No doubt, "Tis the Holiday Season". While many think of the plight of others throughout the year, the holiday season will bring out the best in us. We go out of our way for others, find ourselves opening doors for others, wishing strangers a Happy Holiday Season and generally get into the holiday spirit of giving.

I was in a jewelry store yesterday doing some shopping for my family. I have a long Christmas (which recently grew) due to finding my birth mother and siblings I never knew I had.

As I was browsing the counters in this small local jewelry store, a woman came in and made a beeline for the store manager. She was in her fifties and looked a bit in distress. She opened her pocketbook and pulled out a black velvet bag. As the contents of the bag tumbled onto the top of the glass case, I could see the look on the manager's face transform as the woman hands began to shake. The velvet bag contained a wedding ring, a pair of diamond earrings and small diamond pendant. I watched intently as the store manager moved toward the front of the counter in an effort to lean in closer. I watched as she laid her hand on top of the customer's and lightly patted her hand.

The woman's hands continued to shake. She was now in the process of imparting her story upon a total stranger. 

As more customers walked into the store, sales associates manned their sales stations. Every so often, a sales associate would walk up to the Store Manager with a question (and on such occasions) the Store Manager would raise her hand as if to say "come no closer". 

The instant bond that can develop between two absolute strangers is not uncommon. We often find ourselves connecting with those who cross our paths in life. In some cases, we can feel as though we've known that person all of our life. In others, we can become best friends within a matter of days. As many connect with their life partners (upon first glance), we can sometimes find ourselves finding that very same "connection" with someone we've never met before - within minutes of meeting them for the very first time. 

This seemed to be the case between the customer and the Store Manager. There was something much more taking place in this chance meeting between a customer and a Store Manager. 

After about ten minutes, the owner of the store entered the showroom and walked up to the Store Manager. A few (hushed) words were exchanged and within a minute, the store owner was now inviting the customer (with black velvet satchel in tow) into his office.  As he guided the woman into his office, he lightly touched her shoulder. I noticed that the store owner felt this customer needed more than just a few words of comfort, as she broke down into tears and her body shaked uncontrollably upon meeting the owner of the store.

I thought to myself that the owner did the right thing by removing the customer from the showroom, which was celebrating the Christmas Season by playing holiday music and displaying a Christmas tree, which soared 15 feet high into the rafters, all a glitter with thousands of twinkling lights. Yes, the showroom was a place, which makes you "feel" the holiday spirit. It was a place in which you wished they had some rich leather seating so you can sit down by the Christmas tree and sip a hot cup of chocolate. 

After about ten minutes, the customer exited the owner's office and he followed her out the front door. They exchanged a big hug, which seemed to last for over a minute. As the door to the van opened, he leaned in and grabbed the husband's hand as best he could. He hugged the woman one more time, handed her back her velvet bag and a folded piece of paper. She hugged him again before she climbed into the van and he just stood there watching, as the van pulled out of the parking space. After the van began to drive away, the driver and he waved at each other and he walked back into the store and headed for his office.

The store manager followed him into the back office and returned about five minutes later. When she returned to the showroom, she had a tissue in her hand and one can she had been crying. Seems this customer had left an indelible impression on both the store manager and owner. 

I had to know what happened. I surmised that the woman wanted to sell some jewelry. I figured that she needed money. I needed to know more.

I walked up the store manager and asked to see the store owner. I think she may thought "oh no, here we go again". She disappeared into the owner's office and returned within half a minute with the owner in tow. I explained to store owner that I wished to interview him for an article. He asked what the subject of the article was about and I informed him I was focusing on random acts of kindness. 

He invited me into his office, offered me a cup a coffee (which I gladly accepted). I crossed my legs, pulled out my pad and pen and asked him his name. He hesitated, told me his name but, said that he did not want the name of his store or name disclosed in my article. I agreed to not disclose his name or the store name/address. However, he gave me permission to state that the store was located in a suburb of Tampa, Florida.

I told him what I had witnessed in his store and simply asked him about the customer who he had just escorted out of his store. He told me she had wanted to sell her diamond wedding ring, diamond earrings and a diamond pendant. He had told her that they do not buy jewelry from the public, as they are not licensed to buy and resell and/or operate as a pawn shop.

He asked her why she needed sell her jewelry. She had told him that her husband had recently survived two strokes and a heart attack. They had no insurance, were three months behind in their rent and had no money for food. She needed to sell her wedding ring for food, gas and pay something (anything) toward their rent and electric bill. 

As I listened to him impart this story unto to me, I could tell that he was truly affected by this total stranger. I came to learn that he wrote her a check for $1000.00. He had her place her wedding ring back on her finger and watched as she deposited the earrings and pendant back in the black velvet bag. He told her that she did not have to repay the money back. Before she left, he took her name and telephone so that he could contact her with a job offer.  

I sat there dumbfounded, as I listened to the story unfold. I asked him why he simply wrote her check for the amount she needed to get caught up on her bills. He stated, "I don't know, it just seemed that I had to do something to help her. I knew I did the right thing when I walked her out to her car and met her husband. He could barely take hold of my hand and I just grabbed a few of his fingers and held on. He said something but, I could not make out what he said."

On December 1st I made it my mission to find "One Random Act of Kindness" and up and until December 8th, I had no luck in stumbling upon such an act. It took me seven days to find "One Random Act of Kindness" and I found it in the most unlikely of circumstances - shopping for Christmas gifts.

This got me thinking that if we all did just "One Random Act of Kindness" during this holiday season (and throughout all of our lives) what a better world we'd all be part of. I had asked the store owner if he could afford to simply write a check for $1000.00 to a stranger. He said, "right now business is a bit slow, as people are worried about paying their mortgages and we sell luxury items. We sell things people don't really need." 

I want everyone reading this article to know that the store owner had no clue who I was and that I write for an Internet Blog. In fact, as I placed my coffee cup on his desk, stood up and extended my hand, he gave me a hug and said "God bless everyone".