Kid Hears Mom's Crying After She Ran Out of Money for Food, Next Day She Finds $300 in Her Purse — Story of the Day

Tina could not help but break down when she realized she had run out of money. She would've never guessed the person behind the miracle she found in her purse the next day.

Six-year-old Jim was running out of ways to keep himself entertained while waiting for his mom to pick him up from school.

Sure, a teacher was waiting with him, but Ms. Rose was busy arguing with her husband on the phone.

Jim was dragging his shoes through the gravel and counting the number of iron bars that made up the school gate.

"Any moment now," he thought, looking at the farthest point on the road, "She'll be here. And then we go for ice cream! It's Tuesday; I hope she remembers!"

The sound of an approaching car got louder and louder. It was like music to little Jim's ears.

"Mom!" Jim ran out of the gate straight into his mother's arms in the car.

"Bye, Ms. Rose!" Jim was in a hurry to leave and could already visualize the cold treat he would be feasting on.

"I've already picked my flavor for the day! I'm going to go with mango!" Jim jumped in his seat.

He expected his mom to comment on his unusual choice before revealing hers.

But today, Tina was silent. There was no song playing on the radio, no tousling of Jim's hair, and not a single word from her tightly closed lips.

"Mom?!" Jim startled her.

"I said I'm going to have mango ice cream today!" He gave her another chance to respond.

"Oh, that sounds exotic! I think I'll have that too!" Tina said, looking at her son for a quick second before gluing her eyes to the road again.

Later that evening, Tina automatically drifted from chore to chore, her mind riddled with worries. She pushed her anxiety down right until the moment she tucked Jim in bed and walked out to the kitchen.

Everything around her seemed foreign. "Is this where I am right now?" she asked herself. "Is this what my life has become? A constant struggle to keep a job, raise a child alone, and find a split second to catch a break?"

It was true. Tina had been on her toes since the day she turned 18. She worked and paid her way through college after she stormed out on her parents to live with the man she loved, and then struggled to keep the marriage and her life from falling apart.

It had taken her two years to realize that Mark had been cheating on her.

She remembered the big fight they had right before filing for divorce. Mark didn't care that it was Jim's birthday. He didn't care that his own father, Robert, was in the room.

A year had passed, but the hurtful words Mark had spewed that day still made Tina's breath shallow.

Tina was still picking up the pieces of her broken heart, but she knew that she wasn't the most affected by the divorce.

"My Jimmy!" Tina sighed at the empty room.

Children have a way of surprising us with their gigantic hearts.

Jim loved his dad but lost much more than someone to play catch and go fishing with. He lost the priceless bond he had with his grandpa Bo.

Grandfather and grandson used to be inseparable. Bo would wait for his daughter-in-law to drop Jim at his door every afternoon.

The duo would happily get immersed in a world of their own, working in the garden, reading the classics, and singing songs as they lay in the hammock.

It was wonderful for Jim to learn about his roots and the virtues that would make him a good man.

But it was even better for Tina to not worry about hiring a babysitter or whether he would be safe or well-fed after school.

Mark didn't make much as a plumber, and Tina used every opportunity to work longer hours and earn extra dollars.

But ever since the divorce, her perfect system fell apart.

Tina had decided that she needed a fresh start, so she moved to a place closer to her office.

And even though Robert was still happy to watch Jim after school, Tina didn't want any reminders of the life she had left behind.

She stood in silence in the kitchen, overwhelmed with the guilt of keeping Jim away from his grandfather.

"I bet he's upset with me by now…there's no point in trying to mend that bridge," she convinced herself.

Hours passed, but Tina's tears hadn't offered her any more clarity. She would have to swallow her pride, call one of her old friends, and ask her for a loan.

When she turned to grab her phone, she didn't notice someone else was in the room with her.

Jim had woken up minutes earlier to ask his mama for a glass of water. But he sensed something was wrong and hid behind the cupboard.

"Who is mom talking to on the phone? And why is she crying?"

Jim stayed and listened, even though he didn't understand many of the big words Tina was using.

"Please, Eva. Any little amount would help. Just enough to get groceries for the next week..."

