Lifted Up By Strangers

I'll never forget the handful of times I had to swallow my pride and hit up the food pantry.

But one time that still gets me is when they hooked me up with a massive 20-pound bag of shredded cheese - the kind you'd find in a restaurant.

It was massive, and took over my entire fridge. And to top it off, they threw in a fancy-ass cake and a ton of other good food.

My son’s eyes almost popped out when he got home from school and saw the cheese in our fridge. We laughed and laughed; it was so random and weird to have that much cheese, but we felt like we'd hit the jackpot.

But what really stuck with me was what the pantry worker said: 'Most people complain about what they get, but you... you're actually thankful and said thank you.' I was taken aback. I'd never been more grateful for anything. I couldn’t image not feeling thankful for the free food.

And that's something that's stuck with me to this day. I know what it's like to be down, but I also know what it's like to be lifted up by strangers. And that's a lesson I'll never forget.