Black and White Surprise

Shortly after my aunt and uncle got married in 1986, my aunt informed me that they had "a black and white surprise" at their house. She didn't elaborate, but it set my imagination running. What could it be?

The next time I visited their apartment was when I met Alley. She was a beautiful kitten and a fantastic feline cousin. My human cousins Annika and Andréa were born later, and they grew up with Alley. I wrote this poem October 20, 2004, shortly after their beautiful cat left us at the age of 18. She lived a good long life and brought a lot of joy to everyone she met.

Alley
1986 - 2004

They had a black and white surprise
What could it be?
A new piano? An episode of Lucy?
Perhaps a figurine set upon the mantle?
Or could it be...?

A black and white kitten!
A surprise and a joy
She pranced and pounced
She stood on her hind legs
As her front paws reached for that yarn

She purred and she played
A house became a home
As she welcomed new family members
The black and white surprise grew into a beautiful cat
As she played with a newborn baby, and then with a toddler
Soon came another baby
And the black and white surprise
Mixed her meows
With the children's joyful coos and squeals of glee.

She was there for all
A joy and a comfort
Always ready and willing to sit on a lap
And be lovingly stroked

And the black and white surprise grew old
As she napped in the yard
And purred on folks' laps
Always a joy
Always a wonderful, loving cat

But her health began to fail
She could no longer run and play
And one day she closed her beautiful eyes
For the last time

There she lies
Those sparkling eyes closed forever in sleep
And we can only remember
An adorable kitten, playful and sweet
A young cat, generous and loving
An aged and wizened feline, majestic and kind

And as always,
A black and white surprise.

Generosity and Advocacy

In late 2001, the world was still reeling from 9/11. I had a temporary position in September, which ended sometime after that. As finding a job has never been a particularly simple task, I was wondering if I needed to take more classes to gain more skills. I had majored in French at Seattle Pacific University, but without a skill to go with it, there's only so much you can do with a language degree. (Don't get me wrong, I'm very thankful I took French, and it has come in useful! I have endeavored to keep it up in more recent years.) One day as I was leaving our local WorkSource, the local state-run centers where we can go to get assistance with the job search, someone was at the door handing out flyers for Business Computer Training Institute (BCTI). This intrigued me, as I have enjoyed computers, going back to the 80s, and most corporate fields involve computer knowledge to some degree. I looked into it and enrolled. The first half of the program involved studying computer programs, such as Word, Excel, Access and others, as well as skills in interacting with customers and colleagues, learning to train others, research, business letters, and more. I was recognized as Student of the Month at one point. The second half of the program involved the more technical aspects of computers, such as learning about the inner workings of the computer, as well as HTML and basic graphic design (just enough graphic design to get a taste of it and realize I loved it, but not enough to get a job in it...I would return to school in 2011 to get more in-depth design training). 

During my time at BCTI, I formed new friendships. That was also when I had a terrifying experience driving into the sun. But that's another story. Back to the friendships. The particularly memorable ones for me were Ofa, Belinda, Cliff, Michelle and Josh. I'm still in contact with most of them to some extent (or back in contact). I completed my studies there in 2003. In 2005, the school abruptly shut down, taking everyone by surprise. Students and employees arrived for work and class, and the doors were locked. It was a blow to everyone, current students and alumni alike. Many of us have mixed feelings about having gone there due to the nature of its abrupt closing, but personally, I am thankful for the skills I learned and the friends I met who have challenged me to be a better person.

Picture used with permission

One such friend was Belinda. She and Ofa hung out together. When we finished the first half of the program, Ofa made a Hawaiian shell necklace for me. At least for a while, I lost track of most of them (though not all). With the advent of Facebook and other social media a few years later, I got back in contact with some of them. I maintained contact with Michelle and Josh. In more recent years, I got back in contact with Belinda over Facebook. By this time, she had several children. I also got back in contact with Cliff after she reconnected us. She has always been one of the kindest people I have known, but she has had a difficult life. She has taught me a lot about kindness and patience in the face of racism and other forms of bigotry. I admire her advocacy and huge heart for racial minorities, LGBT and other marginalized communities. With her Asian and Latina heritage, she has experienced racism against both groups. She has actively worked with several organizations to provide food and other important stuff for many people who need it. She is one of my heroes.

