The news these days is often depressing at worst and frustrating at best. It’s easy to get caught up in the spin cycle and let it get us down. Never fear… The News Blender has you covered. Once a week we feature Something Good and, in return, all you have to do is tell us something good that has happened to you this week, something you are thankful for, a joke, a cute animal story, an inspiring tale of heroics, a Random Act of Kindness… SOMETHING good.
Today’s something good is a yellow balloon.
Last month in West Virginia, Natasha Fogle took her young son Grayson to the local Party City to get some Valentine’s Day supplies. He’d had a rough day between starting preschool and potty training but his polite manners caught the eye of cashier Melissa Carper. She asked him what his favorite color was and, when he said “yellow”, Carper gave him a yellow balloon.
Natasha posted a tearful video on Facebook, hoping it would eventually reach the cashier, whose name she did not know at the time, and let her know how a simple yellow balloon just made the day of little Grayson. Her video did make it to Carper’s attention but only after others in the community were inspired by that balloon, according to TheJournalWV.
Tasha Catrow, the owner of a local law firm, contacted Fogle to get permission to use her video. When permission was granted, Catrow announced her firm was donating $100 to a stranger’s account with Jefferson County Meals on Wheels. Catrow urged others in the community to join in doing random acts of kindness and tagged her friend at a local boutique in what Catrow dubbed the #YellowBalloonChallenge. That friend, Missy, ended up gathering more than $600 in donations for a client battling cancer.
The owner of TJ’s Pit Stop Restaurant, Tamara Jeffries, donated to the Boys and Girls Club. A realtor, Larry DeMarco, made a donation to Berkeley County Backpack Program. And on the challenge went, inspiring and helping those in need of being uplifted in the community.
Melissa Carper was tagged in the Facebook video by a friend. “Natasha’s video blew me away,” she said. “I was sitting at my desk bawling like a baby.” She expected none of this from the simple act of giving a little boy a balloon and was shocked her actions meant so much to Grayson.
Natasha, too, was shocked by the outpouring of positivity that her little video brought about but encourages her community to keep it going, saying that she is blown away at how they come together.
Catrow agrees with Natasha. “Basically, I think that when you are kind, you get way more in return than you give. Our community is full of amazing people; I love that this challenge is letting them shine.” She continued, “And, it was all started by a thoughtful lady at Party City, an adorable little guy working hard on manners and potty training, and a simple yellow balloon.”
Sometimes a tiny act means the world to someone who is having a rough time. We don’t always get to know when our actions touch another like Melissa’s yellow balloon did but not only can we pay it forward when a random act of kindness lifts us up, we can also throw a bit of kindness out into the world on a regular basis. Chances are, it might mean as much to a stranger as a yellow balloon meant to Grayson.
Now it’s your turn… Tell me something good!
