‘One bag of clementines. She cried, and I fought back tears.’: Woman shares the power of giving, urges others to pass on kindness

“One bag of clementines. She cried, and I fought back tears…

Today, I had the opportunity to pass on a gift I received many years ago: a bag of clementines.

Clementines are so cheap! How could that be a gift? Well…

Years ago, I didn’t have money. I mean I REALLY didn’t have money.

It feels weird writing about it because there are people, probably reading this, who I could have asked for help…and I didn’t.

But anyways…I had a food budget of $25/month, didn’t have savings, and was too proud to ask for help. I was in school and trying to keep up good grades on an empty stomach and a battered mind.

I remember one day very clearly:

I was crying in the hallway. I was burnt out. One of my professors saw me, comforted me, and the next day asked me to stay after class. She had a bag of clementines and a mini Winnie the Pooh bear for me.

I went home, cried happy tears, and made those things last!

Today, before grocery shopping, I saw a woman with a sign: ‘Left abusive home. Need help.’

For some reason, this lady and her sign hit home. Breast cancer has taught me a lot about asking for help and the broken system we live in.

So what did I do? I got this woman a bag of clementines!

She was shocked, and I saw the tears in her eyes. She kept babbling about the nutritional value of fruit vs. what she usually eats, and I told her the basics of my clementine story.

Suddenly she’s crying, and I’m fighting back tears.

I’ll be honest; I did not expect that reaction, from her or myself, but I’m grateful for this experience and wanted to share.

Always remember: you never know what a difference you could make in someone’s life.

Some gifts are cheap but 100x more meaningful and impactful than expensive things.

My old professor has no idea how much she helped me. I had no idea what would happen when I bought the clementines. Maybe someday that lady will pass on the story or a bag of clementines to someone else.

So…please, pass along a bag of clementines for me, share stories of goodwill, support, and community, and be good to one another.”

This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Liz L. You can follow her journey on Instagram.  Submit your own story here, and be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, and YouTube for our best videos.

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