What This Employee At Trader Joes Did Will Amaze You! Read On But Grab A Tissue First.
December 15, 2014

Sometimes it only takes a few kind words to help us get through the day!
Ever have one of those days where everything is going great? I have! And, ever have one of those days that can't end fast enough. Yup, me too. Well, here's a story by a mom, Lauren Casper, about one of her tougher days and how some kinds words from a Trader Joe's employee made her day a little bit brighter!
I was tired, hurried, frustrated and ready to just go home. My husband, John, was pushing our son, Mareto, in the cart as fast as he could to leave the store before the meltdown got worse. We were frantically trying to open up a cereal bar to stem the tears. Our daughter, Arsema, was strapped to my chest in the ergo carrier watching it all through wide eyes. Sweat beads were forming on my forehead, caused in part by my embarrassment but mostly from the heat and amount of energy I was exerting by running through Trader Joes with my 18 pound baby strapped to my chest and my toddler screaming behind me.
I sure didn't feel like I was going to be in the running for any mom of the year awards. I felt like a hot mess. In fact, I was sincerely hoping no one was looking at us too closely¦ that somehow we were invisible to the people bustling around us. It was chaotic, exhausting and an unfortunately all-too-common experience for us.
Our family doesn't exactly blend in with the wallpaper. Not only are we two white parents with a brown son and daughter (something that causes enough stares and questions all by itself), but our son has noticeable developmental delays and different behaviors because of autism, and our daughter has missing and webbed digits. In other words, when we all go out together, we stand out. Usually I don't mind, and often I love it. My children are beautiful, and so is our story.
Sometimes though, on the days when we're far from having it together, I do mind. Those days I just want to blend in with the crowd and hide far away from the curious stares. Some days I get tired of it all and just want to be a family not the adoptive family, not the family with special needs children, not the unique family, just a family. This was one of those days.
I was close to tears as John took Mareto to put the cart away. I rushed through the doors with Arsema on my chest to get to the car as quickly as possible when a voice behind me slowed my steps.
"Ma'am!" she called out. I slowed, hoping and praying she wasn't talking to me. "Ma'am!" I stopped and turned to find a young woman rushing toward me.
A bright smile covered her face, and I immediately noticed her beautiful black curls, just like the black curls snuggled on my chest, tickling my chin. Recognizing her shirt, I realized she worked there and assumed I must have dropped something. I looked at her, holding back my tears, waiting.
I just wanted you to have this bouquet and I looked down to see the flowers in her hands. She quickly continued to explain¦
I was adopted as a baby, and it has been a wonderful thing. We need more families like yours. I stared at her, stunned. Hadn't she seen what a disaster we were in the store? Didn't she see that we were barely able to keep it together? Didn't she see what I felt were all my failures as a mom?
As she handed me the flowers, I managed to choke out a thank you and tried to express that this meant the world to me. She patted my shoulder, told me my family was beautiful and walked back into the store.
My steps were much slower as I finally headed to the car with my arms full of flowers and tears that had spilled over onto my cheeks. On a day when I felt like we were the worst example of family¦ a day when I hoped no one noticed us¦ she did. But she didn't see what I assumed everyone was seeing. She didn't think what I assumed everyone was thinking. She saw beauty and love and hope and family. She thought we were wonderful and it made her smile.
I wish I had thought to get her name. I wish I could go back and tell her, two years later, what her gift continues to mean to me today. To the beautiful young woman in the parking lot of Trader Joes¦ thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are a treasure.
Who in your life could you share some kind words with today? Is there a friend or family member that could use some encouragement from you? Go for it!
Don't wait. Make their day a little bit brighter!
Featured Image Credit: Getty Images
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for the One Who Desperately Needs Hope This Easter Sunday - Your Daily Prayer - April 20
The grave of Jesus and the graves in our lives don’t get the final word. No situation, season, or soul is too far gone for Jesus's power to breathe life into again.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for the One Who Desperately Needs Hope This Easter Sunday - Your Daily Prayer - April 20
