I am always incredibly appreciative of the kindness of strangers. ❤️ One particular stranger had a huge impact on me and to this day, I still think of him often and smile.

In 2019, I was getting an oil change at a Valvoline on the way to the hospital to see my grandpa, who was sick at the time. As I was sitting in the car in the middle of the oil change, I got the call from my mom that my grandpa passed away unexpectedly at the hospital. Immediately, I started sobbing and speaking frantically with my mom, trying to understand and figure out what to do next.

The Valvoline worker could see I was in distress and didn’t hesitate to support me. He very kindly comforted me, offered water, and had me pull over to the parking lot so he could help me coordinate with my husband to come pick me up and make sure I wasn’t driving in the frantic state I was in.

I don’t even remember if I had paid for the service or not, or how they finished the job - it was a whirlwind. But this kind man was so gentle, understanding, and comforting at such a devastating and vulnerable moment that I’ll never forget him. He had red curly hair and a long red beard and reminded me a lot of my brother-in-law, who also worked at Valvoline for several years coincidentally.

Anyway, later that night when we went to pick up my car, my husband shook his hand, we both thanked him, and he gave him a nice tip for being so kind. I didn’t get his name, but I hope he is living a great life and has all the happiness he deserves! It felt like I had met an angel on earth. This moment made me look for ways that I could spread kindness to others, which I love to do now as much as I can. You never know what small act may impact someone’s life. ❤️