Hope.

A peanut of a girl came into the shop and left leaving more than money. She gave me hope. 

She studies dance at the studio next door and had asked her mother to drop her off 20 minutes ahead of her class so she could ‘do more stretching.’ 

Instead, this kid walked directly into What’s Good. She’d planned this fib just so she could buy a special gift without her mother knowing. In fact, she’d been planning this day for weeks. Ever since  she overheard her mom mention how much she liked X item (I’m not saying what it is incase her mom follows this feed), she’d been doing $1 chores to earn enough to buy it for her mom’s wedding anniversary. Note two things here: It’s not even her mom’s birthday. And, it’s one thing to earn money, it’s another thing to save it! 

The gift her mom wanted is one of the more expensive items in our store. I secretly feared this little go-getter would be devastated when she learned the price. I even tried to sway her in another direction. Nope. She insisted that she’d been saving and saving because she knew it was exactly what her mom wanted. I asked her how much she had and sold it to her at a price that matched—significantly under its listed price. I was so smitten with her selflessness and determination that I contemplated just giving it to her. But then again, I didn’t want to take away that feeling you get when you buy something with dollars you’ve worked so hard earn —and save. She set the cash (and change) in a lump on the counter. We smiled at each other. I think we were both in awe… here was the physical proof of all the chores she had done, her disciplined savings, and her planning (white lie included). Credit card swipes and taps don’t give you these feels. She thanked me, turned, and with the wrapped present in hand, walked a little taller out of the store. 

She made my day—and likely her mother’s, too. This thoughtful sixth grader is just what our future needs.