True story.

[mijan]

On my flist today, someone asked her friends to tell stories that are redeeming of the human race.  And I admit, there are plenty of times when people piss me off so badly that I just wish an asteroid would hit and wipe the slate clean because the human race has become a slovenly mass of epic fail.

But there are good people.  There are stories that remind us of that.  Here's the one I shared with her:

Ten years ago this week, a couple of months before I left for the Army, I was working as the manager of a small candle store in New Hampshire. It was the holiday season, my store was right next to the mall Santa Claus, the Christmas music was loud and obnoxious, and people had been assholes all day.

Then I got this one customer... a little girl, maybe eight years old, shopping with her brother, who was maybe nine. She wanted to buy a candle for her mother, which is why her mother had let them go do this errand themselves while she waited nearby. She had seven dollars, and you could tell that she had saved the money herself. The bills were rumpled and crumpled, the way a kid's money is.

She seemed so sweet and sincere, and I wanted to make sure she got a good candle for her money - something her mother would like, and that she'd be proud to give as a gift. I took the time to show her all the different candles she could afford. She asked me what MY favorite candles were, and I showed her the aromatherapy votives, and showed her my favorite scents. At a dollar each, she could make her mother a set of up to seven. In the end, she settled on this $5 glow-globe candle that lights up from the inside when the wick is lit, making the design glow. I even told her that she can keep using the shell with a tea light, so her mother could keep enjoying it even after it burns down.

I gift-boxed it for free (we were supposed to charge 50 cents for gift boxes), and made sure to thank her for shopping there. She was so mature and proud of herself, buying a Christmas gift for her mom, that I wanted to make sure she was treated with the respect that any customer would deserve, whether spending $5 or $100. She seemed thrilled, and with her box in hand, she hurried off to meet her mother.  I watched her go, feeling a little bit better about my job and humanity in general.  Sweet kid.

About twenty minutes later, she came back and said that she decided she wanted to get two of the aromatherapy votives, too. I thought it was adorable, and that maybe she wanted to get stocking stuffers. She picked the two scents that I'd said were my favorites, and I wrapped them and gift-boxed them. She handed me her last $2... those little rumpled bills... and I rang up the purchase and put the money in the register.

I went to hand her the receipt and the box, but she quickly tucked her hands behind her back, and said, "Those are for you."

Before I could say anything, she ran off into the mall, leaving me standing there, holding a box with two little candles inside, and tears streaming down my face.

That kid is probably somewhere starting college. Maybe she's out there, volunteering at a food pantry, an animal shelter, or writing letters to elected officials. Who knows, but that afternoon, she reminded me that selfless people still exist.

I still have those candles.

Comments

[moon-lit-night.livejournal.com]

This was really sweet!

And this is really off topic, but for some reason, I decided to re-read your fanfic, Eclipse. I don't think I ever reviewed it the first time I read it, but it's very good. I love how Harry and Draco are really in character, and actually develop a friendship first. Thanks for writing it :)

[mijan.livejournal.com]

*blushes* Thank you. It still amazes me and humbles me when I hear that people are still reading that story, and that they still love it, even after all this time. It just... yeah. It means a lot to me. ♥

[skitty-kitty.livejournal.com]

As someone who errs towards the misanthropic, it's always lovely to read stories like these. Thanks very much for sharing. :)

[foxestacado.livejournal.com]

Awww, that's such a beautiful story. I hope she's okay, and she's somewhere out there doing great services for people.

[apocalypticbob.livejournal.com]

More than that. Look what good her two dollar gift bought! It inspired you to share it, which inspired me to share it, which inspired more to share it, and now hundreds of people have been given a little hope for the price of $2 and a bit of candle wax (and your willingness to be kind to her and to share her kindness with us)

That was two dollars exceedingly well spent.

[labelleizzy.livejournal.com]

Here via Bob. I love young children. They are so pure-hearted.

*is also sniffling*

[esper3k.livejournal.com]

Here following Elbiesee!

Great heartwarming story - always glad to read these!

[kinderjedi.livejournal.com]

I love stories like this. Selfless people *do* still exist, and they make life a little sweeter when they cross our paths. ♥

[quiet000001.livejournal.com]

Agreed. I wish there was some way to let her know that such a small thing had made such a big difference.

(We shouldn't do good things for other people because we know there will be a reward, but sometimes it doesn't hurt to be reminded that such things are appreciated, y'know?)

I think some credit has to go to whoever raised her, too, to have encouraged that kind of thoughtfulness.

(And yeah, you can add me to the list of people who cried, and I hardly ever tear up.)

[flwrpwr-vampyre.livejournal.com]

*sniffs* Stories like this always do me in. Mind if I link to this on my tumblr?

[mijan.livejournal.com]

Feel free. :)

[djin7.livejournal.com]

♥ Awesome story. As someone who spent many early working years in the retail sector, I feel both your pain, and joy at the one in a (seemingly) million customers who appreciate all the hard work retail clerks do for very little recompense, particularly in the "season".

[killiara.livejournal.com]

Here via Bob, like a few others...

Q_Q ;_;

This reads like a story you'd find in that old hardcover a Norman Rockwell's Christmas that you read when you go to visit your parents' at Christmas and keep promising yourself you'll pick up a copy of for yourself but never do...

[vector-nyu.livejournal.com]

This story just made my bone-achingly long day a whole lot nicer. Thanks.

[ias.livejournal.com]

Golly, that was lovely.

But you should also be proud of yourself for treating her with respect. I remember one ocassion my little boy, only three and a half at the time, stood patiently in the queue (he also was buying me a present), for the cashier to ignore his proferred note and serve the people behind him (who likewise ignored him). He wasn't upset, just bemused because he thought he was doing everything right but me and his dad were furious. The cashier was competely unrepentent and barely glanced at him when she did serve him. Thankfully this contrasts immensley with how he is usually treated in shops.

[colloween.livejournal.com]

omygaaaad i'm crying!! ***hug!***

[mijan.livejournal.com]

I always thought it sounded a bit like one of those stories, and I still have a hard time believing that stories like that happen in real life. But I still have the candles, and I still remember the little girl, so... I guess it can really happen. :)

[mijan.livejournal.com]

How could she treat him so poorly? My god, when I see a kid behaving well, I WANT to go out of my way to treat them well, to let them know that when they act like adults, they'll be treated with respect. They're shorter, younger people... but the key word is PEOPLE. That just blows my mind. I hope the kid grew up to continue having such good manners and that other people treated him well for his efforts. Clearly, he had a supportive dad, so that's good.

[sheryll.livejournal.com]

*wipes away tears*

That's incredibly sweet, a much appreciated reminder that not everyone I'll encounter while working in retail in this season is going to be a jerk (though I've already had my fair share).

Thank you for sharing this story and brightening the day for so many of us.

[karaz.livejournal.com]

That is the sweetest kid ever. I'm sure her mother was thrilled with her Christmas present but probably not as much as you were.

[lost2mercy.livejournal.com]

*joins the army of teary-eyed people in this post*

I have a question/request. I'm a teacher and right now I'm looking for things to do and share with my teenage students the day before Christmas. Would you mind if I took this story and read it to my class? I think they would love it too.

[mijan.livejournal.com]

Please feel free. Anything to spread the love. :)

[lost2mercy.livejournal.com]

Thanks! xxx

[zauzat.livejournal.com]

Lovely story!

[saveau.livejournal.com]

This needs to be read aloud, and accompanied by the music that played over the finale of Edward Scissorhands. I officially join everyone else here in sniffling.