We often underestimate how significant our actions can be to others on any given day. Since we spend so much time focusing on our own lives, it’s easy to overlook the impact we can have on those around us. This is why it’s crucial to always practice kindness; compassion and goodwill are timeless virtues that play an essential role in our communities.
In 2017, Joyce Rhinehart was out for ice cream with her grandson when she noticed a family sitting nearby. They were also enjoying ice cream, and she felt a spontaneous urge to capture their moment.
In a subsequent Facebook post, Joyce recounted: “On June 8th, I was treating my grandson Blake to Rita’s Italian Ice after his tennis lesson. As we were about to leave, I saw a lovely family on a bench relishing custard cones. Something inspired me to ask if I could take their picture…”
Joyce took the photo and handed her phone to the young girl, encouraging her to text it to their family. Afterward, she explained to Blake that she often does this for families she sees sharing sweet moments, usually during her vacations.
Days later, while relaxing on her patio, Joyce received a message from an unfamiliar number. “This is what the message said”, Joyce shared.
“Dear madam, you took our picture in front of Rita’s on June 8th. My wife passed away yesterday, and this is the last photo we have as a family. I’m deeply grateful for your kindness; it means the world to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.” Joyce later exchanged several messages with the man, learning that his wife had been ill for the past year.
“My heart aches for this family I don’t even know, and I’m in awe of the tremendous gift left to them simply because I listened to my instincts that day”, Joyce reflected. This touching act of kindness serves as a reminder that we should never underestimate the profound impact even a small gesture can have on someone else’s life!
She was frequently beaten by her husband, so she left the house with her kids.
Cara Brookins was left emotionally broken when her second abusive marriage ended. She got well by building her own house, which she did after seeing YouTube videos on how to do it.
The mother of four started looking for a new house in 2007 after being forced to sell the Bryant, Arkansas, home she and her soon-to-be ex shared. At the moment, though, anything the computer programmer analyst could afford was too tiny. Brookins too felt obliged to take action to bring her family back together. She admits, “But I had no idea what that should be.”
Brookins, therefore, came up with the idea to build her own house from the ground up. According to Brookins, 45, “If anyone was in our situation, they wouldn’t do this.” “No one else viewed it this way, and now that I think about it, I understand it sounds crazy.”
One acre of property cost Brookins $20,000, and she obtained a building credit for about $150,000. She then started watching YouTube tutorials to learn how to do things like run a gas line, build a wall, lay a foundation, and install plumbing.
Her children, ages 2 to 17, helped her throughout the nine-month construction of the 3,500-square-foot home. At the time, Drew, who was 15 years old, helped Brookins make the preparations. Jada, who was 11 at the time, transported water from a neighbor’s pond using buckets because there was no running water on the property. She then combined the water with 80-pound sacks of concrete to create the mortar for the foundation.
It felt impossible the entire time, according to Brookins, who worked when the kids were in school. After school, Brookins drove her family to the five-mile-away construction site where she worked late into the night on the new house.
YouTube videos previously were vague and provided numerous solutions to a task. Brookins employed a part-time firefighter with building experience for $25 per hour to help with some of the more challenging tasks. She remembers, “He was a step ahead of us in knowledge.”
On March 31, 2009, Brookins and her kids moved into the five-bedroom home. She gave it the name Inkwell Manor in recognition of her desire to become a writer.
In the years afterwards, Brookins has written numerous middle grade and young adult books. She has also written a biography titled Rise: How a House Built a Family, which will be released on January 24.
Building the house helped Brookins emerge from her depression. We were ashamed that our best option was to construct our own shelter, Brookins adds. “We weren’t really proud of it,” In the end, it proved to be the best thing I could have done for myself.
She says, “You can do anything you set your mind to if I, a 110 pound computer programmer, can build a complete house.” Choose one goal and stay with it. Find the big thing you want to do, move slowly in that direction, and take those who also need healing with you. That has a lot of influence.
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