A hug from a complete stranger

 

XS Cargo is selling all stock

and going out of Business. 

I, having a gift card,

 headed there after work

to check on the

" deals".

 

After all,

with a balance

worth over $40

I wasn't going to let that go

to waste.

 

I snooped and shopped,

found some

Christmas ideas

for others

and an electric can

opener for me.

 

Then, I headed next door

to Giant Tiger to

snoop.

 

As I was waiting in line
with my purchases,

the lady ahead of me

was putting her things on the

register belt.

 

The cashier asked her to

check the weight of the bag of
things that she had just rung through

as it contained a number of

cans. She also asked if

the lady needed them double-bagged.

 

The lady replied, 'yes thanks I am walking'.

"Walking"? the Cashier said, "really"?

"With all of this and the toilet paper too"?

The lady in front of me answered 'yes'.

 

I spoke up, even before I realized I did, and said

'This will sound most bizarre,  but

if you will come with me to my car

I have one of those folding pull carts.

I believe it's still in the box".

Meanwhile, hoping I am in correct in thinking it's still there.

 

I continued to explain that

I had obtained it through a

charity auction and that she

was more than welcome to

have it as I had yet

to make use of it.

 

The lady turned to the cashier with her mouth open

then turns to me, does a little squeal-dance

right there at the front check out

and hugs me!!!!!!

 

After ringing in my purchases the cashier

continues to wish me a good day

and saying that I was so kind.

Is she really speaking of me??

 

I head out the door

with the lady in front of me

pushing her shopping cart

with bags of things (many of which were cans)

and her family pack toilet tissue package.

 

I get to my car, open the trunk and

there to the back near the back

is the box.

 

She opens it

and is so excited !

'It has so much room,

extra pockets and I can

fold it to make it easy to carry

next time'.  She continues to exclaim.

 

I take the empty box and throw

it back into the trunk.

 

Once she has the instabag opened and filled,

the extra 2 bags that won't fit in it,

and the toilet tissue under her

arm;

she says

oh

"I am Penny by the way,

I call myself Lucky Penny

and today is certainly my lucky day.

You are so kind. Thank you."

 

As I was leaving the parking lot,

I  saw Penny walking across

the street with a large smile on her face.

 

No matter how bad things are or seem,

there is always someone

that could use

 a hand up.