It wasn’t all bad

Acia Williams owes a lot to Chet Bennett. He ran the Washington, D.C., beauty college where Williams began her career two decades ago and has been a mentor and friend ever since. So when Williams discovered that Bennett needed a new kidney, she knew she had to find out if she was a match. She was, and the pair underwent transplant surgery. Bennett is now back to full health, and to say thank you, he donated something to Williams: the beauty store she’d managed for him for years. “He’s always been a giver,” said Williams.

When Lloyd Black joined his local gym a year ago, a 10-minute walk on the treadmill would tire him out. That was nothing to be ashamed of: Black was 90 years old and an exercise novice. But determined to improve his health, Black diligently showed up at Anytime Fitness in Semmes, Ala., three times a week. He can now speed through a half-hour of power walking and lift weights. Black works out in dungarees—“I can’t keep my pants up!” he says—and happily teaches other seniors how to use the exercise machines. Recently named gym member of the month, Black has some simple advice for anyone who wants to get fit: “Go ahead—get started.”

Flying with a baby can be a nightmare, but for Dustin and Caren Moore, it led to an unexpected shower of kindness. The couple were flying home from Colorado to California with their newly adopted 8-day-old daughter when a curious flight attendant asked about their baby. He used the in-flight intercom to announce the “very special guest” and passed out napkins and pens; 60 passengers then wrote messages of encouragement and advice for the new parents. “For an entire crew of strangers to come together like that to show us that kind of love and kindness meant everything to us,” said Dustin.

Reuters, Ashley Seaman/Anytime Fitness ■