So for those of you that follow me on social media you’ll know last Tuesday I posted about a special moment that happened to my family. Well I didn’t think that was enough praise so here’s a blog post too! 😆
On February 4, 2020 my fiancee, Bruce and I were at Wal-Mart shopping for his first birthday party. We had been planning it for the last two months and were getting the final things before his big day arrived. We made sure to get a banner, balloons (including a special #1 balloon), streamers, a helium tank and the rest of the decorations to make the theme his favorite show: Charlie’s Colorform City on Netflix. My mom even had these amazingly delicious cakes made by her awesome friend she works with shown below.
We got everything we needed, and of course some extra stuff because come on guys it’s Wal-Mart. 😂 So after looking around aimlessly for a bit longer since Mr. Bruce loves to see the stuff and people we headed to self check out. As always my fiancee scans the items while I keep our little guy distracted since, “Team work makes the dream work.” I started to get him clapping and giving high fives when it happened. 😊
A stranger walks up behind us in order to be next for the self checkout machine and started putting his stuff on the belt. As it glided down toward the scanner my son reached out to snag some stuff thinking it was a cool game. I luckily stopped him from crushing the guy’s bread and explained to Bruce that it wasn’t our stuff so he couldn’t play with it. When I was done explaining I hear from behind me, “What’d you do to your ankle?”
I get asked this question just about anytime I go to the store since I’m on crutches so I’m pretty used to it now. I explained to the gentleman that it’s not my ankle hurt but in fact my shin that’s bent. I told him how I went through chemotherapy my senior year in high school, and that it was still brittle from the treatment so it snapped a year before my son was born. The doctors did fix it after the break but it healed with a curve that’s dangerous to walk on and I’m now waiting for another surgery to get it straightened out. I still remember the look on his face when I said that I haven’t been able to walk with my son yet, but I’m very thankful for the extra time we spend together since I can’t really work a normal job.
I don’t know if me saying that struck a nerve or if he planned on helping from the start, but this knight in shining armor definitely saved me from any darkness that was currently lurking in my heart. It felt as if God had sent an angel down from the heavens to let me know that the world is still this glorious place that needs people who just want to be kind to others.
He asked if he could pay for our stuff! 🤯 You read that right guys he really did. I mean when I heard it I was speechless for a good 30 seconds and had to pinch myself to make sure I was awake. I’m not saying this because he paid for my $75 worth of stuff because I’ve slowly come to realize that money isn’t everything. I was just stunned that he was wanting to be so selflessly kind to a stranger. I see a lot of videos on apps like Instagram and Tik-Tok (which if you’re on either come follow DaysoftheDad 😉) that show people helping others out of the kindness of their heart. I’ve always believed that if enough people selflessly help others, then we can change the world little by little for the better. It’s one of the reasons I’ve become a BIG follower of Gary Vaynerchuk (GaryVee) since he is a huge player in helping people become more selfless and confident in themselves. #garyveechallenge
The guy didn’t want attention brought to the situation and didn’t even want to give me a name saying that he wanted it to just be a random act of kindness. 🥰 I’m not the best person at accepting gifts, I’m more of a giver, so I just don’t feel like I thanked him enough.
“Rich”, though I’m pretty sure you gave me a fake name 🙃, from the Hot Springs Village Wal-Mart in Arkansas I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for paying it forward and I’ll make sure to keep it going. For those of you reading this please try to do the same anytime you can because you never know when you might need some kindness in return from the world!
Love you all and hope you all have a blissful year ahead of you!
Days of the Dad 
That was amazing. I was truly touched when I read the story. I am thankful there are still genuinely nice people in the world. What a beautiful story. As for the leg, chemo, and all you’ve endured, that you continue forward with love in your heart and a refusal to be bitter (as many do when faced with life-altering challenges) is a testament to your fortitude and to the love and support you have through marriage. You, sir, are made of the stuff I wish most people possessed, and the missus is right up there in the “Great People” category. A great couple, a meaningful story, and touching moments. Awesome.
All the best,
KV
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Thank you so very much for those kind words 👊😊 optimism is a skeleton key that can open you up to the beauty of the world 🙏 I believe if I can show people selflessness leads to happiness then that will inspire them to try it themselves 💖
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That is SO sweet. I love stories like this. Thank you for sharing. Once, when I had two young kids and was obviously pregnant with my third, I was in the check out line and realized I didn’t have my wallet. I was so embarrassed and told the checker I’d just have to put everything back–all those groceries, when the older gentleman in line behind me, getting, like, THREE things, said he’d pay for my food. I got teary-eyed and hugged him. I was such a preggo mamma basket case, and he saved me. It was so kind.
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Awww 😭 that’s a great story and I’m so happy that you had an experience like this too 😆 I can tell by your blog that you’re an awesome person and mother so you definitely deserved it 👊😊
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Awh, thanks, Tyler. That’s very kind of you to say. 🙂
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That’s such a heartwarming post and I’m sure made Bruce’s 1st birthday even more special than it already was! 😊
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