When the pressure is on, normal situations can get us heated when they don’t go according to plan. If we are rushing and eager to get on to the next task on our to-do list, when an unexpected holdup keeps us tied up, we can erupt on those around us and feel pressure mounting. Now imagine the feelings that would go through you when you just went through the checkout at a retail store and then pull out your wallet to pay only to discover that that you’re short.
When a young mother named Katie Kanefke from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, found herself getting into a confrontational tussle at the cash register, an angel descended on the situation to make it all better.
That angel was Carol Flynn, the woman in the zebra print shirt, who happened to be next in line at the store behind Katie. Carol had watched as Katie checked out items along with her young son. She did not fail to notice that Katie’s cart was loaded with mostly baby products, along with a few odds and ends. Because the diapers had gone on sale, Katie wanted to snatch up as many as she could at the good price.
But as Katie watched the total tallying up, her heart suddenly sank. The number was getting higher than she wanted to see. But she hoped that when the transaction finished, the number would drop as the big sale prices clicked in before giving her the total.
When the cashier scanned every item, she announced the total, which was over $100. Katie has picked up way too many diapers and had gone over budget. She badly needed them for her children, but she didn’t have the cash to make the purchase.
The clerk went on to explain why the total was more than Katie had anticipated. The diaper sale only worked for one pack – not the entire amount as the young mother had assumed. She was distraught and caught between a flustered cashier and a line of customers waiting for their turn behind her.
That’s when Carol, the sweet woman in line behind Katie, spoke up. She understood the struggle new parents had and wanted to help relieve Katie’s burden a little bit. She told Katie that she would cover the difference in price that Katie had not anticipated.
If Carol, in the zebra shirt, had not offered to cover for this young woman, Katie would have been stuck between a rock and a hard place. Instead, this amazing woman paid for the diapers, and the mother was able to go home with the items she needed.
Carol is happy that other people are inspired by her random act of generosity. But she doesn’t understand why this story has gone viral. Nevertheless, she hopes other people will help those in need. Because she saw an opportunity in front of her, she seized it and willingly shared her hard-earned money with someone she knew needed it – and for something useful.
