The Kindness of Katy Strangers
Pleasantly surprised by Katyites’ kind words and good deeds during a family shopping trip
As I’ve written before, my husband and I don’t travel to many places with all of the children. The park and the mall are safe places, since there are a lot of wide, open spaces for the triplets and their older brother to act like children without bothering many people.
However, one gloomy day we needed to go to Target. We wanted to get out of the house, since the weather had been rainy for days in a row. We buckled everyone in and headed out. We went to the Super Target near LaCenterra. We could get some groceries and baby items and look quickly at the toy aisle.
My husband maneuvered the quad stroller through the aisles, while I pushed the nearly overflowing cart. Any parent can tell you how much space baby wipes, Pediasure, and diapers can quickly take up in an ordinary cart. The babies drew all kinds of nice looks. They were having a swell time. Older brother got a toy. All were happy – including the adults.
What struck us about this trip out were two strangers whom we met. That’s what this blog is about: you Katyites! I wanted to let you know that kindness in our city is alive and well. The first person was the cashier. He was a teenager just doing his job. As he scanned our items, he asked my husband about the boys. The usual – ages, names, how much work is involved with multiples and a 4-year-old. Then he said, “I’ve seen a lot of kids here. Yours are the best behaved.”
I don’t know if that’s true. Maybe this young man says this to everyone. But it made our day, since we had been so hesitant to “bother” people and cause a scene in public. It’s hard work to load everyone up and get a simple shopping trip done. His words were gold.
As we were leaving, the rain began – more of a downpour, really. My husband took the shopping cart and older brother and ran to the van. I followed once I saw he had the doors open. I put the babies in through the back and buckled them in, folded the stroller, and shut the back. My husband took care of the groceries and buckling in the other.
We were drenched, but at least we were almost in the car. All of a sudden, a kind woman yelled out to us from her car. The diapers! We had left the box of diapers on the bottom of the cart. Thirty some odd dollars and some very useful diapers could have been left behind to be either destroyed by rain or stolen and sold back by another, not so helpful, stranger.
We thanked the woman profusely. She said, “I was watching you two move so fast, I couldn’t let you forget the diapers in the rain.” Now it’s your turn, Katy readers. Share with us the kindness you have observed or been on the generous end of. It really made our day and gave us confidence that we can take our beautiful family out without too much doubt! Email editor@katymagazine.com.
