A Snowfall of Generosity

There had been another large snowfall. The expectant mom sat in her car, gripping the steering wheel and trying not to cry while her toddler wailed in the back seat. They were new to the neighbourhood, and with her husband out of town, it had already been a long week of cold weather. And now this!

A combination of heavy snow, temperature shifts, and city plowing had left a bumper-high wall of hard-packed snow completely blocking the driveway. The car couldn’t make it over, and her best effort at shoveling had barely made a dent in the ice.

She was completely stuck.

Unexpected Generosity

Overnight, a group of neighbours removed all the ice and snow from the family’s driveway. It must have taken hours.

What a blessing to a housebound mom!

The next snowfall, she paid it forward. The snowfall after that, their next-door neighbours did the same. And on and on. Today, most of the families on that block shovel a bit extra after each snowfall, taking turns helping one another out.

It started with one anonymous act of generosity, but soon became the norm.

Generosity Awaits

Several months of winter weather lie ahead of us. Before we know it, driveways and sidewalks will need to be cleared again. Won’t you grab a shovel and walk a few extra steps to start a kindness cascade in your neighbourhood?

Do you have a story of spontaneous generosity?  Perhaps you gave or received an unexpected blessing?  We’d love to hear from you

Originally posted November 2017 as ‘Spontaneous Generosity’. Inspired by and adapted from ‘On Assignment’ by Edwin Friesen.