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Editor's note: Anonymous Thank Yous is a website that allows people to submit notes of gratitude to strangers who anonymously gave service. Michael McCarlie, its founder, contributes every other Wednesday. SALT LAKE CITY — Jane shared a story with anonymousthankyous.com about a particularly stressful day with her three young children. This is what she wrote:
"I get the, 'it looks like you have your hands full' comment and look often. This particular day was indeed one of those days. Managing three kids under 5 years old (with) a husband that works out of town during the week can be tricky. It was a hard day and I took my kids to Jamba Juice so they'd have something to drink while we were getting our car washed.
"As I was getting the kids into the car, I felt a particular need to rush. The car that pulled in next to me was waiting for my minivan door to close so they could open their door.
"I wasn't trying to be judgmental but my immediate assumption about the young, hipster, tattooed couple wasn't necessarily positive. I assumed they'd be annoyed at me, the frazzled mom. I assumed they'd think I was crazy for attempting my outing. So I rushed to buckle my kids and rushed out of my parking spot.
"As we got to the car wash a few miles away, I realized my wallet was nowhere to be found. I became more and more frantic, as I tore the car apart. I started crying as I realized I'd left it somewhere between Jamba Juice and the car wash.
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Flying is such an uncomfortable experience and tray tables are precious real estate that no one likes to share. Alison shared a story about a young man who did just that."I called Jamba Juice. No luck. I called my husband for advice. We decided I should go back and see if it had fallen somewhere around my car at Jamba Juice and the employee just didn't see it. I figured they didn’t care, that they wouldn’t look hard enough.
"Frankly, I was a mess. It was the last thing I needed to have on my plate — canceling credit cards, getting a new license, standing in lines while covered in babies — just the thought brought me to tears again. On top of it all, I had just received birthday money, so I had over $400 in cash in my wallet, something unheard of but ironically part of this already nerve-wracking situation.
"I went back to the Jamba Juice and began my search. I asked the employees again if they had seen anything. Nothing.
"As I was talking to the employees, I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned. It was the earringed, tattooed young man who had pulled in next to me. He smiled and said, 'here is your wallet. We have it for you. We tried to chase you down and when you didn't see us we hopped in the car and tried to follow you to find you. I was just looking you up on Facebook to try to contact you. We knew you'd be so worried and didn't want you to be stressed.'
"We talked for a few minutes and he told me when he saw my wallet on the ground outside my car as I pulled out his heart sank. He knew I was frazzled and knew that one more thing would be hard. He wanted to make sure I knew he cared. I offered him and his girlfriend a reward. They refused. They said they couldn't believe how happy it made them to be a part of someone else's miracle.
"I cried and said a silent prayer of thanks. The couple grinned from ear to ear. This wasn't just about finding a wallet; it was life-changing. I look at the world differently because this couple showed me that outer appearance has nothing to do with our hearts. And these two have hearts of gold."
Anonymous Thank Yous: Have you ever wanted to say thank you for something a stranger did? Tell us your story at anonymousthankyous.com or follow along at Facebook and Twitter.
