The Giveaway

An effort made for the happiness of others lifts us above ourselves.

~Lydia M. Child

I had finally accepted the fact I would never walk without assistance of some kind for the rest of my life. It came to the point that I could not go anywhere without someone to help me get around. The pain kept getting worse.

Nothing seemed to help, but I didn’t want to be a shut-in. One day, I called my mom and asked if she’d like to go out to eat.

That was a momentous decision, because after our meal, as we were leaving the restaurant, I saw an older man using a thin metal cane. The rubber stoppers were missing. The cane was slipping on the floor and almost caused him to fall a couple of times.

I always carry extra canes because I don’t want to be caught without one if I misplace one. I had a four-legged cane in the back of my car, so I asked my grandson to get it for me. I called out to the man and asked if I could talk to him for a minute. He looked perplexed and kind of scared, but he stopped.

I gave him the cane and told him that I was afraid his was going to cause him to fall. He looked at me with watering eyes and asked if I was sure. I nodded.

Once I was in the car, my mom asked, “What was that about?”

“God just told me to do it,” I said.

The next day, I had to pick up my medication. As I was turning my car into the parking lot, I saw a man on the side of the street walking with a broken broom handle. He was using it as a cane, and it wasn’t helping him much. Once again, I heard, “Give him a cane.” I pulled to the curb and waited as he got close. I asked my grandson to get me a cane out of the back of the car. He came around to my side of the car and said, “Grandma, there are no more in there.”

As plain as day, I heard, “Give him the one you are using.” I hesitated for a second. How would I get around if I gave away my cane? But I decided the Lord knows best, and we should always listen to him. He would not steer me wrong.

As the man approached my car, I called to him to please come over. He hesitated and looked around, confused and cautious. Then he came over, and I handed him my cane. I told him, “You need it more than I do.” He called me an angel and walked off smiling. I will never forget the look in his eyes. I decided I would use a shopping cart as a walker until we got in the store. They didn’t have any motorized carts available, so I continued using the shopping cart.

I got what I needed and pushed my cart back to the car. I helped my grandson put some stuff into the car, pushed the cart to him to put it away, and then stepped into the car. It wasn’t until I cranked the car that I realized I had walked around the store and gotten into the car without help or pain. I felt tears running down my cheeks.

I have not used a cane since that day.

— Donna Faulkner Schulte —