One afternoon in the racially divided American South, a Black janitor with an unshakeable dream met with one of the most celebrated writers in literary history. As different as their lives might have looked, they would come together that day to bond over one thing they did have in common: a love of the written word. And more than that, this janitor, Earnest McEwen, was about to receive the gift of a lifetime and reinforce a deep cultural practice evident in the power of three small words: pass it on.
Kindness Has a Chain Reaction
The generosity that Mr. McEwen experienced didn’t start that afternoon. He received several small kindnesses from others over time, each one linked to the last. A professor named Dr. Guess noticed him reading before and after his janitorial shifts and offered him use of his office. Dr. Guess then told a colleague, Dr. Love, about this determined young man. Dr. Love, in turn, handed Mr. McEwen a slip of paper with a name on it: William Faulkner. Each person in that chain chose to act. None of them had to. That’s what makes the chain remarkable — it was built entirely out of intention, not obligation. When we think about passing on kindness, it’s easy to imagine one grand gesture. But Mr. McEwen’s story shows us that generosity most often moves through small, deliberate choices made by ordinary people who simply decide to notice someone else.
True Generosity Asks Nothing Back
The day that William Faulkner met with Mr. McEwen, Faulkner offered to fund McEwen’s education at Alcorn A&M College. He was bowled over by the offer, and his first instinct was to refuse. He couldn’t see how he’d ever repay the debt. Faulkner’s response reframes everything we think we know about kindness: I don’t expect you to pay me back. The only thing I would ask is that when someone else needs a kindness, you pass it on. That’s the essence of forward-facing generosity — and it begins the moment we choose to truly see another person. Not their circumstances, not their usefulness to us, but their humanity. It doesn’t create debt; it creates legacy. It doesn’t demand repayment; it asks for continuation. When we release the transactional nature of giving and simply offer what we can to the person in front of us — because we have genuinely recognized who they are — we make room for something much larger than a single exchange.
One Dream, Multiplied Across Generations
Mr. McEwen kept his promise. He went to college, built a career, and raised five daughters who went on to become doctors, engineers, educators, pastors, and community servants. The generosity that William Faulkner extended to one man with a love of books didn’t end with Mr. McEwen. It became a value system passed through a family and into the world. Personal development often focuses on what we can achieve. But Mr. McEwen’s story invites a deeper question: what could your growth make possible for someone else? For those who come after you? The ripple effect of one person choosing to invest in another without expectation, without conditions, is almost impossible to measure.
Ready to be moved by a story that will stay with you?
Pass It On!, written by Mr. McEwen’s daughter Gloria J. McEwen Burgess, is a beautifully illustrated picture book for all ages — a true story about dreaming boldly, giving freely, and the extraordinary things that happen when we do. Get your copy here.
