A poor older man is unexpectedly rewarded for the kindness he showed to a stranger when he steps out of his house one morning and finds a brand new sports car instead of his old one.
80-year-old Gregory Smith stood on his front porch, dumbfounded. He pinched himself twice to ensure he wasn’t dreaming and called out to his wife, Cynthia, as he stared at the contents of the envelope in his hand and then at the gleaming sports car in front of his house.
“Cynthia! Cynthia! Come here quickly!” he shouted, his hands trembling with anxiety at the sight of the new car and his old one gone.
“What’s the matter with you, Gregory?” Cynthia emerged from inside, drying her hands on a towel and frowning. “I burnt the pancake because of you! If you don’t know, we were down to our last packet of pancake mix! And you’re just standing here? When are you planning on going to the grocery store?”
Gregory’s old car was gone. | Source: Pexels
Gregory waved his hand dismissively. “Look at this, Cynthia,” he said, showing her the envelope he had found on their front porch. “There were car keys inside the envelope and our old car is gone! Look over there,” he added, pointing outdoors where he had parked his old car last night. “That’s a brand new car! Who could have done this? What should I do now?”
“And there’s no note inside or anything indicating who sent this?” Cynthia asked, confused.
“I already double-checked the envelope. There is none! What do we—”
Before Gregory could finish his sentence, the honk of a car cut him off. When he looked out of the front door, he saw his old car parked in front of his house and a man stepping out of it.
Gregory’s eyes teared when he saw who the man was. “Oh my goodness! He kept his promise, Cynthia!” he said, turning to face her. Cynthia was smiling as if she knew this was going to happen.
Cynthia was the man’s partner in crime in planning the surprise for Gregory. | Source: Pexels
The man gave Gregory a warm hug. “How have you been, Gregory? It’s been some time, hasn’t it?”
“Jack? Oh, I can’t believe this…I’m quite good, dear. How are you? And please tell me you did not do this!” he cried, hugging him back.
“I had to, Gregory. After what you did for me…I mean, who shows such kindness these days? And you can’t blame me for it completely. Mrs. Smith helped me carry out the plan….” he said, smiling.
“I clearly didn’t take him seriously! But now that I see that shiny new car standing outside our door, I regret it.”
“Honestly, I tried to refuse him, darling,” Cynthia told Gregory. “But this boy wouldn’t listen to me! And it was so hard to play along! I.m terrible at acting, aren’t I?” she asked, scrunching her nose, and Jack laughed.
“I don’t think so, Mrs. Smith!”
Gregory shook his head repeatedly. “So this old man was being played and he had no clue? Oh, what do I even say….”
Both Cynthia and Jack laughed. “Alright, alright, enough talking,” Cynthia finally said. “Now, because Jack has come all the way here for us, we can’t just let him go. Come in and join us for breakfast, Jack, and there is no need to go to the store, Gregory. We have groceries that will last at least a week…It was all part of the plan,” she chuckled as she walked inside, Jack close behind her.
The man behind the new car was Jack. | Source: Pexels
As everyone sat at the dining table, Cynthia served breakfast and Jack began to recall his first encounter with Gregory. Cynthia knew bits and pieces of their story, but she wasn’t aware of the entire episode.
“So three weeks ago, Mrs. Simpson,” Jack began. “I met your husband at the airport. I was meant to fly the same flight as him to see my wife. She was in labor and I was very worried. In my anxiety, I didn’t realize I got the date wrong on my ticket. It was for the next day. I only realized it while checking in.
“Because there were no more seats available that day, Gregory offered me his ticket and said, ‘Boy, you NEED to be with your wife! Use my ticket and I’ll use yours.”
“Okay,” Cynthia said slowly, nodding. “I know about the ticket swap. But what about the cars? I’m still wondering what this car exchange has to do with anything….”
Cynthia was eager to learn the whole story behind the car swap. | Source: Pexels
Gregory chuckled. “That’s another interesting part…Before we went to the check-in, Jack and I had met in the waiting room. We were casually talking, honey, and I mentioned that we were still paying off loans, so we can’t afford a new car, and how our old one is giving us problems… After we exchanged tickets, this boy said, ‘Today we switched tickets; in a few weeks, we’ll exchange cars, that’s a promise!’
“I clearly didn’t take him seriously! But now that I see that shiny new car parked outside our door, I regret telling him we wanted a new car. Before departing, he took my address, and look what he’s done! We can’t keep it, Jack. We value your intentions, but this is unnecessary, boy…”
Cynthia nodded. “Gregory is right. We won’t be able to keep the car. I didn’t think much when you met with me yesterday and told me about this whole surprise, but I regret saying yes. Please, this isn’t necessary….”
Gregory couldn’t help but smile as he talked about his encounter with Jack. | Source: Pexels
But Jack shook his head. “Trust me; it’s nothing in return for what you did. Because of your husband, I got to be with my wife and baby. Please, I would feel bad if you turned down my present. I insist….”
Gregory and Cynthia couldn’t say no to Jack. They accepted the car, but Jack’s generosity did not end there. He was aware that after Gregory retired, he and Cynthia were struggling to pay off their loans, and as a result, they’d been unable to complete their house repairs.
So Jack took care of it for them. And one day, he came to visit them with his wife and baby daughter.
While they live in different cities, the Smiths feel like they’ve become a blended family with Jack. The young man checks on them every now and then and makes sure they don’t miss out on anything, especially after learning the old couple didn’t have any children of their own.
