© Patty Fitts. All Rights Reserved. It was the perfect bed for her little grandchild. The small, wooden ensemble included a mattress and box springs, and it was on sale at the Holy Trinity Thrift shop.
“How much?” the woman asked manager Diane Densmore last week.
“It’s $60,” Densmore replied, recalling the conversation, “but today it’s on sale for $30.”
Densmore doesn’t know the woman, beyond hearing occasionally about her daughters and grandchildren. She is a regular customer at the thrift shop, which offers housewares, baubles, jewelry, hardware and furniture. And clothes. Baby clothes, in fact, for as little as 50 cents an item. That’s usually what she buys.
Today, that bed looked like heaven.
“How much, again?” she asked Densmore, perhaps hopeful the price would drop. The woman slowly shook her head, then walked dejectedly to another part of the store.
“She was crestfallen” Densmore said. “It was very sad.”
Until another woman, in her 50’s, walked up and handed Densmore $30 in cash. “This is for the bed for that lady,” she said.
“You’re buying the bed for her?” Densmore responded.
“Yes, make sure the lady gets the bed,” she said, then walked out.
Densmore quickly tracked down the new owner. “I got the biggest kick out of telling her . . .I said, ‘You know that bed you wanted for your little girl?”
The woman’s eyes widened and her mouth opened as Densmore explained. Realizing she had but a moment, the woman ran to thank the good Samaritan, but she was already gone.
“Why did she do that? The woman asked Densmore.
Both in tears, the two women embraced.
Author: Pat Farnan, Tampa Bay Times. Reprinted with permission in Grace Drops, Volume 7 (2009).
“How much?” the woman asked manager Diane Densmore last week.
“It’s $60,” Densmore replied, recalling the conversation, “but today it’s on sale for $30.”
Densmore doesn’t know the woman, beyond hearing occasionally about her daughters and grandchildren. She is a regular customer at the thrift shop, which offers housewares, baubles, jewelry, hardware and furniture. And clothes. Baby clothes, in fact, for as little as 50 cents an item. That’s usually what she buys.
Today, that bed looked like heaven.
“How much, again?” she asked Densmore, perhaps hopeful the price would drop. The woman slowly shook her head, then walked dejectedly to another part of the store.
“She was crestfallen” Densmore said. “It was very sad.”
Until another woman, in her 50’s, walked up and handed Densmore $30 in cash. “This is for the bed for that lady,” she said.
“You’re buying the bed for her?” Densmore responded.
“Yes, make sure the lady gets the bed,” she said, then walked out.
Densmore quickly tracked down the new owner. “I got the biggest kick out of telling her . . .I said, ‘You know that bed you wanted for your little girl?”
The woman’s eyes widened and her mouth opened as Densmore explained. Realizing she had but a moment, the woman ran to thank the good Samaritan, but she was already gone.
“Why did she do that? The woman asked Densmore.
Both in tears, the two women embraced.
Author: Pat Farnan, Tampa Bay Times. Reprinted with permission in Grace Drops, Volume 7 (2009).
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