Despicable Free

(It’s the holiday season and my 6-year-old daughter and I are in our local library. Money had been a little bit tight lately, since we’ve had to spend on decorations and presents and I’m a single parent. The library loans out DVDs, $5 for a week but there is a special section where kids DVDs are free and they are generally Disney movies or kids cartoons/TV shows.)

My Daughter: “Mom, can I get this Despicable Me DVD please? It was in the kids section!”

Me: “Sure thing sweetie. Let me just get my card so we can go.”

(As I self issue the DVD out, I realise it was misplaced in the kids’ section and actually costs $5. My daughter sees this on the screen.)

My Daughter: “No mom, it’s too expensive! I don’t want it anymore.”

Me: “It’s only 5 dollars! It’s fine; we can get it.”

My Daughter: “No no no! I don’t want it anymore!”

(Not wanting to cause a tantrum from her, I go up to the library assistant behind the counter.)

Me: “Hi there, I issued out this DVD a couple of minutes ago, but my daughter doesn’t want it anymore. I was wondering if I could return please?”

Library Assistant: “Is there something wrong with the DVD?”

Me: “Oh, not at all. There was just a little misunderstanding with the price.”

Library Assistant: “Oh. Well, tell you what! Take it for free. Just give me your card and I’ll take the charge off.”

Me: “Thank you! I know it doesn’t seem like much but, $5 is a lot to us. Thank you so much, happy holidays!”

(When I returned to my daughter with the DVD in my hand and told her the whole story, she was grinning from ear to ear. She got up and ran by herself to thank the lovely library assistant and he even gave her a high-five! We’re much better off now, but I’ll never forget that small act of kindness.)