There are always stories about difficult interactions with strangers, but positive interactions can be a bit more rare. That makes them even more special. TikTok user @whatsinthekoolaid recently took to the platform to talk about an encounter she had that has stayed with her. The post has 508,700 views and 2,766 comments.
@whatsinthekoolaid, who goes by Kaelin, begins by saying that the interaction happened when she was 18 and working her first job at a grocery store.
"On this one particular day, they had put me on register, and two really old ladies got into my line. By the way they were talking to each other, you could tell that they had come into the store together, but they had two separate transactions. They were so sweet and giggly and old and talkative, and I can't remember what we talked about, but I scanned the first lady's groceries. She cashes out, she pays, she gets her cart, and she, like, kind of goes away from the register," she says.
Moving on to the second woman's groceries, Kaelin scans everything and tells her the total. But when the woman goes to look for her wallet, she can't find it. She frantically begins looking for it while apologizing for holding up the line.
"She was so confused and upset and, like, obviously embarrassed, because there's an entire (line). That's, like, a mortifying situation to be in. Like, I've been there before," Kaelin says.
The woman explains that she is there with her friend and does not actually live in the area. She also says that she will have to put everything back. However, Kaelin decides to do something for her.
"And I remember I just, like, looked at the total, and I was like, $27 and, like, whatever change. I was like, I know I have $40 in my bank account, and I don't get paid until the end of the week, but, like, this is worth it. So I was like, hold on, I got this. And I just, like, grabbed my card and swiped it and then handed her the receipt and I was like, you're all set. And she was like, what do you mean? I was like, I got it. It's already paid for. Have a great rest of your day. I really hope you find your purse," she recalls, getting emotional on camera.
Two weeks after the incident, the woman shows up in Kaelin's line again with a box in her hand. She gives it to Kaelin, who opens it to find a figurine of an angel inside.
"She goes, I'm 88 years old, and the last time that we saw each other, the day that I lost my purse, was one of the most embarrassing things that's happened to me in a really long time. I was an hour and a half away from home. I was there with my friend because my friend is the one who helps me grocery shop. I don't have any family left, so my friend brings me on one outing a week, and that's when we do all of our shopping. I use an EBT card to pay for my groceries, so I would have felt really weird asking my friend to pay for me, knowing that I wouldn't be able to pay her back with cash ... you made it so that I was able to eat that week, and I'm really grateful for that," she recalls the woman saying.
Kaelin recalls almost verbatim what the woman said to her next.
"'I spent a really long time trying to pick something out for you that would show you how grateful I was for what you did for me that day. And then I found this, and I picked it out because you were an angel sent from heaven,'" she says.
@whatsinthekoolaid a good customer story, for once #customerservice
♬ original sound - kaelin
The TikToker’s Act of Kindness Meant More to the Woman Than She Realized
Kaelin's story also resonated with viewers, with several users focusing on the fact that she chose to spend a significant portion of the money she had available to help a stranger.
"We're kinda glossing over the fact you said you had $40 in your checking account at that time. $27 was over half your net worth but you gave it to her with no expectations of being paid back," one user said of Kaelin's generosity.
"I'm gonna make u cry even harder but: you are personally carrying on her legacy. she said she had no family left which means no one else is doing it," another user said.
Others discussed how wholesome the encounter was and how it represented the kind of humanity they believe people need more of.
"You're genuinely such a kind human being. Im so glad you had this interaction," another user said.
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the details of the encounter, which were shared by @whatsinthekoolaid on TikTok.
