A few days before Christmas when many people are in a rush to finish their shopping, a gesture of kindness paid off for Roxanne Jackson of Conception Bay, Newfoundland.
It was one of those frustrating scenes we’re all too familiar with. A busy store with only one cashier on duty.
A Thoughtful Gesture
As she slowly inched her way forward, waiting until it was her turn, Roxanne noticed a man in line behind her who only had two rolls of tape in his hand. In comparison, she had a cart full of items.
I’m sure she wasn’t expecting anything more than a simple thank you when she told him to move on ahead of her in line.
She recalls,
“I said to him, ‘You can go on,’ and he said, ‘Are you sure?’ and I said, ‘Oh yeah go on, that’s OK.’ So off he goes, and I’m just standing there, looking around, seeing what else I can buy,”
Then a few moments later he beckoned her to come forward, and she wondered why he wanted to talk to her. So she approached him and was shocked to hear him say he wanted to pay for some of the items in her cart.
Thoughtfulness Reciprocated
“He’s like, ‘I’m gonna pay for some of your stuff because you let me go ahead of you,’ and I’m like, ‘You really — that’s not necessary, you don’t have to do that.’ And he’s like, ‘No, I really want to,'” Jackson said.
At this point, Jackson admits to being dumbfounded. She just stood and watched as he began pulling items out of her cart and adding them to his own bill.
“I was truly — I’ve never been the recipient of such a random act of kindness before, I didn’t know what to say. I never had a word in my head.”
“It came to $38 I think and he just paid for that, and I just shook his hand and said, ‘Merry Christmas and thank you very much,’ and something about the true spirit of Christmas, I don’t know now,” Jackson said, before continuing, “I had tears in my eyes and I’m like — I don’t know what just happened.”
A Message of Thanks
Jackson would like to find the man who she says appeared to be in his mid-20s. That, and a belief that he’s a local, is all she has to go on.
In an interview with CBC Radio’s St. John’s Morning Show, she chokes up, admitting she’s not used to being the recipient of random acts of kindness. In fact, as a nurse, she’s used to doing things for others.
It’s Jackson’s hope that people will be inspired by this act of kindness. She’s shared her story on Facebook hoping that it will encourage others to step up. As she stated in her radio interview,
“It’s just so nice when you see kindness — and the world just needs more of it, I think.”
To the kind stranger in a Dollarama store, she has a message of thanks.
“Maybe it’s a message for not only him but for all people: you don’t know what a random act of kindness, how much it’s gonna touch somebody’s heart that day.”
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