In a quiet neighborhood in Elk Grove, California, a simple act of kindness unfolded, leaving a resident both surprised and grateful. Eighteen-year-old Tyler Opdyke stumbled upon a wallet containing a significant sum of money while distributing door hangers for his uncle’s pest control business. Instead of succumbing to temptation, Tyler paused to consider what he would want someone to do if he were in a similar situation.

“If I was this person that dropped his wallet, what would I want the other person to do?” Tyler pondered, reflecting on the age-old adage of treating others as you would want to be treated. With this guiding principle in mind, Tyler chose honesty over opportunity. He held the wallet up to a surveillance camera and carefully placed it by the front door of the residence where he found it.

Little did he know, his actions were being closely watched by Melissa Vang, the homeowner. Melissa, who said that she never answered the door if she didn’t know the person, later spotted Tyler through her window and realized the significance of his visit. “When I checked the video, he had walked away already,” she said.

I was like, ‘that’s my husband’s wallet!’

Grateful for his integrity, Melissa thanked Tyler and rewarded him for his selfless deed. Tyler’s decision to return the wallet was driven by a simple belief in doing what is right, echoing the sentiment of the golden rule.

Reflecting on the incident, Melissa expressed both surprise and appreciation for Tyler’s act of kindness. “It’s sad that I didn’t trust him to open my door when he was just doing a good deed,” she said. “Sadly, this is the world we live in today. We hear so many terrible news and barely any good. I think we all need to be reminded that there are still good people out there. His act of kindness cannot go unrecognized.”

Tyler Opdyke puts the wallet he found underneath the owner’s front-door mat. The teen is being praised for returning the wallet to its rightful owner, money included. Photo courtesy of Vang

For Tyler, the decision to return the wallet was clear-cut. His selfless act is a reminder of the inherent goodness that still exists.  As Tyler talked about his act of kindness, he acknowledged both the significance of the moment and the often rare occurrences of things like that in the world.

“There’s a lot of bad in the world, especially today,” he said, highlighting the need for more moments of genuine goodwill.” “So yes this is cool getting attention for this, but also sad because there is a point in history when this would be a regular thing,” he said. For a look at this wonderful teenager in action, watch below.

Sources: Daily Mail | Miami Herald