The day this happened, I had stopped at CVS to pick up a prescription and a couple of other random things. I wasn’t thinking much about the virus or the rush to the stores yet.
I had honestly been avoiding the news as much as I could because it was getting a little overwhelming and stressful, so I didn’t realize the gravity of what was going on yet.
I’m very confused, does toilet paper protect you from this virus? Is that why everyone is hoarding it? Am I supposed to be hoarding it? Can I sell it online? Should I ever leave my house again?
I was checking out today at CVS when an elderly man with a walker came in and asked if there was any toilet paper in the store for him and his sick wife. He just looked exhausted, as any person would be. He had been trying to find some all day. The cashier told him that unfortunately, they would not be able to supply it until the next week.
The poor man looked like he was on the brink of tears. I felt so badly for him that I offered to help him find some, I offered to drop it off if he wanted to go home. I walked him back to his car and found his wife waiting with a oxygen tank in the car.
It had taken him so long to get to the counter from the door and back to his car, I could just imagine the day he had been having.
It took me almost an hour to track some down for them. I hoped my little effort would at least make their day a little easier. I stopped at their house afterward and gave the man a call. He didn’t answer, so I rang his doorbell a couple of times.
No reply there either, so I left the toilet paper in a bag hanging from their door and called the man again and left a voicemail telling him I had stopped by and he was welcome to give me a call if he needed anything else.
About two hours later, he called me and thanked me for the help. He said his wife and him had fallen asleep when they got home from the long day. I made sure to remind him again that anything else he needed I’d be happy to run out to the store for and drop off just like I had done. I lost track of the number of times he said ‘thank you and God bless you’.
Remember this when you’re hoarding all of these products and remember to check on and make sure that those who have a harder time providing for themselves have everything they need to make it through the day.
All the love and kindness I have received because of this really reminds me that simple kindness can really change the world. I will continue to navigate through life this way, and if because of sharing my story one person thinks twice when they see someone in need, then I know I left the world a better place than I found it.
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This was written by Adam Lucas. You can find the original post HERE.
