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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Random acts of kindness

By: Staff Writer

Posted: 11/14/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

Angel walks among us

I was in my studio in the Exchange, preparing for a workshop, when a woman came in pushing a walker. I thought she might have been there for the workshop so I asked if I could help her. She asked to see a Jeff Skinner.

The way she said it, I was hesitant to respond, but I told her that was me. She said "Your ID is missing, isn't it?" I had no idea what she was talking about. I obviously looked confused.

She asked if I knew where my wallet was. Still bewildered, I said nothing. She smiled and asked "Have you been panicking yet?" as she pulled my wallet out of the basket on her walker. I was shocked.

I had no idea I had even dropped it.

She handed it to me and proceeded to tell me she was an artist at Artbeat, the co-op art studio below me in the building. She had arrived by Handi-Transit a half-hour before the art gallery opened when she had found my wallet and decided to spend her waiting time going door-to-door, looking for me.

At first my heart sank, thinking of what the consequences could have been if I had to spend the next week cancelling my credit cards and tracking down all new identification.

That feeling was quickly replaced by sheer gratitude someone so honest and diligent was the finder of my entire life of plastic and paper.

The official record of me was collected and protected by an angel who, finding it difficult to move at the best of times, still managed to track me down one floor and one door at a time.

Her first consideration was my feelings.

The only thing she could think of was the panic I would feel once I realized my wallet had disappeared.

Her name is Candace (pronounced Candasi.) She is an angel in my eyes.

-- Jeff Skinner

Ring returned

ONE evening, I took my son to hockey practice at Canlan. Before we left, I washed the dishes, took off my wedding rings and placed them in the front pocket of my jeans. At the game, I remembered to put my rings back on. But when I reached for them, I only had one.

I backtracked to the car, around the rink and retraced my steps again. Nothing.

I went home and my husband and I looked in, around and under the car. We searched the house. Still nothing.

I really felt the loss, as did my husband. We had been married for a little more than a year. Eventually, I accepted the loss of my ring.

But not long after, I was home with two of my kids, Roland and Zoey, when we heard a knock at the door downstairs. I told him not to open the door before knowing who was there. He ran back upstairs and told me no one was at the door.

We heard another knock, and he ran downstairs and opened the door. There was no one there, but my ring was on the top step. He ran upstairs and asked me to look at him. I turned around and Roland was holding my ring!

This has mystified all of us. To this day, I don't know how my ring reappeared on my doorstep. I would like to thank whoever it was who returned my ring. I wish I knew who to thank, but I guess I never will.

-- Denise Crystal Maytwayashing-Gladu

Kindness builds community

I had to do a presentation in one of my classes at the U of M. I was running late and my credit card was "unreadable" in the parking meter.

A girl around 20 years old simply took out her wallet, paid for my parking, introduced herself and with a smile told me not to worry about it.

It is amazing how a place that seems so big can magically became a community through one act of kindness. Thank you, Jenna, you made my day.

-- Cordella Friesen

Share your random act of kindness by emailing kindness@freepress.mb.ca.

We’ll publish all of your stories on the web, at www.winnipegfreepress.com, and share some of our favourites once a week on The Social Page.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 14, 2009 C6

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