Most people aren’t looking to strike it rich when they hold yard sales, and keep a healthy expectation to make a decent amount of cash. Unloading unused goods that are just sitting around collecting dust can be a source of satisfaction to sellers.

Yard sale shoppers on the other hand, can show up with a variety of personalities and expectations. They can be eager, friendly and sweet, shrewd, patient, or thrifty. You just never know who’s going to show up to your sale. One woman certainly did not expect to feel the way she did when she hosted her yard sale.

She posted her story on the “Love What Matters” Facebook page, where users can share moments that celebrate kindness, inspiration, love, and life lessons. So this woman – who we’ll call Yard Sale Lady – was running her sale, interacting with customers and people-watching.

A little girl around age six was there with her mom, perusing some items when she spotted a pink Disney princess TV set. Yard Sale Lady overheard the girl ask her mom if there was a way she could earn money so she could buy the TV herself. Her mother responded that she couldn’t afford it right now, and gave the girl peck. She didn’t beg, whine, or throw a tantrum, but instead just said, “It’s okay, Mommy.”

The yard sale host was very impressed with little girl’s behavior, and she caught bits and pieces of what else she said:

“I watched them carefully pick out items they needed and count their money to the penny as they did. At one point they were picking out some dishes and the little girl said how pretty she thought the dishes were, how nice it will be not only having one cup and one bowl at their new place anymore, and…how lucky they were.”

As they continued to browse, the girl would steal a glance here and there at the TV. When the mom and daughter came up to pay, our yard sale host would not accept the money. The mom became emotional:

“Tears filled her eyes as she thanked me, told me how much it meant to her, and that I had no idea how much I was helping her right now. Then she asked, ‘but why?’ I said, ‘I sense that you are going through something right now, and I don’t need to know what that ‘something’ is.

But you obviously have not let it deter you from being an amazing mom, and you are raising a wonderful, beautiful, joyful, polite, little girl.’ She confided that they had fled an abusive situation with only what she could fit into a duffle bag for them both. She had saved just enough money to get them into a small one room apartment. She felt blessed, lucky. They were safe.”

Moved even more after hearing that, she gave the mother some large trash bags and told her to take whatever else she needed, but the mom was hesitant to accept:

“I told her, ‘We all go through hard times. This is a season, and seasons pass. When this season passes for you, you can ‘pay it forward’ to someone else.’ And then, yes… I quietly asked her if I could give her little girl the Disney Princess TV. I know, I know….y’all saw that one coming, ya? Lol.”

She and her husband sent the family off with pillows, blankets, an inflatable bed, and some other items. It gave her so much joy to see that little girl’s face light up.

“My heart is full knowing that precious little girl and her mom have full tummys, clean pajamas to put on, a ‘bed’ to sleep in, pillows under their heads, blankets to snuggle into, and maybe even watched some TV.

What they probably don’t realize, is that they blessed me far more than I blessed them.”

If your eyes aren’t full of tears right now then perhaps you should reread this story. If they are, just let it out. Neither of these women expected this to happen at the yard sale that day, but got much more than they bargained for. This is a fine example of what love and community looks like. Share the love!

What are your thoughts on this story? Can you recall a time when you needed help and received it unexpectedly? Have you ever been “Yard Sale Lady” before to someone?