It was a rainy day when a young boy, no more than five, noticed a wet, motionless cat sitting against a storefront. Holding out his tiny umbrella to shield it from the rain, he quietly cared for the cat with no adult in sight. The boy then left a note under the umbrella: “FOR YOU TO STAY DRY. I HOPE YOUR PERSON COMES BACK.”

Touched by his compassion, I waited by the cat, hoping its owner would return. After an hour, with no one in sight, I picked up the cat and took it home. I named it Pom-Pom, after the boy’s hat, and cared for it. Weeks passed, and one day, while walking Pom-Pom, a woman stopped me. She asked if it was her cat, Mittens, missing for weeks after a storm. She recognized the collar I had put on it, and tears filled her eyes as she thanked me.

The twist: the woman was the mother of the boy. He had written the note and unknowingly sparked the cat’s rescue. His kindness led me to reunite Mittens with his family, proving that small acts of kindness can have profound impacts, bringing hope and joy to others.