We often underestimate how significant our actions can be to others on any given day. Since we spend so much time focusing on our own lives, it’s easy to overlook the impact we can have on those around us. This is why it’s crucial to always practice kindness; compassion and goodwill are timeless virtues that play an essential role in our communities.
In 2017, Joyce Rhinehart was out for ice cream with her grandson when she noticed a family sitting nearby. They were also enjoying ice cream, and she felt a spontaneous urge to capture their moment.
In a subsequent Facebook post, Joyce recounted: “On June 8th, I was treating my grandson Blake to Rita’s Italian Ice after his tennis lesson. As we were about to leave, I saw a lovely family on a bench relishing custard cones. Something inspired me to ask if I could take their picture…”
Joyce took the photo and handed her phone to the young girl, encouraging her to text it to their family. Afterward, she explained to Blake that she often does this for families she sees sharing sweet moments, usually during her vacations.
Days later, while relaxing on her patio, Joyce received a message from an unfamiliar number. “This is what the message said”, Joyce shared.
“Dear madam, you took our picture in front of Rita’s on June 8th. My wife passed away yesterday, and this is the last photo we have as a family. I’m deeply grateful for your kindness; it means the world to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.” Joyce later exchanged several messages with the man, learning that his wife had been ill for the past year.
“My heart aches for this family I don’t even know, and I’m in awe of the tremendous gift left to them simply because I listened to my instincts that day”, Joyce reflected. This touching act of kindness serves as a reminder that we should never underestimate the profound impact even a small gesture can have on someone else’s life!
SEVENTY YEARS AGO, SHE WAS KICKED OUT FOR BEING IN LOVE WITH A BLACK MAN. NOW, SEE HOW THEY ARE DOING TODAY.
Jake and Mary Jacobs marked their 70th anniversary of a happy marriage last year, but their journey wasn’t simple.
Mary, who is White, and Jake, who is Black, lived in the same city in 1940s Britain. At that time, there weren’t many Black men there.
Even though Mary’s father told her to leave, Mary chose love over easy choices.
“When I told my father I was going to marry Jake, he said, ‘If you marry that man, you will never set foot in this house again.’”
Mary and Jake first met at a technical college where Mary was learning typing and shorthand, and Jake was undergoing Air Force training. They met during the war when Jake moved from Trinidad to Britain.
Jake impressed Mary with his understanding of Shakespeare, and they got to know each other. One day, they invited Mary and her friend to join them for a picnic. Unfortunately, someone passing by saw them and reported Mary to her father. The woman was shocked to see two English girls talking with black guys. After this incident, Mary wasn’t allowed to visit her father again.
After Jake returned to Trinidad, they kept in touch through letters. A few years later, he came back to the U.K. to find a better-paying job.
Jake surprised Mary by proposing, and she, at 19, said yes. However, when she told her family, they kicked her out.
“I left with only one small suitcase. No family came to our registry office wedding in 1948.”
Mary’s father was upset about her marrying a black man, and Mary didn’t realize that society felt the same way.
The early years of their marriage in Birmingham were tough. Mary cried every day, hardly ate, and they faced many challenges. Nobody would talk to them, they couldn’t find a place to live because nobody would rent to a black man, and they had little money.
Even walking down the street together was hard because people would point at them, Mary explained.
Mary and Jake were excited to become parents, but at eight months, Mary gave birth to a stillborn child. She mentioned it wasn’t due to the stress she was under, but it deeply saddened them, and they didn’t have any more children.
As time passed, their lives improved. Mary became a teacher and eventually an assistant principal, while Jake found a job with the Post Office. They made new friends, but Mary felt the need to explain to people that her husband was black before introducing them.
“My father passed away when I was 30, and even though we reconciled by then, he never approved of Jake,” she shared.
Currently, Jake, 89, and Mary, 84, live in Solihull, a town south of Birmingham. They recently celebrated 70 years of marriage.
Jake said he has no regrets, but he also mentioned that today’s black youth may not fully understand the challenges he faced in 1940s Britain.
“When I arrived in the U.K., I faced abuse every day. Once, on a bus, a man rubbed his hands on my neck and said, ‘I wanted to see if the dirt would come off.’ Back then, working in an office as a black man with white girls wasn’t considered safe,” Jake explained.
Despite all the challenges, bias, and abuse, the pair is still deeply in love and has no regrets about being married. They have been happily married for more than 70 years.
These two are a true inspiration, and I wish them a lifetime of pleasure because of the love they have for one another.
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