What I remember most about the tornado warning that interrupted the last night of our vacation wasn’t the storm. It was the kindness of one stranger.
When the siren warnings went off, the hardest part was leaving Brody and Bonnie in their crates in my travel trailer. They were already powerful Chessies, and I couldn’t manage them on my own. I joined other campers in the cement bathhouse, all of whom had their dogs with them; the rangers sheltered with us, too. My husband was on a lake fishing.
The sky had turned black, and the wind picked up. It stressed me to leave my dogs, and I was worried about my husband’s safety. Another camper, Lynn, gave me a big hug and told me my dogs would be okay. I texted my husband: “TORNADO WARNING! Get off the water! I love you.” Then I phoned him, but my service had gone down and I couldn’t get through.
We watched branches and debris flying in the air through the open door of the shelter.
Lynn kept me calm. She told me about her kids, her grandchildren, her dog, and her travels. I tried my husband again and there was nothing. Lynn grabbed her phone and offered it to me. I dialed; the call dropped again. She pulled me into another big hug.
To keep my mind off things while the storm rose around us, we talked about books. I told her about my newly released Janet Hardy suspense novel, and she smiled when I shared my website. She loved suspense, and before we knew it, we were talking like old friends. All the while, her calm husband cradled their beautiful ten-year-old fur baby, quietly adding a kind word now and then.
It was our last vacation night, and we planned to fry fish. We had driven into town for more supplies under threatening skies. My husband turned to me. “We’re going home.” Looking at our route, the severe weather would follow us, but with a much lower chance of severity.
As we packed our gear and Randy secured the hitch, Lynn and her husband Mark drove by our campsite, their fifth wheel in tow. Lynn flew out of her truck and stretched her arms to give my husband a hug. “I’m so glad you’re alright.” She had never met him! Then she stopped by my window, gave me an air hug, and blew me a kiss. Some people are angels in your life.
She’s one of them.
Lynn and Mark had made the same decision to leave. They headed west back to North Dakota, and we headed east to Lower Michigan. Hopefully, they drove right out of the weather. We wouldn’t be out of danger until we reached lower Michigan.
After an hour on the road, a broadcast announced the watch had turned into a warning again, right in our previous campsite location.
All of this had me thinking.
Some people come into your life for only a few moments, yet leave a lasting impression. Lynn is one of those people. I hope that someday, when a stranger needs kindness, I’ll remember her… and pass it on.
Kathleen Lynn
Author
July 13, 2026
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We may never cross paths again. That’s how camping is sometimes. People gather around the same stretch of woods or shoreline for a few days, share a frightening moment or a laugh around a campfire, and then head off in opposite directions.
But every now and then, someone leaves carrying a little piece of your heart.
Thank you, Lynn and Mark, for reminding me that the world is still full of good people.
Pull up a chair by the campfire…
Has a stranger ever shown you unexpected kindness at just the right moment? There are no right or wrong answers. We’d love to hear your story.
Kathleen Lynn 