This is a heartfelt story told by a shopper at Walmart in Saratoga Springs. I will let her tell her story, I can’t do it any justice. But it is a story of when a mother was at her end, and a stranger saw her needs of this mother and helped in a time of need.
This is a quote from a post made on the Facebook group Eagle Mountain City Citizens. I have included it here with the permission of the author.
“I’ve spent a lot of time writing and deleting and rewriting this, and don’t really know what my point is other than to say thank you deeply to one very specific individual that I don’t know, but maybe there’s something bigger for the rest of us here too.
We’ve been out of milk and eggs for a few days now and have less than $2 in our checking account, but this morning we ran out of diapers. I loaded my kids in the car and dropped the oldest off at school before driving to Kid to Kid sell whatever clothes I could to pay for diapers, milk, and eggs. I was given $12.60 but I knew it would be enough for those three things so my babies and I made our way to SS Walmart. I put the smallest, lowest cost items in my cart and made my way to check out. While the woman in front of me was checking out, my mind was racing. “Will we have enough for our mortgage AND food after we get paid?” “How long will these diapers last us?” “What am I going to do if my spouse’s testing comes back with the news that he really does have cancer?” (a potential from his specialist that is so new to our lives that we’re still working to process) “What/how many jobs can I take on to prepare us if that’s the case?” Spiraling, spiraling, with the weight of this season that has felt so heavy lately. I pulled out the crumpled bills from my wallet and waited, not noticing that the cashier had already scanned my items. But I did notice when the woman who was in front of me paid for them and asked the cashier to hand me the extra money she pulled out.
She and the cashier looked surprised when I began sobbing. Because of her kindness, because of that present need being met, because of the uncertainty and fear I have as a spouse and young mother, because of the action she took that allowed me to break and feel and hope.
So to the woman today who saw a need and filled it, thank you. Thank you for the diapers, milk, and eggs. Thank you for the extra money that will work to feed these beautiful babies of mine a little longer. Thank you for the gift of seeing me and giving me a moment where I was not expected to be so strong. My girls are now napping, but I am still sobbing and thinking of your kindness. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
What a wonder world this would be if everyone did to others in need as this stranger did for this mother.
Mike Kieffer is an IT geek by hobby and trade, with a BS in Information Systems & Technology. He is a proud father of 10, a grandpa, an author, a journalist, and internet publisher. His motto is to “Elevate, Inspire and Inform”, and he is politically conservative and a Christian. Mike has a passion for technology, writing, and helping others. With a wealth of experience, he is committed to sharing his knowledge with others to help them reach their full potential. He is known for his jackassery or his form of self-expression that encourages boldness, creativity, and risk-taking. It can be a way to push the boundaries and challenge traditional norms, leading to creative solutions and positive change.