In the quiet of the morning I took in the monuments, the river and the interesting mix of vessels on the water. I had passed signage to this park countless times, but this was my first visit. It was unplanned, off season and there were few people on the grounds. Most were fishing on the pier.

At the end of the pier, jutting out into the river I asked two fishermen how early they began. 7AM they replied and explained, this was their second spot. They caught a few porgies. A young boy was fishing and began excitedly calling his grandmother for help because his fish line was tugging very strongly. The attempt to pull in the line, resulted in it snapping, leaving the boy without a sinker.

The boy’s face deflated once he realized he lost his only sinker.

I called out to the two fisherman, “Might you have a spare sinker for this boy”? One searched his box and walked over to show the little boy how to attach it. The little boy asked for help baiting his hook and he was granted that too. Less than sixty seconds later he resumed fishing and caught a fish. The look of pride on this little fisherman’s face was magical.

A mom and her young son approached the grandmother and asked if they had a spare hook and bait and she energetically replied “With pleasure!, “We’re like family here!”The fisherman set up the second little boy and he resumed fishing with renewed anticipation.

The chain of kindness amongst strangers turned a mundane morning into an exceptional one.

What simple moments have made a world of difference in how you experience your travels?