Kindness is Free: Reuniting a Family (and Saving a Life)

A heartwarming story where I comfort a child that ran away from home, and was reconnected with his family. It felt good to make a difference and I now appreciate my experiences more.

I can't make this up y'all.

This morning, I was able to reunite a family and save a life,

It warms my heart and reminds me that:

1. Kindness Matters (it's free)

2. There are no coincidences in life. All happens as it's supposed to, including time, placements, and actions.

3. Listen to your inner voice and act accordingly. Your experiences make a difference.

The Walk Begins

I'm not as active as I used to be,

But I decided to go out on a walk.

Typically, I'd randomly choose a route to take and this morning I decided to take what seemed to be a shorter, yet more squared route through a series of decent houses.

I set off on my journey at 519AM.

A little after I hit the first bend, I set my eyes on this little kid running down the street as gleeful as possible. Probably giggling to himself.

White kiddo, wearing a white t-shirt, Grey pajamas, and running his little happy butt in the street barefooted.

My first thought was "What the f***?" Why is there a kid running around out here barefoot this early in the morning and... Where's his parents? Where's home for him?

All these questions, including the heavy one of "should I approach and intervene to get him home?" Sadly, today this is a slippery slope. Kids are told stranger danger... At least I think they still are.

I thought about the skin tone difference. I'm an adult he didn't recognize. Maybe he has special needs and won't really understand me or get overly emotionally charged.

But wait, I'm a parent and a military veteran. I'm a professional... I can handle this right?

He waves at me from across the street, seeing me. I didn't wave back because I was still weighing my options.

A Libra deliberating... If you know you know. Finally his display of innocent kindness to wave led me to talk.

"Hey! What are you doing out here all alone? You should head back home." I uttered, watching my tone carefully so as to not scare him.

"If you don't get back home your Mommy and Daddy are gonna be scared wondering where you are."

His smile turned to a scowl as he looked down. I knew what that meant. It wasn't anger... It was the face of fear... Of uncertainty... Of being lost in the unknown.

A feeling I still to this day have bouts with.

I couldn't just walk away now. This kid needed me... Needed to feel safe... Needed reassurance because no one else was here... I was here right now... Where I needed to be at this exact time. I needed to take action.

Where Kindness Matters

I started to step across the street, instincts kicking in to de-escalate. My hands up shoulder height as I slowly approached, reassuring him I wanted to get him home safely.

He started to sob. I felt bad for him, but pressed on.

"Hey it's okay. I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to make sure you're safe and home. If you're out here alone, your mommy and daddy are probably scared and crying just like you. Do you want them to be sad?"

He sat quietly, a single tear slowly tickling below his right eye.

Thankfully he didn't scream, loud enough to wake everyone in the neighborhood and then someone would call the cops to get me ICE'd. But he was quiet.

As he sat, I scratched my chin to determine next actions. I figured knocking the doors on this side of the street would help. I'd start there. So I told him my plan to get him home.

He suddenly stood up and started walking back in the direction he came from. Something told me this kiddo knew where to go so I'd simply follow him. I of course asked him which house was his, pointing to each one. He shook his head no. I still felt weird about this because of stranger danger... But at this point I was all this kid had, and I had to protect him. I had to get him back home because if it was my kid, I'd hope for the same.

We approached the bend of the Cul De Sac

"That house right there." he spoke softly, pointing at our 10 o'clock. He trusted me.

I confirmed the location of the house. Glass door closed, but front door open. I guided him through how to cross the street.

"Stop. Look left and look right to see if any cars are coming."

He followed directions... Twice.

Well done kiddo. Confidence in comfort.

We approached his home. As he reached the glass door to open it, the family dog was barking. Couldn't see it but I could tell it was a big one.

A single car in the driveway meant someone was home. Dog barking meant they were either awake now looking for their kid, or were on the verge of doing the same. Fortunately, the mom walked out.

A deer in the headlights look on her face seeing me there, and her son coming back inside. Hard to read if it was fear or uncertainty... Maybe both... Like her son earlier.

"Hi I'm here to bring your son back home. I saw him running all the way down the street here alone and I wanted to bring him back to you guys so he was safe."

Her son cried as if he was in trouble. His mother hugged him tightly, looked at me and shared her deepest gratitude. The look of concern and mystery fading from her tired eyes.

In that moment I felt a weight lift off of me.

I did something good. I reunited a family. I prevented a devastating loss because I was in the right place at the right time and made the right call.

The Lessons from the Field

I share this story to highlight what I eluded to before.

Kindness Matters. It's free

You never know how much it means to someone to receive a compliment, upliftment, or reassuring words. It's not just the words or actions that matter, but the entire experience. We have this innate ability to feel people's demeanor and auras when they say and do something (if we're aware or attuned to it of course). You never know what breakthrough you offer with how you treat someone. In my case, I was able to cater to and calm a child that I didn't even know. I comforted him, not because of his naivety, but care, empathy, and relating to what the person felt.

He trusted me because I was present and actively wanted to help him get home to be safe.

There are No Coincidences, only divine timing and intervention

Everything happens when it's supposed to happen.

Your path will always align to where you need to be and what you are supposed to do, regardless of the choice.

You will always end up at the optimal point. Why? Because even in failure, heartbreak, and loss, you are in the present where nature's heart and soul flows.

I could have chosen a different route to walk, but I felt I wanted to take this one. I left at the time I was supposed to leave and walked the route how I was supposed to. Had I not, I would have never come across that kid. Or maybe I still would have, or a child just like him. There's no time like the present and every choice or action places us where we need to be. Always in the moment. So don't fixate on making the wrong choice or nit having your expectations met. Everything adds up to an experience, and experiences offer the best lessons.

Your Experiences Count

Speaking on experiences, if you see or hear something and feel a drive to take action, trust your inner voice and instinct. Take action.

Sure, this world is crazy and unpredictable. But remember, you may very well improve the situation or save a life (or several lives). We all have a long laundry list of experiences and knowledge we can draw from based on what we've been exposed to throughout life. We owe it to ourselves, and other people, to offer a hand whenever we can.

As I said before, you never know how the tides can turn. For me, my military experience and identity as a parent to ADHD children, combined with my experience of being raised by a single mother in the Bronx, forged me into a direct yet balanced and nurturing man. I care about people and want to see them okay. So use these experiences, good bad or indifferent, as they are the conduit to care and the well-being of our people.

We are Human beings after all, and we have a species to preserve. So get out there and wield your sense of kindness, you could very well save a life like I did.

Until next time, let's stay #WRITEntangled