The mother of a young man whose random act of kindness 24 hours before his untimely death says it’s “surreal but bittersweet” to see his example inspiring others across the globe.
On Nov. 10, Matthew Jackson paid a $200 grocery bill for Ontario native Jamie-Lynne Knighten, who was stuck with a declined credit card in a California grocery store.
READ MORE: Man dies 24 hours after paying $200 grocery bill for stranger
Knighten later learned that the 28-year-old had died in a car crash less than 24 hours after his good deed, and was inspired to start a social media campaign that’s prompting similar acts of kindness around the world.
The Facebook page Matthew’s Legacy includes stories from people as far as Guatemala and The Philippines who’ve been touched by the story and performed their own charitable acts.
Matthew’s mother LeeAnn takes heart from seeing how her son inspires others, but wishes it didn’t take his death to help spread that positive message.
“It’s totally surreal and it’s amazing but on the other hand it’s really bittersweet; I just want my Matthew back and I wish people could have realized how wonderful he was while he was here.”
Knighten wishes she’d had the chance to meet Matthew beyond their brief encounter since she’s sure they’d have been friends.
Watching a video of Jackson singing at his Oceanside, Calif. church, Knighten says, “He was just so happy and you could tell how he just loved life.”
“Matt was very special,” LeeAnn told Global News. “He was my little love bug, a very affectionate boy … he was just a loving compassionate person, who had a heart for people, had a heart for the unloved, and was always looking to help people.”
In particular, she recalls that “when he hugged you, he hugged you with all of him. He had to let people know that he loved them.”
Knighten described the feeling of Jackson’s deed as being “like this big, giant bear hug which I really needed at that moment.”
Aside from helping to spread Jackson’s story and message, Knighten plans to start a crowdfunding campaign for his two colleagues who were injured in the crash and are currently unable to work.
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And while LeeAnn is pleased that people are performing their own acts of kindness, she also encourages others to make generosity more than just a temporary pursuit.
“Make it a lifestyle of kindness and compassion, not just one time because you hear a nice story about a good-looking guy who did something nice for somebody,” she says.
“It doesn’t have to involve money,” she adds. “It could be a smile, just say hello to someone, just share a kindness in your life. There’s so much darkness and rotten stuff going on this world and goodness knows we need a little more positivity and kindness in our lives, so just make it a part of your life.”
Have you performed or experienced a random act of kindness? We’d like to hear about it! Please share your story with us below.
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