Integrity means being honest and having strong moral principles. A person with integrity behaves ethically and does the right thing.
An example of someone with integrity is a 65-year-old senior who walks about three miles to work daily and made headlines after returning US$15,000 that she found in a bag at a gas station.
The Michigan woman, Dianne Gordon, works at a VC Fresh Marketplace and has been making a 5-mile round trip to work and fro for the past year due to her car breaking down and her lack of funds to repair it.
The day Dianne found and returned $15,000
On January 21, 2023, Dianne decided to snack at a gas station. There, she found a bag full of money and some greeting cards. She said: “I looked down at the ground and found a plastic bag with a large sum of money. When you turned it, there was even more money.” Dianne called the police and handed them the belongings, saying it was “what she was taught to do.”
White Lake Township Police Chief Dan Keller later contacted her to tell her they had found the owners. They had used the greeting cards to track them down. The money and greeting cards were gifts to newlyweds who were very thankful for her integrity.
Lt. Matthew Ivory of the White Lake Township Police was overwhelmed by her honesty and integrity. He said: “It never really crossed her mind to do anything other than turn it over.” Dianne could have easily bought herself a new car with that amount, and her trekking days would have been over.
Dianne’s selfless act
In an interview with The Washington Post, Dianne said: “If it doesn’t belong to you, you don’t keep it. I didn’t do anything special. All I did was return something that didn’t belong to me.”
Connell, a police officer’s wife, was also astounded by Dianne’s selflessness in her time of need. She said: “As a police officer’s wife, I typically hear the bad things, so this was heartwarming. I hoped we could help her get a car since she could have walked into any dealership and used that money.”
One good deed deserves another
Community members set up a GoFundMe to help Dianne get a new car. Surprisingly, after only six days, people had donated more than four times what she had initially found in the bag. Even though she feels she did what any other person would, Dianne is very grateful for her gift and a new lease on life.
Dianne has since got a brand-new Jeep Compass. She also earned an extended warranty, insurance, maintenance, and plates. And she “loved it, absolutely loved it.” Also, there were many outpouring celebrations of her honesty in a YouTube video when she received her new car. In addition, she will get more repairs done at her home.
An example of integrity
Dianne is a beautiful example of how integrity can be rewarding when dishonesty and self-centeredness seem to be the norm. Dianne chose not to buy herself a new car at the expense of newlyweds, and that’s a wholesome decision. But, better yet, she did not expect to be rewarded.
Dianne is a shining example of how kindness can find its way back home. As the saying goes: “One good deed deserves another.” Her story is a reminder that integrity and selflessness can be rewarded unexpectedly. Her act of kindness and selflessness is an example to us all, and it is a reminder that we should always strive to do the right thing, even when it is hard.
Dianne’s story is a testament to the power of kindness and integrity. We can all learn from Dianne’s example and strive to be more selfless and kind in our own lives.
