Losing the love of your life is one of the hardest experiences someone can go through, but for people in long, loving marriages or relationships, it is an inevitability. The inevitable nature of death doesn't make it any easier, especially on those special days like anniversaries when you most wish you were with that special person.
For people who have lost a very special loved one, anniversaries can be incredibly tough to get through. Especially as we get older we tend to have fewer people in our lives. Friends pass away, and children move away to start their own lives. Who are you to turn to?
A likely outcome is that you simply celebrate alone, which is a tragic. It only makes you think about the person more, and it makes their loss feel even more stark. Still, it's important to celebrate the memory of the person you love. Luckily in this story, a lonely widow was graced with surprise friendship.
This story goes to show that a simple act of kindness can make a huge impact on someone. Jamario Howard is a 23-year-old from Lincoln Alabama whose act of kindness reverberated across social media on April 18th when he posted his experience on Facebook. Jamario HOward and his two friends were enjoying dinner on a Thursday night in Oxford Alabama at Brad's Bar-B-Que. That's when they noticed something that caught their eye. An older woman was all by herself in a booth close to them. This immediately struck Jamario Howard as unusual.
Recounting his thoughts, Jamario Howard told NBC news, "My exact thought was, 'Dang, I'd hate to eat by myself.'" While other people may have ignored or not noticed the older woman, Jamario Howard's empathy kicked in. He felt he needed to do something.
Jamario Howard brought up an idea to his friends sitting with him. He asked them if they should join the older woman so she wouldn't have to eat alone. His friends agreed, so they approached the woman to see if they could sit with her. She happily agreed, so they joined her. They found out that the woman's name is Eleanor as they jumped into conversation. Eleanor told them all about herself, including the fact that she volunteers at a hospital and about her grandchildren.
Eleanor divulged that the next day would be her 60th wedding anniversary with her husband, however, he had passed away. Howard said, "I immediately gave her my condolences and invited her to come eat with us." They ended up spending the next 45 minutes chatting and eating, talking about everything under the sun.
Jamario posted the story on social media, explaining everything that happened, including some advice, "The point in this is always be kind and be nice to people. You never know what they are going through. This woman changed my outlook on life and how i look at other people. Everyone has a story so do not judge! And people i can't stress this enough. GO SEE YOUR MOM AND YOUR GRANDPARENTS. They miss you!!"
The social media post quickly racked up likes and comments. One comment said, "We hear so much to be sad about in our world, it's wonderful to know that there are others making a positive difference! Bless you for this special act of kindness!" Hopefully this uplifting story connects more people together, especially people in need of company, love, or support.
