Today we went shopping.
We only went to 2 stores. Nothing major. Christmas shopping mostly.
My Bubba Dude! He so sweet, and kind and giving...when he wants to be. I think that is the mentality of every 3 yr old though.
While at our last stop they boys wanted to go and play in the designated, under lock and key, child area. So I dropped them off with the trusted employee supervisor and got what I needed.
Well Tis the season for the Salvation Army bell ringers. I imagine a pretty boring, job. To stand in one place ringing a bell that most people find obnoxious or just flat out ignore. Bubba loves these bell ringers. He loves to put coins in their little red buckets and then tell them Merry Christmas, a pick me up I would imagine for them.
Today I was done. I was out of patience and I was hungry. I was in "shopping mode" and I was in no mood for dilly dally, or lolly gaging. Bubba asked for some coins and I told him not today. I just wanted to go home and eat. He asked again. I again told him not today. When we got to the car, he asked again. But this time he had a suggestion, and I quote;
"How about you put the bags in the trunk and then we can go back to give that ringing man some coins?! Is that a bery good idea?" I sighed, looked at him and said. "Ok" Both boys proceeded to throw their hand in the air yelling "YIPPEE!!!!" in the middle of the parking lot. I finished putting the bags in the car, dug out 2 dimes for each boy and walked them back inside (we were first in the row of cars so it wasn't a big deal to walk our cart back into the store).
It's amazing what your kids can teach you if you're willing to stop and really listen to what they have to say, or want to do.
I doubt that 40 cents will save someones life, or make some kind of serious impact in the salvation army budget but there it is. Lesson learned. It's never to late to do a good deed. It's never to late to help someone out.
As the boys left the "ringing man" with 40 more cents in his bucket, I will never forget what he said to them;
"Thank you for helping someone less fortunate then you. Merry Christmas boys!"
So as I went home with my trunk full of goodies, and essentials. I felt blessed and humbled. Blessed that I married a man who would go to the ends of the earth to provide for his family, and humbled that my little boy knows when to not take no for an answer!
