Image provided by Tim Mossholder @timmossholder from Unsplash

Today my sister and I took advantage of the warm weather and went on a walk around our neighborhood. We walked for about an hour and a half before we returned home. As we were approaching our house, I had asked my sister if she wanted to go to Wawa.

Going to Wawa is one of our sisterly habits, it's always a bonding experience. Due to Covid-19, it has been a long time since we have done this. So, naturally, she said yes.

We went into our home to grab masks, gloves, and wallets. We drove to Wawa and were shocked by the experience we had.

The two of us had walked in around the same time as another gentleman. This man was very funny, loud, most likely from New York somewhere (but who isn’t in Monmouth County), and extremely generous.

My sister Victoria and I were at the kiosk ordering food for ourselves and our mother. The gentleman was nearby waiting to order. As we were ordering, the man continued to make jokes with the workers and other patrons in the store. Victoria and I, loving his sense of humor, were laughing along with him.

All of a sudden, he came up behind us and said, “If you can tell me who is singing this song, I’ll buy your lunch for you”. Victoria blurted out the artist, not expecting this man to pay for our meal, but just to play along. He asked if we were “locking in our final answer” and we laughed nodding yes, then he walked away. The song was “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood.

The store was much quieter now and my sister and I had moved to the aisles to grab a few other things before paying. Little did we know, the man was waiting at the counter for us to pay for our items. We refused but he insisted, and it wasn’t just us he was so generous towards. Two women before us, and a couple of customers after us, he paid for everyone.

Grateful for this man’s kindness, my sister and I stayed to talk and thank him. He began to tell us a little bit about himself.

The man was very close to death a few years ago. He said he had gotten Lyme’s Disease and had been paralyzed. He said he had thousands of blood donors over the course of his illness that ultimately led to his recovery. He was out of work for three years and lost millions of dollars in lost business. His parents were no longer alive but, he was blessed to have a family of his own.

After telling us these things he began to give us a little life advice. He said, “for as much money as I lost, it doesn’t compare to the feeling of almost losing your life. I am blessed and grateful for my recovery and money is nothing, it doesn’t matter. I feel like I have tons of it now because why should we really care how much money we actually have? Just remember that money is not nearly as important as your life and your family. You’ll make whatever you lose back eventually, and if you don’t, you never really had it to begin with, so just keep living life regardless of the number in your bank account. Oh, and don’t forget to pay it forward!”

This man’s kindness and generosity left Victoria and I speechless. We felt undeserving of this moment and touched by his story and advice. We are truly blessed to have had this experience.

To the man from Wawa, may God bless you, your family, and your continued health.

To everyone else, remember that even during this pandemic there are still ways to lift up the spirits of those around you.

As our new friend said, “Don’t forget to pay it forward!”