Early on Monday morning, blogger and mother-of-three Rachaele Hambleton shared a heartwarming story to her Facebook page.
Rachaele wrote about standing behind a woman at the checkout of a supermarket waiting for her to finish her shopping.
She says the woman’s card declined and that though she counted her coins she didn’t have enough to cover her groceries.
The woman “was mortified,” Rachaele, who runs the blog Part-Time Working Mummy recalled.
“I overheard her ring her ex and whilst attempting to whisper she asked why he hadn’t paid her maintenance in again,” she said.
“Her tiny baby began screaming. She became more flustered.”
Rachaele says she told the cashier she would cover the woman’s shopping and handed over her card.
“She tried to stop me, told me she didn’t know when she would be able to pay me back and she offered to put all her items back – items such as Aptimil, nappies and wet wipes.”
“I told her not to worry, I told her it was fine, I didn’t want the money back and she left the store looking broken and ashamed.”
Rachaele says when she and her husband left the supermarket they fought over the money she had given away.
“He told me we too were living in our overdraft, we had five mouths to feed, bills to pay & I needed to realise I couldn’t save the world,” she wrote.
Two years later Rachaele received a heartwarming email.
“I doubt you will remember me,” the email started, before the woman wrote: “A few years ago you and your husband paid for my shopping when my debit card declined at the till.”
“You had no idea but that day you saved my whole world,” she continued.
The woman disclosed that the day before the shopping trip she had been put on anti-depressants after attempting to commit suicide.
“My husband walked out on me, our 6-month son, our marriage and our home,” she wrote.
“Now I’m ok, I’m off meds, I have my career back and a beautiful home – and I’m raising a king.”
“Forever grateful, keep doing what you do, you’re saving worlds,” she said, after asking for Rachaele’s bank account details to pay her back.
Rachaele shared the email, writing: “If we show more kindness, more love and support to one another then surely, it can only make the world a better place, and after receiving this email last night I reckon I’m doing it right.”
She finished the post with, “Tash, I don’t want the money back, go buy yourself a big bottle of wine for being an absolute legend.”
