A Young Woman’s Generous Gesture
Wednesday - January 02, 2008
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Del.icio.usDear Pamela,
I read APPLAUSE every week and always feel warm and fuzzy after reading about the gallant and generous people here on our island, whether they are locals who, like myself, were born and raised here, or those who came from the Mainland or other countries and have become “local.”
Here’s one I wanted to share, and I am hoping that she reads your column as faithfully as I do so that she knows that my family has APPLAUSE for her. My 82-year-old Filipina mother was at the Waipahu Longs Drugs shopping. She was using her EBT card, a benefit for being a senior citizen on a fixed income, and discovered she was short of credit and did not have enough cash with her. The amount was about $50. My mother said that the person behind her, a young woman, offered to pay for my mother’s groceries. My mother was touched and also shocked that a stranger could be so kind and generous. In her rush to leave, she forgot to ask for the young woman’s name. The woman seemed to be more concerned to ease her situation so that my mother could get home knowing that she had all that she came for.
Most times people can become very impatient, especially with the elderly. I’ve witnessed this as a bystander and also when I’ve accompanied my mother with our weekend outings. The elderly lose track of where their EBT cards are, forget their PIN codes and where their wallets are. They move slower and become easily confused and frustrated - and old as they may be, they do get embarrassed when these situations arise. The young lady instead graciously offered to pay not a $10 or $20 grocery bill, but a $50 grocery bill, and allowed my mother to walk out with a happy heart and a big smile.
From our family to the young woman: “God bless you and thank you so very much!”
Carrie Clark
Dear Pamela,
My father was jogging on the Pearl Harbor bike path and was “run over” by a bike rider. You could call it a hit and run, as the biker did not offer any assistance to my father. Dad was in pretty bad shape! He needed to go to the ER and required two layers of stitches to a gash in the head. This gash also caused some nerve damage in his face. Besides other minor cuts, the tire of the bike left bruising marks on Dad’s leg!
Dad still needed to get to his car, which was miles away. He did not have a cell phone with him, so he was going to have to walk back. However, a wonderful “angel” by the name of John came by on his (yellow) moped. He recognized Dad, as Dad is a regular on the bike path, and seeing
Dad’s condition, he offered to take him to his car. I was flabbergasted that someone could run over him and leave. Thank goodness the aloha spirit is alive and well in John. We are so grateful to him! I hope many good things come his way! Thank you! Hopefully John will read this and know his good deed did not go unappreciated.
Dana Shishido
Dear Dana and Carrie,
Angels abound this time of year, but it’s nice to know they are here for us whenever there is a need, no matter the season.
(If you know someone who deserves some Applause, send your letters to Pamela Young, MidWeek Applause, KITV, 801 S. King St., Honolulu, HI, 96813 or e-mail pyoung@kitv.com. Include your name, phone number and, if possible, the phone number of your “applaudee” so we can contact him or her.)
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