I cried at Walmart

If you know me in real life...you know that I'm a cryer.  I've come to grips with my free-flowing waterworks, but I still hate crying in public because I feel like I don't do it pretty.

Is there anyone that cries pretty?

Anyway...

Max and I were browsing through the toy aisles at Walmart looking for some gifts for my nephews.  There was an old gentleman working next to a huge bin of teddy bears.  Max spotted them from a distance.  My boy loves anything squishy  and soft, so we did what we always do...

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I give the bear to Max.

He hugs it...kisses it.

I tell Max to say goodbye to the bear.

Max waves and we're off.

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It's worked every time, so we stick with it.

We continued our shopping in a few other areas of the store.  About 15 minutes later, we were heading to the front to check out and I saw the old gentleman walking toward me with a cart...

...with the bear on top.

He stopped me and said that he had been looking all over for us.  He handed me the bear and $10 to buy it.  He gave me a smile and said, "Have a Merry Christmas."

Cue tears.

What a sweet memory that man made for me.

I'm so glad, I thought to take a look at his name tag.  His name is Bill, so that's what we named the bear.

Meet Bill the Bear.

Isn't he ridiculous?  Definitely nothing I would ever buy for Max, but I love him.

I love him because every year when we get him out with all of the other Christmas decorations, I will get to retell the story - the story of kindness and the joy of giving to others.

Thanks, Mr. Bill.  I've got $10 ready to pay it forward.