The winds of fate had another idea.
Alvin Bamburg:Someone up there wanted this to happen.
Maybe it was Santa.
Maybe someone even higher up.
But this was no accident.
Leticia Flores-Gonzalez:Last year, Id been doing arts-and-crafts projects with my 4-year-old twins, Luna and Gianella.
I figured theyd get caught in the pine trees above our mobile home or deflate in the cold air.
Theres a yellow note.
I call my wife and say, Weve got to help.
By that time, lots of our family and friends wanted to help fulfill the wishes.
Leticia:My jaw dropped.
I told the girls, I think one of Santas elves found one of your balloons.
Of course, I needed the moms permission to get the puppy.
After a few months of getting to know each other, we all met up in Oklahoma City.
Alvin and his wife stayed there with my parents.
It was truly like meeting old friends.
Oh, yeah, and we brought the girls that puppy.
A little dappled dachshund that they named Max.
Leticia:These were strangers, and now were like family.
It all shows the girls that there are genuinely good people on this earth.
Alvin:Finding that balloon opened something new in my life.
It brought unexpected friendship at a timewhen theres so much hard stuff happening.
It reminds me that if youre thinking about doing something nice, sometimes youve just got to do it.
Contributing editor David Hochman, 55, also writes forThe New York Times, GQandForbes.
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