Submitted by RF from Los Angeles

My brother was sitting in his truck waiting for my sister to come out of the school she was teaching at. He rolled his windows down so he could catch some fresh air. He heard some wheezing sounds but ignored them. Then the wheezing turned to a grunt. He turned around ready to defend himself if it was an attacker grunting behind him. Instead, he saw a frail old man, grunting, trying to catch his breath. He was walking up the hill aided by his cane. My brother asked if he was okay. The old man told him yes and to leave him alone. So my brother complied and got back in his truck. While he was sitting in his car, he watched the old man take a few more steps, stop, catch his breath and cough uncontrollably. He couldn't stand the sight of him struggling so he got out of his car and asked the old man if needed a ride somewhere. The old man relented and finally accepted. My brother escorted the man to the passenger side of his truck and waited for him to get in. But he was so weak, he couldn't, so my brother carried him in the truck. He then proceeded to drive the man to his house about a mile up the hill. When they got there, my brother noticed that the front door of his house was wide open. My brother asked if he was expecting anyone. He said had an appointment with a home health nurse and that he always left his front door open so that he can get in his house right away. My brother told him to wait in the car so that he can go and check the house to make sure everything was secure. My brother then went up to this stranger's front door, poked his head in to make sure no one was there. When he was sure everything looked secure, he went back to the truck to help the man out. He carried him out of his truck and helped him to his front door. My brother did not leave until the nurse that the old man had an appointment with arrived. As he was getting in his truck, the nurse came running out of the house with a note from the old man. He thanked my brother for his kindness and $20 for his gas. My brother tried to return the money but he wouldn't take it. So my brother left and picked up my sister from the school. On their way home, my brother got hungry and stopped at a McDonald's. As he was getting out of the car, a woman and a child approached him asking for some quarters. He said he didn't have any and went in McDonald's to buy himself a hamburger. While waiting for his order, he noticed the pair asking each passerby for money. Using the $20 the old man had given him earlier, he bought the woman and her child a complete meal. With meals in hand, he walked up to the pair and gave them the food he had bought for them. The mother started crying and thanked him profusely. She told him she had just lost her job and their apartment a few days back. Their money had run out and she was desperate to feed her son so she has had to resort to begging for money. My brother wished them luck and went on his way. My brother has always been very kindhearted, so when he told us about his day, we couldn't get angry at him for exposing himself to danger a couple of times. What if the old man was acting and was actually a carjacker/murderer waiting to pounce on his victim? What if someone had been in the house? What if the woman was using her son to attract people to rob? My brother answered, "What if I didn't help when I had the chance? What if it was me who needed help? Would you just walk away? Why not make a difference when you can? Life is short and too valuable to disregard." What else can one say after hearing this?