A Charity Shop Pram

--by wayfarer, posted Oct 29, 2011

A few weeks ago an anonymous Smile Groups friend gifted me £100 to do good deeds with. Since then I have used the money in the U.K. and the U.S. It has helped family and strangers, and generally raised a lot of smiles.

They have warmed my heart, but none so much as the gift I was able to give just an hour ago.

I was in a charity (goodwill) shop looking at the second hand books. It just so happened that the book shelves were next to the toy section.

After a few minutes I became aware of a group of women standing behind me. They were poorly dressed and spoke in what sounded like an eastern European language.

As they looked through the clothes rails a little girl, about three years old, came over to the toy section. Imediately her attention was caught by a toy pram.

What is it about little girls and toy prams? I don't know, but whatever it is its incredibly cute!

She spoke to her mother and, in halting English her mother asked the shop assistant how much it cost.

£3 was the answer. About $5.

The mum looked down at her child, perhaps calculating what she still had to buy and how much money she would have left. Then she simply shook her head.

The child didn't react badly as some might. Being told no was obviously not a new experience for her. But she couldn't keep the disappointment from her face.

I had the grand total of four pounds in my pocket, two £2 coins. A moment later I tapped the mother on the shoulder, pointed to the coins which I had left in the pram and said, "Buy her a dolly too."

I didn't hang about to see the end result. After all, it's not about being thanked. I made my way out of the shop and into the sunshine.

The money my friend gave me was an investment in the happieness of the world. Was there any better way, I wondered, to get so much happiness for so little money than to buy a little girl a toy pram? And a dolly to sit in it.

7715 Reads

Posted by wayfarer
Oct 29, 2011
Comments (14)

Readers Comments

HappyDae wrote: Kindness personified! How observant of you to notice a child's disappointment and a mother's regret. Thank you sooo much for making a beautiful day for a mother and daughter to remember and recall many times over in the future. How the man appeared from nowhere and gave them a wonderful gift. Such a beautiful thing to do and the perfect place for the last of the money to find a "happy home" thank you so much for sharing this story and making my day as well. Love and peace, happydae

Lawrie wrote: So sweet made the child and mothers day as well many blessing will go around as a result.

positivepolly wrote: As a mother, i can say that when we see kindness showered on our children from the world around, it is powerful. That was not just a small toy; it was reassurance to the mother that she is not alone in the tremendous job of making a safe and happy place in the world for her child. When a gift like that comes unexpectedly, it is awesome.

Raqui wrote: I can imagine the happiness of the child. You did an great thing :)

luv4all wrote: Thank you for what you did. I wish we use all the money of the world to bring happiness and tears of joy to little girls n boys, men n women of all ages and races, animals around the world and leave this treasure to our next generation to cherish and reminiscent with respect and true joy.

Amen

Busygirl wrote: A wonderful story that warmed my heart. I am sure your kindness will be thought of many times by that mother and daughter.

Ollie wrote: Bless you and the little girls family. Thank you for sharing.

annjav wrote: That was money well spent, says the life-long doll loving lady. You will be thought of kindly many times over by that woman and her little girl---and probably her friends, too. A very heartening story. Thanks for sharing.

Marilyn J wrote: What a beautiful ending to that story. Your heart is so kind. Thank you.

whitby98 wrote: I love that story! Imagine that little girl's happiness and her mother's reaction to being able to get this for her child. Such a small amount of money to bring so much joy to so many people. None of you will ever forget this experience. God bless.

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