Sometimes genuine human kindness and connection can go a long way.
This video story by Wonderbot shares the tale of Marlene Halley, an orphan who lived in foster care after her parents died. Even though her foster family was nice, they also had other children to look after, and she routinely felt quite lonely.
One day, she noticed a man walking down her street who looked unkempt and sad. He didn’t scare her, though, and she finally worked up the courage to talk to him.
“Hello, is your heart broken as well?” Marlene earnestly asked him.
The man, whose name was Brad, was initially shocked but realized that Marlene was right and he was heartbroken, too. He hung his head, and Marlene could soon tell that he was crying as his shoulders began to shake. She apologized for upsetting him.
“It helps to clear out the negative emotions. I call them cobwebs of the heart,” Brad explained.
After some discussion, Marlene learned that Brad routinely came to this street corner in hopes that he might find some people to take pity on him and give him food. When Marlene heard this, she reached into her backpack and gave Brad a sandwich.
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This began the start of a genuine friendship. Marlene would rush out of school at the end of the day to make it to her street corner to chat with Brad and give him food.
One day, she arrived at the street corner and Brad was nowhere to be found. Even though Brad had left Marlene a heartfelt goodbye note at a nearby café, she couldn’t help but feel as though her only friend was gone.
What happened when Brad showed up at Marlene’s foster home driving a luxury car? Watch the full video story posted by Wonderbot to find out.
While we can’t verify the facts of the heartwarming story told here, we think you’ll be delighted with its sense of wonder and serendipity. We could all use a break from the cycle of negative news. Enjoy!