Sometimes you’re in the right place at the right time. And if it’s kindness and concern for others that gets you to that place, it’s easy to see how the universe might be rewarding you for your good deed.
The moral of this fable about a little girl who tried to help her family cover their medical expenses shows us that sometimes all you need is the will to help others.
Seeing good deeds tends to make those who witness them want to do good as well. And that’s precisely what happens in this fictional story when the little girl takes her piggy bank to the pharmacy to try and buy a “miracle.”
Follow along with the story text below.
Secret burdens
Tess was just 8-years-old when she heard her parents talking about her little brother, Andrew.
It was all a bit confusing, but she understood that her brother was very sick and her parents were completely out of money.
Since her father couldn’t pay for the house anymore, they were going to move into an apartment. Andrew was going to need a very expensive surgery and no one would loan them any money.
Listening to her parents, Tess heard her father with desperation in his voice. He whispered to her mother and said, “Only a miracle can save him now.”
The will to help
Tess ran into her bedroom and pulled out her piggy bank. She poured all of the change onto the floor and counted it very carefully.
Placing the coins back in the glass jar, she ran out the back door and began making her way to the closest drug store.
Tess stood at the pharmacist’s counter, eager to get his attention, but he was too busy talking to someone else to notice the little girl. She huffed loudly, scooted her feet on the ground to make noise, and cleared her throat – still, nothing. So, she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter.
The pharmacist finally looked over.
“What do you want?” he asked in an annoyed manner. “Can’t you see I’m talking with my brother? I haven’t seen him in a very long time!” “Well, let me talk to you about my brother,” Tess quipped back. “He’s really, really sick and I need to buy a miracle.”
“I beg your pardon?” the pharmacist asked.
“My brother’s name is Andrew and something bad is growing in his head. My daddy said that only a miracle could save him and I needed to know how much a miracle costs,” Tess explained.
“I’m sorry but we don’t sell miracles here,” the pharmacist said with a little more sympathy in his voice. “But I have money,” Tess continued. “If it’s not enough, I can get some more. I just need to know how much.”
The right place at the right time
The well-dressed brother of the pharmacist, who was listening the entire time, leaned down and asked her, “What kind of miracle does your brother need?”
With tears in her eyes, Tess said, “I don’t know. I just know he’s really sick and Mommy says he needs surgery. Daddy has no money, so I want to use my money.”
“And how much do you have?” asked the brother.
“A dollar and eleven cents,” Tess replied. “And that’s all I have but I can get some more.”
“Well, it’s a funny coincidence,” the man said with a smile. “One dollar and eleven cents is exactly the cost of a miracle for little brothers. Take me to meet your parents and your brother, let’s see if I have the miracle you need.”
Tess grabbed the man’s hand and led him to her home.
As it turned out, the well-dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neurosurgery. He offered to do the surgery free-of-charge and Andrew was able to recover at home.
Buying a “miracle”
Tess’ mom and dad spoke of that miracle.
“I wonder how much that surgery would have cost us?” the mom asked. “It was truly a miracle.”
Tess just smiled, knowing it had cost exactly $1.11.
We all experience hardships, but we also experience miracles – they’re just harder to see if we focus on the negative. Miracles can be big or small – and just $1.11. You just have to look for them.
***
You see, by trying to help her brother – even with what little she had – Tess put herself in a position to benefit from another person’s kindness.
How often do you do the same?
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
