Pushing Humanity Forward

I’m a cashier. It’s a very busy Friday afternoon and I have just checked out a young woman in her late twenties to early thirties who is gathering her shopping. I greet the next customer, an older woman in her sixties.

Me: “Good afternoon, how are you?”

Older Woman: “I’m good thanks. You?” *Her expression changes* “Oh, b****r.”

Me: “Is everything okay?”

Older Woman: “I forgot my card. Can you please save my groceries while I run home?”

I see nothing that needs to be refrigerated.

Me: “Sure, we can hold it at the service desk.”

Young Woman: “Is everything okay?”

Older Woman: “I took my phone out of its case because the case broke and I forgot my card.”

Young Woman: “Can you pay with your phone?”

Older Woman: “No, I’ll just run home and get it.”

Young Woman: *To me* “How much will it be?”

Me: “I don’t know.”

Young Woman: “You know what? Put it through; I’ve got it.”

Older Woman: “No, no. It’s okay. I’ll run home.”

Young Woman: “It’s fine. I’ve had people help me recently. I’m just paying it forward. Put it through.”

Older Woman: “It might be more than $80, though.”

Young Woman: “It’s fine. Put it through. Just pay it forward when you can.”

I started scanning the older woman’s items while they chat. The older woman teared up and offered to take the younger woman’s phone number to repay her, but the young woman refused, instead insisting she was just paying it forward from the people who helped her.

The younger woman paid the $65 total (almost $20 more than her own groceries).

I watched as they left the store together before going their separate ways. I’m not ashamed to admit that it bought a tear to my eyes to see that there are good people out there.