ALVIN, Texas – An Alvin, Texas mother is hoping a stranger’s act of kindness inspires others to be kind, too.
Holly Grimet went to Kroger in Alvin Saturday to pick up her daughter’s birthday cake. When she tried to pay for her cake, the bakery staff informed her it had already been paid for.
“I said, 'Wait, like somebody that I know, like their grandmother or something? And she says, ‘No, they left a note,’” said Grimet.
The handwritten note reads:
“My son Nehemiah would have been eight years old today. I want to remember my son by doing good to others. I hope you enjoy your child’s cake, and I hope your day is special. Hold your baby a little tighter today, watch them as they play, be patient with them, kiss their sweet little hand, and tell them how much you love them. Our children are such special gifts. I hope your day is beautiful. Much love from me and my angel in heaven to your family.”
Grimet said she went back to the store to try and learn who paid for the cake. Bakery workers told Grimet they do not believe the woman is a regular shopper. They described her as “beautiful," and someone they would have remembered seeing before. She did not leave her name or number.
The mermaid, chocolate and vanilla cake that the stranger paid for was a huge hit at the swim party for Grimet’s daughter, Eva. Her daughter is the same age as the stranger’s son would have been.
Grimet said it is painful to think that a grieving mother might be lonely or sad on her son’s birthday. She said she thought it was a powerful gesture that she channeled her grief into kindness.
“I don’t ever think of losing either one of my babies ever, and I can’t imagine how this mother must feel,” she said. “I would never think to go and do something good.”
Grimet said she decided to make the stranger’s act of kindness public to inspire others to pay it forward.
Grimet said she has now paid for another child’s birthday cake in Alvin.