Letter to the Editor: An Act of Kindness After the Storm

Dear Editor,

My faith in the youth of our great country has been reaffirmed.

While out delivery my route today, in not the greatest of conditions, I was approached by a young lady. I would guess that she was high school aged at the oldest.

As she walked up to me, she asked me if I drank coffee or hot chocolate. When I said that I did, she then reached in her pocket and pulled out a five dollar bill and said to me, "I can't imagine doing your job every day, but on a day like today, it must really be hard. So I would like you to take this and go buy yourself a coffee or hot chocolate."

I told her several times that I truly appreciated her gesture, but that I would really like if she would take that money and donate it to the charity of her choice. She once again asked if I was sure that I wouldn't take the money and get something warm to drink.

I explained to her that just the fact that she took the time to offer a stranger such a act of kindness was going to keep me warm for the rest of the day.

As she walked away she said, "Thank you for the job you do every day."

The rest of my day, while I delivered my route, I keep thinking that all we usually here about are the bad actions of some of today's kids. But today I experienced a true act of kindness from a young adult that had absolutely nothing to gain from that act.

In the words of Willy Wonka, "so goes a good deed in a weary world!" And thank you to the young lady on Saint James Street in West Hartford for giving me more then she every realized she would! FAITH!

Russ Binkowski