How One Act of Kindness Ignites a Chain Reaction of Generosity

One of the core beauties of humanity is our generosity and the role it plays in not just uplifting an individual but an entire community. The power of an act of generosity goes beyond just helping someone or lending a hand of support; it goes way down to brightening their day and creating a positive effect on their life and how they interact with others. While most times we only help for the sake of it, the result can foster a community of empathic people. Through the years, several people have helped me, and that has influenced me to do the same for others.

What that means is that although many people only do good to others when they're charged to do so, others just think it's wise enough to help other people from the multitude of what they've been blessed with, which is a great and noble thing to do because, by so doing, we're raising a community of people who look after one another and want the best for each other in sailing through life challenges.

A year ago, I wrote about a lady who saw me as a total stranger who had nowhere to lay his head, and out of the abundance of her kindness, she took me in and housed me for the next two years that preceded that year. That act of love and human kindness shown towards me still baffles me today, and that's why I made up my mind to always be of help to anyone who needed my help at one point or another.

Fast forward to many years after that, and I've had and seen people who require one kind of help or another, and I try as much as possible to help those I can, even though that kindness was shown to me between the years 2011 and 2013. Years later, in 2020, when I was working in Kano State, I remember one of my coworkers was having shelter issues. Although he didn't tell me about his plight, I found out and decided to change his situation by sheltering him.

What happened was that he was one of the staff who worked under me during my time as a supervisor in that factory, and I noticed that during the pandemic and when our salary was slashed, it affected him more because he owned his landlord, and the landlord, in a bid to survive, chased him out to rent out the house to someone else, so he'd have money to fend for his family, and this made Paul my subordinate resolve to sleeping in the factory.

This is against the company's policy, as being his supervisor, one of the security men reported him to me to warn him to desist from such an act or else they'll report him to the manager, which only means he'll be sacked, I thanked the security man and approached Paul, the person in question, about it, and when he heard my inquiry about it, he was frightened because he felt that's the end of his time in that factory.

On the contrary, I told him he had no reason to be afraid, that I was only telling him so he could find somewhere else to stay and not get himself into trouble, he then broke down and told me how no one is willing to house him, even though he is from the north, Adamawa state to be premised like others who work under me, most can't allow him to stay with them because they are married, and due to some cultural reasons, I also perceive they don't want to shoulder his responsibility during the hard time of the pandemic.

Since I realized he had nowhere to go, I asked him to move in with me, and he was super excited. You need to see the surprise on his face when I said that, and that was how he moved in with me. From that moment on, we get to do almost everything together as though we're roommates; even though I'm the one paying all the bills, I still make him feel at home. Fast forward to 5 months since he moved in with me, there comes a need for me to leave Kano and come back to Lagos.

These new changes would have thrown him back on the street, but being someone I've come to cherish, I decided I wouldn't leave him for dead, so I spoke with my landlord and let him know that although I'll be leaving Kano soon, he shouldn't panic because my friend, who I've been staying with for the past month, would still be around. So he should please not chase him out since my rent isn't due yet.

My landlord was angry and kept saying that wasn't our agreement, I know he's only concerned about how the room will be available again so he can bring in a new person who'll not only pay the rent fee but another agreement fee. Well, I let him know that since my rent isn't due, he has no choice but to wait. I can decide to lock my room for the next 6 months until my money is due, and with that, he has no choice but to agree to let him stay.

By the time I was leaving Kano for Lagos, Paul was so emotional. Even though men don't cry, I can read it in his eyes, I left most of my house appliances for him as I don't have a private vehicle to carry them all. It's funny how I've not thought about my impact on Paul's life until now that I'm writing this. Although I know I was trying to replicate the help I got in the past towards him, I never have stood to realize I've also had an almost similar impact that lady had on me years ago.

As I reflect on this realization, I can't help but be wowed by my own good heart, Just like I said, I've never really thought of it being this impactful to Paul's life, but now I do, and no wonder he won't stop calling me almost every two months to check up on me. Those days, I used to wonder how he's the only one who calls me often among my other subordinates, but now I know better.

That's just life for you, and the beauty of doing good to others, Being someone who knows what it feels like to be rejected when I needed shelter, and now seeing Paul in the same situation, I guess my own experience and how I was helped was the main force that inspired my kind gesture towards him, because it's not like we're friends before that, and neither do we understand each other well due to our different languages and barriers, but due to my good act, we get along well.

---

That is about all of my good acts towards someone, which were inspired by how I've once been in the shoes of that person and received help, I hope you had a great time reading and learned something, Do have a great day and stay blessed.

---

_{Thumbnail designed on canva}

---