Kindness can take many forms

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Faron Hall (FREE PRESS ARCHIVES)

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Dancing Gabe (JEFF DE BOOY / FREE PRESS ARCHIVES)

EXPLORING KINDNESS, IN THREE ACTS ACT ONE... The "homeless hero," as Faron Hall will forever be known even if he now has a home, is feeling a little better about himself.

At least he was when I reached him late Tuesday night at his St. Boniface apartment.

Of course, Faron's nationally known efforts go beyond simple acts of random kindness. Incredibly, the 44-year-old has rescued two people from the Red River in separate incidents in four months.

Earlier Tuesday, he felt the need to meet family members of a third person he couldn't save.

Chris Harper, 32, drowned Friday.

Chris, Faron, Tara Lyn Beardy, and Tara's cousin Geraldine -- who Faron now says wasn't Chris's common-law wife after all -- were all drinking on a dock near the Norwood Bridge when it happened.

Chris reportedly went into the water to save Tara, who either tripped and "fell" into the river -- according to what she told me -- or went in to cool off, according to what police reported.

In any event, Faron expressed a deep sense of guilt after he rescued Tara, but not Chris.

He expressed it again when he met with Chris's father and sister.

"They said, 'Don't be so hard on yourself. You did the best you could.' I'm relieved that they don't hold any anger. Maybe it's starting the healing process."

Maybe.

But clearly Faron is still caught in the psychological undertow of not being able to save Chris. Which is why, he acknowledged, his social worker is trying to arrange counselling.

Tara could use some, too.

"I'm hoping against hope that she goes back to school," Faron said. "Because I don't want her to end up like me."

He'd been living on the street for seven years before Manitoba Housing found him an apartment following last spring's heroics.

Still, Faron -- who hasn't been able to leave behind his homeless friends and the drinking lifestyle -- might be ready to let someone help him tread water emotionally.

If not actually find dry land.

As Faron put it in our late-night chat: "I don't want you to write a column about the death of a hero."

***

ACT TWO... A Crescentwood woman named Bonnie called with this story, which she also could have emailed to the Free Press web feature Random Acts of Kindness (kindness@freepress.mb.ca).

Bonnie was at a Goldeyes game late last month, standing at the elevator with half a dozen other fans -- including super fan Dancing Gabe -- when she saw a woman walk up to Gabe and give him money.

"At least three $50 bills," Bonnie recalled.

Bonnie surmised the woman thought Gabe had dropped it.

Gabe -- who is mentally challenged and lives frugally -- took the money.

Examined it.

Then offered it to another man who was waiting for the elevator.

"I think this is your money," Gabe said.

The man searched his pockets, then took the money and thanked Gabe.

By name, of course.

Barbara thought what Gabe did was sweet.

"An act of kindness," she called it.

And that's the story.

Except for this epilogue.

Later, when Bonnie saw Gabe, she felt she needed to thank him for what he'd done. So she gave him $5 and a suggestion.

"Buy yourself a hotdog, Gabe."

How sweet and kind, is that?

***

THE TALE END... Bernie Miller and her sister, Betty Lloyd, were driving along the Perimeter Highway this summer when they saw something distressing.

A group of ducklings was trying to cross the highway without their mother. The orphaned duckling would start to cross, then scamper back when a car came along.

Not knowing what else to do, Bernie pulled to the side of the road and began to pray out loud to God and St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. Praying for someone to be sent to help the ducklings.

It took a moment.

But Betty finally heard the answer to her sister's prayer.

"Bernie," she exclaimed. "They've sent us. They have sent us to save these ducks and help them cross the highway. We must help them."

So they did.

Betty hopped out of the car and played traffic cop, stopping oncoming traffic while the ducklings all lined up behind her and Betty led them across. As if she were Mother Duck.

What did sister Bernie do?

She just kept praying, of course.

Until they were all safely across.

gordon.sinclair@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 10, 2009 B1