Today, I got to change someone’s life.

I was at the grocery store – the Kroger on South Main – taking my time grocery shopping.  I’ve gotten somehwat obsessed with couponing lately, and so I’m really detailed abou the prices that I read, and making sure that I have everything organized the way that I should.

I was trying to use a coupon – $1 off 2 packages of any Nabisco snack cookies.  I get to the aisle and realize that Oreos and Nutter Butters both fall under this category. I’m. So. Pumped.

I look up – the Nutter Butters are just a little bit out of my reach.  Ever the persistent one, I try to reach it anyway. Unfortunately I also have a package of Oreos in my lap – I look like a fat kid in a candy store – and that keeps me from really being able to sit up on my arm rest and reach the unusually high peanut buter cookies.

Right down the aisle, I hear a little voice – “Sir, can I help you with that?”

Never one to say no to some good help, I accept, and she immediately comes and reaches the cookies for me. What surprised me the most, though, is that I quickly realize that this girl was easily no older than 10 years old. And instead of staring, instead of just being a bystander, she made the effort to go out of her way to help me. Most younger kids are curious, but not outgoing enough to ask the question of whether I need help, or even more, what happened that caused me to be in a wheelchair. I was impressed, not only because of her caring nature, but because she was so young.

The best part was the impression I could tell I was making on her. As with every single Actively Caring bracelet I’ve been able to gift someone, you can always tell how they were just trying to help – and didn’t really expect anything, at all, in return.

I love receiving help from people who are younger than me, too. It really helps break down the stereotype, for both of us, that you can only help someone who you are older than, or mature than, or know more than. I think that’s silly. We all – no matter our age, background, gender, whatever – have so much to give each other. Whether its by way of reaching things because your’e an exceptionally tall 10 year old, or something else – we all have so much to give each other.

Back to the story though. Of course, I promptly traded her the Nutter Butter cookies for a green Actively Caring bracelet, and told her about the background to the program. I hope that, someday, I find out how she pays it forward. She seemed like a really nice, outgoing, and helpful young lady. We could use definitely more of that in the world.