A Simple Act of Kindness

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“I’m sorry honey, we can’t afford it,” were the exact words my mom had said to me when I was a little girl.

Growing up, my family was poor. We barely got by - often skipping meals and having to fall asleep with empty stomachs. Yet, during these tough times, I had a passion for drawing and creating designs for dresses.. My mom had given me an old sketchbook for my 8th birthday, and I filled every page with dresses that I wanted to create someday. But every time I showed my mother my designs, she brushed me away.

“Mama, mama, look at the new dress I drew,” I would show her with a toothy grin.

“Sorry Addi, I’m busy right now,” she would reply, always busy tending the house.

Not only that,every time we passed by a dress shop, and I begged, “Mama, can we please get this dress?” her response would be, “I’m sorry honey, we can’t afford it.”

Once I got older and saved up enough money to open my own boutique, Addi’s Boutique, I designed my mama her very own gown to thank her for helping me discover my passion. I loved tailoring and seeing all the joyful looks on customer's faces as they tried on their dresses. During my time in the shop, every week a mother and daughter would come by to admire all the dresses on display. The mother would pick up dresses for a wealthy family that she worked for, while her daughter would show me dress designs that she would create in her tattered, little sketchbook, just like I did. She was just like me when I was younger, poor, but had a big heart and loads of passion. She often gave me her sketches to keep. “For inspiration,” she said, and I would smile back at her as I stored them in a small box.

One day, while the mother came by to pick up orders, her daughter asked, “Mommy, can I please get this dress for my birthday next week?”

“I’m sorry honey, we can’t afford it,” her mother replied, wistfully. When they left, I grabbed one of the dress designs the little girl gifted me, and went to work right away to bring it to life. As I finished, I wrapped the dress in beautiful, glittery tissue and put it into a bag, with “Addi’s Boutique” printed on it. The next time the little girl came, I handed it to her with a birthday greeting. Her eyes lit up and I sensed all the joy that she experienced at that very moment.

“Thank you so much, Addi, thank you!” she exclaimed, giving me the biggest hug.

“Thank you,” her mother whispered.. Her eyes were filled with tears.

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Published March 16, 2021

Written by Jessie Chen ~ Graphics by Samridhi Verma