I am always blessed by random acts of kindness. It restores my faith in people. We sometimes get so caught up in the drama and rush of our day-to-day lives that we forget that there may be a reason for the drama. And even more importantly, that you and I can actually do something about it.
I came across this blog entry on Huffington Post HERE.
It was written by a fellow blogger on her blog HERE. Her Facebook Page is HERE
You can also learn more about Andrea and her family HERE.
I do have permission from Andrea to feature her blog today – just in case you were wondering. Enjoy the read. And remember…
…Pay it forward
To the Woman Behind Me in Line at the Grocery Store
Dear woman behind me in line at the grocery store,
You don’t know me. You have no clue what my life has been like since October 1, 2013. You have no clue that my family has gone through the wringer. You have no clue that we have faced unbelievable hardship. You have no clue we have been humiliated, humbled, destitute.
You have no clue I have cried more days than not; that I fight against bitterness taking control of my heart. You have no clue that my husband’s pride was shattered. You have no clue my kids have had the worries of an adult on their shoulders. You have no clue their innocence was snatched from them for no good reason. You know none of this.
What you do know is I tried to buy my kids some food and that the EBT machine was down so I couldn’t buy that food. I didn’t have any cash or my debit card with me. I only had my SNAP card. All you heard was me saying “No, don’t hold it for me. My kids are hungry now and I have no other way of paying for this.” You didn’t judge me. You didn’t snarl “Maybe you should have less kids.” You didn’t say “Well, get a job and learn to support yourself.” You didn’t look away in embarrassment or shame for me. You didn’t make any assumptions at all.
What you did was you paid that $17.38 grocery bill for us. You gave my kids bananas, yogurt, apple juice, cheese sticks, and a peach ice tea for me; a rare treat and splurge. You let me hug you and promise through my tears that I WILL pay this forward. I WILL pay someone’s grocery bill for them. That $17.38 may not have been a lot for you, but it was priceless to us. In the car my kids couldn’t stop gushing about you; our “angel in disguise.” They prayed for you. They prayed you would be blessed. You restored some of our lost faith. One simple and small action changed our lives. You probably have forgotten about us by now, but we haven’t forgotten about you. You will forever be a part of us even though we don’t even know your name.
You have no clue how grateful and embarrassed I am that we pay for all our food with SNAP. We eat well thanks to the government. I love that. I love that the government makes sure my kids are cared for. It is one less worry for us. I also struggle with pride and embarrassment. I defiantly tell people we are on SNAP. Daring them to judge us.
Only those closest to us know why we are on SNAP. They know my husband is a hard worker who was laid off after 17 years in a management position with his former company. They know we were moved from our home to a new state only to be left homeless since the house we had came with the job he lost. Only those closest to us know my husband works part-time while looking tirelessly for more; that he has submitted more applications than he has received interviews for. Too many jobs are only offering part-time work anymore. It is not easy for a 40-something year old to find a job that will support his family of 5 kids.
You know none of this but you didn’t let that stop you from being compassionate and generous to someone you have never met.
To the woman behind me at the grocery store, you have no idea how much we appreciate you. You have no idea the impact you had on my kids. You have no idea how incredibly thankful I am for you. Your action may have been small, but to us it was monumental. Thank you.
Thank you for not judging us. Thank you for giving my kids a snack when they were quite hungry. Thank you. Just thank you.
Forever,
Andrea, the woman in front of you at the grocery store with the cart full of kids who are no longer hungry
***UPDATE***
The outpouring of kind words and generosity has been, shall we say, overwhelming. It is in my nature to want to deflect the gifts and offers of support to other deserving people and organizations. Perhaps it can be called pride, but I honestly feel uncomfortable accepting what others seem too willingly to want to give. I have spoken to those closest to me in my life and they have counseled me greatly. Each and every one of them asked me to put my “pride” aside and accept the blessings that are being offered. Each of them have sited the too frequent sleepless and prayerful nights I have had over the challenges my family faces. I have always found peace in the love of my family, the gratitude for the things and people in my life, and the knowledge that God will show me the plan as I need to know. My confidants have shone the light on the fact that THIS could very well be the answer to those prayers. How beautifully perfect it presents itself by sharing that blessing with thousands of people all across the world! The singular act of that kind woman in the grocery store has created a ripple effect that I am certain no one could have ever predicted. As a result, my own personal prayers are being addressed as well. Giving me (and countless others!) the opportunity to continue paying it forward.
I have set up a PayPal donation site. It is not in the spirit of assumption but of pure gratitude that I do this. I, and my family, thank you from the very bottom of our hearts. We will pay it forward many times over and never forget the generosity you have shown.
PS for those inquiring about where to send items we have a PO Box set up
Oakland City, IN 47660–
~Andrea AKA A Midwest YankeeCHALLENGE: Over the next few days make a commitment to reach out and help someone. Don’t do if for accolades. Don’t do it because I challenged you. Do it…just because. I promise your selflessness will be worth it, not only to that person, but to yourself.
Time To Pay It Forward
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