Give a little...Get a lot... [Please Read]

Was standing in line at my local ShopKo this morning - and there was a woman with her daughter at the check out. She was standing just behind another man - and looked to be buying just a few items; nothing extravagant, just some milk, eggs, a box of cough medicine and a few cans of soup. It was pretty obvious to tell that the little girl wasn't feeling well because of how she clung to her mom's pant leg and coughed. She couldn't have been any more than maybe 4 to 5 years old.

Needless to say - the other man finished and walked away with his bags in hand - and the woman and her child stepped up to the counter. The cashier rang up their items and gave the woman her total.

She paused - standing there for only a moment just looking at the screen of the cash register - and then sighed as she dug through her purse. She fumbled around for a few moments - and then sighed again before solemnly asking the cashier to please void all the items because she had forgotten her wallet at home.

Needless to say - whilst the cashier was initially ringing up the items - the toddler noticed a bottle of apple juice in the cooler that had a Disney princess topper on it - and she asked her mom if she could have it.

I stood there and watched as this mom had to explain to her child that they couldn't get anything because "mommy accidently forgot the money". She then proceeded to ask if they could simply charge the items and then return later to pay. The cashier of course said that it was not 'Store-Policy' to allow unpurchased items to leave the store. They could be set items aside for later pick-up...but could not be taken without first being paid for.

As all of this was going on - a line had gradually started to form behind me - and I heard an elderly man whisper under his breath to his wife that, and I quote: "Can't this dumb broad catch the hint - pay for it, or get out of the way."

I turned to meet the gaze of this elderly man - who in an instant figured out that I had heard him; and shot him with the dirtiest look I could muster.

I then stepped forward toward the woman and the cashier and said the following:

"Excuse ma'am," I said. "I couldn't help but notice that you're having a bit of a problem."
The woman just nodded and told me the information I had already overheard and then apologized for taking so long.
I smiled, and waved it off, assuring her that it was really no trouble and that she was actually doing me a favor by giving me an excuse to be late for work. She smiled and laughed half heartedly before looking at the cashier. She thanked her for her patience and apologized for the inconvenience before taking her daughter's hand to walk away.

I called after her, asking her to wait - to which, she stopped and watched.
I turned to Bridget (the cashier to whom I've known for a long time) and asked her to please charge all the items the woman had tried to purchase to me along with the items I had in my hand.

The woman seemed absolutely flabbergasted.

But before she could say anything I leaned back through the line - making a point to lean past the elderly gentleman from before with yet another dirty look on my face and grabbed a teddy-bear off the shelf.

Once I was through the line and had paid for everything, I gestured the woman to the side away from the check out and handed her the bags of groceries. I then knelt down and gave the little girl her juice and the teddy bear and said "It is my sincerest wish for you little one, that you start to feel better soon and that you have a wonderful Christmas."

There was a pause where the little girl, though shy, stayed glued to her mother's side with a hug smile on her face. And she whispered, "Thank you."

I then looked up and realized that the mom, was nearly in tears. And she asked me how she could find me so that she could give me the money back - because she wanted to repay my kindness.
I assured the woman - that any form of repayment was unnecessary. That I was more than happy to do what I did, and would do it again in a heartbeat.
But she then insisted that she should give SOMETHING.


So - I smiled. And I looked at her daughter before looking at her, and I asked her - to pay it forward.
"All I ask - is that you show kindness, and compassion and generosity to those who need it - and to give for those who can't. After all - that's what the spirit of Christmas is all about."

I gotta tell ya' guys - it feels PRETTY GOOD to give. <3 By far that was the best bunch of groceries I've ever purchased. 

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True Story.