Stories of Kindness from Around the World

At the local Automated Teller Machine (ATM) in my city center, one thing's for sure -- I will find a young anxious teen fundraising.

It's the hub for school teams and local organizations.  At anytime day or night, you can find children of all ages, selling processed nuts, candy, cookies or popcorn.  It's not so easy to sell those to ATM clients, and I feel their uneasiness as they look at you with big pleading eyes.  Everyone dodges eye contact with the kids and that only makes it worse.

Today was no exception.  My heart began to skip a beat or two, as I approached the ATM.   It was getting dark and the young boy had a box half filled with chocolate covered raisins. I asked him, "How much for each box of raisinettes?"  He said, "Two dollars".  I said, “I'll tell you what.  I will buy the rest of the box, if you will go put them on each car in the parking lot!”  With a giant smile he said, "No problem, M'aam!"

I almost started to giggle, thinking of the reactions of the people getting in their cars and wondering why there were raisinettes on their windshields!

Last week, I was at this ATM again.  This time, three teens were selling nuts.  I assumed all the teens selling nuts were together, so I told the boy I would by eight cans of nuts but he had to put them on the car windshields.  He was so excited he quickly ran off with a happy glee. I turned to the other teens inquiring if they were all together. They shook their head no. I did not feel right telling them that I couldn't help them, so I offered them 4 cans each and made them promise they would pay it forward.

My young daughter -- in her loud voice -- starts to yell, “MOM, MOM why are we giving them money to put nuts on cars?”  I try to explain and she gets louder, “MOM they are not putting the nuts on the cars.” I show her that the nuts sitting on each and every car. Then she yells again, “MOM, MOM, why do they get something and we get nothing?”

The great injustice and the age old question.   I soothe her anxious and inquiring mind, and say, "Honey, you will see many returns for our willingness to help.  And really, we don't need anything in return -- there's so much joy in bring smiles to others."   She sat there for a moment and then yelled one last time, “MOM, MOM, why do they have to sell nuts?”

For that question, I didn't have an answer for my daughter.  But until I come upon a solution, I'm not sitting still.  Don't be surprised if  you find an unusual snack on your windshield. :)