In the whirlwind of bad news that we see every single day, it can be very disheartening to think that there isn’t much good in the world left.
But every now and then, a sweet, wholesome, kind bit of news comes around that brings our faith in humanity back to its fullest. This story is one of them.
Lisa Lemming Jackson was doing some shopping at a local supermarket called Kroger in Georgia when she came across a man who looked like he needed assistance.
She met his eyes by chance while she was wandering through the store aisles that day in early August, and she saw that the elderly man looked distressed.
She offered him a smile and started to walk past him, but as she did, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was very wrong.
So Lisa stopped and went back to him and asked if something was amiss or if he needed help. The man’s eyes began to fill with tears and he appeared very embarrassed.
He explained that he has colon cancer, and he said that he’d had a bad accident while he was there in the store.
He felt ashamed and didn’t want to get up from the cart, as everyone would be able to know what happened if he did so.
The man looked like he was feeling as though he’d lost all his dignity. His situation saddened Lisa, and she knew she had to help.
She spoke to staff at the Kroger store and they helped to bring him new undergarments and some wipes.
They also discreetly moved him to an employer bathroom and presented him with some clothes for him to change into.
By this point, the elderly man was crying gratefully. He was so touched by their kindness and apologized for the trouble.
He also said that he had to hurry and be done with his shopping, as his wife was back home alone and he wanted to get back to her.
Lisa accompanied him to the cash register, and when they arrived, he saw that all the groceries he had put in his cart were all bagged and ready to go – and they had also been completely paid for!
Once more, the man found himself in tears. He couldn’t believe how compassionate everyone was being to him.
As it turns out, this man, named Elmer, was a war veteran who had fought in the Korean War and the Vietnam War both.
He’d always loved his country dearly but felt that his country had forgotten about him and what he and other servicemen and servicewomen had done for them.
That is until today when he was reminded just how good and kind others can be.
Lisa found herself in tears, too.
They traded tales of their own difficulties in life, and the man kindly imparted wise words to her to help her and give her encouragement in her own struggles and worries.
The fact that Lisa and Kroger staff pooled together to help Elmer and go above and beyond for him truly reminds us that there is hope in humanity yet!
