(I’m walking along to the meat department when I pass by an older couple in their mid 60s deciding which hamburger buns to buy)
Husband: “How about these ones?”
Wife: “Aren’t those kind of big?”
Husband: “ I like big buns…and I cannot lie”
Me: *laughing and walking away*
Dear readers,
It’s that time of the month again to remind us that karma can also be a force for good, and re-establish a little hope for humanity!
Rounded up below are twenty-four inspirational stories from the month of October that spread a little joy around!
Tipped To Be A Good Day – Hits from the comments: “After a s***ty day, that lovely customer tipped the balance.”
A Yummy Meal AND Good Advice?! – It’s unfortunate that this kind of advice is necessary, but good eggs are out there!
That’s How We All Want To Go – This kid is living the dream.
(I’ve had possibly the worst six months of my life, but recently everything is finally looking up. This week, I paid off a hefty loan and flew my sister from another state for brain surgery, completely out of my own pocket as my mother is extremely poor. A regular of mine comes in while I’m working and starts chatting away. My phone buzzes in the drawer next to me.)
Me: “I’m sorry, that’s the hospital calling again. My partner is there, though; I’m sure everything is fine.”
Customer: “Oh, doesn’t he work nights? He should be asleep! And why are you here? You should be there.”
Me: “Well, I wasn’t going to let a three-year-old go blind because she couldn’t get treatment, and medical bills are expensive. You know what [Customer’s Husband]’s bills are like. [My Partner] and I have been switching staying with her, so we can both work and she’ll have someone to wake up to.”
Customer: “Oh… you did all that for her? You’re not getting anything back, either, are you?”
Me: “Family isn’t expendable; money is. We both work. We’ll be fine. I just want her to open her eyes.”
Customer: “That’s so kind of you.”
Me: “It’s not; it’s human decency. How’s your husband doing? And the kids?”
(We continue talking through the hefty transaction, and as I hand her receipt to her, she takes my hand and pushes paper into my palm.)
Customer: “You look after me, and everyone else it seems. Make sure you’re okay, too. Put that in your pocket and don’t lose it.”
(I thanked her and continued my shift. When I got to finally see what it was, I realised she’d handed me cash. I unashamedly cried. The next day, my sister opened her eyes to see — for the first time — a teddy bear the size of her, which is now the customer’s namesake.)
I’m working the evening shift alone. It’s the policy that when we’re alone and need to use the restroom, we wait until every customer has left and then we lock all of the doors. It’s a little after 10:00 pm and I’ve been waiting for two hours for the store to clear so I can take a quick pee break.
I lock the doors, put a sign up explaining what is going on, and take care of business.
A few minutes later, I open back up and help the customers that have been waiting outside.
A man comes to the counter. He’s a regular but doesn’t talk very much. He’s physically very intimidating, so I’m a bit nervous.
It turns out that he just wanted to make sure I was safe. He saw the people outside, but didn’t see me, so he pulled a U-turn on the highway and rushed over to make sure I was okay.
Thank you, sir.
(It’s my time of the month with a heavy flow and I have a very nasty sinus and ear infection, so there are a ton of medications in my system. I still get myself to work at the fabric store as I don’t feel that bad. A half-hour into my shift, I suddenly become very weak and my legs become very shaky. Still, I put on a brave face to not worry my coworkers and customers and just lean on the counter and carts for balance. I’m catching my breath when I notice a customer coming up to the counter.)
Me: *assume an acting face* “Hi. How can I help you?”
Customer: *not convinced* “Are you all right? You weren’t looking that good a moment ago, and you’re pale.”
Me: “I’ll be all right; it will pass.”
Customer: “Are you sure? Do you need anything, like water or food?”
Me: “Maybe, but I’ll hold off until my break. How much do you need?”
Customer: “Four yards, and I’ll be right back.”
(I begin to measure out her material while she runs up to the front. She returns a few minutes later with a chocolate bar in hand.)
Customer: “There you go.”
Me: *shocked* “Oh, wow… You didn’t have to.”
Customer: “Chocolate makes everything better. Your blood sugar might be low so this should help.”
(She was right. After a few nibbles on the chocolate and a quick break, my strength returned and I was able to finish my shift with no problems. I saw the same customer a few days later and she was very happy to see that I was doing better and that the chocolate had helped.)