The grave of Jesus and the graves in our lives don’t get the final word. No situation, season, or soul is too far gone for Jesus's power to breathe life into again.
Past Stories
- Couple Reunites 15-Year-Old Blind Dog With Owners After Finding Her in the Wilderness
- He Saved Her Life in a Pool Accident Five Years Ago, Now They Are Engaged
- Actress Chrissy Metz Left Hollywood For Nashville and She Couldn't Be Happier
- Stranger Helps 81-Year-Old Waitress Who Couldn't Afford to Retire, Now Her Prayers Have Been Answered
- 49-Year-Old Melanie Barratt Becomes First Blind Woman to Swim the English Channel
- 9-Year-Old Boy Remembered By Teacher and Community After Being Swept Away By Flood Waters
- 16-Year-Old Heard a Family's Cries and Saved Them From a House Fire
- Family Grows From 4 to 8 Overnight After Welcoming Identical Quadruplet Daughters
- Little Girl With Autism Reminds Others of Snow White and Her Connection to Animals
- Candace Cameron Bure Shares Fantastic News That Former Co-star, Dave Coulier, is Cancer-Free
- Soldier is Reunited With the Dog She Served With While Deployed
- Her Grandfather Kept a Log of Every Memory He Had With Her Grandmother, and It's Precious
- This 30-Year-Old Feline Might Just Be the World's Oldest Cat
- Special Messages About Love From Kindergarten Class Displayed at Teacher's Wedding
- A Sneaky Brown Tree Snake Slithers Into An Oven in Australia, and Luckily Doesn't Get Cooked
- Florida Man Meets the Son Who Had Been Searching For Him For Almost 40 Years
- Four-Year-Old Sends Out a Message in a Bottle, Receives Reply Less Than Two Weeks Later
- Delivery Driver Saves Woman's Life After Double Checking When Something Didn't Seem Right
- Woman in Heels Stops Robbery at Convenience Store With Her Impressive Martial Arts Skills
- Man That Survived More Than 90 Days at Sea Thought About His Mother Every Single Day
- Quick Thinking 9-Year-Old Saves Choking Friend During Snack Time Emergency
- Video Store Owner Creates 'Christina's Corner' For a Long-Time Customer
- Texas Man Gets Married in the Hospital After Kidney Transplant
- A Bride to Be and Her Best Friend Have Plane to Themselves and Enjoy Every Minute of it
- Dogs Come to School to Help Comfort Young Students Affected by the Eaton Fire
- Toddler Braves the Dark to Save His Great-Grandma
- All Four of These Best Friends Now Live On the Same Street and It's Amazing
- Woman Finds the Most Precious Message Inside Her Thrift Store Purchase
- Mom is Hit By a Piece of Power Tool On Her Way to Walt Disney World
- Veteran Who Loved Burger King Honored With His Own Chair
- Toddler Using Old Phone Calls 911 For Donuts and Gets a Sweet Surprise
- Hospital Hosts Special Father-Daughter Dance for Young Girl Who Missed the One at Her School
- Carl Thomas Dean, Dolly Parton's Husband of Almost 60 Years, Passes Away at 82
- Woman Donates Her Kidney to Help Save Prom Date From 35 Years Ago
- Couple Thank and Befriend Man Who Saved Their House From a Wildfire
- After 84 Years of Marriage, This Couple Just Broke a Record, and Share Some Great Advice
- Woman Gives Birth On Plane With the Help of a Flight Attendant
- Married For 68 Years, This Husband Does This Simple Sweet Thing For His Wife Every Night
- A Couple in Their 90s Spent 73 Years Apart, Now They Are Engaged
- Woman Reunites With Toddler She Saved From Drowning Back in 1961
- Three Superhero Teens Saved Man on Railroad Tracks After Spotting Him From Their Classroom
- Father and Son Are Able to Survive Night in the Utah Wilderness After Finding a Backpack
- Top Resurrection Sunday Songs You Must Listen To This Year
- Grumpy Grey Seal Takes Over Hotel Room in the Netherlands, To Take a Nap
- His Dog Was Lost For Almost a Decade, But Now He is Back Home Again
- Rejoice with These Top Easter Songs for Worship and Praise
- After Going On a Fun Airport Journey, A Lost Stuffed Bunny Finds Its Way Back Home
- A Bull Rider Knows That God Has Bigger Plans After Taking a Bull's Horn In His Neck
- 98-Year-Old Great-Grandmother Has a Special Connection to Her Great-Granddaughter
- Mom Receives a Heartwarming Message From Best Friend After Son is Diagnosed With Autism
Top Artists
Top Music Videos

Bill and Gloria Gaither Guy Penrod's Stirring Live Performance of 'Then Came The Morning'

Universal Music Group Anna Golden's Stunning Performance of 'The Church I Grew Up In' Captivates

Alabama Live Performance of 'Because He Lives' by Alabama

Passion Music 'The Lord Will Provide' Passion And Landon Wolfe Live Performance

GodTube Music Anne Wilson Talks Sharing Her Faith at Secular Country Concerts
Blog
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.