a family heirloom hence held a great significance.
A destitute now had a home. He informed Bill Krejci that he found a place so safe to live. He brought the past in light by stating, "when I think of the past, I think, thank God that it’s over.” Now, he feels no less than other people around him. He said, lastly he "feel human now" since he could now afford the basic amenities.
Billy again thought to be true and confessed that when the fundraiser initially began to take off, “I was almost scared to look at it then. I didn’t want to get my hopes up too high.” He thought it to be the peak time of his life as he got to see his family, “I didn’t think it was going to happen in my lifetime, being 50-something years old and being out of touch that long, you just figure you ain’t gonna get in touch.”
Sarah and Bill had their own family of four. She would always be grateful to Billy for teaching her a lesson on humanity. As her kids were growing day by day, her responsibilities were also increasing. She said, “I’ve talked to other mothers about this. It gives other moms a real tangible story of really teaching kind of the difference between what’s wrong and what’s right."
Billy had two options in front of him, one is to sell the ring and make money; second, to give back the ring and remain poor. Though he was in need of money at that time, he did not opt for the first option and adhered to his ethics which lastly showed the result by reuniting him with his family. Thus, kindness is such a beautiful value.