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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Random Acts of Kindness

By: Staff Writer

Posted: 12/19/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

Cool treat

Last month during our unusual warm November spell, I happened to stop at a bank on Pembina Highway to do a transaction.

Upon pulling up to the bank, I noticed a man sitting on a bench near the bank's entrance. It was about 8:30 p.m. and quite dark outside, but the temperature was still quite pleasant. I could see his profile in the glow of the streetlight. He was unkempt and his clothes were dirty. I realized that I had seen him before, walking around this end of town during the last few months. He is often wearing a big army parka and carrying a bundle of his possessions.

I finished my bank business and got into my vehicle. I noticed a car pulling up beside me with a woman and a teenage girl inside. The girl got out of the car carrying a Dairy Queen blizzard. She slowly walked up to the man, said something to him and handed him the blizzard. He seemed to say something back to her to which she nodded and then she left.

I figured the woman and the girl had perhaps come to the bank earlier, seen the destitute man and decided to do something special for him. It was just heartwarming to see this kind gesture initiated by these two individuals.

I witnessed a great lesson that there are many caring people left in this world.

-- Paul Bilodeau

Helping hand in parking lot

I was frequenting the Manitoba Clinic a lot this summer after having a full hysterectomy in May, and I was getting discouraged at the amount of money I was paying for parking, never mind that trying to find a spot to park can send anyone into madness.

As I was circling the lot for probably the eighth or ninth time, someone pulled out of a spot. My foot hit the gas to make a bee line for it, then the car pulling out stopped. A lady got out of the driver's side and approached my vehicle. I thought what could be wrong? She said, "We were only here 15 minutes and we paid for three hours, so dear, you take our spot and our ticket."

Now when I have extra time on my ticket, I pass it on to the people waiting for parking. The last ladies I had the privilege to give my leftover ticket to were delighted.

With all the bad we hear about, there are people passing along good as well. Parking tickets aren't always a bad thing.

-- Eileen Hoover

Kindness of a stranger

My husband and I, both in our 70s, set out to wash our windows on a sunny day in November. My husband was up the ladder, I was holding it as it shook and we both knew this was not a good situation.

Suddenly a voice behind us said, "Why don't you come down from there and let me do that for you?"

A complete stranger to us, this young man was a window cleaner who had finished a job nearby and just happened to be passing when he saw us. Aaron Lamb, who owns Transcona Eavestrough and Window Cleaning, grabbed his equipment and quickly set to work cleaning all our windows.

My husband gratefully shook Aaron's hand when the job was finished and tried to pay him. But Aaron adamantly refused, instead giving us a couple of his business cards asking only that we pass them along.

We are deeply grateful for this selfless act from a total stranger. It really helps restore your faith in human nature.

-- Bob and Marlene Shannon

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 19, 2009 C13

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