Though a smile, holding the door open for someone else, or even just offering a compliment can go a long way in improving another person’s day, sometimes individuals are inspired to do more than that. Such is the case of two Swedish travelers named Annis and Emma Lindkvist.
While touring Scotland, the sisters found themselves lost in the city of Edinburgh. Fortuitously, they met a formerly homeless beggar named Jimmy Fraser and asked him for directions. Before they parted, the three struck up conversation, became friends, and eventually exchanged numbers. After learning that Fraser would be spending Christmas alone, the compassionate women decided to do something unheard of: they offered to renew the man’s passport and fly him to their home in Sweden for the holiday so that he wouldn’t be alone during the special time.
The 54-year-old divorced father of two was shocked by the generosity but was more than happy to accept. He told BBC Scotland, “The next thing I knew I was on a plane to Sweden.”
“We give money to charity every month but we have never done anything like this before,” recounted Annie. “There were friends and family who thought I was really crazy but I just opened my home to him and said that everything that is ours was his too.”
Fraser went through a divorce 13 years ago and found himself on the street shortly after. Though he now lives in a flat in Edinburgh, making ends meet is a daily struggle. It’s for this reason that the sisters’ generosity was deemed to be so profound. During his time with the women and their families, he was blessed to attend an ice hockey match, visit the Christmas markets, attend midnight mass, and to meet Annie’s friends and colleagues.
“Being homeless is cold, lonely and depressing and you get a lot of abuse from people,” said Fraser. “This was an incredible act of kindness and I loved meeting Annis’ friends, family, and colleagues. I wish I was there now.”
Fraser has been invited back for Easter, as the Annie Lindkvist considers the formerly homeless man to be “part of the family now.” Such generosity is rarely witnessed nowadays. Please comment your thoughts below and share this news!
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