Jamaicans get excited every time they read a feel-good story of extraordinary honesty, as happened in the case of the inner-city mom who returned what could be millions of dollars she found recently in a banking machine booth.

In the case of Miss Ackaisha Green, the 24-year-old mother of two from James Street in Central Kingston, not only was the story inspiring, but it was dramatised by a tongue-lashing from her own mother for not keeping the money.

According to Ms Racquel Porter’s story in the Monday edition of the Jamaica Observer, Miss Green’s mother described her as “the stupidest one of all my (nine) children” for ignoring her own poverty to turn the money over to the police.

Indeed she lamented: “A mi she beg $200 this morning to give her son to go to school.”

The angry woman might have reason today to see the wisdom of her daughter’s honesty, thanks to the HEART Trust/NTA and other kind-hearted souls who have reached out to Miss Green to celebrate her action and hold up it up as an example before an ever coarsening nation.

A day after the story appeared in the Observer, HEART/NTA enrolled her into its housekeeping course, fulfilling her heart’s desire to learn a skill with which she could sustain her family. HEART Trust/NTA also made her its first ambassador.

“We are going to take you around to speak to other young people, to spread the message, so when we do our professional and development sessions we are going to be inviting you to ensure that you are that beacon of hope for young people. We are truly heartened and we look forward to working with you,” HEART Trust/NTA Director of Employment and Career Services Rayharna Wright assured Miss Green.

It was also gratifying to see that additional assistance for Miss Green was promised by NCB Foundation, Bank of Jamaica, KingAlarm Limited, Professor Donna Hope of The University of the West Indies, and several Jamaicans in the Diaspora.

We join in celebrating Miss Green’s courage. It must be have been very tempting to keep some, if not all of that money, when you are living a life of poverty and uncertainty about where the next meal is coming from. Many people would not have returned it.

The author who said, “Honesty is a complex and tricky thing, and we don’t want to be honest all the time,” is not far from the truth. But we would much prefer Mother Teresa’s advice: “Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable. Be honest and transparent anyway.” Miss Green must have heard her.

We gather that Miss Green grew up with her grandmother who clearly must have imparted such values as honesty, selflessness and fairness to her, contrary to the chastisement from her own mother.

Still, we don’t condemn the woman, especially as we do not know the circumstances that led her to that sorry path. Until we walk in someone else’s shoes, we might never fully appreciate their pain.

So while we celebrate Miss Green, let us spare a thought for her bewildered mother who could herself be in need of social intervention.