BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — When you meet them, you quickly assume Kathie Goodwin and LaShawn Marshall have been friends for years, and in a way they have been, but they’ve never actually met in person until now.
In 2017, LaShawn accidentally bumped Kathie’s car, so she left a note with her phone number.
Kathie said there was no damage but she was thankful that whoever had hit her car thought to let her know.
“I really appreciated the honesty and something really compelled me to reach out to her and thank her," said Kathie.
Little did either woman know, they would go on to stay in touch, becoming friends without even knowing each other’s names.
They supported each other through all sorts of life events, even a neck surgery.
“I would think of you and I'd just send a little text just to see how you’re doing, how you’re feeling," said LaShawn.
“When you would send me random messages like that, you made me feel not alone anymore," said Kathie. "It felt so good to be cared about by somebody who never even laid eyes on me. It was really awesome."
This month, Kathie decided she wanted to finally meet LaShawn just in time for the new year.
It was a special moment with an important message.
“Sometimes we just don’t stop to take the time to appreciate people around us, even for the small things that they may do," said Kathie.
Which is something they think we could use more of with both friends and strangers.
“I didn’t [doubt] myself or, 'Oh, what am I getting myself into.' No, it was genuine," said LaShawn.
You never know what it could lead to.
"I think that we’ll be able to enrich each other’s lives even more now than we did before but we know it started with such a magical beginning that was all by accident," said Kathie.
We’re always looking for positive stories like this one. If you have a story idea, email kernskindness@kero.com.
