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July 16, 2005

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As I was riding around the country, back in 2002, I took a detour through part of Mexico and rode down to Topolabampo, where I took a ferry over to Baja. While I was waiting for the ferry, I decided to take a ride around the nearby town of Los Mochis. While riding I pulled up behind this small pick-up. It had a full load of people in the front, with a woman and what appeared to be her young daughter in the back. The little girl was just having a wonderful time as we waved back and forth to each from traffic light to traffic light. Then, at one light I reached into my bag and pulled out a little, purple, fluffy stuffed bunny out. One of many that I always kept a stock of. I threw the toy into the back of the pick-up, whereupon it landed directly next to the little girl, startling her. But after she looked around and found it, she grabbed it, hugged it tight and gave me the sweetest and biggest smile I think I've ever seen.

Through the next several traffic signals it was cute as she was trying to tell me something. I could almost read her lips as it seemed that she said, "Gracias" over and over again. Then she looked up at her mother who was saying something to her, turned her attention back to me and I could read her lips again as she was saying, "Thank You".

At another light I turned one direction as the pick-up went another, and we waved goodbye. 

As I rode around the country I kept a stockpile of these little $1 stuffed bean-bag toys that I gave out to any children I could find. One of the other neat moments was a time that I was riding through Newfoundland. I had stopped at a turn-out, looking over a beautiful lake. A large RV pulled up and a family came out to admire the view. After a few moments I reached into my bag and pulled out two little stuffed animals and walked over and handed them to the two small children. The little boy and girl took them, looked at each other and ran back into the RV. I was a little puzzled at their actions and turned and went about my viewing. A few moments later the two children came back out with big smiles on their faces and a handful of other toys that they wanted to show me. Their parents, speaking broken English through their strong German accents, told me that the kids were so happy that they just had to show me that their other stuffed toys now had some new friends.

Yeah, its the little things in life that make all the difference.

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