Angels. I’ve heard that strangers who help people they don’t know are simply angels in disguise. And random acts of kindness. Being on the receiving end of a random act of kindness leaves me believing that angels do indeed walk among us.
In my travels over the years, I’ve experienced a number of those random acts of kindness from strangers: the two women who translated for me at the foreign train station so I could get the right train ticket to where I was going; the woman who paid for my meal when I discovered after ordering that I’d left my money at home; the woman who watched my rig when I had to leave it behind and the men welded my hitch back together last fall.
Last year, when the half-inch metal plate of my trailer hitch broke
almost in two as I was driving down the road, I had to leave my unhitched trailer in a public roadside rest area so I could go find a welder to make the repairs. When I discovered that the lock for the trailer hitch wouldn’t work, the rest area maintenance woman volunteered to keep an eye on the trailer (which is also my home) and not allow anyone else to tow it away – I was able to leave the trailer behind in the rest area, mind at ease, knowing that it was safe until I returned.
I drove the few miles into the small nearby town and went looking for a welder to see if they could put the hitch receiver back together so I could continue on. I stopped at a Freightliner repair facility (Freightliner is a brand of semi-truck) and found out that,
yes, they had a welder on site, and yes, after looking at the damaged hitch, they could repair it better than new. Three hours later, the hitch receiver was welded back together – they even painted it a bright shiny black! The biggest surprise of the day? They wouldn’t take any money for the repair!
I drove back to the rest area, hitched my trailer up, and continued down the highway, knowing that I had a completely fixed, better-than-new, upgraded-wit
h-new-support-flanges, hitch receiver, and knowing that angels had certainly been taking care of me that day!
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That story remains as one of my all-time favorites when it comes to random acts of kindness. (CLICK HERE to read my blog post about that day) So many people were my angels that day and I have no way to thank them except to pass it on whenever I can.
Today is Day 12 in the 30 Days of Indie Travel Art Project.
Angels are definitely all around us, it is so heartwarming to read stories about them and find that there is genuine true kindness still out there when we need it. Sometimes it is exactly what we need. I know that when I think I’ve lost hope in humanity.. I always get my faith restored by these random acts of selflessness. Beautiful!
Even though I know angels are there, even though many of them have shown up when I needed them, I still sometimes doubt their presence. I’m always surprised when they remind me they’re there – for me, for all of us. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment!