Two years ago I stood in line at a sandwich shop in the mall. I was tired from searching for the “perfect” prom dress and my life seemed over because I had yet to find the one– I know, I am a tad bit dramatic. My mom stood next to me while we searched the menu for something to satisfy our empty stomachs. There was this girl who had ordered her sandwich ahead of us, waiting to pay. She looked tired and broken: her hair was messily pulled back and she anxiously checked her watch, gazing as the seconds slowly disappeared away from her. When the man behind the counter finally got around to checking her out, he told her the price of her sandwich: $5.78. She looked horrified. She grabbed at her wallet, thumbing for some wadded up bills while peering at the clock. She came up short and began searching through her bag for coins. She looked quickly at the clock, ashamed and whispered to the man, “nevermind. I’m so sorry” and turned to leave, her clothes and face disheveled with embarrassment. I looked down. I felt bad for her.
My mother grabbed her arm and looked at the man behind the counter, “please add her sandwich to my bill” and passed the girl the sandwich from the counter. Her face dropped— my face dropped. She continually thanked my mother and took the sandwich kindly and my mother responded, “one day you can pass it on to someone else who needs it”.
I don’t know her story or even her name. I do know that this day was one of the most important days of my life. We spend our days preoccupied with ourselves and our own concerns. We focus on what we need and put our wants first. We forget that it’s the people, not the things that matter. We can change the outcome of someone else’s day with one action. It didn’t take much to change that girl’s day. The simplicity of kindness reminds us that we are all human and at times, we all need a little help.