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When I was little, I think about 7 years old, and my little brother was 5, we went to the store with my mom one day. As we were walking from the door to the produce aisle, my brother and I stopped to look at a huge Easter candy display. There was a big bin full of bags of jelly beans. I noticed that there were also some jelly beans just floating around loose in there; must've been a broken bag or two.
In my 7 year old brain, that seemed like free candy. So I took a couple of the jelly beans and put them in my pocket. My brother followed my example, and then we ran to catch up with our mom, who hadn't yet noticed we weren't right behind her.
On our way out of the store, one of the employees- a manager- stopped my mom. They had a whispered conversation a few feet away, and I watched my mom's face go from confused to angry. They talked a little more, and then the manager left my mom to come over to my brother and me.
She knelt down in front of us, and she said, "If you tell me what you have in your pocket, and give it back, I will trade you a quarter for it."
I knew I was in trouble then. I didn't want to tell her I had the jelly beans, and I thought about saying there wasn't anything in my pocket.
But I really wanted that quarter!
So I mumbled something about the jelly beans and the candy display and handed over the candy. My brother did the same thing. The lady took them, and then handed each of us a shiny quarter. Then she said, "People who are good and honest get rewards. If you had lied, you wouldn't have gotten anything but trouble. Do you understand?"
We both stared at her wide eyed, nodding our heads.
Sometimes kindness is nothing more than a valuable lesson.
In my 7 year old brain, that seemed like free candy. So I took a couple of the jelly beans and put them in my pocket. My brother followed my example, and then we ran to catch up with our mom, who hadn't yet noticed we weren't right behind her.
On our way out of the store, one of the employees- a manager- stopped my mom. They had a whispered conversation a few feet away, and I watched my mom's face go from confused to angry. They talked a little more, and then the manager left my mom to come over to my brother and me.
She knelt down in front of us, and she said, "If you tell me what you have in your pocket, and give it back, I will trade you a quarter for it."
I knew I was in trouble then. I didn't want to tell her I had the jelly beans, and I thought about saying there wasn't anything in my pocket.
But I really wanted that quarter!
So I mumbled something about the jelly beans and the candy display and handed over the candy. My brother did the same thing. The lady took them, and then handed each of us a shiny quarter. Then she said, "People who are good and honest get rewards. If you had lied, you wouldn't have gotten anything but trouble. Do you understand?"
We both stared at her wide eyed, nodding our heads.
Sometimes kindness is nothing more than a valuable lesson.
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