Wherever there is a human in need, there is an opportunity for kindness and to make a difference.
~Kevin Heath
Sometimes, kindness just happens — without much forethought or fanfare. An opportunity presents itself and there you are in a position to make someone smile. A compassionate word, a sympathetic touch, or a simple gesture can happen in the most unexpected places. Even the Costco Food Court.
After a full day of babysitting our three-year-old granddaughter, my husband and I made a last-minute decision to head to Costco for gas. But we didn’t go to our neighborhood store where we normally fill up. The gas app on our iPad advised us that the best fuel price could be found at another Costco a little farther away. We weren’t in a hurry, and my always-sensible husband thought it was worth the extra time to get the better deal. Once there, however, neither of us felt like cooking, so we made another last-minute decision — to eat a quick dinner at the food court.
After consuming a hot dog (for him) and a fpiece of pizza (for me), we sat there sharing an ice cream and unwinding from the rigors of chasing a toddler. A couple of kids sat next to us. Then came two more and another two and another two until there were eight. The oldest girl, who looked to be in her early teens, was tasked with getting drinks for her younger siblings. However, she was preoccupied with her purse, not sure whether she should set it down on the bench or take it with her to the soda fountain.
“Daddy! Daddy!” she called to a gentleman who was placing an order at the counter. “Is it okay if I leave my purse here?”
“Daddy” nodded, and after carefully laying down her purse, she went to get the drinks. We watched with a smile as “Daddy” approached the table and then doled out pizza to an enthusiastic group of hungry boys and girls. They ranged from early teens down to a toddler that “Daddy” had to feed. It was evident that many of these youngsters were disabled in one way or another. Then we heard one little girl’s quiet prayer before digging into her dinner: “Thank you, God, for my family. Thank you, God, for this food; and thank you, God, for the adoption.” She couldn’t have been more than seven or eight, and her simple sincerity moved us.
My husband and I exchanged looks. We were on the same page. After forty-plus years of marriage, we don’t always have to talk. He got up and quietly asked “Daddy” if he could buy the kids some ice cream. The man was very touched and said it would be all right.
“This fine gentleman,” he announced to his brood, “would like to buy each of you an ice cream — after you eat your pizza.” The children cheered! It was the most noise they’d made since they sat down.
As my husband went up to the food counter, the man smiled. “We’ve been out since early this morning,” he sighed. “Our day started at 8:30 with the baby’s physical-therapy appointment. We are in the process of adopting him, and we had lots of errands to run.”
He further told me that their last stop for the day was Costco, where the Tire Center was working on their truck. He thought he’d treat the kids to pizza while they waited.
“You have a wonderful family,” I told him. “Your kids are well behaved, and they all seem so happy.” Just watching them made me happy.
“This is my life,” he grinned. “But I know I am blessed, and I love it.”
My husband returned and told “Daddy” that the ice creams were paid for, and he could pick them up whenever he was ready. A boisterous chorus of thank-yous followed.
Buying eight ice creams at the Costco Food Court seemed like a trivial thing compared to the selfless choices made by this good man. God knows what those children may have witnessed or lived through until he gave them a loving home. Two things I know for sure: Eight little people enjoyed their dessert that night, and we went home feeling happy to have shared a moment with such a beautiful family.
Like I said before, sometimes kindness just happens. It can even come wrapped in ice cream at the Costco Food Court.
~Debra Ann Pawlak
