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Keller @ Large: Viral Kindness Video Proof That Humanity Is Still Good

BOSTON (CBS) – It's the end of yet another week of dispiriting news, lowlighted by the racist slur hurled at a distinguished black businesswoman and political activist by alleged comedian Roseanne Barr.

I've tried to limit my own exposure to the disgusting outpouring of support for Barr and her comparison of Valerie Jarrett to an ape, but the little I have seen is enough to make you want to avoid the internet forever. So how about a little bit of human kindness to end the week on a high note?

That's where 8-year-old Maurice Adams Jr. comes in. He was in the car with his mom when they saw an elderly woman struggling to get her walker up some stairs. The little boy asked his mom if he could go help her, and off he went gently helping her up the steps and sharing a hug at the top.

Viral Video
A viral video of a boy helping an elderly woman up the stairs. (WBZ-TV)

Maurice and his mom didn't know an onlooker was taking video of the encounter, but after he shared it on social media, it spread rapidly. The photographer tracked down the family and presented the boy with a hundred dollar gift of appreciation for his actions.

Why did this video touch a nerve? After all, most of us surely know that these small but meaningful acts of kindness occur every day but rarely make the news. We may know that, but in the face of the daily barrage of stories of violence, dishonesty, meanness and spite, it's reassuring to see proof that love and decency are still in the mix.

Maurice's mother says she was touched by her son's gesture, because it shows that "respect and raising your kids right does a long way." Amen to that, and to the message that elderly woman gave to maurice before they parted.

She told him he's special. Amen to that, too.

Talk back to me via email at keller@wbztv.com, or use Twitter, @kelleratlarge.

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