Tea and Fruity Beer

This is the story of how we ended up drinking tea and fruity beer in the dark on a chilly night with recent arrivals to America from Bolivia…

 

But first, I should share a few more stories.

 

Today was the last day of the 2022 Kindness Yard Sale.  We had hoped it would just be last weekend, but the community was so generous with their donations that we didn’t even have enough space to display everything the first 2 days, so we extended one more day – today.

 

I don’t know if you have ever hosted a yard sale, but it is a LOT of work…  Hanging clothing.  Begging to borrow tables.  Setting things up.  Covering things when there is a threat of rain at night….

 

Now multiply THAT by, oh, maybe 60…  And THAT is the Kindness Yard Sale! 

 

People from all around the community donate, and boy howdy, did they donate this year!!!  We had every item imaginable (and some that were not even imaginable – chair socks??  Who knew chairs needed socks???).  And we had a steady stream of shoppers all 3 days of the sale.

 

It’s hard to put into words some of the magical moments that I was privy to witness.  But, since I believe that sharing those moments with you may inspire YOU to go out and be kind, I will try to write down some of the magic here (even though my feet are t-i-r-e-d, it is 10:30 PM and I haven’t eaten dinner yet, and I am imagining crawling up in my soft bed…).

 

Here is some of the magic I witnessed today:

 

Story one:  A neighbor messaged me and asked what I do with unsold items, was there a charity I recommend that they could donate a bag of shoes to?  Only, because it was so busy all day, even though I had my phone in my sexy fanny pack I wasn’t READING it, so I missed her message.

 

So, I think it was around 4:00 pm when someone walked up to me with a bag of shoes.  Thinking they were BUYING them, I said, “Oh terrific!  You found some great shoes!”.  And she said, “Oh, no, I was wondering if I could donate these?”.

 

My guard went up immediately!  We had so many shoes still displayed in the yard and on the porch!  And the donation window closed like 2 weeks ago!  “NO!” I said, probably a bit too forcefully, “We can’t take any more shoes, sorry!”.

 

But then she explained…  Her husband had had a stroke.  He had bought these amazing shoes at thrift shops with the plan of reselling them online at a profit, but that task was proving too difficult right now after the stroke.  He was, understandably, sad about that.  He wanted them to go to someplace kind…

 

“YES!  WE WILL TAKE THOSE SHOES!” I heard myself say.  And as I looked through a few pairs of them I saw that he was an excellent shopper – he had scored great quality and brands.  The sweet woman displayed them for me as I went back to assisting other shoppers.

 

I checked out 2 customers and noted that they had purchased these very late donated shoes…  And very shortly after the shoes had arrived…

 

And then I spied a man with his dog.  The man was handsome and dressed nicely.  “Excuse me,” I blurted, “I think I have some shoes for you!”.  I explained that there were some shoes that had just arrived, and I had a feeling they would be good for him.  “They are BRIGHT ORANGE,” I told him, as I explained where he should go to find them.  “Orange is my favorite color!!!” he said as he hurried off to see them.

 

A bit later he approached the check-out table.  “Did they fit??  Do you like them???” I asked anxiously.  He said that he loved them, but they were a tiny bit snug.  “Simple!” I exclaimed as he tried one on to show me, “Take off your socks!”. 

 

Problem.  Solved.  He was so happy to get those shoes!  In fact, he was heading to a rave tonight and was going to pair them with his ALL ORANGE outfit!  Talk about completing a look!  Kindness Yard Sale magic.

 

Story 2:  this one I didn’t witness myself, but as I turned the corner, the woman who HAD witnessed it was beaming and said, “You just missed an amazing act of kindness!!!”.

 

She explained:  A couple was purchasing quite a few items.  They lugged them to the check-out table, David leafed through them, then asked how much they would like to donate.

 

As sometimes happens, what they offered was very, very low compared to the amount they were buying.  David suggested a bit higher price, and the people stood there in silence, probably wondering what to do.

 

Then the magic happened…  A young woman standing nearby pulled out a wad of cash and handed it to David.  She PAID FOR THE OTHER PEOPLE’S ITEMS (on top of the small amount they had offered).  “Oh my!  That is very kind!” my friend told her.  To which the young woman replied, “Well that’s the point of this sale, isn’t it???”.

 

Ahhhh magic.

 

And not only THAT.  When the young woman was ready to check out with her own purchases, my friend who was volunteering said, “It’s ok, you have already paid” (referring to the money she had given for the other people’s purchases).  But the woman insisted on paying for her items as well.

 

I think this young woman’s mom was here with her.  If you are reading this, please know that your daughter is amazing.  She is discreet, respectful, and KIND.  You raised her well.