What can we learn from this story?
- Kindness never goes unrewarded. Gregory offered his plane ticket to Jack so he could be with his pregnant wife, and in return, he and Cynthia received so much love and respect from Jack that they had not even thought of. Jack was like a son to them and cared for their smallest needs.
- Help someone whenever and in whatever way you can. Gregory could offer Jack his ticket to help him, and he did that. In return, he and his wife were blessed with the love of a son they never had.
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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about an older man who dresses as a homeless man to determine his heir.
This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers 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
This Lady Is Married To One Of The Most Beautiful Actors In The World
It’s just that by now, we’re used to seeing certain Hollywood romance tropes repeatedly.There are the young, cute couples who aren’t shy about promoting their blossoming romance on social media; the co-stars who have secret on-set affairs while being probed for adultery; and the old man in his sixties or seventies who is openly romancing a young, gorgeous woman half his age.We observe these paradigms without questioning them and come to accept them as the standard.Pierce Brosnan’s professional contemporaries, along with the general public, assumed he would finish dead last in this competition.Despite being a good fit, he boldly and creatively disproved all the assumptions being made about him.He’s been married to Keely for twenty years, and they’ve been together long enough to start a family.
Their journey has been as romantic and passionate as anyone could have hoped, but poor Keely has been the target of unjustified and terrible hatred as of late.Thankfully, Pierce managed to hold out. He defended his wife in front of the public and showed her how much he loved her despite the criticism. His actions lead us to the following conclusions:Pierce, contrary to popular opinion, “loves every curve” of his wife’s body.In 1994, Pierce met American journalist Keely Shaye Smith for the first time. His first wife Cassandra Harris died of ovarian cancer on December 28, 1991.Pierce, who was left to raise three children on his own, was naturally distraught by her death and unsure of where to begin the healing process.
Having Keely in his life at the proper time gave him the boost he needed to embark on the challenging, yet rewarding, role of motherhood.“Her friends offered her weight-loss surgery. However, I adore every curve in her physique. She is the most beautiful woman in my eyes. Additionally, she gave birth to our five children,” says Pierce Brosnan.They adopted Pierce’s two boys, Dylan and Paris, and tied the knot in 2001 in Pierce’s homeland.They’ve been together for twenty wonderful years, and their love for one another has only deepened in that time.Last week, Pierce gave his wife a touching 20th anniversary letter in which he wished her “Happy anniversary my dear Keely, my love forever increases with you” and included two photos of the couple taken 20 years apart to illustrate the wonderful development of their relationship.
The public constantly seems to find something negative to say about the couple, even though there is no reason for them to do so.The hostility seems to be directed towards Keely’s physical appearance, especially her weight. The public at large appears to be startled and outraged.Pierce’s mistake was to marry an idealized version of his own age and physical attractiveness.Someone who doesn’t fit the size 0 mold and has a normal body type rather than looking like a bombshell If he is so wealthy and powerful, why does he choose to marry a common woman who is apparently below his social status?His feelings for her invalidate sexist views on the value of women.It’s easy to forget that one might defy beauty standards by putting on weight. No one forces you to exist in a society where your success is measured by how well you blend in and howlittle of an impact you have on those around you.Growing older means prioritizing different things, and you could find that you no longer need validation from others to feel secure in yourself.Pierce has said that he likes Keely more for who she is than for how she looks.If you’re serious about someone, you’ll be willing to change as they do and adapt your views as they develop.
If love were simple, we wouldn’t have spent millennia trying to figure it out.
Pierce revealed in an interview that several of their acquaintances had suggested that his wife get weight loss surgery, but the former James Bond is unwavering in his admiration for her in spite of her size.
He is completely indifferent to the idle rantings of internet strangers about his girlfriend’s body, which he likes in all its imperfect glory.
Pierce went out of his way to say that he has always had a thing for Keely because of her sweet nature and generous spirit.
“In the past, I actually loved her for her person, not simply for her beauty, and now I’m loving her even more that she is my children’s mother, and I am extremely proud of her, and I always aim to be worthy of her love,” he stated on Hollywood Star.
Pierce has no right to defend his desire for her after 20 years or even to reply to the insult.
But it’s so sweet to watch an elderly couple show their love for one another.
Pierce’s decision to stay with the same woman and continue their relationship stands out as oddly defiant because it is so common for older Hollywood superstars to get connected with attractive, young ladies who are around thirty years their junior.
It once again calls attention to the excessive expectations placed on women’s bodies and appearances; women are told that they must never “let themselves go” and that they must constantly be more gorgeous than men in order to “deserve” love. Any time they act out of character, they give guys carte blanche to pursue other women.
Pierce values his wife more for the role she has played in his life than for her physical attractiveness.
She pulled him out of his despair, allowing him to develop and find his place in a harsh and unforgiving world. It’s not unexpected that the couple is still going strong.
In the face of criticism, love has no chance.
When it comes to their commitment to one another, Keely and Pierce don’t give a hoot about what others think.
As you become older, you realize that it’s not principles but rather a shared understanding of the world and each other that sparks attraction and desire.
When you spend time with someone, it’s not just because they make you feel good physically; it’s also because you wouldn’t want to be with anybody else.
It doesn’t mean you can’t fall in love with them again; it just means you appreciate them beyond their physical looks and traditional standards of beauty.
Pierce’s love for Keely demonstrates that one need not care what others think.
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