Posted on February 8, 2008 by Kathy McManus in All, Altruism Comments (2)
The Gift Continues
A couple of weeks ago, we told you about “The Gift”: a woman finds an envelope with $770 cash—lost by a frantic holiday shopper on the floor of a toy store—and takes it directly to the police.
When police return the money to the grateful shopper, the Good Samaritan thinks the story is over.
But it was just beginning.
After The Boston Globe ran an article identifying her, Anne Marie Weineck told us, her mailbox was soon overflowing with cards and letters from people across the country who had read about her good deed. Some sent cash, saying they wanted to “give something back” to her. Many thanked her for “paying it forward.”
“I didn’t know what the phrase meant,” confessed Ms. Weineck, an unassuming, 54 year old widow. Her kids explained it, but she couldn’t understand what the fuss was about.
Honestly, we asked her, hadn’t she been even the slightest bit tempted to keep the cash when she first found it? “Well,” Ms. Weineck said and paused, “I wanted a new TV. But I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if I’d kept the money.”
She wouldn’t even allow herself to keep the small gifts of money she was receiving in the mail—she insisted on sharing them with the woman who had originally lost the $770. “If it wasn’t for her dropping the money in the first place,” Ms. Weineck said, “none of this would have happened.”
Ultimately, in the whimsical loop of paying it forward, an anonymous reader sent Ms. Weineck something that would not fit in her mailbox—a new HDTV. Ms. Weineck is grateful. But this Good Samaritan made one thing clear to us: she’s a Reluctant Samaritan.
“I think I got too much attention!” she said. “If I ever find money again, I’m taking it to the police station and running out the door!”
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Good to a fault
The use of the title “Good Samaritan” brings to mind an interesting fact that many may have forgotten. The story of the “Good Samaritan” was used by Jesus to teach the religious leaders of the time that they had to look beyond the boundaries of race, religion and nationality. Too often we define groups of people in an attempt to define ourselves. “I’m a white middle class American male.” This only serves to alienate, breed hate and provide excuses to those that need justification for committing crimes. This woman demonstrated the principle that Jesus was trying to teach, specifically, that everyone is your family.
One Samaritan to another
I’ve been there. I was responsible for helping someone in thier time of need and stepped up to the plate like we were born to do, and I left without giving my name or any personal information about who I am. I believe we have a purpose in this life…. to help others when we are called to do so. This woman showed her true spirit… giving the money back to the other woman and not accepting anything in return. That’s the way it was meant to be. If we all did that we would see a chain of events happening across the world… people giving back and karma taking care of the rest. Remember the old addage: What goes around comes around… Reap what you sow… Give and it will come back to you 50 fold…This woman will reap the benefits for years to come for being a true Samaritan. I applaud her for it. My only wish is that others would do the same.