Shelter from the rain

For weeks now I have been scanning the Karri Hour website and reading the amazing testimonials many people have shared with the world in honour of Karri and finally after my experiences from last night, I have a story to share with you! Since Karri Hour began I have been trying hard each and every day to do something little for someone else such as holding a door open, welcoming everyone with a smile or even catching up with an old friend. While I did not know Karri well myself, I feel that through reading the various stories on this website as well as listening to my friends’ stories about him that he was truly an amazing friend, always willing to lend a hand to those in need – and although he is no longer with us in person, his legacy lives on and inspires others to stop, think, listen and become better people.

Last night when spending time with some of my friends, the topic of Karri Hour came up and my boyfriend Brent shared his Karri Hour experience of the day with us and it really had me thinking of what more I could do to contribute to such an amazing cause. On my way home from dropping Brent off (12:00 am) it began pouring rain – so much so that I almost had to pull over. When I came upon the closest intersection, I saw an older lady who was soaking wet on the corner trying so desperately to flag people in their vehicles down…. but no one stopped. When I reached the intersection, there were no longer any cars there – it was just me and the lady and suddenly the light turned red. I took it as a sign from Karri that it was now my time to help someone in need. While many people would probably think I’m crazy for stopping and picking up a total stranger off the street in the middle of the night, I did not for one second feel scared as I knew that Karri was with me and this lady clearly needed help and I wasn’t going to let a societal taboo stop me from doing what was right. I pulled over, ushered the lady into my van and asked her what was the matter. She explained to me that she was on her cell phone trying to call a cab to get home when her phone ran out of minutes – she began her walk home (which was over an hours walk away) when it began to rain as she had family at her apartment and she assumed they were starting to get worried. After hearing that she was just down on her luck I offered to give her a ride home. During our time together in the van I came to learn that this lady’s name was Kathleen and that she has been struggling for years to make ends meet. She mentioned that after she divorced from her husband and her children moved away that life has not been the same. As I listened to all of her hardships, I realized how much I take for granted such as having a loving family and a stable job and I knew that I had to do more. When we came across a corner store, I pulled over and asked Kathleen what kind of Pay as You go phone she had and proceeded to buy her a phone card for it – at least I knew that this way if she was ever in a bind again that she’d be able to contact someone for help. As I handed her the card she was shocked and couldn’t stop thanking me and asked me why I was doing this. I quickly explained to her that it was the least I could do and that I find it important to give people a hand when they need it as I hope that someone would help me the same way if I was in her situation. I dropped Kathleen home to her apartment building and she gave me a big hug and said “I wish there were more people in the world like you”. After leaving the apartment building on my ride home I began to cry and thanked Karri for this amazing experience. As it was pretty late I hopped in to bed and started browsing a website called Pinterest as it always helped me to fall asleep. As soon as I opened the web page, the first thing I saw was a quote and it read: “Never get tired of doing little things for others. For sometimes, those little things occupy the biggest part of their heart.” I knew at that moment that everything that happened that night wasn’t a coincidence and was a sign from Karri that I did the right thing.

From this experience I have learned how important it is to not take the little things for granted in life and to always help someone in need, as you never know how much of impact the smallest of gestures
can make on a person’s life.

Thank you Karri for reminding me of what it means to be a good
person.

Courtney Ferguson