Viral Photo Shows Off a Generous Stranger Helping an Elderly Man Down an Escalator

A simple act of kindness can go a long way.

Paula Accorsi Picard was in the Holyoke Mall in Massachusetts when she spotted a young man helping out an older gentleman on an escalator. In the now viral photo, the younger man is escorting the older man arm-in-arm down the escalator.

Picard posted the sweet moment on Facebook, explaining that the older man was hesitant to ride down the escalator. She went on to share that a crowd was slowly forming behind him, when a young man offered to help him down.

“It was clear he was feeling unsure and this young man offered the simplest kindness: an out-reached arm and a ‘can I help you on, sir?’” Picard wrote on Facebook about the encounter. “He quietly started to explain to the young man that he had gotten stuck on an escalator once and was a little scared.”

She continued, “The young man gently offered an assurance, they looked at each other eye to eye for just a moment and the older man accepted his arm. Everyone else remained patient. So, so sweet to witness!”

The simple act of kindness stole the hearts of the users on the internet. It went viral with over 432,000 likes and 200,000 shares.

Many users in the comments were quick to point out what a kind gesture the young man made.

“Caring and compassion goes a long way. Opportunities are there if we look for them,” one user wrote.

“Awesome, many respects for the parents of this young gentleman. It’s a blessing when one steps up to help an elder. God bless him,” another wrote.

Hopefully, this random act will inspire others to be kind as well. Check out the full post below.

(H/T Chron)