Self-care is an absolute MUST. Especially if you’re a parent or a caretaker. Taking a moment out of your day to relax, let go, and do something that is just for you is absolutely necessary for maintaining your mental health.
That thing you do for yourself can be as simple as taking a bath or listening to some music.
Gainsville, Florida mother of four, Erin Bennett, likes to light a scented candle when she relaxes and has her me-time so she made sure to put one in her cart during a trip to Target.
Though her candle time means a lot to her, she always pays for the items that are for her children and family first and this time she didn’t have enough to pay for her candle.
However, a stranger’s act of kindness would make sure that she had that special time for herself. Bennett explained in a post on Facebook that a stranger paid for her candle and told her it was because she “deserved it.”
That stranger had no idea that she had a rough week and used her scented candles as a way to soothe her postpartum depression.
That’s why the gesture was all the more special to Bennett. Her post thanking the stranger and pledging to pay it forward got more than 4,000 shares on the Loves What Matters’ Facebook page.
Here’s what she wrote in her post:
“To the man in line behind me at the Gainesville Target, who saw that after hitting my grocery budget limit I decided to put back my Pumpkin Spice candle and the makeup I had picked out,
You didn’t know that I always save my stuff for last and usually end up putting it back. You didn’t know that the two fussy kids I had with me, were only two out of four.
You didn’t know that I have postpartum depression from the youngest babe and that I use scent as a way to boost my mood.”
“You didn’t know that this week has been full of sick kids, parent-teacher conferences, emergency dental visits and I was so looking forward to lighting that candle at nap time and just taking a minute to relax.
Even without knowing that, you saw me. You saw me as a human, not just the mom in front of you that was distracted and going way too slow. You heard me say that I’d like to put those items back and you said you were getting them. You didn’t take no for an answer. You told me I deserved it when I started to tear up.
You Sir, are the good in the world. You made my day, probably my week, and I WILL pay it forward. Thank you so much for your kind heart and words.”
Inspired by Bennet’s post, many people on the Love What Matters’ Facebook page shared similar stories about beautiful acts of kindness they received. You can read them in the comments on the post below.
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