A couple years ago, I posted a prayer request on Facebook because I was trying to get to sleep, and sleep wasn't coming. I was getting a bit desperate because I needed to be alert the following day. By posting, I was only asking for prayer and good thoughts. But Belinda messaged me and asked if I would like some tea to help me sleep. I was touched by the gesture. She ordered some from Amazon Fresh for me. In order to get up to their minimum, she also ordered other groceries that would be useful. They showed up on our doorstep the following day. I was overwhelmed. I have been able to return the favor a couple times since then.

Due to the COVID pandemic, Belinda's upcoming wedding would be in her backyard with only a few in attendance, and broadcast live on Facebook. I was invited to attend virtually, which I felt honored to do. I watched online and toasted the happiness of Belinda and her new husband:

Belinda also introduced me to a new friend named Michelle (different Michelle from the one mentioned above), who has a similar huge heart for assisting and advocating for others. She is also an amazing cook, and I have bought sweet potato pie from her two years running, for Thanksgiving. She also makes fantastic pumpkin bread. If you need either of those and live in the area, I highly recommend talking to her. 😀

It's people like Belinda who make the world a better place. She is a constant encouragement to everyone around her. She has had a very difficult life, but she has overcome many obstacles to enrich the lives of everyone she knows.

Zaphenath-Paneah

Joseph is one of my heroes. His story in Genesis has always fascinated me. He went through so many difficult trials, but he held on to his faith, however distant God sometimes seemed to be. He was thrown in a pit, sold into slavery, falsely accused and thrown into prison for years for a crime he didn't commit, and so much more. Through all of it, he clung to the hope that God would save him, and he was attentive when two servants of the Pharaoh, and later the Pharaoh himself, needed their dreams interpreted. He rose from prison to become Zaphenath-Paneah, Pharaoh's second in command, and he saved the nation of Egypt and his own family from a severe famine. He also forgave his brothers who turned his world upside-down.

Growing up in the Philippines has given me a perspective of living in a culture different from my parents'. Joseph was a third culture kid (TCK) like me, though our experience was obviously different. In some ways I can identify with the adjustments in being a part and product of the culture where I live and also that of where I'm from. Where even is "home"? One thing that gets me is a detail that I think is often overlooked... When Joseph was confronting his brothers as governor, he was speaking Egyptian, working through a translator. They had no idea he could understand them. He didn't speak to them in Hebrew until he revealed himself to them. The story evokes strong emotions for me, and I wasn't even there. I think one of the saddest parts of the story is that even though Joseph forgave his brothers, they never forgave themselves.

I wrote this poem October 10, 2010. In researching, I learned a few things:

• Zaphenath-Paneah is the anglicized spelling of the Hebrew approximation of his Egyptian name. Thus, scholars disagree on the exact meaning of his name. Here I used three possibilities from different scholars, in italics.
• It is likely that the -ath in his new name was the hieroglyph ankh (ቶ), the Egyptian concept of life, immortality and more. 
• I knew the meanings of some of the names, but I learned more when researching. In the poem, most of the italicized bits are the meanings of people's names. Joseph = "may he add"; Jacob = "he grasps the heel"; Potiphar = "one belonging to Ra"; Benjamin = "son of my right hand"; Moses = "drawn from the water"

I searched for more information on this painting,
but couldn't find any information on who painted it.
If anyone knows, I would love to credit the artist.

A dreamer of dreams

A boy with a promise of a bright future
Brothers bowing before him
Father and mother paying homage to their son

Joseph bar-Jacob.
May he add to the son of he who grasps the heel.

A young man hurled in a pit
Ripped from his parents
Sold and taken to a foreign land
A slave in the captain’s court.

Joseph, slave of Potiphar.
May he add to the one belonging to Ra.

Framed for a horrible crime
Thrown, innocent, into prison
Interpreting dreams for his fellows
Forgotten by the one released.

So much promise, dreaming, love
Such pain, betrayal, anguish
Forgotten for years
Wallowing in prison

Ankh slowed to a boring and endless crawl
God seemed silent and distant
Where was the hope of release?
Why such betrayal and slander?

Brought before the Pharaoh himself
New dreams to interpret
Seven years of plenty
And seven years of famine

And so Joseph, son of Jacob
Slave of Potiphar
Prisoner of Egypt
Received a new name.

Zaphenath-Paneah.

“The god sees, and he lives.”
Through all of it, God watched
God trained His child through love,
Through pain, through trials.
God saw Joseph, and Joseph lived.

