Saw this on reddit earlier today and then saw an article pop up about it:
https://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/respo...-store-owner-good-deed-internet-returns-favor
https://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/respo...-store-owner-good-deed-internet-returns-favor
When Jacques Ruffin found an old letter his mother had saved, he almost tossed it. But he thought he better take a look.
"The letter touched my heart. Reading the letter brought me to near tears and I wondered how life would’ve turned out if it wasn’t for the kindness of James W. Jones," Ruffin tells MNN.
Ruffin shared the note on Reddit. The touching letter struck a chord with Redditors around the world.
Music store owner James Jones wrote to Jacques' mother in 2009, forgiving the rent due on her son's trumpet.
"You do not have to pay me any more for the trumpet. It is yours to play," Jones wrote. "I have been through bad times like you. But remember. Tough times never last, Tough people do."
The internet can be a tough place, but not in this case.
Posters were touched by the store owner's kind note and immediately came up with suggestions to respond in kind. Some people thought they should pay it forward, sending instruments to band kids in need.
...
When he read the post, he realized he lived only minutes away from Allegro Music Center in Casselberry, a suburb of Orlando. So he decided to drop by when the store opened, armed with a dozen doughnuts.
In talking with an overwhelmed Jones, vorpib discovered that this wasn't the first time the store owner had assisted someone in need.
"He said he’s been doing this for years, helping out kids who haven’t been able to make the payments," vorpib tells MNN. "It’s such a cool thing. He was so humble. I don’t think he’s crazy about all the attention."
Hoping to continue to help other struggling young musicians just like Jones did, Ruffin started a GoFundMe to benefit music students in need.
And because the music store may have seen better days, Redditors hope that some kindness (and donations) may help brighten Jones' day.
