My favorite kindness story is how I discovered kindness in China. I was in China for a week of work. My boss left on Friday but I stayed the weekend in Beijing to sightsee, as I desperately wanted to see the Great Wall of China. I was traveling all alone. When I was having breakfast on Saturday morning, I heard an angel voice say, take a “to go” breakfast for the tour guide. So, I did. She was ecstatic. She asked me if I was a psychic, as she always eats breakfast but did not have time that particular morning. I thought: “Good, she’ll remember me and not forget me on the various stops on the tour.” It was not until later that I realized how important that small act of kindness was.
After a morning of sightseeing and lunch, we arrived at the Great Wall. We rode the chair lift to the top of the mountain and went our separate directions. I was so excited to be there, so enveloped in the history. As I was shooting photos, I slipped on black ice I did not see. Unfortunately, I broke my ankle. A different tour guide saw me and called an EMT who got me down the mountain and back to the bus. On my tour bus, two nurses from Singapore found a plastic bag and packed my foot in snow. The people on the tour voted to discontinue the tour, so I could get medical attention. That was so thoughtful and kind. They were taken back to their hotels.
The bus took me to a hospital. It was now 5:00 on a Saturday night, to my surprise the tour guide gave up her Saturday night to stay with me. Thank goodness she did as no one spoke English except the doctor. I had to pay as I go and there was no way I could walk with a broken ankle to the business office to pay several times for the x-rays, the doctor examination, medication and the cast. I gave the tour guide my credit card and she made the numerous trips to the business office so I could get treatment. She would bring the credit card slip back to sign each time. The doctor put a cast on my foot so I could depart for home the next day. It was now 9:00 at night. The tour guide got me a ride, rode with me to the hotel, and had the concierge get me crutches. I’m not sure where they got the crutches at 10:00 on a Saturday night but I sure made good use of them.
It was one of those situations you worry about, needing medical attention in another country where most people can’t understand English. When it happens you just deal with it. I was so calm that day because I could feel the angels all around me. Every time I was worried about needing surgery, not being able to get home or not having anyone to get the money locked in my room safe of my hotel room if I was hospitalized, I would close my eyes and see myself on the plane, I knew everything would be ok. Heavenly peace is a wonderful gift.
I thanked the tour guide profusely and asked her why she stayed with me when she should have been at home with her young children. Her response was that our countries have not gotten along for over 500 years and she wanted me to go back to the US and tell everyone how kind the Chinese people are. And that was the first time I cried that day. I was so overwhelmed by her kindness. I really don’t know what I would have done without her. There was no one that spoke English to help me at the hospital.
The next day was a very snowy day. I had the hotel car take me to the airport. I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to get from the car to the United Airlines ticket counter with my luggage and crutches. The driver spoke absolutely no English, so I thought he would be of no help. To my surprise when I opened the car door at the airport there were three people there to meet me. One had a wheelchair, one took my luggage and the other was an interpreter. The driver had arranged it. That’s the thing about kindness anyone can be kind and make a difference to someone. I gave that driver a generous tip, I hoped he knew how much his kindness meant to me that very snowy January day. I was traveling alone but I had so many strangers go out of their way for me. So, the next time you see someone that does not speak English and needs help, would you help them, to help me pay it forward?
I also learned that when you find yourself in challenging circumstances, God will send angels to help you and to convey peace even in times of difficulty.
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