“A revealer of hidden things and an opener of things to come.”
A man who, with the help of God, could reveal the meanings of dreams
Who foresaw his ascent, an execution, a restoration to service,
Seven years of plenty and seven years of famine.

“One who furnishes the nourishment of life.”
Suddenly pardoned and made governor
Stored wheat to preserve Egypt through the famine
Nourished and saved millions of lives.
One who so recently yearned for greater ankh
Suddenly named as one who provided ankh

****

Brothers who lived with the guilt of selling their brother
For all they knew, he could be dead
But just to be sure, they had killed a goat
And smeared the blood on their brother’s coat
Bringing a fictional tale of woe to their heartbroken father

Famine in Canaan
Few crops and dwindling herds
News of a surplus of grain saved up in Egypt
And so ten brothers left their father’s house
Leaving the youngest behind
And traveled to buy grain
From the exalted Governor of Egypt:
Zaphenath-Paneah.

Framed for spying on Egypt
Cringing in fear before the wrathful governor
Thinking the Egyptian governor could not understand,
They cried out in Hebrew
Regretting their treatment of their brother and father
And they wondered why the exalted Egyptian Zaphenath-Paneah ran out of the room in tears.

One thrown in prison while the rest were sent home
To bring their youngest brother
And prove their honesty

And so came Benjamin to Egypt
The imprisoned brother freed
And the son of Jacob’s right hand framed
For stealing a priceless golden cup.

Terrified brothers fell at the feet of Zaphenath-Paneah
In fulfillment of a dream, bowing at his feet
Begging to spare the life of their brother
And keep their father from dying of grief

And so the great Zaphenath-Paneah told all his servants to leave
The brothers wondered what was about to happen
When the interpreter, their only means of communication,
Walked out of the room.

And so for the first time, the great Zaphenath-Paneah spoke to them in Hebrew
And gave them news that filled them with wonder and fear
God heard, and Joseph was still alive.
God sent His child to reveal what was to come,
To preserve the lives of Egypt
And of his own family.

And so the children of Israel flourished and became a great nation
They lived in Egypt for 400 years
God saw them, and they lived
And God sent a new child, drawn from the water
To bring His children back to Canaan
And with them came the sarcophagus
Of Zaphenath-Paneah.

Photo taken at the
African Burial Ground National Monument,
New York, by Sean Ghazala
Public Domain

A Professor's Generosity

Hérouville Saint-Clair, Normandy, France (near Caen), August 1999. My study abroad program was going great! I was with a group of students from Seattle Pacific University and Wheaton College, with professors from both schools, in conjunction with the Jacques Lefêvre Institute in France. Our fearless leader was the head of the political science department at SPU, who taught a course in "Modern French Thought." The French classes were split between a teacher from Wheaton and a local teacher who was studying at the Sorbonne in Paris (which has a long history going back to the time of Thomas Aquinas).

Église Saint-Étienne
Caen, France

I was in the advanced French class taught by the excellent Dr. Grosh from Wheaton. This is not about my classes, but that is important.

Partway through my time there, I came down with some serious pain in my feet. It was bad enough that the leaders contacted a doctor who made a house call to the Cité Universitaire (student lodging where we stayed and held classes) for the Université de Caen. We went into a room where the two professors assisted. I was able to describe my situation and symptoms to the doctor in French, and Dr. Grosh helped to translate as needed when the MD asked me questions and gave me the diagnosis, as I wasn't as skilled at medical terminology. Dr. Grosh also assisted when I didn't know a word here or there. The MD prescribed medicine and other things I needed to do. Among those was wearing sandals to allow my feet some air. I hadn't brought any sandals, so we went to the local Carrefour, where I got some very comfortable ones. Carrefour is a chain of shopping malls throughout France, and I believe it's in a few other European countries.

On a boat on the mouth of the Seine
Between Honfleur and Le Havre, France
(I'm on the right)

I give this sculpture in Honfleur
a big thumbs-up!

Due to the issues with my feet, I missed our group's excursion to see the Bayeux Tapestry, but there was still a lot of walking that would be happening, particularly once we got to Mont-Saint-Michel and Paris later in the adventure.

The sandals were a huge help (along with other treatment). As Dr. Grosh and I were talking later, somehow the subject of me not having a lot of money came up. I don't recall how that even came up, and I wasn't asking for anything in mentioning it, but she told me that she and her husband had decided to give me "a small gift" to help with souvenirs in Paris. I was overwhelmed. Their "small gift" involved reimbursing me for the medical expenses and the price of the sandals!

