Hershey Bars

He asks, “Who are you?” I place my hand into his; it is warm and smooth to the touch as I say, “Karen”. He says, “I’m Denny.” I tell him that it is a pleasure to meet him as I squeeze his hand just a little and look into a set of eyes rimmed in tears but clear and alert.


These past few weeks have been pretty frustrating and difficult at work and today hasn’t been much different. I texted a friend this morning to see if she could meet me for lunch but it just wasn’t going to work out. I got into my car at about 11:30 and headed down to one of the local strip malls to stop in Rite-Aid to get a few last items for Christmas and then over to Taco Time for lunch.

I grab a cart when I see that they have a Blow Up Santa Snow Globe on display and it is 50% off. I run through the isles getting all the small items I wanted; a number of small bottles of lotion for my mom to give to her friends, some Barbie and Hot Wheel Band-Aids as stocking stuffers for our adult children (stockings are for fun), another box of Christmas cards for my mom to hand out (that will bring the count up to 125), and some Chapstick. I go to the check out counter, pay for my stuff and am starting to push my cart out the front door when I hear the man behind me telling the clerk that he didn’t have anyone to buy a Christmas gift for him so he was going to splurge and buy himself one. I turn around to see this gentleman probably about 80 years old in his worn plaid flannel jacket holding two boxes of Hershey chocolate bars. I take another step and then I realize what it was that I heard.

I put my cart aside, walk back to the register and tell him that I would like to buy him a Christmas present this year and handed the clerk some cash. “Why would you do that”, he asks and I tell him that Christmas is about giving and I just want to bless him. That is when I got to meet Denny.

After a brief exchange of Merry Christmas I see those around us all smiling and I need to quickly leave as my eyes are now brimming with tears.

Denny I want to thank you for making my Christmas just a little Merrier.