That is so sweet. I'm sure it took a lot of courage to approach that woman. So nice that the woman could make this little girl happy and remembering her mom.

Nice to hear something so positive this morning. Thanks for sharing that, Jasdip. :)

That's a great story! Thanks for sharing it.

Loved it!

Sorry, I think that's very odd and creepy.

So how does that work, you walk out of the house with a pity note and a gift certificate, and then look for a stranger to confront? No thanks.

Possibly the Dad and daughter came into the store, saw the game, commented on it and they followed for a while, then Dad went to the service desk, asked for a piece of paper ...

... and either he or the daughter wrote the note ...

... and perhaps while she was writing it, he bought the gift card.

o j

Where's 'cynic' when you need him?

I could see a mom agreeing to include another child in the little game for a while. I can't see this becoming 'known'. I sure can't see where the gift card fits in.

She wasn't "included in the game" with the kids, she was just following along and playing along.

I don't find this creepy at all, she was just with her dad, and playing I spy as well and thinking of her mom.

It's not difficult to have a piece of paper and write a note and go to Customer Service and buy a gift card. You wouldn't do all this ahead of time, just to "find" someone to give it to. I think it's very heartfelt and very heartwarming. This mom was doing with her kids, what the girl's own mom used to do with her. Nothing wrong with invoking memories.

Snidely, your negativity never ceases to amaze me. This story brought tears to my eyes. How sweet that this little girl could play I Spy, along with that mom and her kids.

If the story is true, the father clearly had the best of intentions. But I don't know how the daughter might have felt. A lot would depend on her age, Iguess. I was a motherless child at 9, but that might be older than this girl.

I hope the mother gave the gift card back.

Did it end up on television? I wonder how that happened.

Ever notice how these "charlie do-good" stories always happen through a third party, i.e., newspaper, television or word-of-mouth, but never seem to happen to, or in the presence of, the OP? I think there's one born every minute, whoa, somebody else coined that phrase, not me! LOL

Linda, if you have a kid, how many times did you walk up to a stranger in a public place, give them a sob story and say that you'd give them money if your kid could play with his/hers for ten minutes?

The father couldn't play with his child alone? The child had no friends to invite over?

If someone had approached me in that way when I was out with my kids, I would have circled the wagons and taken off in a flash. That's weird, no other way to describe it.

I have a very upbeat and positive personality, linda. I try to offer counterpoints when I read things here that astound me. A different point of view or perspective. Conversations aren't interesting or informative when everyone is of the same view. If you want to shout Hallelujah after someone says something, that's done in church.

what? I really don't get it snidely. Kids are kids and don't have those weird preconceived creepy ideas you're putting off on them. She wanted to play along and so, she did. I remember playing "step on only the blue sqaures" at the grocery store when I was little. Guess what? I saw the opportunity to play, and I took it. So did she.

I've had total strangers come up to me and tell me how much they enjoyed my son and how he was interacting. So? Undoubtedly, the father also plays with her, and she has other friends too. It's not an all or nothing kind of thing.

He's obviously not all that afraid to get out there and talk to people, so he likely helps her do that too. I really don't see from where you're coming at all. The world is so much more open when you're a kid. I think they're on the right track. People are so kind and thoughtful and very willing to play along. Not clam up and live in their own world. If you are open to them.

Justlinda, you're right, this did not happen in the presence of me. I don't live in Windsor.

It WAS on our morning news show this morning, and was mentioned as a way to lighten everyone's day. Today is National Blue day, as that's when the credit card bills come in, we're still in winter with no immediate holiday, etc etc.

This was read on tv, so no, I did not witness it. Having said that, why on earth could this *not* have happened??? I've approached parents with small kids and have told them how well-mannered their kids are, or smiled at some antics.....just yesterday I commented to a mom on her very young daughter. Nothing pre-conceived, just a spur of the moment thing. As this particular story was.

A girl was reminded of her mom. That's it. Gees, so many nay-sayers, as usual.

This post was edited by jasdip on Mon, Jan 19, 15 at 17:40

That is a touching story Jasdip. I live in Windsor and I can tell you there are many people who do good things for others. The kid didn't ask the family to play along, the little girl just noticed and asked her father to do the same, even if she did ask to watch them play and it made the little girl feel better because it was something she did with her Mom. I can totally see the father wanting to treat those kids for giving his daughter a little bit of joy without them even knowing they did it.

People here really believe in the acts of kindness. Sure, we have our share of problems and horrible people but the good outweighs the bad and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

One day I had a take out purchase paid for by the woman in line next to me because she said a nice thing had been done for her and she wanted to pass it along. I myself have done the same thing. We are also a city know for paying for the purchase at the drive through for car behind you at our Tim Horton's coffee shops. One person leaves some money at the drive through window and it continues down the line. This has even made the news in the US a few times.

Here is a link that might be useful: Some good, some bad

It was the gift card that completely unsold me on this story. I was unsure up to that point, but that was the killer.

I could easily see a nice lady including another kid in her I Spy game with her kids -- but just because she's a nice person (and a mom).

I talk to kids -- and other adults -- in stores. I play Peek-A-Boo with cranky toddlers stuck in carts in check-out lines, etc. It's just a friendly hing to do.

A while ago I posted an incident that involved my adult daughter. She was on the phone with me while she was in Walmart and telling me that she had replaced one tire on her car and would replace a second one as soon as she saved the 70.00 it would cost. After we hung up she called me back about ten minutes later and told me a lady had approached her and handed her 70.00 for a new tire. Apparently the lady had heard my daughters side of the conversation and said she also had been a server and knew how long it would take to save that money. It does happen---there are people like that in the world. Satine

found this...

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.freerangekids.com/category/creating-community/

so it's an urban legend susanjf? Sounds like it since it's similar, yet, totally different. Even so, it's nice.

If you look at the comments on that article that susanjf posted, you'll see that they're all just from last week. To me it sounds like it's the same story that made it to the news.

Like the Maryland parents whose kids walk to school, to the park and elsewhere around town. The police were called and they're being investigated for neglect.

How sad, we could have been in child services or some such thing because we were allowed to walk to school alone, along a busy road, ride our bicycles anywhere we wanted to go, and come back in time for supper.

Tobogganing is taboo in many places for the safety of children. Everyone wants kids to sit in front of a computer screen. Not have any recreation at all. Sad world we live in.

rob333, not an urban legend, you can also find it on the link I posted which is the the site susan's post was referring to Spotted in Windsor.

Ok. Great!

Anybody making mountains out of molehills, here, possibly?

o j

some people just have no Joy in their hearts.....I'm sorry for you..!

I think it is great....I'm big on making memories with my kids, grand kids and grand kids.....and have been known to welcome in others.

Good grief.
Thanks Jasdip for sharing such a sweet and simple story. It made me smile.