Lela found two one dollar bills on the kitchen counter on our way out the door.
“Mom, May I please bring these to the store and pick out a treat” Without hesitation I agreed, hoping this would move along the process of getting out the door.
During the car ride she held tight to the two dollars with excitement in her eyes. I could envision she was thinking of rows and rows of candy, and the endlessness of choice. In my mind I busy preparing myself for how I was going to break the news….you’re going to have to share this candy with your brother, no you may not have hard candy, we have those at home already, just one. We most certainly had different goals for the two little dollars, I was sick with worry.
Clutching my hand with hers we walked the hy-vee parking lot. In her other hand she held her money up into the sunshine, as if trying to see a secret message on the one dollar bill.
Then we stopped, and lela stared at the man with the bell, and the man with the bucket. We watched several people pass him by without a word. Then I squatted down and explained as briefly as I could what is in the red bucket. Without hesitation she folded her two little dollar bills and pushed them into the red pail.
“Have good day” she grinned.
And into the store we went. She never once asked for the money back, or for replacement of the candy she surely can’t get now. I was honestly speechless.
Through the eyes of a child I am reminded of the joy of giving and I plan to look for more ways to give, to sacrifice something I think I would enjoy for something someone else really needs.
