“May I buy your groceries?”
Rather than buy ourselves and our young adult children gifts this Christmas, we decided to walk the walk. You know. That walk where you stop indulging yourself with increasingly frivolous items and actually reach out to help others not as fortunate.
We bought several Walmart gift cards with funds we would have used to buy our gifts for one another and our kids. Then our daughter and daughter-in-law (who is pregnant with twins, our 10th and 11th grandchildren, so yes, we have more than enough blessings in our life), Mr. Wilkinson and I went to our local Walmart yesterday, a beautiful Sunday morning. Not quite knowing how to do what we wanted to do, just praying we’d get it right and not embarrass anyone or get arrested. Our girls decided on an approach, took the gift cards, and my husband and I stood at a distance, ready to help if needed.
The girls walked along and watched the check-out lines, and when they felt a tug at their kind hearts, they went up to people ready to check out and asked,
“May I buy your groceries?”
The initial responses were ones of shock and disbelief. No one was rude, or dismissive. They just wanted to know why. The girls answered that they were part of a family who decided this was the way they wanted to celebrate Christmas. Then a few asked if they were with a church or an organization. No, the girls said, we are just a regular family and this is our gift to you! No strings attached! From us!
Then the miracles came.
The first one, a young Mom, with a cart of food and just a couple of tiny presents for her little son, broke down in sobs, confiding that she “didn’t know how I could afford any of this”. Her hugs and her tears washed away all the nervousness our girls felt at first. They helped her bag her groceries and they all held one another for a long time, before this young woman left the store, trying hard not to sob.
The girls then quickly went to an obviously worn-out and defeated looking Dad, with 4 young sons. Beat down and broke, you can bet. In the check-out line, counting the bills in his wallet, nervously. “May I buy everything in your cart, sir?” they said. Again, the disbelief, the tears, the hugs, and the sincere, very heartfelt gratitude. That seismic shock you felt at 10:47 am yesterday? That was a huge crack opening in my cynical heart as I watched this.
Two elderly ladies, with one cart between them, barely full with just the most very basic things. A 2 pack of toilet paper. A small package of ham. A little pumpkin pie with red bow on top. Cans of cheap cat food. I doubt they had cats. They were the most unbelieving of all – they were literally paralyzed with shock. One had dementia and couldn’t really understand what was going on, but the other couldn’t believe “anyone cared about us” and “no one has been this kind to me in 75 years”.
There were people who smiled and merely told our girls, “No thank you! We are very blessed and in a good place, so please help someone who needs it!” Pay it forward without getting a thing. I like it.
The disabled veteran in a wheelchair, the lonely, unhappy looking girl, the young family with formula and diapers, the older lady who reminded our daughter of her beloved, departed grandma. Their surprise, their joy, their relief, their gratitude. All of them giving us more than we could ever give them.
