FALMOUTH, MASS. (WHDH) - A deserving Veteran got a sweet surprise at a grocery store in Falmouth over the weekend when a stranger paid for his groceries.
The stranger initially helped 94-year-old Joseph Reihl put his groceries on the belt, but then took her kindness one step further when the Reihl forgot his wallet.
Reihl went to Shaw’s Sunday afternoon to stock up on groceries. His daughter, Alicia Reihl, says a woman asked him if he needed a hand in the checkout line.
“She saw him starting to put some stuff on the conveyor belt and she asked him if he would like her to help him, and he said ‘If you have the time, that would be very nice of you,'” Alicia said.
Once the food was packed in Joseph’s cart, he went to pay and realized he forgot his wallet. The Good Samaritan then decided to pay for his groceries, telling Joseph she wanted it to be a gift to him.
“He was just amazed,” Alicia said. “He couldn’t stop smiling, almost with a tear in his eye.”
Alicia says her father is deserving of this random act of kindness, as he served as a major in the Korean War and is always doing nice things for people. She hopes this random act of kindness will encourage others to pay it forward.
“It reinforces the love and kindness that we should all show in any amount,” Alicia said. “It doesn’t even have to be moneywise, just be kind to people.”
Joseph believes his groceries cost almost $200 and the woman refused to let him pay her back a dime.
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