Though my momma won’t tell you this story, I will. Maybe it will have a ripple effect.

The other day, Momma was shopping at the local grocery store and had checked out. She walked all the way to the back of the parking lot, that’s one of the ways she incorporates “exercise” into her daily activities because, as she says, she just doesn’t have the time or the money to go to some fancy fitness center.

As she was unloading the cart, she realized she had put her tote bags on top of the big pack of batteries and had not paid for them when she was checking out. So, she finished unloading the groceries into the car, locked the doors, returned her cart to the cart place, and walked all the way back to the store with the unpaid for battery pack in her paw . . . er . . . hand.

She went to the service counter, because it was just one item, and the other cashier lines were full. Plus, she thought it best to show the service folks her receipt to verify she was just in there and that she had not paid for one of her items, and that was why she was at the counter . . . to pay for the missed item.

As she told the guy at the counter her story about how she missed the item and that she was sorry about her mistake, he just looked at her . . . stunned. He was silent for a few moments before he said, “Wow. You are the first person to ever do something like this. You would be surprised at how many people don’t do this, who are not honest, and would just take the item without paying for it.”

Momma said, “Well, it is sort of an expensive item and I don’t feel right not paying for it. It simply would not set well with me.” It was, after all, one of those BIG packs of batteries, like 20 something batteries in the pack.

The guy just continued to shake his head from side to side, and stare bewildered at her and the batteries. Guess he was seriously surprised by her actions. He said, “This has never happened before,” and then he finally rang up the item so Momma could pay for it.

“I wish there were more people like you,” he said as he handed her the batteries back along with her receipt. He asked if she wanted a bag and she politely declined, stating she could just carry them back out to the car. Besides, she was in a little bit of a hurry having the ice cream she had just bought -- totally for me and not for my brother and sisters -- sitting in the car, warming up and becoming soft . . . . which is just the way I like it!!

 
As she walked away the guy was still a little dumbfounded at her actions and was rather pleased by the experience, considering the expression on his mug. All in all, a good day.

Then, a few days later, Momma was out shopping again. Maybe she shops too much, but as long as she brings home treats I guess that’s okay.

She had just a few items but, as usual, this store only had two registers open and so she had to wait in line behind three other folks with charts.

She took the time to prep her check, look over her list to make sure she had all her items and then she began to read the one book she was going to purchase. She was only half paying attention to the folks in front of her, until she noticed that the couple at the register were having a little trouble.

Then she watched as the man pulled out a bag of coins as the woman was apologizing to the cashier. The next two ladies waiting in line between Momma and the couple sort of started looking around, looking back at mom, darting their eyes toward the couple and then back again mom to roll their eyes as if to say, “Can you BELIEVE them??!! Sheeesh!!”

Momma just sort of half smiled and then returned to reading her book. But she was secretly watching the couple out of the corner of her eye. She could see that they were having trouble coming up of the last little bit of money to pay for their purchases, which wasn’t much, just regular grocery items that anypawdy would be buying – some might even call them “necessities” or “staples”.

So, Momma opened her wallet again, but this time to where she keeps her dollar bills. She noticed she had a ten dollar bill and a twenty. While she was doing that, she also noticed the two ladies were now talking together, whispering to each other, looking at the couple, shaking their heads, and their facial expressions were not so kind as they spoke.

Momma left her cart, walked past the ladies gossiping, walked up to the couple, noticed the amount still owed, and handed the cashier the ten dollar bill. She said, “Here. This should help.” Then she walked back past the now quiet women with stunned expressions on their faces, and back to her chart where she picked up her book again.

She looked up at the cashier who was talking to the couple with the ten dollar bill in his hand. The woman looked back at Momma and quietly said, “Thank you.” Momma just smiled and nodded her head in acknowledgement.

Because the amount owed was only $6 and something, Momma knew there would be change. She waited to see what would happen. After the transaction was finished, the cashier looked back at Momma for a moment with the change in his hand, with a question in his eyes. What should he do with the cash? Give it to the couple? Hold on to it and give it back to Momma?

 He hesitated a moment while looking at Momma for guidance. Momma just moved her finger across as if pointing to the cash and then pointing to the couple. And he knew what to do. It all happened so fast, just a few seconds had really passed, when he had the money in hand and then gave it to the couple. This time both the man and the woman turned around to look at Momma with appreciation

in their eyes. Again, Momma just smiled and bowed her head, acknowledging them and their gratefulness. The couple parted with their bags of groceries and their bag of coins with a couple of extra dollar bills in their paws . . . er . . . pawkets.

While this was happening between Momma, the couple and the cashier, the two ladies had separated, returned to the head of their respective carts and the second lady, just in front of Momma, kept turning around to stare at Momma in disbelief.

As the first woman was checking out, the second woman finally turned around to speak to Momma.  “That was kind of you to do,” she said. “God bless you.” “I’ve been there and done that,” Momma said. “I always write out a check here,” the lady offered. “And it takes me awhile to write it out. Folks grow impatient in line waiting behind me.”
 

“I know what you mean,” Momma replied. “I like to write out my checks too. And it takes me awhile too because I like to write clearly so I can better balance my checkbook later.”

The lady paused and then said, “God bless you” again.

The lady looked toward her “friend” who was busy with the cashier by this time. Then she looked back at Momma and sort of cocked her head to one side, looking like she wanted to ask a question but didn’t know how to ask it.

“I was in college when someone was kind enough to help me,” Momma said with a smile. “I’m just returning the favor.” “God bless you,” the lady said again.

“And you take all the time you need to write out your check,” Momma added. “This is all I am doing today. You have plenty of time and I won’t rush you.”

The lady turned back to the register and began putting her items on the conveyor belt. She kept looking back at Momma every so often. As she finished writing her check, the lady looked back at Momma again. Momma just nodded and smiled again.

Then the lady put her bagged items in her cart and turned to walk away. Before she had taken three steps, she turned back to look at Momma.Momma said, “You have a great rest of the day.”The lady stared at Momma for a long moment with a confused, guilty look on her face. She finally decided to say, “God bless you” again and then she walked away.

 
Momma checked out, had a nice conversation with the cashier, and paid for her items with a check that she slowly wrote out. Momma has really pretty handwriting. She walked all the way to the back of the parking lot and unloaded her tote bagged items into the car . . . with a smile on her face, knowing she just did a couple a solid and it made her heart feel really good.

Momma won’t toot her own horn, but I will toot it for her. My Momma, Pawing~It Fur~Word every chance she gets! And may the ripple effect turn into nice ever~expanding waves . . . .

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