You may have heard it said that if you want to change the world, you can through one act of random kindness at a time.
Well, a group of choir students in Kansas recently took that to heart.
Fox News reports that a group of 30 choir students stopped at Pizza Street in Olathe, Kansas on their way to sing at a local senior citizen’s home. At the restaurant, they spotted a Navy veteran eating lunch with his wife.
“Blackburn – who served in the U.S. Navy for six years – was in hospice at the time, but for Veterans Day he wanted to indulge in some pizza.”
Choir Instructor Murray Posey noticed Blackburn’s Navy hat, and then asked her students if they would sing the national anthem to him, to which they agreed.
“He was on oxygen and he stood up and took his hat off and his wife stood up,” Murray Posey recounted. Then, as the students started to sing, the rest of the restaurant fell silent, and everyone rose to their feet.
The touching moment was captured on video:
Video from KMBC 9
“They were crying. They were all in tears. The restaurant was in tears,” Murray Posey said.
The choir instructor told Fox 4 Kansas City, “It wasn’t our best singing technically, but emotionally, it is more than I could ever ask for a trophy or a one rating. It was the best feeling that I will never forget.”
After singing to Blackburn, all the children gave him a hug.
Tragically, just a few months later, Blackburn died at 82 years old.
“However, the kids left such an impact on him, they were asked to sing at his funeral,” Fox News notes. “For a second time, the children of Mission Trail Middle School were able to pay a tribute to the veteran who spent years giving back to his community.”
Blackburn’s obituary says that after serving in the U.S. Navy, he went to serve as a Firefighter officer for 25 years.
We can all be grateful for Blackburn’s decades of service and selflessness. May he rest in peace.
Photo from Shutterstock.
