“No, Holden! This train is mine!”

“Harry, the blue one is yours! The red one is mine!”

“But I don’t like blue!”

“Harry, I’m the oldest, which means I get to pick the train I want, then you can pick yours. That’s the rule.”

“Ok…”

Holden and Harry, six and seven-year-old brothers, were at their grandfather’s house playing with a train set. There was a fierce snowstorm outside, but the fireplace was lit and Grandpa Albert was walking out of the kitchen with three big cups of hot chocolate. He set them down and put his hands on his hips, frowning when he saw his grandchildren fighting over a silly train.

“Now, now children. Why don’t we share the trains? Holden, you get the blue one. Harry you get the red one. You guys will switch after a little while.” Grandpa Albert explained, attempting to settle the conflict.

“But why does Holden get to start with the blue one?” Harry whined, pouting with his arms over his chest, which elicited a sigh from Grandpa Albert.

“Can I tell you guys a story?” Grandpa Albert asked. The boys scrambled onto the couch, making themselves comfortable on either side of him.

“Yeah! Tell us a story! Tell us a story!” The boys exclaimed in unison.

“One time, when I was a teenager more than double your age, I was walking to the bakery to get a muffin for myself and a ginger tea for my mother, your great-grandmother. It was snowing badly outside, and it was less than ten degrees. It was a long walk, and I was very hungry and cold.”

“But Grandpa,” a confused Holden began. “Why would you walk all the way to the bakery if it was that cold?”

“Well, my mother was quite sick, and her throat was very sore, so getting her a ginger tea was the least I could do for her after everything she’s done for me.” Grandpa Albert smiled as he reminisced about his childhood. “Anyway, I made up my mind to buy a hot chocolate in addition to my muffin and tea. But as I was walking, I saw a homeless man sitting against a wall. He had but a blanket and a cardboard sign that said ‘Cold and hungry, will work for food.’ The first time I saw him, I ignored him because the man walking in front of me gave him twenty dollars. The next day, though, he was still there. This time he was shivering even more and looked even hungrier.”

“What did you do grandpa?” Harry asked, interrupting the story.

“What would you do, Harry?” Grandpa Albert fired back.

“I would give him half of the money I was taking to the bakery in exchange for him shoveling my driveway, porch, and backyard,” Holden responded. Harry nodded in agreement.

“Actually, I took him to the bakery with me and gave him $50 to buy him whatever he wants from the bakery and let him keep the rest. Then, I sat down with him and talked to him for a while. He told me that he lost his entire family to the Covid-19 virus. Have you heard of it?” Grandpa Albert looked at both boys, who shook their heads.

“Well, it was a horrible virus that killed millions of people back in the 20’s, way back when I was a teenager. Back to the story, the man said that he spend almost his entire life savings on a huge funeral service for his wife, mother, and each of his three kids. I felt so bad for him. Could you imagine losing your whole family, all your money, and being homeless on top of that?” Grandpa Albert asked, his eyes full of emotion. Harry and Holden looked at each other, then back at their grandfather, shaking their heads.

“So, after we finished eating and talking, I took him to the mall to buy him a heavy jacket, some new shoes, a blanket, and a heated tent that he could set up at the park. He was so grateful. I’ll never forget the smile on his face.” Grandpa Albert grinned as he recalled the story.

“I went to visit him at the park the next day, and he was there in his tent, eating a bowl of instant noodles. I asked him how he got it, and he said that little kids were paying him to tell them stories. I was so happy for him. I visited him every day after that, and in the spring, he started mowing lawns for people. I was there for him until he got back on his feet, and I even helped him buy a new apartment over the years. I will never forget that man. I just hope he is

happy wherever he is now,” Tears, unclear whether they were of joy or of sadness, welled in Grandpa Albert’s eyes as he looked up.

“Wait, I’m confused,” Harry started, cutting Grandpa Albert’s nostalgic moment short. “Why didn’t you make him shovel your driveway? He was so desperate for money that he probably would have done it for just a couple dollars!”

“Well, I didn’t want to take advantage of him. I was perfectly fine shoveling my own driveway. The real reason was that I had a lot of money because I was working multiple jobs, but he didn’t. I shared my money with him, and he was able to get back on his feet, which is the best thing I could possibly have gotten in return. Plus, look at where I am right now. The money I gave him didn’t really affect my life, but it completely changed his for the better.” Grandpa Albert explained. “So, does that make sense? You should always share what you have because you never know who could desperately need it, got it?”

Both of the boys nodded.

“Now go drink your hot chocolate before it gets cold!” Grandpa Albert laughed as the boys took a big gulp and were left with a chocolatey mustache and whipped cream kissed noses.