Poor Man Helps Old Lady on the Road, Later Sees His Name on TV and Receives $112K Reward — Story of the Day

A man sees an old woman weeping by the side of the road in the rain and stops to rescue her, and later is amazed to be richly rewarded.

It was a cold rainy night and all John Morris wanted to do was get home. He was driving along a dark country road, and the heating in his old car had just given out. "What a hellish night!" John thought to himself.

It was then that his headlights lit up a frail figure standing by the side of the road. It was a woman, huddled inside an overcoat, and she was waving frantically. John slowed down and stooped beside her. "Oh, thank you," the woman cried, "You're an angel!"

John immediately got out of the car and went around to the other side to open the passenger door. "Get in out of the rain!" he cried, "It's not fit for man or beast out there!"

But the woman backed away nervously. "No, no thank you!" she said nervously. "My car broke down, and all I need is for you to call for a tow truck. My phone seems to be out of range out here, so if I could use yours..."

John shook his head regretfully. "Sorry, lady," he said. "There's no signal all along this road. The best I can do is take you along to the nearest service station so you can use their landline."

Kindness is a force that can change the world.

The woman looked frightened. "I...I don't know..." she whispered. "I don't think it's wise..."

John looked her in the eye. "Lady, my mother is about your age, and I promise you all I want to do is help you. Please let me help you."

The woman, Esther, reluctantly got into John's car, nervously clutching her purse, and sat as far away from him as possible. In order to help her relax, John started telling him about his family.

"I have three kids," he said. "Jenny, Daisy, and Beth, and they are as pretty as pictures, and smart too! And there's another one on the way. The wife and I are hoping for a boy."

"I have grandchildren," Esther said. "And they are a joy!"

"Yes," John said. "The only thing that worries me is that business hasn't been going so great lately...But we'll get through it, I guess. We always do!"

When they arrived at the service station, Esther wanted to reward John. She took out her wallet. "How much do I owe you," she asked. But John shook his head.

"You don't owe me a dime," he said smiling. "You see, the wife and I have a game we teach our girls called the Chain of Love. We do something for someone, and they have to pass it on.

"So next time you see someone who looks like they might need help, you have to keep the chain going."

Esther went into the service station and called for a tow truck to come fetch her car, then she walked into the diner next door and asked for a cup of hot coffee.

The waitress was a pretty woman in her thirties with a big baby bump and a tired smile, and as soon as she saw Esther, she fetched a towel. "You poor dear!" she cried. "You use this towel to dry yourself off, and I'll get you a pot of hot tea!"

The waitress also brought her a hot water bottle to warm up her feet, and before long, Esther was feeling much better. She saw the tow truck arriving and asked the waitress for the bill.

Esther handed the waitress $100 and when she went to get her change, she quietly slipped out. When the waitress came back, she was stunned to find another $500 dollars tucked under the teapot along with a note.

It read, "I was in your place and one kind person helped me. You don't owe me anything. Just don't let this chain of love break."

The waitress had tears in her eyes. She hurried home at the end d of her shift and found her husband fast asleep on the couch with their three daughters cuddled up to him like puppies.

She smiled and kissed him on the forehead. "I love you, John Morris," she whispered.

A few days later, John was stunned to discover that he and his Chain of Love were the subjects of a news story, and all because he helped the old lady. Esther happened to be a famous chef, and she started a GoFundMe page for John and his family.

She pledged to double whatever the public donated, and they ended up collecting over $100,000. John Morris ended up receiving over $200,000 and Esther, the famous chef, became the new baby's godmother!

What can we learn from this story?

• Kindness is a force that can change the world. John's kindness to the old lady started off a chain of love and kindness that spread around the world.

• Goodness is rewarded by fate. John and his wife were both rewarded by the old lady's generosity even though she didn't know they were a couple.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a young woman who is ashamed of her crippled mother and tells her to pretend to be a maid when her wealthy fiancé comes to visit.

This account is inspired by our reader’s story and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com