A person who genuinely extend compassion to those around him will later on find that the simple act has already begun to create a ripple of change. Kindness impacts the world in ways we least expect. It inspires many others to follow suit and make life better for those who don’t have it as easy.

Amanda Marquell Craft, a teacher from Noblesville, Indiana, witnessed an incident so moving that she felt compelled to share it with the rest of the world.
She was out having lunch with her colleagues in McDonald’s when they noticed how a group of young men ignored the elderly woman who approached them.

However, this was not the only thing that caught their eye.

It was when the old woman went on to another table and asked a young man if she could join him at his table.

Without hesitation, the young man said yes and made space for the woman’s food.
Amanda and her workmates were amazed at the man’s eagerness to sit with a complete stranger.

She was so moved by what she saw that she decided to snap a photo and share the story on Facebook. It didn’t take long for the post to go viral. Eventually, it reached the man’s friends who, in turn, tagged him to let him know that he was being recognized for the kindness he extended to a complete stranger.

It was twenty-eight-year-old Eric Haralson. The young man was surprised to discover that a simple act could gain so much attention.

Eric shared that the elderly woman’s name was Jan and they had the pleasure of getting to know each other over lunch. They got along so well that Eric did not hesitate to tell her bits and pieces about his personal life: his girlfriend, his role at church, etcetera. The friendship was off to a great start that they even exchanged phone numbers. That’s why Eric attempted to get in touch with Jan again and invite her out to lunch. The young gentleman had no idea if Jan had any family around or friends she could spend time with – all he knew was he wanted to keep in touch and take care of their newfound friendship.

Not only that, the pair have also inspired the owner of the McDonald’s branch to put a community table.

Vanessa Moore shares,

“Jan and Eric have inspired me to ask others to take the time from their busy lives, and sit down and enjoy a meal with someone. McDonald’s has always been one of America’s favorite family restaurants, and we want to invite everyone to become part of something bigger than all of us.”

Thanks to the story Amanda shared (and Eric’s kind heart!) more and more people will be inspired to reach out and show more warmth and understanding to those around them – complete strangers included.

Let Eric’s simple act remind you that a little kindness goes a long, long way.
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