MY SON ASKED TO TAKE A PICTURE WITH A POLICE OFFICER—BUT I NEVER TOLD HIM WHO THIS ONE WAS

At a community safety event, my son wanted a photo with Officer Thomas Reed, a smiling motorcycle cop. Later, he said Reed was the man from his dream who helped him find his way home when lost. Chilled, I recalled a night years ago when a kind stranger on a bike—Reed—helped me through a personal crisis. I visited the police station, confirmed it was him, and learned he’d been moved by his own struggles to offer kindness. Reed was

surprised but touched by my son’s dream. His simple acts of compassion had unknowingly connected us twice. I left feeling lighter, realizing kindness circles back in mysterious ways. My son’s excitement—“I knew it!”—cemented the moment. Life’s unexpected connections, like Reed’s help, show how small gestures can ripple through time, shaping lives. Be grateful for those who appear when you need them most; the universe has a way of weaving kindness into our stories.