Mont-Saint-Michel
(I need to go back so I can take better pictures)

The trip would have been an amazing adventure and memory whatever happened, but it was so much more amazing that I was able to walk everywhere without so much pain! Mont-Saint-Michel is an absolute must on any visit to France, but it involves a lot of walking, as the streets are narrow and winding, uphill and downhill.

Giverny is another important place to visit. This is me on Claude Monet's bridge that he painted several times.

Paris was very amazing, and it involved a lot of walking. I think the next time I did that much walking around one city was when I went to New York last year.

But it would not have been nearly as enjoyable or inspirational without the unexpected and generous gift from a teacher who continues to inspire me 24 years later.

Next question: How in the world is that 24 years ago this coming August?!

On the towers of Notre Dame
Some nice British tourists took my picture.
It was refreshing to be able to talk to someone in English!
😀

Standing on the Arc de Triomphe
with the Eiffel Tower in the background

Seven Astronauts

Tomorrow marks the 20th anniversary of the horrible disaster in the skies over Texas, when seven lives were lost in the Space Shuttle Columbia while re-entering our atmosphere.

I wrote this poem February 2, 2003, the day after it exploded almost exactly 17 years after the tragedy with the Space Shuttle Challenger. I still remember where I was when I watched the Challenger explode on January 28, 1986. Both explosions were deeply traumatic, and both included members who made history, not just in the explosions, but in breaking glass ceilings and paving the way for astronauts, explorers and scientists in the future.

Space Shuttle Columbia tribute poster
Graphic design credit: NASA/Amy Lombardo.
NASA publication number: SP-2010-08-163-KSC

Seven children once gazed up at the stars
And wondered what it was like up there.
Over Israel, India and the United States,
The skies looked down on them
Seeming to call to them

Seven children grew up
Dreaming of what they would do
They became pilots, doctors, scientists, colonels

They watched in horror
As the Challenger blew up
Shortly after takeoff
Not knowing that they would one day
Suffer a similar fate

Seven men and women were accepted by NASA
To explore the heavens
To conduct scientific experiments

Seven families and three nations
Watched in awe as the spaceship lifted off
They dreamed of their fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters
Up there in the skies
Houston got reports of their findings
Scientific knowledge advanced
Until the communication stopped

Seven families waited at Cape Canaveral’s landing strip
Eagerly awaiting their loved ones’ return
They did not expect their joy to turn to tears
They did not expect to hear news of the Columbia
Exploding over Texas
Scattering all over the largest continental state in the US

Seven men and women were lost that day
Seven families learned that their loved ones
Would not be returning
Seven families suffered the same pain
As seven other families
Seventeen years earlier
Three nations lost their sons and daughters
The first Israeli and the first Indian in space

Lost.

Why did this happen?
How?
Praise the Lord
He can do wondrous things
He can work through tragedies
Who knows?
Perhaps this was the tragedy
That will cause many lost souls
To consider where they will go
Maybe people will be saved for eternity
Because God used an exploded space shuttle
And seven lost lives
To bring them to Him

May God have all the glory!

The crew of the Columbia
David Brown, Rick Husband, Laurel Clark,
Kalpana Chawla, Michael Anderson,
William McCool, Ilan Ramon
Photo by NASA

Disaster in the Skies

January 29, 1986 in the Philippines, January 28 in Florida. I was in second grade at the time, and my mom taught kindergarten at our school in the Philippines. I usually hung out in her classroom before and after school. The launch of the Challenger on its tenth mission had been at 12:38 AM Philippine time (11:38 AM the the day before, EST). I believe it was before school that we were to watch the historic launch. My mom said, "Let's go see the spaceship!" I was excited because spaceships and astronomy have always fascinated me. At the time, the entire elementary shared an Audiovisual (A/V) Room, where classes went when lessons involved movies. (I remember watching Back to the Future at a sleepover in that room in 4th grade, two years later.) We ran from her classroom to the A/V Room, where teachers were gathered to watch the launch at Cape Canaveral. Excitement turned to horror as we watched this projected on the big screen:

Photo by NASA, Kennedy Space Center

Christa McAuliffe was the first teacher and the first private citizen to join a space mission, as part of the first Teacher in Space Project, and it was a huge deal. As I was in second grade, I don't remember a lot about the aftermath, but I do remember running to the Audiovisual Room, and standing in horror as we watched the unthinkable disaster unfold. It is a moment I will never forget.

