As we go throughout our daily lives, we never know when some small kindness we pay to someone else will make a huge difference in the world. What is commonplace to most people may be the kindest thing another person has ever seen or experienced. There’s just no way of knowing the path an individual has taken to bring them to your doorstep. And when it’s a child, the kindest deed can mean more than you can ever know. I know that as a child growing up, anyone who ever paid me a kindness, I remember. Children remember these things and it can change the trajectory of their entire lives. In the story below, you’ll read about a little boy who was hungry and a woman did him a simple kindness. Enjoy this heartfelt story.
One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door.
Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it so slowly, and then asked, How much do I owe you?”
You don’t owe me anything,” she replied. “Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness.”
He said … “Then I thank you from my heart.”
Many year’s later that same young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease.
Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes.
Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room.
Dressed in his doctor’s gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once.
He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to her case.
After a long struggle, the battle was won.
Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words …
“Paid in full with one glass of milk”
(Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly.
