A Simple act of Kindness in an Otherwise Crazy World Becomes a Teaching Moment

by Kevin and Michelle Rivoli

Elwyn Caldwell, 90, in Auburn, N.Y., Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2014. (Kevin Rivoli | krivoli@syacuse.com)

The other day my wife, Michele, was running errands with our sons and experienced something that quickly became a teaching moment about life.

She posted this story on her Facebook feed and I put it on mine. It took off.

The man in her story is Elwyn Caldwell. I found him by happenstance when I was going to the post office a few days later and spotted an old man wearing a veteran’s cap. I noticed a portion of his left ear was missing, a characteristic that fit the description given to me by my sons.

I asked him if a woman with two red-headed young boys gave him a lift the other day. He immediately smiled…