Lately he found himself listening even more than normal as his co-worker talked about her son’s second tour of duty with the United States Army. He listened to her talk about the anxiety she felt as the mother, about the times that he would call and she could hear blasts in the background and about how as a parent all you want is to protect your child and simply can’t.
He looked at pictures the boy had posted online and studied the youth and strength in the faces of those around him.
And he felt gratitude for the sacrifices made by the men and women protecting him every day.
Mark felt called to
do something and decided that he would put together a care package to send to
the troops. This experience was new for
Mark. He was the kind of guy who would
buy a roll of wrapping paper for a fundraiser, but he wasn’t about to sell
it. He quickly decided he wouldn’t tell
anyone about this project and he certainly wasn’t going to recruit others to contribute.
With that, he
researched where to send the package, what to pack and how to make sure that
the box was sealed properly. He made his
list and headed to the store.
The shopping part
was easy.
He gathered baby wipes, lotion, sun block, deodorant, eye drops, toilet paper and toothpaste until his shopping cart was overflowing. He asked the woman at the service desk if he could leave it there for a moment and he headed off to gather more. He collected gum, snack-size chips, cereal and nuts. He grabbed as much candy as he could in this arms and he tossed it all into the second cart.
“Boy, you must have
an appetite,” an older woman teased.
“Yes, ma’am,” he responded without saying anymore. “Are we invited to the party?” her friend
asked. He gathered baby wipes, lotion, sun block, deodorant, eye drops, toilet paper and toothpaste until his shopping cart was overflowing. He asked the woman at the service desk if he could leave it there for a moment and he headed off to gather more. He collected gum, snack-size chips, cereal and nuts. He grabbed as much candy as he could in this arms and he tossed it all into the second cart.
He smiled.
He found his way to
the checkout line and gathered his second cart.
As he was placing his items on the conveyer, the cashier glanced at the
paper in his hands. “Are you sending a
care package overseas?” she asked. “I am,” he said sheepishly.
“Well Honey, if
that’s the case count me in.” It was the
first lady from the candy aisle. “Me
too,” chimed her friend as she started pulling cash out of her purse.
Out of the corner of
his eye he saw the cashier waving over the store manager. “Yes, sir, how can I help you?” the store
manager asked. “Actually,” interrupted
the cashier, “he is preparing a care package for the troops and I thought you
might like to know.” “Hmmm,” he
said. “Give me just a minute.”
And away he went.
And away he went.
The candy aisle
ladies started sharing stories about people they knew who had been at war and
the cashier finally got through the mound of goodies Mark had collected. As she
was handing Mark his receipt, Mark felt the store manager approach him.
“Sir, the store
would be honored to match your purchase and we would like to help with the
shipping costs as well,” he said with a bit of sadness in his eyes. “You see, one of our employees went over
about a year ago and we haven’t seen him back yet. We would love to be a part of what you’ve
started here.”
Mark didn’t know
what to say.
He could hardly speak the words “thank you” before taking a deep breath to stop the tears. The candy aisle ladies were cheering in the background and he could hear one of them start to cry.
“Happy tears,” she said cheerily. “Happy tears!”
He could hardly speak the words “thank you” before taking a deep breath to stop the tears. The candy aisle ladies were cheering in the background and he could hear one of them start to cry.
“Happy tears,” she said cheerily. “Happy tears!”
He exchanged
information with the store manager and they agreed to meet later that week to
work out the details. He felt himself
standing up a bit taller than when he had walked in and his heart was full of
joy.
As he walked away from the checkout lane he felt one of the candy aisle ladies tap him on the arm. He turned to see her smiling and she reached out to grab his hand.
“God bless you,” she said. “You too,” he smiled,” You too.”
As he walked away from the checkout lane he felt one of the candy aisle ladies tap him on the arm. He turned to see her smiling and she reached out to grab his hand.
“God bless you,” she said. “You too,” he smiled,” You too.”
~ For you ~
Your gift today is to create a care package for someone in your life. Be creative, be smart, have fun and put a touch of yourself in the package. Here are some ideas to get you started…
Your gift today is to create a care package for someone in your life. Be creative, be smart, have fun and put a touch of yourself in the package. Here are some ideas to get you started…
Send the package to…
- A college student
- A neighbor
- A nursing home resident
- A local not-for-profit organization
- A member of the military
- A tired mom or dad
- A relative
- A co-worker
- Food
- Candy (or try some sugar-free treats!)
- Homemade items (such as bookmarks, cards
or a plant)
- Notes of encouragement
- Stuffed animals
- Games
- Gift cards to local restaurants and stores
- Blank note cards
I hope that you'll become a part of this experience & decide to follow today is the day as we take our best of intentions & put them into motion to see what big difference our little actions can make together!
Feel free to post your experience here or email me at tinaattodayistheday@gmail.com.
Don't wait too long. After all...today is the day!
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