It’ was Sunday evening. The banks were closed. The new check card is in the mail.I had nine dollars left after finally getting the kids new shoes over the weekend. I stopped at a local mini market for a hoagie dinner with my daughter and discovered I was two dollars short. I immediately deducted things from my total until I had the bare minimum of what I came in for, but still ended up short somehow.
Without looking, I sensed the line behind me growing by the second. I was sure the lady behind me was beyond annoyed and I was just waiting for the irritated comments to start rolling in. That’s when the lady behind me handed me two dollars and insisted I use it.
I turned and faced her and said I couldn’t do that, all the while, she was smiling. I was surprised. Not only was this stranger not annoyed to the max for me holding up the line and hence holding her up – but she was happy and even offered me help.
I wish she knew just how much of an impact that gesture was for us. She didn’t know that when I got home and ate my dinner I had to give my three year old son medications for his only kidney, or that after the medicines I would be setting up a feeding tube that would run throughout the night. She didn’t know that we do story time at 6:30 because I have to be available for my son’s night nurse at 9:00. All of these things I take in stride. They’re part of life. But that one tiny gesture from the kind lady in the mini market made my day go a little easier. She’ll probably never know just how big her gesture really was. But that’s why it’s so important for us all to go out and do something nice. It may seem like nothing and appears meaningless, but you never know who you’re helping. You just might make someone’s tough day a little brighter.
