A Random Act of Giving

Usually when I go to the store, I spend money.  And in my experience this is true for most people.  Not for my kid though.  She actually earns money!

Case in point:

After school yesterday, Nora and I ran to the Metropolitan Market to pick up a few groceries. Why, you ask,  did I drag a seven year old to the grocery store after sitting all day at school when I had six hours by myself to go shopping?  Good question--I'm not usually so foolish. However, as she unpacked her backpack and started arranging her homework projects, I realized that I did not have all the ingredients I needed for dinner.  Ugh!  So much for preparation.  Nora, however, was all too happy to put her homework on hold for a bit and go with me.

So, as is her custom, she grabbed her book and hopped into the van.  She read said library book on the way to the store.  As we shopped through the store.  And, while we stood waiting our turn in the check out line.  And this, my friends, is where the "incident" occurred.

When it came time to pay for our groceries, Roxanne, the cashier, started talking to Nora.  She asked her how her day was.  How she is liking school. And she even remembered that Nora was reading a Junie B. Jones book the last time we visited the store!  Wow!  What a memory!

Now I should preface this by stating that Roxanne is,  in my experience, THE NICEST grocery store checker in the store.  In the world!  And I have family members, whom I love, who are grocery checkers.  But this woman tops them all.  She is kind.  She always has a smile on her face and she never rushes you--even asking about your day and your family.  She genuinely seems happy to see you EVERYTIME you go through her line.   In short, she makes you feel like a friend.

Now in the past, Roxanne has given Nora stickers for the usual reasons; holidays, or simply for "being a nice girl."  And I'm sure she does this for every kid who comes through her line.  So, when Nora got her usual two stickers (one for her and one to share with a friend), she quietly smiled and said thank you. But then, she was bequeathed an even greater gift:   a two dollar bill!   Yep, Roxanne pulled it right out of her pants pocket.

The Gift

Nora and I were both stunned.  She looked at me.  I looked at Roxanne, and immediately said, "Oh, we can't take that!"  But she insisted:  "it's for keeping up with her reading.  Because kids who keep reading grow up to be smart," she said.   And she's proud of Nora.  (A kid she barely even knows!)  Yet, still I hesitated.  I didn't know what to do in this situation.  Sensing that I was feeling uncomfortable, she informed me that she does this all the time.  She keeps these bills in her pocket and passes them out whenever she catches a kid doing something good.  Wow!  She has that many two dollar bills?  I rarely see them!

Thankfully, she also told Nora that usually a kid cannot accept money from a stranger, but that it was okay for her to take this money since I was with her.  Is it?  Really?   Again she insisted. And then the woman waiting behind me smiled, which somehow indicated to me that it was appropriate.  Or she just wanted me to hurry up and take the money so she, too, could get out of the store.

So, Nora took the money, smiled her thanks, and put the bill inside her book for save keeping.  "Cool! A bookmark," said Roxanne.

The Lucky Beneficiary 

All the way home I smiled.  While I cooked dinner I smiled.  What a nice thing this woman had done for my child.  I told Nora she needs to write her a thank you note....I am a firm believer in The Thank You Note.

So, until you receive your note from junior,  Thank you Roxanne.   Thank you for being kind to my daughter.  I am not sure if Nora fully understands the kindness of your gesture, but I certainly do.

Oh, and by the way, did I mention that Roxanne also always wears cool glasses?  Yep.  She's nice AND cool!