Reasons to be kind – an unexpected visitor…

(this actually happened today, it isn’t some ‘copy and paste’ story and also written by my husband)

We were just getting ready to head out this morning when there was a knock at the door. I opened the door to an older gentleman who told me he was born in our house, and remembers the area well. Instantly intrigued I engaged in conversation and the chap joked that he’d “lost his marbles” 😊. On continuing the chat it became very clear that he perhaps wasn’t joking, as he became a little upset and increasingly confused.

We asked if he’d like to come in for a cuppa, which he did, and it transpired that he couldn’t really remember much of who he was or where he lives, but was telling many stories from his younger days. It would seem that a core memory from his childhood had instinctively brought him to our house, when he was lost, as if it were home or a safe place.

Luckily, his driving license was in his wallet so we had his address, and an off duty police officer friend of ours came round and had a chat with him too and assessed that he was safe to drive, and seemed to know his way home.

The gentleman was with us for about half an hour but then went on his way.

On our way home from the event that we’d been to, we popped round to his address to thankfully find him safely home with his wife and daughter, who were extremely grateful to us for our care (they had reported him missing to the police earlier).

Age related memory issues are very common, and will no doubt come to people we know and love, if not ourselves! Our girls were wondering why we invited him in to our home when we don’t know him, we told them that that could easily be me in twenty years or so (Ruby suggested less 😏) and wouldn’t they want me to be looked after like that too?

During my chat with this gentleman he said we were very kind to invite him in. When we saw him again later he remembered what had happened and said it again.

Being kind served a real purpose today, and helped a family in need. Kindness has a purpose, nastiness has none.

bekind #mentalhealthawareness

(and a nice pic of the sun setting while me and the girls were playing badminton over the field!)