 

And finally…

 

Story three:   Yard sales are usually about getting the best bargain you can get, right?  Many shoppers have that mentality.  And yes, the Kindness Yard Sale is pay what you wish, will all donations going to Kindness Activist to spread kindness, but sometimes people offer ridiculously low amounts (like $4 for 3 garbage bags full of clothes (many of which are brand new and still have tags), handbags, and shoes…). 

 

So, on the 3^rd day of the sale, when the 200^th customer tries to pay almost nothing for items that are actually really valuable, it can get a bit tiring…

 

And that is what happened today.

 

Four adults, an infant, and a young girl shopped for maybe an hour or two.  They made huge, huge piles of items.  Furniture.  Clothing.  Shoes.  Toys.  And they kept adding and adding and adding to the piles. 

 

We had agreed on a price for the furniture, and I was trying to keep a little tally of a suggested donation for the other things as one pile became two became four became five…

 

But when it was time to check out with all of the loot, they offered far, far less than yard sale pricing.  They offered almost nothing for a VERY LOT of items. 

 

Luckily, a friend who is fluent in Spanish helped interpret as we spoke and I explained again that the money they donated would be used to help others, and could they offer a little bit more please, since what they were wanting was actually quite valuable.

 

Those moments are always awkward.  They don’t happen all that often (luckily), but when they do, they are not pleasant. 

 

The buyers added a bit more to the offer, we counter offered, etc.

 

We finally agreed on a donation (still far, far lower than the value of the items) and they started loading things into their car.

 

And loading.

 

And loading.

 

They had far too much to fit in their vehicle – let alone with 4 adults, 1 child, and an infant.

 

So, off the vehicle went with just the driver, to drop the things off at home, then come back for the rest and the people.

 

But home was not nearby…  And there was a lot to unload once they got home… 

 

So, they were gone for maybe 50 or 60 minutes.  During which time, the women sat, nursed a baby, and the little girl rode a scooter from the sale.

 

I admit, I was cranky.  They had paid their meager donation with a large bill and I had to make change – it just felt in “bad form”.  And then they sat around for an hour afterward…  I wasn’t feeling very kind.

 

The driver came back, loaded the car with the rest of their purchases, and, you guessed, no room for other riders again.  I told you they bought a lot!

 

Soooo, the women sat back down.  To wait.  Again. 

 

I knew that they had recently come to the US from Bolivia but didn’t know much else about them.  As it grew dark and became colder, I offered them blankets, which they gladly covered up with.

 

And then David, my sweetheart, flipped my kindness switch back on.  “I am going inside to make them some tea,” he said.

 

Yes.

 

Make tea.

 

Welcome these women.  These people who just arrived in our country. 

 

Out came the tea, and beautiful little plates he made of zucchini bread slices with strawberries in the middle. 

 

The women were delighted.  They sat and drank tea, and we joined them in the dark. 

 

We “broke bread”.  We learned about them – not a family (as I had assumed) but people who all just came to work at the Bolivian consulate.  Three had only been here one week, one for a month. 

 

We talked.  We laughed.  We struggled with language but got by.  One woman mentioned (in Spanish) that she wished she had a beer.  We know the Spanish word for beer, so David rushed in and served us all some beer. 

 

I gave them hints where to get groceries for cheap (Aldi), where to get small items at a low price (Dollar Tree).  They told us a bit about their country and their work and explained that what might cost one dollar at home costs $7 in America.

 

Our artist neighbor, Danyae, walked down and joined us, trying beer for the first time in her life!  “I always though alcohol would taste bad – this is much better than my expectation!” she delighted.  She is a Chinese refugee and she told our new Bolivian friends the importance of making friends in America and learned English.

 

The driver and vehicle finally returned.  But instead of rushing to pack up and go home, they stayed.  We talked and talked and talked.  “The museums here are free!” we explained.  “What is the name in English of this?” they asked about a bike helmet. 

 

They reminded me that being a stranger in a strange land is not easy.  That happening on a sale like the one they magically found today (they were heading for the zoo – how they ended up at our house is a mystery to me…) is kismet.

 

I gave them my card. 

 

We don’t know their names.  Not sure if they will ever contact us again.

 

But I hope they do.  They are welcome here.  Welcome in America, and welcome at the Big Yellow House. 

 

And THAT, my friends, is the magic of the Kindness Yard Sale.

 

(And THAT is the story of how we ended up drinking tea and fruity beer in the dark on a chilly night with recent arrivals to America from Bolivia…)

Selfie as the recent arrivals to America loaded up their vehicle the 3rd time :)