Jackie Johnson-Smith was treated to an unanticipated act of kindness while dining with her family at a pizza restaurant in Iowa.
She shared a picture of the restaurant bill along with the statement, “I have breastfed three children,” on Facebook. I have cared for them in countless situations, both public and private, at happy and unhappy times. Even though I’ve had a lot of looks and stares, tonight dispels all of that bad vibe. It was my first time eating at Fongs tonight. I spent some time in the booth nursing my grumpy baby before getting up early to avoid disturbing the other diners.
“The waitress gave this receipt to my hubby. I couldn’t talk because I was so upset. I don’t deserve a pat on the back for feeding my child, but it felt amazing. The final words of the letter were, “It’s amazing how women can empower and feel for one another.
The message was written by waitress Bodi Kinney, who told KCCI 8 News in Des Moines, “We need to come together and support each other when it comes to nursing our children.”
A single mom with four kids buys a used car, and the owner tells her to check the trunk when she gets home — and the story Begins .
Desperate for work, Jennifer accepted the job even though it meant traveling to a different city every day. She thanked the HR manager and headed home, where she told her kids she had finally found a job. After spending almost $30 on the cab ride, Jennifer realized she couldn’t afford to commute like that every day. It would be better to have her own car, but she didn’t have the money to buy one. She decided her best option was to buy a used car. She found one but wondered if the owner would agree to sell it for a lower price. “Would you be able to sell this car for $5,000? I’m a single mom with four kids,” she asked.
She explained that it had been hard for her to make money as a single mom of four, and she needed a car to take a job in a nearby city. When the owner heard about her situation, he agreed to sell the car for $5,000. “If you can buy the car by tomorrow, I’ll sell it to you for $5,000,” he said. Jennifer was very grateful for the lower price. She tried to get a loan from the bank to buy the car the next day, but her bad credit caused the loan to be rejected immediately.
Running out of options, Jennifer thought hard about what to do next. She couldn’t move to a new city because her oldest child, Ethan, had just started school near their trailer park. Also, rent in the nearby city was much higher, and she couldn’t take the trailer with her. She really needed a car to get to work and pick up her children from school and daycare. Then she remembered the gold chain necklace her late mother had left her, which had been in the family for generations. Even though it made her sad, Jennifer knew she had to sell it to buy the car and provide for her children.
She took the necklace to a pawnshop and said, “I’m sorry, Mom. I really need to do this right now.” The necklace was valued at $5,500, which made Jennifer happy because it was enough to buy the car and have some money left for daily needs. The next day, she went back to the car dealership and gave the owner, Jeff, an envelope with $5,000. “Thank you for agreeing to sell this to me. You have no idea how much this will help me and my children,” she said.
Jeff smiled and said, “Congratulations on your car. This is a great purchase.” While Jennifer was signing the paperwork, Jeff quietly put something in the trunk of the car. As she was about to drive home, he called out, “By the way, check the trunk when you get home. I left something for your children inside.” Jennifer was so busy commuting to work and taking care of her children that she forgot to check the trunk until she found a note in the glove compartment. The note said, “I hope you and your children like the gift I left in the trunk. May it be of great help to you.”
Curious, Jennifer opened the trunk and was confused at first when she saw only a white envelope. Then she realized it was the same envelope she had used to pay for the car. Inside, she found the $5,000 untouched. Overwhelmed by the man’s kindness, Jennifer drove back to the dealership after work to thank Jeff. He told her, “Life throws challenges at you, and it’s up to you to either overcome them or give in. I’m proud of you for staying strong for your children, and I thought you could use the money more than I could. Just remember to pay it forward.”
Leave a Reply