Posted on 11/27/2015 11:04:42 AM PST by rey
Jamie-Lynne Knighten wants the world to know the legacy of Matthew Jackson, a man she barely knew.
Their only encounter was brief, about five minutes in a grocery store on Nov. 10. But what happened in those moments, and the tragedy that followed, put the Carlsbad woman on a quest to honor the 28-year-old whose kindness left a deep impression.
“It is beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time,†she said Wednesday. “We are trying to turn something sad into something really good.â€
The late evening trip to Trader Joe’s in Oceanside had been stressful for Knighten, her fussy 5-month-old in tow as she navigated a market she had not been to before. The trip to the register was worse: A $200 tab, her debit card at home, her credit card declined thanks to an anti-fraud lock, and, of course, a crying baby.
Knighten began fumbling for her phone to call the bank, as a long line stretched behind her, when a young man stepped up and asked if he could cover the cost. She first refused, but he asked again. Knighten said when she looked into his eyes, she realized that he truly wanted to help.
“It just felt like this huge hug, this great big bear hug,†the married mother of two said.
The man said he wanted nothing in return, he simply wanted her to do the same for someone else.
(Excerpt) Read more at pressdemocrat.com ...
She agreed, but asked his name and where he worked, thinking that somehow she still wanted to acknowledge his selfless act.
So more than a week later, when she finally had a moment, Knighten called Jackson’s boss at LA Fitness, to say how kind he had been, and perhaps bring him a gift.
The gym manager began crying, Knighten said. Days earlier, Jackson had died in a car accident — his Ford Fiesta struck a tree along a shopping complex at the end of West Vista Way, not far from the store where Knighten met him. Two passengers in the car were hurt, but have since been released from the hospital.
The crash happened less than 24 hours after Jackson had paid her grocery bill.
After a sleepness night, Knighten took to Facebook: “I still cannot believe it. I thought for sure I would get the chance to see him again, give him a hug and thank him at least once more in person. Now I won't get that chance, but more importantly no one else will get the chance to meet him. And that breaks my heart.â€
The response from friends and family to her Nov. 20 post, she said, “was incredible. People saying they were going to pay it forward in Scotland, in Wisconsin, in Australia. Overwhelming. It was overwhelming.â€
As a fitness trainer, Jackson didn’t make much, and $200 was a lot of money to lay out for a stranger. But his mother, LeeAnn Krymow, said Wednesday that such kindness defined her son.
She remembers one day under a sweltering desert sun — Jackson grew up in Phoenix — when mother and son stopped to get cold bottled water. At a stop light a block later, he suddenly jumped out of the car, ran over to a panhandler and handed his unopened bottle to the stranger.
“I knew my boy was like this,†Krymow said. “He loved to be kind. He was just a really special kid. So cute, so intelligent, so talented, an accomplished musician. You wonder why these things happen.â€
She said he had attended Liberty University in Virginia, and later moved to San Diego County to be with his longtime girlfriend, whom he planned to marry.
Knighten, who is from Canada and had recently returned to North County after a lengthy visit home, said she hopes to spread the word of what she calls “Matthew’s legacy.†She has started a and under just that name: “Matthews legacy.â€
Krymow said she is touched to know that her son will be remembered for his good works.
“There has got to be some good to come of this,†she said. “He would be happy to know that other people are learning from his example.â€
There’s a postscript to this story: Jackson’s sister and brother-in-law, who is a youth pastor, drove out to Carlsbad from their home in the Phoenix suburb of Gilbert, to attend the memorial service. Along the way, they stopped with their four young kids for a meal in Yuma. When they went to pay the bill, they got a surprise: someone had already paid their bill.
It was a random act of kindness from a stranger.
I *DON’T* tear up.
This story made me tear up.
May he reside in heaven, and may I meet him there.
/a prayer
Wow. I’m tearing up before I even had brunch.
Yet another reminder of how temporary everything in this life is, and how goodness can also become a contagion, albeit a benign one.
Everytime I perform a random act of kindness like this fellow, it is a matter of goodness for goodness sake, but I actually kinda expect bad things to happen to me afterwards, just because that’s the way the cruel world works. No good deed goes unpunished.
Great story, thank you for posting it.
I’m not sure what happened - I was reading the article and the screen slowly blurred. Hate it when that happens.
Later
OMG.
Proving my favorite rabbi is right. Some people are so good and pure their work here doesn’t take very long to complete.
You can’t read this without tearing up.
Seems like it at times. I might do a random good deed and life then gives me a pie in the face. Other times though something good might happen to me, or just an importantly, to a family member. But I agree that the giving is goodness for the sake of goodness, and that's enough.
I will never forget how I felt when I was going to the post office to ship packages to soldiers through Anysoldier.com
Someone hit my car in the parking lot. I just looked up to the sky and said, “ WHY??? I could have just stayed home, you know”
But then on Thanksgiving Eve this year, a huge extended cab pick up Truck came out of a parking lot - crossed the lane towards my drivers side within inches. I knee jerked the car to the right trying to escape.. afraid I would hit someone else. I finally got to the grocery store parking lot and parked. Someone pulled up to me and asked me if I was okay. She saw what had happened.
I just looked up to the sky and said, “I guess this is my payback. I could be dead right now.”
My wife continually reminds me that there is much that is noble in the human spirit.
So does this story.
I teared up on this one too... God bless the young man.
[Days earlier, Jackson had died in a car accident, his Ford Fiesta struck a tree along a shopping complex at the end of West Vista Way, not far from the store where Knighten met him]
Oh my gosh.
Totally agree........
Felt so good I gave my stored Matchless to a friend who was moving away.
She said he had attended Liberty University in Virginia,
...
That’s the Christian university founded by Jerry Falwell where Ted Cruz announced his run for president.
My wife continually reminds me that there is much that is noble in the human spirit.
So does this story.
...
And this is a story about a Christian. Something I’m sure the card carrying journalist doesn’t want to make clear.
Great paying it forward story.
I have never, not once, had anything given to me or have received anything from a stranger. It’s always been others looking to me for something. I get asked for money from people in grocery stores and have a couple of times bought some groceries for people. I’ve paid for a few old peoples items when they are checking out and don’t have enough money. I say put it on mine. I was in the dollar store the other day and a man in front of me had $4 and something and his EBT card wouldn’t work and he actually asked me to pay for it. I looked at the clerk and said no, I’ve already paid for it once. Boy did he have a cussing fit! Lol
I guess maybe I just don’t get it with these stories since I’m always the one expected to give.
For your Socal ping list.
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