It's hard to believe this year marks the 37th anniversary of that awful disaster.

The final crew of the Challenger
Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Greg Jarvis, Judy Resnik
Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Ron McNair
Photo by NASA

NASA Orbiter tribute poster for the Challenger
Graphic design credit: NASA/Lynda Brammer.
NASA publication number: SP-2010-08-162-KSC

Ridiculous Roy

We had an assignment in middle school English class to write a poem of couplets. I was having a case of writer's block until my mom suggested that I write about something unexpected, like a boy who carried a teddy bear everywhere. I named said teddy bear after Garfield's buddy. At the time, I was under the false impression that "cerebellum" and "asylum" were a near rhyme. Sometime later, I discovered I had been mispronouncing "asylum" for years. Bless my heart.

Image from: Kraken images

Ridiculous Roy had a teddy bear.
He carried it with him everywhere.

Pooky went with him to the bank and the store
To church and to school, to work and much more.

When he was young,
it was very fun.

His father said to 9-year-old Roy, "Roy, sell your stupid bear!"
"Aw, Dad," he said, "Let me take him to the fair!"

When he was 13, his classmates called him "Sissy",
But he and Pooky were much too busy.

In high school, his teachers tried to take it away.
He just took Pooky out to play!

His bride was embarrassed when the three marched up the aisle.
She hoped he'd get rid of Pooky in a while.

At the intersection, everyone would stare.
How odd to see a policeman with a teddy bear!

What a job! They were tired.
Because of Pooky, Roy was fired.

Acting was their new job.
Roy played Chickeño; Pooky played Bob.

Something was wrong with Roy's cerebellum.
He was sent to an insane asylum.

There they died and shared a mansion in Heaven.
The château was manor number one hundred seven.

With Pooky, Ridiculous Roy was married.
With Pooky, Ridiculous Roy was buried.

Thoughtfulness and Artistry

Imagine if you will, a youth group room. One of the youth leaders asks a teenager, "What's up?"

Without missing a beat, the teen responds, "The ceiling!"

People who know me well may assume I was the teen in question. They would be wrong. I was present, however. With a beaming smile, I gave my good friend Mio a high five and said, "I knew you were awesome!' I was another of the youth leaders, and I like to think I trained him well. (I can't say that for sure, however. It may have been a "Great minds think alike" moment.)

Mio

Steven Sauke, 2016

Adobe Illustrator

Back up a bit. In 2014 my grandpa visited Activate, our church's youth group, who also welcomed youth from other churches. He spoke of memories of going forward at a summer camp when he was 10. After his talk, we took a group picture, and our very talented main youth leader did something I never saw anyone else do over the course of my life. She managed to talk my dignified grandpa into making a goofy face in the middle of a crowd of teenagers for a picture.

As a pastor for many years before retiring, my grandpa had a heart for reaching youth. He loved and prayed for them. That evening endeared a 98-year-old man to a group of teens. They were present at what I believe was the last time he spoke before a group. He would write a letter to each of them a few months later.

As the weeks went on, Activate met weekly, and as a new leader, I got to know them. One evening a student by the name of Emilio, or Mio for short, came up to me and offered to draw a portrait of my grandpa. Mio usually carried a sketchbook, and also sometimes drew amazing artwork on the whiteboard, which never ceased to blow me away. I like to think of myself as an artist, but my drawing ability is nowhere near as good as his. He has an incredible talent. Anyway, a couple weeks later, Mio presented me with an amazing drawing:

I can't begin to express what his thoughtfulness meant to me, and to our entire family. My grandpa lived at an adult family home at the time, and I posted it on the wall of his room along with family pictures. I had to describe it to my grandpa, as he was nearly blind by this point, and I had to shout to be heard, to explain that this was drawn by Mio, one of the youth in Activate. I also told one of the nurses, in case my grandpa asked about it later. It was so tough to see my grandpa going through this.

