The Kindness of Strangers

Today was just a typical Monday, kind of crazy and busy as always. I was on my way home from work, talking with Mom which is usually the normal routine when my phone beeped and it was a VA number. I was not sure who it was so I told Mom I would call her back. I answered the other call and it was Mr. Brett, the man who had come to the house a week ago to fix our dryer. He is the father-in-law of a girl I work with. When I was asking for info and if anyone new a good repairman she said she would ask her father-in-law. He lives out on the other side of Chesapeake but was willing to come out and look at the dryer. He had to go and get the belt it needed, and then came back on one of my lunch breaks to install it. He was really quiet and I was a bit concerned that he might have been upset with the hassle of coming all the way out here twice. When he had it fixed he showed me what had broken and told me how to fix it if it happened again. I asked him what I owed him and then gave him a check for a little more than that. Brandon and I were so thankful to him for coming out and not charging us an arm and a leg. He packed up his stuff and left. About 5 minutes later he called to make sure I turned the dryer off before I went back to work. And he also wanted to be sure I didn't misunderstand his fee. I explained that the check was correct and we wanted him to have a little extra. I teased the girl I worked with that her father-in-law should take her out to dinner with the extra money!!! Well, I was more than suprised to find him calling me tonight on my way home from work. He was calling to be sure the dryer was working okay and I was happy with it. I told him that it was working great...in fact it works better than it ever did I think. He went on to ask me if I had said my husband was in Kuwait and I told him he was. He then told me that he didn't feel it right that he accept the check that I had written for him. He wanted to shred the check and felt it was only right from him to donate his time and the cost of the parts for all that Brandon and his crew due to keep out country safe. I asked him to please keep the check as I had already talked over the charges with Brandon and he felt it was very reasonable. He again told me that it was the least he could do for us for all that Brandon and I sacrifice so he can contribute to keeping all of us safe. This man told me that he has Brandon and the other service members on the prayer list at his church and that he and his wife personally raise our military up daily to keep them safe. I am incredibly touched by his generosity. It was a very unexpected phone call, and it was also a nice reminder that the world is made up of some incredibly kind and good hearted people. Unfortunately, those aren't the people you hear about on the news though. It is too full of all the sad and scary stories. Brandon and I do not view our time apart as a hardship. Yes, we would love to be together but this is just part of our story. We make do and try to focus on all the positives we have. There are days when you just want to have a normal life with the two of us together and deal with all the little surprises life has to offer. But this is our life, and we are very blessed with all that we have been given. The support of friends and family, a safe home to live in, secure jobs, and the best puppy dog ever! And then we are pleasantly surprised by the kindness of strangers. This whole experience reminds us that we should all "Pay it forward" from time to time. So thank you Mr. Brett for the donation of your time and services, and more importantly for the prayers and kind words you have offered us. We will be sure to follow in your footsteps and help someone else in need as you have helped us.