Submitted by Lisa Goodell (Fresno, CA)
Something so small can bless everyone!
I noticed the teenage boy outside his house as I drove to work, standing in the same place where he’s been every day all school year long. He always looks down and seems a bit anxious. I just heard about “I Like Giving” on the radio, so instantly I got an idea. I turned around and drove back. He got agitated and started pacing when I got out of the car, only looking at me out the corner of his eye. I stopped a distance away and I told him that I saw him every morning and today I wanted to give him a gift card so he could get lunch at McDonald’s sometime. With no eye contact, he took the card from my hand. He didn’t really respond so I turned to go. “Wait, wait, get mom, wait” he went to the door to get his mom.
Out came his mom and brother to see what was going on. He held the card up and exclaimed with a smile, “Card, McDonald’s, friend, friend, give me lunch.” As I explained to his mom, he got more excited, as if I had been the Publisher’s Clearinghouse Prize Patrol! What joy and sense of accomplishment I had seeing how happy this small gift made him, especially when I realized he had special needs. I smiled all the way to work because I was his new friend. If you really want to live, give!! 5/11/2012
