Seems to me people that like to hear happy stories as well as sad, so let me do my part to share my story with you.
Yesterday, my husband, Steve, was out doing the bulk of our grocery shopping by himself. We usually stock up at the beginning of the month, so it is not surprising to have a rather large bill — as much as $350 to $400.
Steve was having a cheerful conversation with a woman in line while they both waited for the cashier to ring up the 156 items in his cart. He remembers that she was looking at him very intently and with some purpose. This particular detail would have probably gone unnoticed by most, but my husband has a sharp eye for his immediate surroundings and tends to pay close attention to subtleties.
After he was done bagging the food, he walked over to pay and the cashier told him to wait and said, “This is hers.” The woman in line ran her card, then she looked right at him and said, “Peace be with You” and in a flash she walked away, disappearing from view in moments.
The cashier told him to pay and the bill seemed surprisingly low, but he figured there must be an explanation. I remember him calling to tell me how much less than usual the food bill was, and we were both very excited and happy about this. I think I even teased him about flirting with the cashier and she must have given him her employee discount. His reply was, “I was nice to her, but I am always nice to people who work hard and long hours standing up.”
I remember him saying that because it was kind.
It was not until I came home later that evening that we discovered, with the help of a friend pointing it out, a separate last four digits of a debit card paying $200 of the total. For reasons neither of us completely understand, we believe the woman in line decided to put this amount toward his bill. She paid for more than half of the groceries.
It was such a beautiful gesture, and she wished to reap nothing from the interaction other then doing a kind deed and walking away. We do not even know her name, but if she reads this she will see that her act was greatly appreciated — as it just happens to be my birthday weekend. So in a long, roundabout sort of way, this letter is my thank you to her.
Random acts of kindness still exist! I intend to pay this forward in some way, and I just had to share.
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