I’m going to tell you a story that’s going to warm your heart.  Ready?  Buckle up friends, this one is going to make you smile:

On Saturday morning, our neighbours had a garage sale.  They were setting up as my sleepy-eyed children wandered out of their bedrooms and down the stairs.  My kids know that I often say yes to garage sale bargains, and I agreed to give them $5 each to spend at the sale.  My husband was away for the weekend, and as I puttered about the kitchen making breakfast, my kids happily scoured the treasures next door, decked out in pyjamas and bedhead.

They came home with a large several-trips-needed-to-carry karaoke machine and a framed picture of two zebras.  Impressed by the eclectic nature of their choices and the massive neighbour discount given to them, the karaoke machine went into the basement for hours of loud, uninterrupted fun, and the zebra picture went onto my daughter’s bedroom wall.  But, as with many impromptu purchases and the lessons needed to be learned about money, they began to tell me about all of the other cool stuff they’d seen.

“Mom, can we just have $5 more, and then we can get this, and this, and this!”

I explained that if they wanted anything more, they would have to buy it with their own money, and the discussion soon turned to a silver bracelet that they’d both seen.  My daughter wanted it because it reminded her of a dragon tail, and my son wanted it because it reminded him of Harry Potter and wizards.  The arguing began and I told them that if they wanted to purchase this special bracelet, they would first have to figure out how to share it fairly, minus the sibling squabbles.

They were mulling this idea over as we climbed into the truck and backed out of our driveway…… and as we glanced back at the garage sale, we saw the seven-year-old girl who lives on the other side of us walking up to the table to purchase, you guessed it, the coveted bracelet.  My daughter cried; she had envisioned taking her 50 cents back to the sale and purchasing the dragon tail bracelet to wear forever and always.  There’s a lot of absolutes when you’re seven.  But here’s where the story will warm your heart:

We went to Burlington Sports & Spine Clinic for the morning (when I’m solo-parenting, my kids sometimes spend time with Netflix in the clinic’s massage room) and returned to find a gift on our front step, addressed to my daughter.

“To Casey,” the card read, “I saw you looking at this bracelet and I wanted to get it for you.  I hope you like it.  From, K.”

I think I’ll end the story right here.  What else is there to say?  Three days later, and I’m still marvelling at the kindness and thoughtfulness of that moment.  I hope that it brings some joy to you too.