ReadersDigestAustraliaNewZealand-April2018

12 | April• 2018

KINDNESS OF STRANGERS

Carolyn Pape

works in

education and

isthemotherof

three beautiful

children. She has

aLabradorand

acatthatbelieves

he’sadog.She

enjoys keeping

it by doing yoga,

pilates and

running.

BY CAROLYN PAPE

A Bicycle

for Bradley

Ayoungboy’ssorrowturnstojoy

when he is granted a special wish

WHEN OUR SON BRADLEY WAS TEN, the new bicycle

hehadreceivedearlierthatyearwasstolen.Owning

abikewasabigdealtoourchildrenwhentheywere

little.heyspenthoursandhours,dayafterday,ontheir

bikes,ridingupanddownthefootpath,andatthefront

ofthehouse.Wealsorodetogetherasafamilyalot.

Bicyclingwasagreatwaytogetthekidsoutofthehouse

andintothefreshairwithoutspendinganymoney.

Bradleyhaddiscoveredthathisbikehadbeen

stolenfromourbackyardinsuburbanCampbelltown,

SouthAustralia,whenheandhissisterwentoutside

foramorningride.Hecouldn’tbelievethatsomeone

woulddothis.Strangely,noneoftheotherbikeswere

touchedandnothingelsewasmissing.

Hegotalargepieceofcardboardfromhisdad’sshed,

paintedasignbeggingforthebiketobereturned,and

tiedthesigntotheletterbox.hefollowingmorning,

when I went out to collect the mail, I found a white