#20. Bad Luck Is Always Lurking Around
It was an ordinary winter day when Taylior went out with her friends to chill out and have some fun at a Motocross event held in Oklahoma, California. Just like that, her fun night fell apart. Something was out of place.
Taylor noticed that her purse was missing, but the worst part was that she had no idea about the exact moment in which she had lost sight of it. > "I ... probably just lost it when I sat down in my seat, she recalled. I didn't see it was lost until the event was over", she said.
#19. A Bucket Of Cold Water
Starting all over again for Taylor was nothing but trouble. > "I had one of those wallets that doubles as a mini-purse. It probably should have been inside something, but I didn't want to carry much, so I just had it in my back pocket", she told Today.
As there was nothing more that could be done, Taylor took an appointment at the DMW to get a new license as fast as she could. She couldn't help thinking about the endless queues and the excessive paperwork she would have to put up with.
#18. Mysterious Arrival
Like most of us, when Taylor moved out of her parents' home, she neglected to change her address details. As a result, her driver's license remained without updating the address field.
A couple of days after losing her purse, an odd package came to light at the family's northern California home. Taylor's name was on it. Could it be the lost purse? Who could the anonymous sender be?
#17. A Turning Point
There was only one way of revealing the mystery. Opening up the package was the right thing to do. At first, Taylor's mother didn't want to get caught in the matter, but she had no choice but to open the cloak-and-dagger box to calm her daughter down.
To our surprise, Taylor's purse was inside the package! All the items were precisely at the same place that she had left them. Neither her ID nor credit cards had been taken out from her purse. Still, that wasn't all: the package came along with an unpredicted letter.
#16. A Nice Touch
"Dear Ms. Sloan," began the handwritten note. "I found your wallet on the ground at the Supercross event in Oakland. I know how it feels to lose something, and I wanted to make sure you got your wallet back". From the writing, it seemed to be that the writer was just a kid.
The young Samaritan reported that at the motocross event Taylor had been to, he had found the purse on the floor. What made it surprising was that the author, Nasim Lawrence, was just ten years old!
#15. Nasim's Part
According to Nasim's father, AJ, his son had been lucky enough to find the purse on the floor while queuing up to get food at half-time. From that moment on, Nasim had made up his mind to find Taylor. He felt he just had to help her.
Nasim was only ten, but he knew well enough that not having an ID was a great deal for any adult. No doubt that the kid had a better understanding on what's right and wrong than most adults.
#14. Running Against The Clock
On the ABC news segment, AJ explained that Nassim didn't have any time to waste, so he immediately started looking for Taylor at the motocross event. He would compare the ID photo with all the women that passed by.
Nasim was aware of the bureaucratic process that Taylor would have to go through if her credentials didn't turn up on time. So, against all the odds, he would persevere to find Taylor. “He didn’t want her to stand in the DMV line,” explained AJ.
#13. Better Late Than Ever
It was already late at night, and there was still no sign of Taylor. Despite the effort, Nasim knew he would have to continue the hard work the next morning. Giving up wasn't an option.
Meanwhile, Nasim started thinking about how to approach Taylor. He wanted her to know that her belongings were sound and safe, so he came up with the idea of writing a letter, explaining what had happened that day.
#12. A Picture Is Worth More Than Words
Speaking to The Today Show, Taylor admitted that she found the letter appealing, but also sweet. She never thought to see her stuff back, but hey, sometimes the world proves you wrong. Taylor also shared what startled her the most about Nasim's letter.
"My favorite line was: 'I'm glad I got it instead of some bad person'" she said. She was also touched by one of Nasim's final words: "Hopefully, I have made you smile." Not only did Nasim carry out a good deed, but he also restored Taylor's faith in humankind.
#11. Making A Big Appearance On TV
Taylor shared the letter's entire content with The Today Show, a morning talk show that airs on NBC. And just like Taylor, the audience was moved by Nasim's kindness.
