This is the story of a little girl who inspired millions.
Last week, a man was having a horrible, terrible, no-good-very-bad morning. He boarded his regular commuter train, slumped down at his usual spot, and looked out the window.
Soon enough, he noticed a little girl holding some paper shopping bags get onto the train. From one of the bags she pulled out dozens of envelopes, and began to walk down the aisle – seat to seat – giving each rider a letter.
The passengers looked up from their phones. From their laptops and their tablets.
Each took the letter she had given them, and opened it … and smiled.
Eventually the girl came to the man’s seat, handed him a letter and flashed a broad smile. He tore it open, eager to learn what was inside.
The letter, written in little-girl script, and decorated with red and green crayon, read:
Happy holidays!
Merry Christmas!
Your challenge this Christmas – say hello to a stranger.
-The girl from the train.
The strangers on the train set aside their phones and their tablets and began connecting with one another. They began having conversations, sharing smiles, laughing.
Sometimes it seems that our hyper-connected world has disconnected our humanity.
With faces nose-down into smartphones or tablets, attention grabbed and held by that artful black mirror, people travel from place to place without ever seeing the world around them. Or the people around them.
Even when we are physically close, we can be so very far.
So this story of a little girl piercing that invisible barrier is inspiring on its own.
But her story isn’t over.
Little did she know, but the man sitting at the window seat on the train – the one whose morning had gone terribly wrong and who was feeling awfully low – was a video editor for The Daily Goalcast, a site that shares messages of motivation and hope all over the world.
Inspired, he got to work on a video describing his morning on the train.
Sharing her challenge.
Sharing her smile.
That video has been seen 2.4 million times.
A little girl, with a few crayons and some paper, set out to brighten the days of a few strangers.
She ended up inspiring millions.
Be kind to one another.
Be kind to yourself.
And never forget that you have the power to inspire the world.
Happy holidays, much love – and rest up, friends, because there will be much to do in 2019. I, for one, can’t wait.
~Michele
P.S.: Because some of you have asked, yes! I am a copywriter for nonprofits and political causes/candidates. I take a limited number of clients, and with the political cycle ending, I’ll have some openings soon. Visit www.mhornish.com to learn more.
P.P.S.: If you want to help support this work (and help me “keep the lights on,” so to speak), you can do so via Patreon at
https://www.patreon.com/smalldeedsdone or via paypal at https://www.paypal.me/smalldeeds
My deepest gratitude in advance.
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Small Deeds Done 