“Even though I am here to help her, she has helped me tremendously. It really brought me back to what is important: family, love, human kindness.”
We believe that kindness begins in our homes. Then we slowly let it flow to those closest to us. Our neighbors should be the first recipients of kindness outside of our family. It can be as simple as respecting their boundaries or lending a helping hand when they need it.
This American actor took “loving your neighbor” to a whole new level.
Chris Salvatore found himself in an unexpected friendship with an 89-year-old woman. He moved into his apartment in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, in 2015 when he saw an elderly woman peering out the window, always ready to welcome him.
Norma Cook lives on the same floor, slightly across from Chris.
He started making regular visits to her home after finding out she was living alone with her cat. Chris realized that the least he could do was spend time with her.
The two quickly became best friends, sharing some fun times together.
Then things took a dark turn when Norma was diagnosed with leukemia.
The bills started piling up and Chris ran to social media for help. He created a GoFundMe page to help with Norma’s hospital and healthcare bills.
The page made over $30,000 overnight!
It shows how loved Norma was, even to people who only knew her from Chris’s posts. She was overwhelmed with happiness when she heard this great news.
However, the funds quickly ran out and Chris thought of the best way to help.
He offered to let Norma stay with him at his apartment. That way, she doesn’t have to think about house and utility bills. In addition, he could take care of her and give her the care she needs.
“Even though I am here to help her, she has helped me tremendously. It really brought me back to what’s important: family, love, human kindness,” he told NBC News.
Sadly, Norma passed away a few years later and Chris poured into this social media post.
Indeed, a lesson we could all learn from.
