A few months ago, a friend told me that a clean world was soliciting essays on the theme of “acts of kindness in troubled times”. Moved by something that happened to me, I wanted to submit an entry. However, when I sat down today to write, I found that the deadline had passed. Nevertheless, I still want to share this “act of kindness in troubled times” that happened to me with the readers.
On a cold Saturday in January, after a snowfall, I car-pooled with several friends from the suburbs to volunteer in Philadelphia’s Old City area. We worked from noon until a little after 3 in the afternoon. But on the way back home, I suddenly realized that my phone was missing!
It was unprecedented. How could my phone just disappear? Despite searching through my thick down jacket and backpack, I couldn’t find it. Panic set in: how would I communicate without all my contacts’ phone numbers? I also had an important work commitment the following weekend that required the use of my phone. Moreover, I had traversed several streets that afternoon, visiting many businesses. Where could I even begin to look? Added to that, with winter causing early darkness, and people leaving work early, finding it would be even more challenging.
Furthermore, mentioning Philadelphia often brings to mind the mainstream media’s almost daily reports of homicides and robberies. Philadelphia also ranks among the top ten cities in the US for homicides. Losing a phone here, how could it possibly be found?
However, I didn’t want to inconvenience the whole carpool, so I suggested that we drive back to where we had gathered that morning, and then had my child drive me back to Philadelphia to search for the phone. I felt the need to at least attempt finding it before giving up hope.
Just as I exited my friend’s car, before I could even get back to mine, another friend from the car excitedly called out to me: “Someone called to say they’ve found your phone!” Taking the call, a lady with an accent on the other end said, “I found a phone in Philadelphia and called the number on it to reach you.” Excited, I asked, “Where did you find it? Where should I meet you?” She said, “Near the Monaco Hotel in Philadelphia. Come find me there.” I replied, “Great! I’ll head there right away, and I’ll be there in an hour.”
Checking the address of the Monaco Hotel, located near the famous tourist spot of Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, excited and perplexed me. I hadn’t been near that hotel before, so how did my phone end up there? Despite the uncertainty, I felt compelled to meet her, as she sounded genuine.
As I neared the hotel, I called her from my child’s phone and she said she would be there in 20 minutes. I decided to wait at the hotel, but not recognizing anyone, I eventually stepped outside. When my child rushed up to me, holding my phone and shouting, “Mom, your phone!” I asked, “Who gave it to you? Where is the person?” My child explained, “She called me from your phone, saw my parked car, and handed me the phone before leaving.”
Holding the phone, I felt a mix of joy and regret: meeting the person was a missed opportunity. I hadn’t even said thank you in person! So, I called from the recovered phone to express my gratitude. I said, “I haven’t met you yet, how can I thank you properly?” She responded, “No need to thank me. It’s the right thing to do.” She explained that she, with her family, had driven near the Liberty Bell site, parked on 5th Street, saw the phone in the snow on the street, cleaned it, found my friend’s contact, and made the call that led to the surprise reunion.
It then struck me that I had quickly gone to use the restroom with friends before heading home, and in my haste, the phone must have slipped from my lap and into the snow pile on the ground.
Finding the phone so easily was unimaginable! What touched me even more was that the lady, whose name I didn’t know, had no ulterior motives. It left me incredibly grateful! I wanted to spread this act of kindness to more people.
When I shared this heartwarming story with a friend, he mentioned a similar incident that happened to one of his friends last year! It also occurred near the Liberty Bell area in Philadelphia, at the Independence National Historical Park. His friend had left his phone on a bench in the park and forgot it while leaving. Being Taiwanese and due to return to Taiwan the following week, he had thought about getting a new phone. But surprisingly, on Monday when he returned to work, he received a call from the park management: someone had found his phone, and they wanted him to come and collect it! His friend was equally grateful, marveling at the kindness still present in the world.