Christmas of 2014, Activate celebrated with a white elephant gift exchange. As much as I love gift exchanges, I'm not a fan of the one where everyone gets a number. The first person opens a gift. The second person has a choice of claiming the first person's gift or opening a new one...and so on. Gifts can only be claimed from someone else once or twice, but as long as it's eligible to be claimed, the person who has it must let the other person take it, and may not reclaim it. I selected a gift and opened it to discover a calligraphy set. It was very cool and I was excited about it. Mio's turn was a few rounds later, and he walked up to me to claim it. I don't remember what I got instead, but what I do remember is that after the gift exchange was over, he came over and handed it back to me. I was so surprised and deeply moved. It was the last thing I expected.

In May of 2015, our family was gathered around my grandpa's bed when he took his final breath and was ushered into glory. Activate had planned to visit him, but he didn't make it to the scheduled date. The way Activate rallied around us and supported our family through that difficult time meant the world to us. At his memorial, I read my grandpa's eulogy. Mio was in attendance.

At one point, Mio invited me to a track meet at his high school. I felt honored to attend.

In 2016, I did the illustration at the top of this post of him, using a picture I took as the background.

In 2019, we met and caught up, and took a walk. It was great to see him again. We got some pictures:

Mio is a dear friend and brother in Christ. More than almost anyone I know, he exemplifies 1 Timothy 4:12: "Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." Despite being about half my age now, he has challenged me to be a better person, to practice my art, and to be more thoughtful and generous toward others. I was one of his youth leaders, but I feel like he has taught me a lot more than I taught him.

The Two Seasons

Some of the most stunning natural beauty and the most violent weather I've ever encountered have been in the Philippines, where they only have two seasons: dry and rainy. The palm trees, the sunny beaches, the coral reefs, banana trees, and so much more, are breathtaking. Both seasons are necessary, and both have their drawbacks. 

The rain floods the rice fields, which is important in growing it. Tropical downpours are much stronger than anything I have encountered in the Seattle area, where I live now. It is like standing in the shower. At times, we had to deal with flooding. The wind can get very violent. We had some friends who lost their roof in a typhoon once. With the combination of rain and wind, we learned to move beds and anything else away from the windows when there was a typhoon in the forecast. Thunder can be loud and last a long time, and the lightning lights up the entire sky. The rain, wind and lightning are an awesome force, and are both amazing and terrifying. They can cause a lot of destruction.

But once the rainy season is over, the weather is a lot more calm. The sun beats down. The tropics shine, and the beauty is dazzling. But with my fair skin and red hair, I had to be very careful, as I also got some serious sunburns. The rice fields dried out and cracked. During the dry season, they looked like a desert.

Both seasons are warm year round, as the Philippines is just north of the equator, but it gets a lot hotter during the dry season. We were shivering when it dipped down into the 70s.

I wrote this sonnet in high school as part of an assignment in English class.

travnikovstudio/Adobe Stock

The sun is shining bright

Over the beautiful land of the Philippines
It is such a sight
With an array of gorgeous scenes.
The sea is sparkling light
And the beach cannot compare
While the birds in their soft flight
Soar on the wings of the air.

Rainy Season is here.
The rain falls in torrents
Lightning strikes and thunder claps, causing fear,
And making the little birds tense.
In five months, the rainy season will be over and done
The Philippines will once more know the sun.

Michael/Adobe Stock

icemanphotos/Adobe Stock

Kindness in a Bookstore

It's the age-old question. Well, one of the many. You find the treasures in the store that you can't live without (figuratively speaking, of course), get up to the counter, and discover...how are you going to pay for everything?

That was the issue I faced one day while shopping at my favorite Christian bookstore at our local mall. I had cash with me, but when I got everything up to the counter, they totaled it up...and it was more than I could pay right then. What would I have to eliminate? There was a line behind me, so I had to decide quickly! So I decided I didn't need that really cool t-shirt I wanted. Maybe I could buy it next time. 

Kraken Images/Adobe Stock

I was disappointed that I wouldn't be able to get it at that time, but it wasn't a huge deal. Just as I had resigned myself to having to forego buying it, the man behind me in line said, "I can pay for that." 

Once I got over my shock, I asked him the first thing that came to mind: "Will I need to pay you back?" I wasn't sure how I would do so as I didn't know him (and that was before I got my first cell phone), but I felt I had to ask. He assured me I would not need to pay him back.

So it was that I left the store with everything I had been planning to buy, and the kindness of a stranger to thank for it! I never did find out his name, and even if I had, I doubt I'd remember it now, but that small deed was a major encouragement for a teenager.

You never know what impact a simple act of kindness will have to encourage and inspire people. That man taught me that, and continues to inspire me.