A Stranger's Act of Kindness

It was late and we had stopped at Meijer's after listening to the West Michigan Symphony play their last concert of the season.  I was tired and wanted to find a fast lane.  There were two carts ahead of me and the man just in front of me wasn't buying much.

As soon as I pulled my cart up behind him he looked at me and smiled and mentioned something about the weather.  It was raining.  I told him that we had gotten enough rain this spring, but it was better than the tornadoes they were getting in Oklahoma.

The woman checking out the person at the head of the line seemed to be particularly slow.  I noticed that she had trouble getting the bags apart and acted a little rattled.

The man ahead of me appeared patient and not in any kind of hurry.  As he was putting his groceries on the belt, he asked me if I had ever tried the particular kind of juice he was buying.  He said it was a great deal because it was buy one get one free.  He told me they were expensive, $3 a bottle, and the sale ended that night.  I could find them over by the vegetables if I was interested.

I noticed that he had all different kinds of flavors and at least 12 bottles.  I told him I had never had that juice before and maybe would pick some up next time I was in.  I had never heard of the brand name Bolthouse Farms, but there was no way I was getting out of that line to get some juice on a rainy night when I was tired and just wanted to go home. 

He chatted with the check out lady as she continued to have the same problem of getting bags apart.  I thought she was putting too few items in a bag thus using more bags than she needed.  Maybe it was her first day on the job.  The man helped her get more of his groceries in fewer bags.  He said something funny to her and I laughed at his joke.

Just as I thought he was walking away he stopped and took a bottle of strawberry banana juice out of his bag and set it by the credit card machine.  He said to the check out woman, "I'm giving this juice to her so don't charge her for it."

I was a little taken aback but thanked him profusely.  It was the kind of gift one doesn't refuse.  As he left I said to the check out woman, "That doesn't happen very often.  What a sweet man."

My husband was waiting with the car parked closed to the exit so I wouldn't get wet.  I said, "The most astonishing thing just happened."

He asked, "Did you win the lottery?"

I said, "No, something better."  The whole incident took less than a minute but it left me with a glow for miles down the road.  Such a little thing, but such a good feeling for I'm sure the giver and without a doubt for the receiver.