Most people aren’t looking to strike it rich when they hold yard sales and keep a healthy expectation to make a decent amount of cash. Unloading unused goods that are just sitting around collecting dust can be a source of satisfaction for sellers.
On other hand, Yard sale shoppers can show up with a variety of personalities and expectations. They can be eager, friendly and sweet, shrewd, patient, or thrifty. You just never know who’s going to show up for your sale. One woman certainly did not expect to feel the way she did when she hosted her yard sale.
The woman, who has remained anonymous, noticed a young girl and her mother approaching her property. As they scanned over the items she had for sale, the little girl quickly noticed a Pink Disney Princess TV that she wished to have. However, when she overheard what the little girl said to her mother, the woman’s heart literally broke into tiny little pieces.
“I overheard the little girl very politely ask her mom if there was anything she could do to earn the money to buy the TV,” explained the woman, according to Love What Matters. “She did not just ask if she could have it. She asked if she could earn the money herself.” Obviously, this mother was raising her little girl as most parents should, knowing how to manage money and to earn the things you desire.
“She was 6 years old,” the woman continued. “Her mom told her she could not afford it right now, then kissed her forehead. The little girl replied, ‘It’s okay mommy’ and grabbed her mom’s hand.”
“There aren’t many children who would so calmly walk away from something they wanted. However, the woman holding the garage sale would quickly get the vibe that this particular mother and daughter were going through something rather difficult in their life.”
“I could tell this mom and daughter had gone through something and the interactions between them were so genuine, so precious,” she explained. “I saw the little girl look over at the TV every so often…My heart was mush.”
As they continued to browse, the girl would steal a glance here and there at the TV. When the mom and daughter came up to pay, the woman would not accept the money. The mom became emotional:
“Tears filled her eyes as she thanked me, told me how much it meant to her, and that I had no idea how much I was helping her right now. Then she asked, ‘but why?’ I said, ‘I sense that you are going through something right now, and I don’t need to know what that ‘something’ is.”
“But you obviously have not let it deter you from being an amazing mom, and you are raising a wonderful, beautiful, joyful, polite, little girl.’ She confided that they had fled an abusive situation with only what she could fit into a duffle bag for them both. She had saved just enough money to get them into a small one-room apartment. She felt blessed, lucky. They were safe.”
Moved even more after hearing that, she gave the mother some large trash bags and told her to take whatever else she needed, but the mom was hesitant to accept:
“I told her, ‘We all go through hard times. This is a season, and seasons pass. When this season passes for you, you can ‘pay it forward’ to someone else.’ And then, yes… I quietly asked her if I could give her little girl the Disney Princess TV. I know, I know….y’all saw that one coming, ya? Lol.”
She and her husband sent the family off with pillows, blankets, an inflatable bed, and some other items. It gave her so much joy to see that little girl’s face light up.
“My heart is full knowing that precious little girl and her mom have full tummies, clean pajamas to put on, a ‘bed’ to sleep in, pillows under their heads, blankets to snuggle into, and maybe even watched some TV.
What they probably don’t realize, is that they blessed me far more than I blessed them.”
If your eyes aren’t full of tears right now then perhaps you should reread this story. If they are, just let it out. Neither of these women expected this to happen at the yard sale that day but got much more than they bargained for. This is a fine example of what love and community look like. Share the love!
Sources: OpposingViews, Love What Matters/Facebook