Some encounters are meaningless and fade away as though they have never happened, others, however, have the power to change one’s life in a ways they have never expected. Such was the meeting between an elderly lady and three men who watched her closely as she entered Brad’s Bar-B-Que in Oxford, Alabama, one evening.
Now, as she recalls that faithful encounter, 80-year-old Eleanor Baker knows it was God’s will for it to take place. “It was a God thing. I think God sent me there [as an example that] people care about other people and how important it is.”
This loving elderly lady is a widow and lives with her furry pal. She does have a family, but they all live in other cities, so she spends most of her days all by herself.
The evening started as usual, with Eleanor taking a seat and ordering her favorite meal. But then, out of the blue, a young man approached and asked her whether she would mind if he sat with her.
Jamario Howard and two friends of his entered the place just after Eleanor and they somehow knew she felt lonely, so they wanted to make her evening by keeping her company.
“He just came up and he said ‘I saw you sitting over here alone’ and he said ‘do you mind having some company?’” Eleanor recalls.
She said yes, and had no idea she would have that much fun. They, on the other hand, were happy they met such positive person like Eleanor. “When you make that kind of connection with somebody, it’s hard to let it go,” JaMychol Baker, one of the boys, said.
Jamario, who says he always wanted to change the world and make it a better place for everyone, says how meeting Eleanor had deep impact on him and his friends. They knew that their act of joining her table that evening meant the world to her, and they are glad they put a smile on her face.
“I’m not rich. I’m not famous. And I’m not very smart either, so I can’t be president. But we can show the world it’s alright to be kind,” Jamario said. “And then, before long, maybe the world will be a much better place.”
These guys showed us that we should always make sure those around us are happy, because that’s the only way that leads to our own happiness.
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