Truth to be told, Nasim took a peek at Taylor's driver's license, and he couldn't help but feel that she looked like someone to whom you would lend a hand without expecting anything in return.
#10. Now We Are Squared!
After receiving the letter, Taylor decided to write Nasim back to express her heartfelt gratitude for all the trouble he had gone through to give her back her purse.
But expressing her thoughts in words was not enough, so together with the letter Taylor sent a 20-dollar-bill, and what kids love the most: a massive bag of candy to share with his friends.
#9. All The Rage
We know how much people engage themselves with social media these days. Therefore, Taylor thought it would be cool to share this heart-warming experience on her Facebook profile. Social media users reacted to Taylor’s soul-stirring post in a matter of minutes.
One of the thousands of people who reacted to this story was Dano Wano, a local radio DJ. Dano shared the story on the radio station's account, with Taylor's approval. That was everything it took to spread the word everywhere.
#8. A Rising Star
As Nasim was too young to have social media accounts, he didn't have a clue of what was happening out there. As far as he knew, Taylor had her purse back and he had earned a reward. Little did he know that his action had gone viral and that he was the talk of the town.
Nasim was praised by his school principal and honored by his local city council. On top of that, the school leader approached Nasim in the hallway and told him: "You’re famous!" However, there was still one more surprise in store for the honest young fellow and his family.
#7. Sending A Friend Request
Nasim's mom, Karimah, wasn't a big social media user herself, so she had no idea about the fuzz surrounding the whole story. But one of her friends suggested she create a Facebook account of her own, and it wasn't long before she came across Taylor’s post.
Karimah decided to get in touch with Taylor immediately. She sent her a friend request, and Taylor accepted it. Both started chatting with each other, mostly about how great Nasim was. "I knew Nasim must have come from a cool family to have done something so kind", said Taylor.
#6. Unexpected Invitation
Bigger stuff was coming Nasim’s way. One of the people who engaged with his story and loved it was one of the most popular stars on television
Nasim's story went viral so fast that it hit the radar of Ellen DeGeneres. As crazy as it sounds, the Lawrence family was invited on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to prove the world that we still have heroes out there.
#5. Showtime
Still, the Lawrence family wasn't the only one on the TV show stage. There was someone else that couldn't be left apart, and it's Taylor, making it possible for both of them to finally meet and get to know each other a little bit more.
After asking Nasim to recount the story, he recited the events as much as he recalled it. At one point, Taylor said she thought she had between $30 and $40 in her purse right when she lost it. In the twinkling of an eye, Nasim stepped in and told her it was exactly $38.
#4. A Decisive Moment
We can't help but think what would've happened if Nasim hadn't been the one who picked up the purse that night. However, Taylor said she would rather leave that thought behind and concentrate on the bright side of life.
This is the story of two decent people brought together by a single act of generosity. An act that turned two strangers into unlikely friends. For Taylor, it was a lucky accident but also a surreal moment; it was one of those things that happen only once in a lifetime!
#3. Both Parties
We would also like to point out the part that Taylor played in this touching story. Had she not shared her story on social media, the world wouldn't have learned about the boy's noble gesture.
Nasim was hailed as a hero, and to a certain extent, he has Taylor and Ellen DeGeneres herself to thank! We're should also thank the thousands of users who helped spread thew word.
#2. Actions Speak Louder Than Words
One thing we know for sure is how much Ellen loves to reward people, especially people like Nasim. In her show, DeGeneres asked the boy what he wanted to do with his reward money.
Like any other kid his age, Nasim explained that he was looking forward to buying a popular video game that was popular at the time. But at the same time, he said he didn't want to be a nuisance to his parents.
#1. Surprise!
At last, Ellen got him not only a new TV, but also gaming consoles and video games worth more than $1000! Quite a surprise for Nasim, who never imagined what destiny had in store for him.
As Nasim stated, "Returning the wallet wasn't about becoming a celebrity; it was simply the honest thing to do." Up to this day, Taylor and Nasim write back and forth as pen pals. How cute is that?