A routine trip to the grocery store turned into a beautiful memory for a little boy and his mom.

While standing in the checkout line of a Meijer grocery store with her 3-year-old son Paul last Sunday, Kimberly Grandinette spent a few minutes chatting with cashier Kristen Clark. The Ohio mom shared that her family was going through a hard time — her infant son was in the hospital, and the sudden breaks in routine at home had taken a toll on young Paul.

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The 3-year-old then asked Clark if he could help her ring up their groceries. “She looked at my son and said ‘certainly’ and brought him behind the register with her,” Grandinette wrote in a Facebook post detailing the encounter. “She was so patient with him as she let him help her scan the coupons.”

Let’s just say this experience was mind-blowing for the 3-year-old.

“She made him feel like a million bucks. He skipped out of the store with a smile on his face,” the mom wrote. “Thank you, Kristen, for making my son’s day (and my day!) a bit brighter.”



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Clark’s kind gesture may have made Paul and his mom smile, but it didn’t stop there. Grandinette’s Facebook post has garnered more than 144,000 likes, 10,000 shares, and 3,600 comments on Mejier’s Facebook page since Sunday.

Clark’s parents were two of the proud commenters on Facebook.“That’s my wonderful daughter, I’m so thankful for her taking the time to make his day because that’s how she is and I’m thankful for you to notice. Happy holidays to you and your family,” wrote her mom, Diane. Added her father, Carl, “That’s my daughter. I’m am so proud of her. #prouddaddy.”

Clark, a community college student, was caught off guard by the attention the photo received. “It’s been crazy,” she told MLive.com.

But her action was not out of the ordinary for her. “I try to engage with my customers,” she said. “I like to get to know people, even if it is just for three minutes” as they’re checking out.

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The store touted Clark as an “incredible” employee. “This is another reminder that compassion and kindness go a long way,” Meijer spokeswoman Christina Fecher said. Because kindness is contagious. (Pass it on!)

Photo: Facebook





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