LAKE WORTH, Fla. – When Abigail Mwaungulu saw the stranger in the doorbell camera, and heard her simple but highly unusual request, she was taken aback as she wondered for an instant if she’d heard right.
But the decision to say yes was easy, said Mwaungulu, as she could tell that the woman on her porch just needed a break and perhaps a friend.
“Could I just sit right there and eat my lunch?” asked the woman named Dara, still in her work uniform and headset from her job at Wendy’s, to which Mwaungulu gave an enthusiastic yes.
Dara was on break from her job, she said into the camera, and didn’t want to walk all the way home.
“I paced back and forth from over there for a little bit. Like, go home or stay, go home or stay,” Dara told the local TV station, adding that she just needed somewhere to sit down and breathe.
Mwaungulu, a Cumberland native who moved to Lincoln for a short time before heading for Florida nearly a decade ago when she was 19, said it was wild that Dara chose her home to walk up to, as it’s out of the way and the Airbnb across the street is much more inviting, but she’s so glad it happened the way it did.
Both women say the unexpected friendship springing from that moment has inspired them to approach life in new ways. For Mwaungulu, it was a challenge to step outside social norms that keep people isolated. For Dara, it was to understand the situation of others and show kindness.
That yes to Dara has changed both of their lives, with Mwaungulu’s initial post about the interaction instantly going viral and the two now friends who are helping each other.
Life is awfully short, said Mwaungulu, and she feels people should take advantage of moments such to show kindness instead of sitting in judgement of how things are.
After that first visit where they chatted, Dara stuck in Mwaugnulu’s head. She decided to go visit her at work, and though Dara was initially embarrassed and not wanting to come out, pretending to be busy, Mwaungulu eventually convinced her to meet her near the dumpster.
Dara started crying when Mwaungulu shared with her how their interaction had reached so many people, but Mwaungulu reassured her that so many people had her back. She told Dara to come back to her house after work, and when Dara showed up, she gave her a care package.
This is the story of a friendship that came from one simple yes, says Mwaungulu.
“What started as a stranger asking if she could sit on my porch turned into a friendship I never could have expected, a viral moment that has reached millions, and more than $17,000 GoFundMe campaign raised to support someone who absolutely deserves it,” she said.
Her online fundraiser was to help Dara, who had no vehicle to get back and forth to work, to purchase a car.
Some 10 million or more people have now seen their story, said Mwaungulu.
More than anything, she added, “I hope this story continues to remind people that kindness doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes it’s opening your door. Sometimes it’s offering someone a seat. Sometimes it’s simply choosing to see the person standing in front of you.”
She said she’s so grateful for everyone who has followed along, donated, shared, encouraged them, and shown Dara so much love, as well as WPTV in Florida for helping them share a little more kindness with the world.
“It’s really cool seeing community come together,” she shared. “Everyone needs a place to feel heard and to be connected.”
Mwaungulu and Dara grew to trust each other, and before long Mwaungulu was helping her friend sort out various aspects of her life. Last week, Mwaungulu hosted swim lessons for Dara from an instructor named Danielle, and Kayla from the Lil Cake Club surprised Dara with a cake to celebrate the reunion.
“It was the sweetest ending to an already unforgettable adventure. This entire journey continues to remind me just how many good people there are in this world. One porch video turned into all of this, and I’m still trying to wrap my head around it,” Mwaungulu posted.
She said she’s hoping they’re now friends for life, and that the ripple effects of making so many connections with strangers through this are long-lasting.
Mwaungulu said she simply tries to live her life doing what many people think they should do but never act on it, and she’s hoping others are inspired to act when their moment comes.
