What began as a police call to an elementary school turned into an unexpected birthday celebration.
Green Bay Officer Darryl Robinson was called to a local elementary school to assist a boy who had not been picked up by the end of the school day. Robinson remembered the boy from previous police calls and learned that his mother was in jail and unable to pick up her son.
After learning it was the boy’s eighth birthday, Officer Robinson took the birthday boy out for a cheeseburger. Then, the police officer took the boy on a ride in his police car all around town, until a family member was located and the boy was safely dropped off to his grandpa. The kind officer turned a potentially horrible day into a redemptive celebration for the young boy.
Robinson shined light on everyday kindness saying, “Officers do this every day. Not just police but different public service jobs as well – teachers, social workers. All of us do this, it’s not a rare occurrence.”
Kindness, like Officer Robinson, looks beyond circumstance and peers deeper into the heart of the matter. This policeman took the time to show up, ask questions, and transform a birthday boy’s day into a positive memory.
How can we show everyday kindness in our home? Our school? Our town? Our work? Perhaps keeping a few McDonalds coupons on hand to share. Or thanking teachers and public service workers for their actions taken behind-the-scenes. Circumstances are not always as they seem. Take the time to offer a ride, ask questions, and celebrate others right where they are.
To that eight-year-old boy, he’ll forever remember that day- not for being left at school – but for an officer who showed up, discovered it was his birthday, and gifted him with kindness.
How can you gift kindness in small, tangible ways today? It begins with one. And from there, becomes a ripple.
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