I’m so happy to see the positive response I got to my first Shoutout to a Sweet Stranger! It was so fun and uplifting to write. Luckily, my friend and fellow HC contributor, Elena Pokowitz, had a story to share of her own.
“I was in the Netherlands with my aunt, just enjoying some quality time with each other. The forecast said it was going to rain all day, so we left our sunglasses in the hotel room. It was one less thing to have to carry around, honestly.
But before too long, the sun decided to grace us with its presence. Sunshine was definitely amazing, don’t get me wrong, but we were totally unprepared for good weather.
It did mean we could take cute pictures though, so we stopped in front of some windmills to try and snap one. When I tried to pose, however, I was immediately blinded by the sun. I couldn’t tell whether it was reflecting off of something or just right in front of me, but either way, I definitely couldn’t keep my eyes open for a picture.
Suddenly, this random woman comes up to me. She’s holding out her sunglasses to me and speaking in hurried Mandarin, and I didn’t process what was happening immediately. But it soon became clear that she was offering me her sunglasses so that I could take a photo. Surprised, I thanked her, took the photos, and returned her glasses. It’s just something I never would have thought to do for someone. I honestly probably wouldn’t have even noticed someone struggling like I was. But she went out of her way to help me out, and it always warms my heart just thinking about it.”
What a lovely story! Send me your shoutouts at vanderbilt@hercampus.com and hopefully we’ll have more soon.