We've all gone through some tough times in our lives, and sometimes it really makes us re-evaluate what we're willing to do in order to survive. Whether it's being let go from your job, losing someone you love, losing where you live, or going through a health crisis, we end up having to do what we can in order to make sure we're able to keep going.
Take, for example, the story of Alabama mother Helen Johnson. A welfare recipient who has to feed her two daughters, one niece, and two grandchildren on her monthly check of just $120, Johnson encountered a legitimate nightmare situation when her check was lost in the mail.
After two days without food, Johnson went to her local Dollar General with only $1.25 to try to buy eggs. Discovering, to her horror, that she was 50 cents short of the tax, she slipped 5 eggs into her pockets and tried to sneak off with them. This was less than successful, as one of the eggs broke in her pocket and exposed her to the store.
She admitted her theft to the store, who had already called the police. However, when Officer William Stacy arrived on the scene, it lead to something nobody expected; an act of kindness instead of an arrest.
Stacy seriously went above and beyond the call of duty...
Stacy had actually met Johnson once before on a visit to her house, where he was shocked at how poverty-stricken the family was (he recalls that they all slept on mattresses on the floor). So, when the store owners opted not to press charges, he decided to help out the grandmother, who was in tears over what she'd done. He paid for her eggs, asking just that she promise never to shoplift again.
However, Stacy's generosity didn't stop there. A few days later, he and another officer brought Johnson to their station, where she was given food, toys and clothing that they and many well-wishers had donated to help her and her family.
The officers also set up a fund at People's First Federal Credit Union in Tarrant, with all the money donated from people all over the country being given to Johnson and her family. When asked about the incident, Stacy simply said "I felt like it was the right thing to do. I didn't want to pass judgment on her."
If there's anything to learn from Stacy's example, it's to help each other out instead of condemn one-another.