Last year, on a quiet afternoon at home, I cleaned out my daughter’s closet and got rid of things that were too small for her. A lot of parents do this: they grin as they hold up small dresses and blouses and then carefully arrange them in a pile to give away. It wasn’t just clothes; it was a part of who we were. She wore the small overalls to the park, didn’t take off her pajamas in the morning, and danced in the sundress for hours. But she had grown up, like all kids do, and it was time to let her go. I chose to give them away so that another little girl who needed them may use them again.
I put up a short ad on the internet saying I was giving away some toddler clothes that had been worn but were still in good shape. They were for a girl who was two or three years old. A woman wrote me a private message within a day or two. What she said was nice, polite, and true. She said that things weren’t going well for her right now. She mentioned that her daughter didn’t have a lot of things that fit. She didn’t say much, but the way she wrote made it evident that this wasn’t just about clothes. This was about a parent who was having problems taking care of her child and everything else at the same time.
She told me to mail her the clothes because she couldn’t pick them up or didn’t have time to come get them. At first, I wasn’t sure what to think. I had never met her before. She lived somewhere else, and there are many stories online about people who got great discounts. I thought about what she said for a long time before I decided whether or not to answer. Then I thought about how hard it must be to trust that security should mesh. Hy… in… in… in. dop… to to… as that to it thated. of, it. of are must is, it flutter, it and are are, the that is, that is, it that is, that is, that is, that cannot is, is, that is, that is, that, that is, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, are the only things that can be said about this.
The only thing that can be said about this is that mesh is a kind of fabric formed of threads that people use to manufacture garments. Only socio-political issues may be made stronger. The only thing that can be mentioned about Leasehold shoulder is that it is a form of shoulder that is utilized to create clothing. They don’t do it very often. I didn’t care if I never heard from her again; just the thought that those clothes would aid someone was enough.
I spent my time putting everything in the box, washing and folding each piece. I also gave him a small gift: a teddy bunny that my son had never liked but that was in great shape. I wrote her a note by hand to let her know I was thinking about her and her daughter and that I hoped things would get better soon. I paid for shipping and sent the box on its way, knowing that I would get nothing in return.
Weeks went by. Then it turned into months. Things became busy again, which happens a lot. The memory of the box faded. It would come back to me from time to time, usually in the middle of the night, and I would worry about whether or not it had gotten there. I was a little afraid that I had been fooled, but I always came to the same conclusion: it didn’t matter. If there was even a small chance that the girl would get something warm to wear, the gift was worth buying.
More than a year later, a package appeared at my door. I didn’t expect anything at all. I didn’t ask for anything. I didn’t know how to send it back. I will always remember the note and the printed pictures that were included. The same woman had written to me months previously. Her writing was tidy but a little wobbly, like someone who had taken their time to get the phrases just so.
She said she cried when she opened my package. She and her daughter were living in temporary housing and had trouble making ends meet at the time. The garments came on time. She was thrilled to see how her daughter react when she tried on the clothes. She noted that the silky pajamas were quite comfortable and that her daughter loved the cute bunny, which had become her favorite sleep friend.
She shared images of her child that showed her smiling, playing, and full of life. I remembered folding the red sweater she was wearing in one of them. My daughter wore the same polka-dot outfit in another picture that she wore to her third birthday party. Her mother said that the clothes not only kept her child warm, but they also made her feel cherished, cared for, and significant. The gesture made her feel like she wasn’t completely alone in the world, even when things were horrible.
As I read the letter, I felt a lot of different things, like thankfulness, humility, and amazement. I hadn’t done anything strange. I had just decided to be kind, trust someone, and agree. But that was really significant to her.
That package is now one of my most precious items. I put the letter and pictures in a box of memories, and I glance at them from time to time to remember what matters most. That event showed me that even small things we do, like giving someone a box of clothes, writing them a note, or trusting them for a short time, can have effects that we may never fully comprehend.
It made me think about how you don’t always need proof of kindness. You don’t always have to do something; sometimes you just have to trust and let things happen. And every now and then, kindness comes back to you in the form of a thank-you, a hug, or a surprise.