Tina paused before pleading some more. "I don't know who else to call. I lost my job today, and there's literally no money for food."

Another pause followed.

"All right, no worries. Of course, I understand. Thanks anyway. Good night!"

Jim watched as Tina took a deep breath and burst into tears, weeping into her palms.

He snuck back into bed, but sleep eluded him. He found himself staring blankly at random things in his dark room. All of a sudden, a dusty old object caught his eye.

"I know exactly what to do!" Jim sat up and threw his arms in the air.

The following morning, Tina fidgeted with her phone as she sat on the couch. "Mom, do you need your purse?" Jim randomly walked up to her and asked. Tina thought it was a strange question, but she was too distracted to focus on it. "No, darling," she said without looking at her son.

'Well, that didn't work! I have to think of another way...' Jim thought as he racked his brain. A few minutes later, he popped up again in front of Tina.

"Mom, look! My lips are really dry. Can you please put your lip balm on it?" Tina immediately reached for her bag.

"Ha! That worked!" Jim smiled.

He watched as his mother fished through her bag and then lifted her head with an odd expression on her face. To her absolute shock, Tina removed a wad of cash.

"How is this possible? It wasn't in here yesterday. All this money…this is a miracle!"

Tina had a fleeting feeling about whether her son had anything to do with this sudden windfall.

But looking at him standing with closed eyes and pouted lips, waiting for her to apply the lip balm, she chuckled at the thought.

"You did WHAT?" Grandpa Bo sounded astonished on the phone.

He was the only person Jim wanted to share his master plan with. So when Tina took a shower the next day, Jim secretly called his grandpa and spilled the beans.

"It's true! I had entirely forgotten about my piggy bank and the birthday money you gave me every year. I broke it when mama was asleep, and it was all in there!"

"I quickly collected the notes and snuck them into mama's bag before she woke up. She told me there was $300 and that some angel had blessed us with this money. She doesn't have to know it was–"

Jim heard his mother come out of the bathroom and quickly hang up.

On the other end of the line, grandpa Bo was still shocked by what his grandson had done. He decided to pay Tina a visit.

The next day, Tina was preparing for an online interview at home when she heard a knock on the door.

"Bo?" Tina was surprised to see the old man she'd been avoiding standing on her porch.

"There's something you need to know about Jim," Robert said, sipping the coffee that Tina served him. The old man cleared his throat and revealed how Jim was behind the mysterious $300 in her bag.

Tina had tears in her eyes by the end of the story, and she struggled with what to say.

"Bo, I don't know what to–"

"Tina, my dear, I had no idea you were having such a hard time. I didn't know that you had lost your job. And I can't begin to imagine how you must be wearing yourself out trying to do everything yourself."

"Mark chose to walk away from you and Jim; I didn't. I didn't want to hold you back from your new life, but I missed my grandson terribly. I was worried about the kid and how the divorce may affect him."

"But today, what he said silenced that worry. It showed me that you've raised him right. And you need to know that."

Tina hadn't heard such sincere words of appreciation in forever. She didn't know whether she deserved it.

"Did you hear me? You are doing a fantastic job raising the young boy. Jim is lucky to have you as a mother," Robert asserted as he allowed his former daughter-in-law to embrace him and cry.

For the next two months, Tina was able to get her life back on track and look for a steady job, while Robert helped take care of the household expenses with his pension.

More than just the financial support, the joy of seeing Jim with his grandpa bonding was most satisfying to Tina.

And when Tina she did land a position as an assistant manager at a popular store, she got Robert to move in with Jim and her. Tina cared for Robert like her own father for the rest of his years.

What can we learn from this story?

• Children have a way of surprising us with their gigantic hearts. Jim was only six years old, but he sensed his mother's need for help and came up with a solution that got them through the week and brought his family closer.
• Family means being there for each other, no matter what. Just like Robert, we may be blessed with family members who were there for us through thick and thin. Those bonds are the truest, and must be cherished!

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a single mom of three who loses her job, but her adorable youngest son steps up to help his mama and turns things around.

This piece is inspired by stories from 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.