Dalai Lama Foundation Study Circle Montreal

In the line behind me was the sweetest lady who was quietly searching through her wallet to find the money she needed to purchase the seven or eight items she had in her cart. I imagined she probably lived on a limited income and might benefit, even just a little, from having her groceries paid for her.

I turned to the cashier and said, "Go ahead. Run her items through. I’d like to pay for her groceries."

My children, aged twelve, seven and three, quietly watched what was going on.

"I can’t let you do that," the lady said.

"But I just did," I replied. "Have a great day!" And then, smiling, I walked with my children out the doors.

As I walked away, I heard her ask the cashier, "Did he just pay for my groceries?"

"Yep. He just did."

The act of paying for the groceries wasn’t the best part.

The best part was answering all the questions from my children after my three year old said, "Daddy, why did you buy her groceries and then leave ’em there?"

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