Mom Struggles To Buy A Slice Of Birthday Cake For Her Son, Gets Target And Gas Gift Cards From A Stanger

We all have our struggles, whether those would be health issues, psychological or financial problems. Some of us manage to get through the day on our own by some miracle, despite the hardships we face. But some play the game of life on higher difficulty settings. Luckily, there are still some people empathetic enough towards strangers to jump in and help if they see someone in need. That’s exactly the case with Bianca Garibay, who noticed a young mom, struggling to pay for a single slice of cake for her son’s birthday, and immediately knew she had to do something.

This woman saw a poor young mom at a supermarket, struggling to pay for a single slice of cake for her son’s birthday

Image credits: Bianca Garibay

Bianca Garibay was standing in a queue at a H-E-B supermarket in Texas when she noticed a young mom, struggling to pay for a single slice of cake. “She had a baby and a little boy with her, and she was buying a SLICE of a birthday cake with a pack of candles. The total came up as $5.57. She started looking around and pulled out 2 dollars, and then started counting out change. […] The mom said, ‘I just have to make sure I will still have $2 or so for gas.’ Her little boy replied, ‘It’s okay, mom. I don’t need a birthday cake. We just need gas so I can get to school.’ I could tell the mom felt completely defeated. She put back the candles. Everyone in line clearly heard and saw what was going on, but no one said anything.”

She then quickly grabbed a pack of candles, Target gift card and a gift card for gas and rushed out after the poor mom

Image credits: Bianca Garibay

Watching the scene made her think about her own mom, who struggled in the past while raising her and her brother, but never let it show, and shielded her kids from it instead. Feeling inspired for kindness by this memory, she grabbed the candles, a Target gift card, and another gift card for gas, and ran outside after the young mom, saying “Ma’am, you dropped something”. After the mom shook her head, saying she wishes it was hers but it sadly wasn’t, Bianca told her “Yes, it’s yours. It’s yours because I got it for you. I want you to take this Target gift card and get your son a birthday present. I want you to take this gift card and put gas in your car. Fill the whole tank. I want you to take these candles. And when your son is about to blow them out, I want you to make a wish, too.”

She did all this after remembering how her own mom struggled to raise her and her brother, but never let them know

Image credits: Bianca Garibay

Bianca said she has never seen anyone so grateful before in her life. “Everyone has the ‘not my problem, not my business’ mindset. Slowly, along the way, we have forgotten it takes a village to raise a child,” she added. After their heartfelt exchange, Bianca left the woman her phone number, asking to call her if she ever needs anything. Instead of a call for help, she receives the following text.

Bianca later received a text full of sincere gratitude

Image credits: Bianca Garibay

“Kindness to me is simply about putting others before yourself. Kindness is making the smallest gestures to make the biggest impact on someone’s life. Kindness is saying, ‘I’m here for you, even if you feel alone.’ Kindness is simply smiling at someone and letting them know you see them, even in this hectic world. It’s simply acknowledging your neighbor and letting them know you’re there.”