It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2005. While most people were warming
up their cars, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work.
On arrival, he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he
returned to find his bike gone.
The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour
weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries (食品杂货), saving us from
having to walk long distances from where we live.
I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story.
Shortly after that, several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then
called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an
honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.
People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are
even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in
humanity (人性) as a whole. And it has influenced (影响) us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share
with others. No matter how big or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results
can be everlasting.