Random acts of kindness
Closed ice cream store opened to help patient
My daughter came home from college this spring to have her wisdom teeth extracted.
After a crack-of-dawn procedure, we were sent home from the oral surgeon with some pain pills and this prescription: Pick up a milkshake on the way home. It was not even 9 a.m., but my groggy daughter heard “milkshake” and was determined to have one.
None of the restaurants we passed, not even Dairy Queen, were open at that hour. I promised to figure something out when we got home, and my daughter sighed, already disappointed. Then we passed Page Dairy Mart at the bottom of Beck’s Run Road. It was clear it was closed, too, but my daughter spied a man hosing down the empty parking lot and made me turn in. My turn to sigh, but I appeased her.
“You’re not open yet, are you?” I called out.
“What do you need?” the man replied. “Milkshake,” I said. “Medical?” he asked. “Wisdom teeth,” I said. He turned off the hose, opened up the shop and made her a milkshake — chocolate, best she’s ever had. Now when I see the summertime lines in front of Page’s, I think about the long day that man had ahead of him and this simple act of kindness that he served without fuss, but which isn’t on the menu — the medical milkshake.
KRISTIN KOVACIC
Oakland
Missing purse appeared by magic in her mailbox
On July 4, I was on Mount Washington watching fireworks with friends.
My purse was over my shoulder, and I was careful not to put it down anywhere. When the show ended, my friends and I left to go to our cars and were talking and laughing when I realized the purse wasn’t on my shoulder. It must have fallen off while I was busy looking at the fabulous fireworks.
We returned to where we were standing and searched, but no purse was found. Included in the purse was my driver’s license, cash and recently purchased makeup.
Two days later, an anonymous and very kind person put my purse, with all its contents intact, in my mailbox. I am so thankful to the person who took the time to return the purse. Hopefully, this angel will read this and know how much this act of kindness is appreciated.
SHELBY MILLER
Kennedy
Stranger took on job of replacing a starter
While my wife was shopping at the Gibsonia Giant Eagle on July 7, I stayed in our SUV because I have multiple myeloma, a cancer that limits my ability to walk any real distance without assistance and/or a lot of pain.
When she came out after about 30 minutes, the Suburban would not start; it just “clicked.” I was able to hail two people in two different vehicles, but neither could start our SUV with the new jumper cables I have.
My wife called AAA, and about an hour later, the AAA truck arrived to help, along with another guy in a separate truck. The man in the separate truck looked at my Suburban, and he determined the battery was OK but we needed to change the starter. He said he had a vehicle of the same make and year and was willing to take my wife to the nearby Advance Auto Parts store for a starter, since he had all the tools for the job in his truck.
About midway through the repairs, he found he needed one or two more tools and left to go to his house nearby. Once he came back and finished, he stayed with us to ensure we could start (and restart) the Suburban. He followed us home to make sure we were able to get the vehicle into the driveway in case we needed it towed in the morning.
When we asked his name, he only replied, “John, No. 10,” as his mom had had 11 kids before she died at an early age, and he was the tenth. My wife and I offered to pay him but he kept refusing. We did “sneak” some money under his wallet in the cab of his truck before he left. We just wanted people to know that there are truly angels on Earth ready to help you, and John No. 10 certainly fit that mold!
STEVE WOLF
Hampton