A stranger’s words had a ripple effect on one man’s life.

This story is part of the My Unsung Hero series from the Hidden Brain team. It features stories of people whose kindness left a lasting impression on someone.

A few years ago, Brian Perkins began walking with a cane. This change affected his daily life in small but significant ways.

“The thing about walking with a cane is that you only have one hand to carry things,” he said.

One day he took his clothes to the dry cleaner.

“I stood at the counter with a cane and paid, and I obviously had more than I could carry in one hand,” Perkins recalled. “And this woman, she was sitting outside the laundry room and she looked at me and said, ‘Do you need help?’ And I said, “No, no, I got it.” I understand”.

Perkins walked to his truck, opened the door and began putting clothes in the back seat. When he turned to go back for the second clothes, the woman was walking towards him with the remains of his underwear in her hands.

“And she put it in the truck and looked at me and said, ‘I know you.’ You’ve been helping people all your life. Now you. Accept it.”

With these words the woman turned and left.

Perkins did not know this woman. She was a stranger. But she saw something in him and knew he needed encouragement to accept help.

“Her words had a ripple effect on my life. Over the years, I have gone from being grateful to my one unsung hero to a whole choir of… unsung heroes who have helped me in so many little ways and changed my life,” he said.

“(I) learned that people like to help other people and that kindness is not forgotten. And for that I will be forever grateful.”

My Unsung Hero is also a podcast. — new episodes come out every Tuesday. To share your unsung hero’s story with the Hidden Brain team, record a voice note on your phone and send it to [email protected].

Copyright: NPR, 2024