By the time I reached Grade 3, life had begun to shift for my family.
My mom had managed to get us into a small two-bedroom house. It wasn’t fancy. It wasn’t big. But after everything we had been through—shelters, uncertainty, sleeping on floors—it felt like a new beginning.
When we moved in, my mom pointed down the hallway and said:
“Son, that room over there—that’s yours.”
I remember feeling excited. Finally, I had my own room.
I grabbed my backpack and toys and ran in, imagining what it would be like to have a space of my own.
But after sitting there for a few minutes, something didn’t feel right.
The Sacrifice I Didn’t Notice at First
I walked back into the living room and asked my mom where my sisters were going to sleep.
She said they’d be sharing the other room.
Then I asked her a question I’ll never forget asking.
“Mom… where are you going to sleep?”
She pointed to the couch.
“I’ll sleep right here.”
My mom slept on that couch all the way until I graduated high school.
That’s what sacrifice looks like.
At the time, I didn’t fully understand it. But looking back now, I see the depth of what she gave up so her children could have something better.
A Bus Ride That Changed My Life
Around that same time, my mom began putting me on a bus every day that took me off the reserve and into a nearby community called Cut Knife.
I remember feeling different when I first arrived there.
The culture felt different.
The language people used was different.
Everything felt unfamiliar.
But it was on a soccer field in that town that something incredible happened.
That’s where I met my best friend.
His name was Johan.
The Friendship That Started With Soccer
Johan and his family had immigrated to Canada from South Africa.
Even though our backgrounds were completely different, we shared one thing that connected us instantly:
A love for soccer.
Our friendship grew on that field.
But one day, Johan asked me a question I wasn’t prepared for.
He said:
“Kendal, how come you don’t play with us after school when we go to games and practices?”
That question made me nervous.
I felt embarrassed.
Ashamed.
Because the truth was something I didn’t want to say out loud.
I told him quietly:
“That bus over there… that’s my only ride home.”
We didn’t have a vehicle.
My mom was raising four kids alone.
We were living on welfare.
There was no way for me to get to practices or games.
The Kindness I Didn’t Expect
The next day I came back to school and saw Johan waiting for me with a huge smile on his face.
He pulled me aside and said:
“Kendal, I told my parents everything you told me last night.”
My heart sank.
But then he said something I’ll never forget.
“Don’t worry. We’re going to help you.”
His family had already paid my soccer fees.
And when I asked how I was supposed to get to practices, he said:
“Don’t worry about that either. We’ll come pick you up.”
Remember, this was long before GPS or smartphones.
So I wrote directions to my house on a piece of paper.
“Turn down this road. Watch for the potholes. Don’t miss the driveway.”
And sure enough, they found it.
The Power of Being Invited Into Someone’s World
For the next two years, Johan’s family picked me up for soccer games and practices.
But they didn’t stop there.
They also invited me into their home.
On evenings and weekends, they would say:
“Kendal, come spend time with us.”
The first time I stepped into their house, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
To me, it looked like a mansion.
It was beautiful.
And for the first time in my life, I saw what a different kind of future could look like.
That experience planted a seed in my mind.
Maybe one day… I could have something like this too.
The Power of Role Models
One Saturday morning I met Johan’s father.
His name was also Johan, which made things confusing sometimes.
But Johan Senior became a role model to me.
He was disciplined.
I would see him working out.
Running laps around the lake.
Studying.
Taking care of his family as a loving husband and father.
I had never seen that kind of example before.
And I remember telling myself:
“Maybe one day I could be driven like him.”
That belief stayed with me.
The Moment That Created a Ripple Effect
By the time I reached Grade 7, Johan’s family had some news.
They were moving away.
Back then there were no phones, no social media.
When someone moved, you often lost touch.
Before they left, they sat down with my mom.
They told her they knew we didn’t have a vehicle, and they knew they had been driving me to soccer practices.
Then they handed her something I’ll never forget.
A set of car keys.
They said:
“We’re moving to the city. We’re not taking this vehicle with us. You can use it.”
That one act of generosity changed everything.
How One Act of Kindness Changed My Life
Because of that vehicle, my mom was able to drive me and my siblings to sports.
We were able to compete.
To grow.
To experience opportunities we never would have had otherwise.
That simple act helped carry me into high school sports.
Then into college.
And eventually into a life of leadership, entrepreneurship, and speaking.
All because someone decided to help.
The Ripple Effect of Kindness
Looking back now, I often think about how small that moment may have seemed to them.
But to me, it changed my entire trajectory.
That’s the power of kindness.
One decision.
One act of generosity.
One family choosing to help another.
It creates a ripple effect that can travel further than anyone could imagine.
Final Thought
When you help someone, you may never fully see the impact of that moment.
But it matters.
The opportunities you create for others can echo through generations.
My journey—from a small house on a reserve to the places I’ve been able to go today—was shaped by the kindness of others.
And that’s why I believe so strongly in paying it forward.
Because you never know whose future you might be changing.
With one simple act.
hiy hiy
