A Child's Gift

I work as a cashier right now and see all different types of people on any given night. Dealing with both the happy customers and the angry, disrespectful pricks is my job. I take the blame, fix the problem, and smile the whole time. But last night I had a customer that really stuck with me.

I was finishing with one customer when I watched two kids (a little boy about 6-7 years old and a little girl about 5-6 years old) unloading a few particular items from their parents cart and separating them from the rest of the families groceries. They carefully stood each item on my belt and lined them up neatly while they waited. The little boy held a bag of change and a little slip of paper in his hands. As i finished handing the reciept the customer before them I saw them standing there, very polite and patient waiting for their turns.

Well, many children have come through my line and have saved for a two or some candy or other such treat but I was shocked to see beans, corn, muffin mix, cereal, soup, and other healthier items on their shopping list. But I turned to the little boy and waited for what he was appaprently prepared to tell me. Handing me the bag of change and the slip of paper he tole me that written on the paper was the amount of money in the bag and that they had saved for 3 months to buy groceries for the poor. If they needed any more money than what they had saved up though, their dad had agreed to pay it. Moved, I took the bag of change and set it down with the paper and started ringing their items.

Now, I've dealt with plenty of kids and my first question was whether or not this was their idea or how it had come about and mom filled me in. Their pastor had been talking in church one weekend about those in need in the area and the kids had decided that they wanted to do something. Hence the shopping trip with a bag of change. They had saved a grand total of $15.86 in that 3 months and their total bill was less than that so they planned to come back another time to buy some more. I handed the little boy back the rest of the change and his reciept and the little slip of paper.

The next customer in line was actually angry because the mom and dad hadn't cashed in the children's change before coming to the store. She had to wait an extra minute and a half for me to count the change. It didn't take long at all, but she was put out a little. I was glad they hadn't cashed it in because it let the kids do the whole process themselves. It wasn't just about the money itself at that point, it was a lesson, a point of pride with in them, and something that will stick. I hope that I had a part in helping it stick within them. I told them how good it was of them. The mother glowed and had right to. she was proud of her children.

It sounds strange because it was such a short momentarty interaction to any of us involved but I know it stuck with me. How many adults do you know of that are as giving as those two children are? Think about what $15.86 was to them and what an equivalent amount of money to you or I might be. Would you give it? Can you think of someone who is still so innocent in doing something like that? That is true caring and true helping... when it is that innocent and pure.