Sarah Darling said, “I think in our world we often jump to like the worst conclusion, and it just makes you realize that there are good people out there.”
Billy Ray Harris, a homeless man in Kansas City, Missouri, has made local headlines for returning a diamond and platinum engagement ring that was accidentally dropped into his change cup last Friday. KCTV 5 reports that the rings owner, Sarah Darling, had taken it off and slipped it into her wallet because it was “bothering her,” and then she forgot about it. A little while later she dumped what she thought was a handful of change into Billy Ray Harris’ cup. Turns out, she gave him much more than just change. Mr. Harris told KCTV 5 that it was at least an hour after Mrs. Darling had gone by that he noticed the ring in his cup. He said, “The ring was so big that I knew if it was real, it was expensive.”
It wasn’t until the next day that Mrs. Darling realized what she had done, and she immediately returned to The Plaza with the hope of finding Mr. Harris still there. She told the news station that she was more upset about losing the ring for it’s sentimental value than it’s actual dollar price. When she found Mr. Harris she squatted down next to him and asked him if she had “left something valuable with him.” Mr. Harris, who to her joy still had it with him returned the ring immediately. She said, “It seemed like a miracle. I thought for sure there was no way I would get it back.” Mrs. Darling gave Mr. Harris everything she had in her wallet as a “reward for his honesty.”
Mr. Harris however, insists that he was simply doing what he was raised to do by his grandfather, who was a reverend and raised Mr. Harris from the age of 6 months. He said, “Thank the good Lord, it’s a blessing, but I do still have some character.”