Homeless Man Finds Money on the Road, Spends It on Flowers and Gives Them to Random Women — Story of the Day

A homeless man finds money on the street and spends it on flowers for random women. The florist was baffled why a poor man would do such a thing instead of keeping the money to himself. So he explained to her why and she was left in tears.

We are so caught up in this dog-eat-dog world of accumulating MORE and MORE and MORE money, power, and social standing that we've put values like kindness and honesty on the back burner.

After all, what do you receive for being kind and honest? Perhaps some gratitude? But is that appreciation worth anything to us? The bitter truth is most of us in the modern world don't even see the "logic" in trying to be kind and honest. But trust me, your good deeds might mean a lot to someone...

Hello, my name is Jack, and I am a homeless man. Yes, you read that right. I've got nothing — no money, no home, and no friends. I was on my way to a dumpster behind a neighborhood restaurant the morning I spotted several dollar bills on the road.

That day started like any other for me: dismal and hungry. I checked my pockets and realized I was right. I didn't have a single cent with me. The only option left was to eat the leftovers from a dumpster. And where better to look for leftovers than in a dumpster near a restaurant?

So I was trudging in the searing heat, clutching my churning stomach and hoping not to pass out. As I crossed the first street on my way, I noticed something on the road. I couldn't believe what I was seeing at first. In fact, I rubbed my eyes twice before picking up the multiple dollar bills that were just lying on the ground.

"This is crazy!" I thought to myself. I needed the money and had it right in front of me! I looked around for its owner, hoping they would come up to me and say, "Hey, you freak! That's my money! Give it back!"

"Money that comes to you easily or dishonestly must be parted with promptly."

But the whole area around me was eerily quiet with nobody in close sight. Also, names like "freak," "bum," and "creep" have become synonymous with my persona. That's how people "love" referring to me.

Anyway, after finding the money, I was at a loss for what to do. I had no idea who owned it, and I had no way of contacting the cops to report it. Also, I was afraid that they would accuse me of stealing it if they found me with it. So I sat on the sidewalk, not knowing what to do.

I was hungry but didn't want to spend that money on food. That would be dishonest and wrong. I may be poor, but I'm not a thief.

So I sat on the sidewalk for a few minutes, and then I had an idea. I dashed across the street to a flower shop. A bell rang as I entered the shop, signaling my arrival to the florist.

"Good morning," she greeted cheerfully but grimaced when she turned to face me. When I walked in, she was busily arranging flowers. Now that we were face-to-face, I caught her name on the badge on her apron. It read "Amanda."

"I'm sorry, but I can't offer you any money. Please leave!" she stated bluntly, glancing at my appearance. She was aware that I was a homeless man. Who wouldn't? I hadn't washed in days and my clothes were shabby and filthy. But she was mistaken in assuming I was there for the money.

"I don't want any money from you," I explained. "I need to get some flowers. I have this much money. What can I do with it?" I asked, holding up the bills I had found.

She looked confused. "Well, that could get you a whole bouquet! ... But why would you spend so much money on flowers? Don't get me wrong. A man like you could use it for yourself," she suggested.

But I shook my head. "I don't want to," I said. "Just get me as many flowers as you can with it."

Amanda was understandably perplexed, but she eventually got me some flowers. As she finished wrapping them in cellophane paper and tying a ribbon around them, I gave her the cash.

She accepted the money and asked, "Are you getting these for someone special?"

"You could say that," I replied, and Amanda looked perplexed again. So I finally explained why I wanted to buy flowers from her.

I said, "The money I just handed you is not mine. I discovered it on the side of the road. I don't want to be dishonest. My mom once told me that the money that comes to you easily or dishonestly must be parted with promptly.

"Since I have no way of returning the money to the owner, I will distribute these flowers I bought with it to strangers. You never know; it might brighten their day. And that will mean a lot to me!"

I noticed that as I said that, Amanda had tears in her eyes. "That's amazing..." she managed to say. "I'm sorry, I forgot to ask your name."

"Jack," I introduced myself. "You can call me Jack."

"This is from me, Jack. Please get yourself something," Amanda said, offering me some money. I was hesitant to accept it, but she assured me I had earned it by doing a good deed.

I accepted the money, thanked her, and offered the flowers to random women I met that day. Before leaving Amanda's shop, I gave one to her too. "Have a nice day," I said as I gave it to her.

Later that day, when I offered a rose to an older woman, she cried and hugged me. "Thank you very much, son," she said. "I was feeling lonely today. It's as though God sent you to comfort me. God bless you..."

I had tears in my eyes as I hugged her back. But that wasn't the end of it all.

Finally, I gave my last flower to a little girl who was sitting in a park with her mom. You should have seen the smile on her face when I gave it to her. Her mother also took me to a restaurant and fed me. I had already eaten with the money Amanda had given me, but I couldn't say no to someone who offered food to me with so much love.

Everyone I met that day was delighted when they received the flowers. To be honest, I want to thank whoever dropped that money by accident. I wish that person happiness and good luck wherever he or she may be. The money urged me to perform a noble act, and it brightened many people's days, including mine.

What can we learn from this story?

• Nothing beats doing what is right and good. Jack could have kept the money, but he didn't want to be dishonest. So he spent the money wisely and did a noble act by brightening people's days and giving them flowers.
• One small act of kindness can put a smile on someone's face. It isn't a big deal to give someone flowers. It's something that everybody can do. But here's the thing: we don't do it. Jack did, and his thoughtful gesture brought joy to many people.

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a homeless man who escorts a lost girl to her grandma and recognizes the older lady as the woman who made him homeless.

This story is inspired by the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.