(I volunteer for our local museum during a popular traveling Sherlock Holmes exhibit. When it is slow, I will walk along with visitors and chat. I am walking with a young mom and her four-year-old daughter. They love the exhibit, and go to the gift shop. I am on a break and stop by the gift shop to say hi to the woman working the register.)
Little Girl: “Hey! You are the lady that helped us!”
Me: “Yes, I am. Did you find anything?”
(She shows me a handful of marbles, one in every color we offered.)
Little Girl: “What is your favorite color?”
Me: “I really like the teal ones.”
(She scampers away, and I don’t think much of it as I have these conversations with kids a lot. I am talking with the mom when her daughter comes back.)
Little Girl: “Here! This is for you!”
(She hands me a teal marble.)
Me: “it’s beautiful, thank you!”
Little Girl: “It’s a friendship marble. Now we’ll always be friends!”
Mom: “Little Girl and I are on our own. Her dad left us when she was born and I’ve been trying to make sure she has great values.”
Me: “You’ve done an amazing job! She is a real gem; I loved talking with you today!”
(I slip the cashier money to pay for the girl’s marbles, and when she is told her marbles are free, she tears up)
Little Girl: “Mom and I don’t have a lot of money; we saved just to come here!”
Me: “Well, in that case…”
(I refunded their admission and paid for it myself. I made sure they got two free passes for the museum for their next visit, and they came and saw me for the next exhibit. The little girl was just as pleasant as she was the first time. And the teal marble? She had it in her pocket, and since I carry mine in my purse, I had mine that day as well.)
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