Teary-EyedStoriesfromStrangers

TheManattheMarket

Whenthesupermarketclerksummedupmygroceries，It was12overwhatIhadonme．Ibegantoremoveitemsfromthebags，whenanothershopperhandedmea20bill．"Pleasedon'tputyourselfout，"Itoldhim．

"Letmetellyouastory，"hesaid．"Mymotherisinhospitalwithcancer．Ivisithereverydayandbringherflowers．Iwentthismorning，andshegotmadatmeforspendingmymoneyonmoreflowers．ShedemandedthatIdosomethingelsewiththatmoney．So，here，pleaseacceptthis．Itismymother'sflowers．"

AFamily'sFoodAngel

Sincemymotherlostherjob，ourfamily troublednewworries：noincome，thesamebills，andnowaytoaffordgroceries．Itwasaroundthistimethatshestartedfindingboxesoffoodoutsideourdooreverymorning．Thiswentonformonths，untilshewasabletolandajob．Weneverdidfindoutwhoitwasandwholeftthegroceriesforus，buttheytrulysavedourlives．

SevenMilesForMe

Leavingastore，IreturnedtomycaronlytofindthatI'dlockedmykeysandcellphoneinside．Ateenagerridinghisbikesawmekickatireandsayafewchoicewords．"What'swrong？"heasked．

Iexplainedmysituation．"ButevenifIcouldcallmywife，"Isaid，"shecan'tbringmehercarkey，sincethisisouronlycar．"Hehandedmehiscellphone．"CallyourwifeandtellherI'mcomingtogetherkey．"

"That'ssevenmilesroundtrip．"

"Don'tworryaboutit．"

Anhourlater，hereturnedwiththekey．Iofferedhimsomemoney，butherefused．"Let'sjustsayIneededtheexercise，"hesaid．Then，likeacowboyinthemovies，herodeoffintothesunset．

BreakingBread

LastDecember，beforework，Istoppedatadeli（熟食店）andorderedaneverythingbagelwithcreamcheese．Itwastoastywarm，andIcouldn'twaittodigin．ButasIleftthestore，Inoticedanolderindigentgentlemansittingatthebusstop．Knowingitwouldprobablybehisonlywarmmealoftheday，Igavehimthebagel．

Butallwasnotlostforme．Anothercustomerfromthedeliofferedmehalfofherbagel．IwassodelightedbecauseIrealizedthatinonewayoranother，wearealll