Tonight, I ran to the store with my 13-year-old stepdaughter and my nearly two-year-old. As we waited in line, my toddler kept staring at a stuffed dog from her stroller. Ahead of us stood an older man, buying only ice cream.
He noticed her gaze and asked, *”What are you looking at?”*
When she pointed at the plush toy, he picked it up and handed it to her.
I’ll admit—I froze. With only one income, we budget carefully, and unplanned extras aren’t always possible. Watching her clutch it happily, I already dreaded having to put it back, knowing how crushed she’d be.
But then, the man surprised me. With a warm smile, he said, *”I’ll buy it for her.”*
I was stunned. Then came the guilt.
Because part of my panic wasn’t just about money—it was that a stranger had interacted with my child.
Because I didn’t know his motives.
Because his fingers brushed hers as he passed her the toy.
But the truth is—it shouldn’t be like this.
When did we become so suspicious of kindness?
And when did I start expecting the worst from people?
He spent a moment making my daughter laugh, and it melted my heart. That toy wasn’t just a gift—it was a lesson.
I’m always telling my kids how kindness matters, how the world needs more of it. Tonight, they witnessed it firsthand.
My stepdaughter saw how much that gesture meant to me. I want all my children to grow up believing that even the smallest kindness can change someone’s day.
Walking out, she turned to me and said, *”Mommy, that man was so sweet!”*
My toddler hasn’t put down the stuffed dog—dubbed *”Bacon”* by her siblings—since we left. In the moment, I forgot to ask his name.
But I took a photo. Because I never want to forget—no kindness is ever too small.
Credit : Vanessa Fregoso.