11 Nov Leaving People a Little Better
The idea to leave things a little better than you found them is known as the campsite rule. It reminds us to pick up a stray piece of trash or clean up messes – even if they weren’t ours. In these small acts, we do what we can, where we are, to improve the environment around us.
What would happen if we applied this to people, too? What if we left every person we met a little better than the way we found them?
A few weeks ago, a man named Edmund O’Leary was feeling down. He posted a tweet that read, “I am not OK. Feeling rock bottom. Please take a few seconds to say hello if you see this tweet. Thank you.”
Edmund O’Leary has had a hard year. He’s a father of twin sons in the UK. He has felt profound loneliness during the pandemic. He lost his job and is struggling to find a new one. He said his mental health has “really taken a battering.”
Within moments after sending his tweet, Edmund began receiving messages from around the world. The first one arrived from Dublin Airport, telling him, “Never forget that you are loved and there are people who care about you.”
To date, more than 5,000 people from around the world have responded to Edmund with words of encouragement, invitations to get coffee and offers to help with his resume. People have shared photos of sunsets, pets and flowers. Others have shared their own struggles to let Edmund know he is not alone. Weeks later, strangers are still checking in on him daily to ask how he is doing.
Edmund is responding to the tweets. He is sending love and thanks and support back to people. He said he’s been overwhelmed by their responses, which are helping him feel more hopeful.
From the depths of despair to a place of hope. From rock bottom to feeling like a somebody. In 280 characters or less, strangers around the world are doing what they can, where they are, as they stumble upon Edmund’s request for a “hello.”
What’s something you might do today to leave someone a little better than you found them?