58 Comments
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Emily Charlotte Powell's avatar

I am not crying, but only because I am cleaning the kitchen and my son and husband might think something was wrong, when so very much the opposite is true. My tears (that are held in my eyes for now) are for hope and kindness and belief, that perhaps, we are not lost. Thank you for writing such beauty. I found my way here from a restack by Kimberly Warner of your first Kindness Chronicle. Thank you Kimberly 💛💛✨

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rebecca hooper's avatar

Thank you for this lovely comment Emily! I'm so glad this story connected with you 🤍

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Lynn Fraser's avatar

When there is so much horror in the world with man's inhumanity against man, it's wonderful to read such a heartwarming story and remember that there are an awful lot of lovely, kind people out there.

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rebecca hooper's avatar

🤍 so glad it brought some light to your day, Lynn!

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Sarah Moorcroft's avatar

What kindness, lovely story.

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rebecca hooper's avatar

Thank you Sarah!

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Steven Marshall's avatar

Such a fascinating and heartwarming story. Thank you so much for sharing it.

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rebecca hooper's avatar

Thank you, Steven, I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

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Laurel Mojica's avatar

It’s hard to talk to strangers. Hard to ask for help. I’m glad you did. Thanks for sharing this story!

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rebecca hooper's avatar

Thank you Laurel, I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

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Sarah Savage's avatar

As soon many others have said, I love these stories. They feel like a model of how to be. Personally, I need all the positive role models I can get right now.

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rebecca hooper's avatar

So glad you are enjoying them, Sarah, and same! Some days I just need to take a few deep breaths and remember most people are kind x

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Dave Mead's avatar

A beautiful story, thanks for sharing it Rebecca 🙏

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rebecca hooper's avatar

thank you Dave! So glad you enjoyed it :)

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Nazish Nasim's avatar

The way strangers are more friends than even friends ever can - yes, me too. What an engrossing post, Rebecca. I was lost reading it till the end 💓

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rebecca hooper's avatar

thank you Nazish, I'm so glad you enjoyed it!!

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David Kirkby's avatar

Beautiful, Rebecca. And I'm delighted to see that hitch hiking is not yet (quite) dead!

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rebecca hooper's avatar

thank you Dave!!

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samuel forbes's avatar

I absolutely love this series, Beki. Even though this is only the second vignette, I feel much lighter knowing that splendid stories like these exist in the world, and that they’re far more common than those distant, ugly power-mongers would like us to believe.

My one burning question…do you still partake in a pasta bake from time to time? Or is it forever ruined for you? 😆

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rebecca hooper's avatar

ha! from time to time we test it out, just to remember it's still too soon!

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Julia Adzuki's avatar

Crying for joy as grizzly man cheered the loudest, thank you for this beautiful story!

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rebecca hooper's avatar

thank you for connecting with it so deeply! x

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Lucas's avatar

The detail about the grizzlied man cheering the loudest made me audibly laugh! I really enjoyed reading this, and it left me with a warm feeling in my chest.

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rebecca hooper's avatar

Lucas I'm so glad to hear this!! Thank you for the lovely comment.

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Kimberly Warner's avatar

Gosh, these stories make me so happy. And your style of writing always puts me right in the moment, experiencing everything alongside you. Grizzly man to the rescue, balancing the darkness of this world with his own persevering kindness. 🙏

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rebecca hooper's avatar

oh thank you Kimberly, I am so glad they are bringing some joy!! x

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Katrina Sukola's avatar

I love stories about the kindness of strangers. You can't judge a man by his grizzly hands. Yours reminded me of my own share riding experience, also on Vancouver Island (Salt Spring Island).

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rebecca hooper's avatar

oh I'd love to hear more about it, Katrina! and I'm so glad you enjoyed this :)

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Katrina Sukola's avatar

It was my first time traveling solo. I was in Victoria alone for a conference and wanted to spend a day on Salt Spring Island. Thankfully I was told in advanced I'd have to hitch a ride from the ferry into town - and to make sure to catch a ride before the last car leaves the ferry. Good tip since I was very nervous sticking out my thumb. I caught the second last car from a friendly local all the way into town. I had an enchanting afternoon exploring the shops in town. Then the nerves hit me again trying to return to the ferry. Three disjointed rides and and my own grizzly handed driver later, I realized there are good people everywhere. Sometimes you have to learn to trust your gut. BC is a magical place!

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Melanie Bettinelli's avatar

I love this chronicle of kindness. And especially the kindness of the detective who had seen such dark and yet was still able to be the light.

This reminds me of the time when I was a student studying in Italy. Our campus was outside of Rome in a hotel in a small town. One day I'd been sightseeing in Rome and I caught the last train of the night. I was so tired I fell asleep and missed my stop. Frantic I woke up, not long after we'd pulled out of the station, and started asking my fellow passengers which station we'd just left. Sure enough, it was mine. I was wondering what I was going to do when a kind woman said her husband was picking her up at the next station and he would drive me back to my campus. My Italian wasn't great so I couldn't really converse very well with them, but I was effusive in my gratitude that at the end of a long day when I'm sure they both wanted to be home, they took the time to go a good half hour out of their way to take a lost American student back home.

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rebecca hooper's avatar

oh what a heart warming story!! thank you so much for sharing it 🙏

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Rosalind's avatar

There is kindness still, and that lifts my heart. Thank you Rebecca.

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rebecca hooper's avatar

oh I'm so glad Rosalind, thank you for this lovely comment.

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