Pauline, a loving single mother and janitor, wanted to make her 8-year-old daughter Eve’s birthday special. She spent hours searching the flea market for the right gift, even though she was having money problems. Her eyes landed on an old-fashioned doll with a baby nestled in its arms.
Pauline was thrilled when she gave Eve the doll, and Eve was overjoyed. But while they were hugging, the doll made a strange cracking sound. Pauline looked around and found a secret pocket with a note inside that said “Happy Birthday, Mommy.”
Pauline went back to the flea market and found Miriam, the seller. She was confused. With tears running down her face, Miriam told the doll’s sad story. It was a gift from her daughter, who died of cancer.
Miriam told a very sad story about how she sold her daughter’s toys to deal with her loss. Pauline heard with compassion, and the two women became close because they had both been single moms.
Miriam went to Pauline and Eve’s caravan and brought them a package with three thousand dollars inside. “This is too much,” Pauline protested, but Miriam insisted, “A mother’s heart understands the pain of not being able to do enough for her child.”
Pauline, Eve, and Miriam became friends, which didn’t seem likely at first. Miriam found comfort in their company and slowly got over her loss.
We can learn a lot from this story:
Life can be changed by a helping hand. The support that Pauline and Miriam gave to each other brought them joy and comfort.
What makes one person happy can make another person sad. When Miriam saw the doll that made Eve happy, it made her think of painful things.
Share this story with others, sharing hope and kindness. Life-changing relationships can happen in the strangest places.
