Jessica and Edward were thrilled when their daughter Kathy was born—but the joy was short-lived as financial stress quickly followed. Edward’s small textile business in Texas was faltering, and Jessica worked part-time as a nanny on weekends just to make ends meet. Despite their best efforts, the bills kept piling up.
Then, their washing machine broke.
Already stretched thin, the thought of handwashing baby clothes felt like the final straw. Repairing the machine would be almost as expensive as buying a used one—and Jessica knew repairs wouldn’t last. She scoured online listings and finally found a washer for $250, but she only had $150 in savings.
Determined, she went to the seller’s house to plead her case. A tired-looking man named James answered. His eyes were shadowed with stress, but he listened kindly as Jessica explained her situation.
“I can only offer $150,” she said, hopeful. “We just had a baby. It’s been really hard.”
To her surprise, James nodded and accepted the offer without hesitation. “Sure. That’s fine.”
Grateful beyond words, Jessica helped him load the washer into her car. As she thanked him, James offered a quiet, sincere smile. “I hope it serves you well,” he said. “I’m moving, so this is goodbye.”
Back home, Jessica immediately checked the machine to make sure it worked. But when she opened the lint filter, her fingers found something unexpected—an envelope with the exact $150 she’d just paid. Inside was a handwritten note:
“This is a gift for your newborn. I couldn’t, in good conscience, take money from someone going through a hard time. Someone I loved once told me—if you can help someone, you should.”
Jessica was stunned. At some point during loading, James had secretly returned the money.
She wanted to thank him again, but when she returned to the house the next day, it was empty and up for sale. James was gone.
One year later…
Life had changed for the better. Edward’s business picked up, and they moved into a larger home. Kathy was thriving. Looking back, Jessica often thought about James—and how his act of kindness had lifted her in a moment of despair.
Then one day, she noticed her neighbor Sandra struggling with laundry, her own washer broken. Jessica remembered what it had felt like.
So, before they moved, Jessica left her washer on Sandra’s doorstep with a note:
“With love from your neighbor, Jessica.”
From her car, Jessica watched Sandra’s face light up with joy.
“This must’ve been how James felt,” she thought. “I’ll never forget him—or the reminder that kindness truly does come full circle.”
Moral of the story:
If you’re able to help, do it—you never know how deeply one small act of kindness can impact someone’s life.