A single mother of four, Jennifer, needed a used car to help her get to work. The car’s previous owner asked her to open the trunk when she got home. What she found inside turned out to be life-changing.
Jennifer became a single mother when her husband, Adam, left her after learning she was pregnant with their fourth child. He said, “Another child to feed? No way! I’ve had enough!” and then left their trailer and filed for divorce.
Jennifer was heartbroken. Even though the pregnancy was unexpected, she had hoped Adam would support her during this tough time, especially since they were already struggling financially.
After their separation, Adam stopped giving Jennifer money for their children. He said he couldn’t find a job and that no one would hire him because he didn’t graduate from college.
Soon after giving birth, Jennifer had to find a job because she was running out of money for food, diapers, and milk. She walked through various restaurants and shops looking for work but faced rejections because she had four small children.
One employer told her, “It’s difficult to hire mothers with young children because something always comes up. Either your child is sick, or you have no one to leave them with, so you have to miss work. It’s too much for us to handle.”
With no luck in her neighborhood, Jennifer started looking for work in a nearby city. She used the last of her money to take a cab and asked her neighbors to watch her children for the afternoon.
When Jennifer arrived in the nearby city, she saw a job opening for a housekeeping position at a local hotel. She went in, applied, and was hired on the spot. The HR manager told her, “We badly need staff, especially with the summer season coming up. We’ll be fully booked soon.”
Desperate for work, Jennifer took the job, even though it meant commuting to another city every day. She thanked the HR manager and went home to share the good news with her kids.
After spending nearly $30 on cab fare, Jennifer realized she couldn’t afford to commute daily. She needed a car but didn’t have the money for a new one. Her best option was to buy a used car.
Jennifer found a used car she wanted but wondered if the owner would lower the price. She explained, “I’m a single mom of four, and it’s been hard to earn money. I need a car to get to a job in a nearby city. Could you possibly sell it to me for $5000?”
Understanding her situation, the owner agreed to the lower price. “If you can buy the car by tomorrow, I’ll sell it to you for $5000,” he said.
Jennifer was extremely grateful for the owner’s willingness to help. She decided to apply for a loan at the bank to afford the car. Unfortunately, her loan application was quickly rejected due to her bad credit.
Running out of options, Jennifer thought hard about her next move. She couldn’t move to the new city because her oldest child, Ethan, had just started school near their trailer park.
Rent in the nearby city was also much higher, and she wouldn’t be able to bring the trailer with her. She needed a car to commute to work and to pick up her children from school and daycare.
Then, she remembered a family heirloom her late mother had left her—a gold chain necklace that had been passed down through generations. Jennifer felt emotional at the thought of selling it, but she knew she needed the car to support her children and secure their future.
As Jennifer struggled to find a solution, she realized she couldn’t move to a new city because her oldest child, Ethan, had just started school nearby.
The car owner, Jeff, smiled and said, “Congratulations on your car. It’s a great purchase.”
As Jennifer signed the paperwork, Jeff quietly placed something in the trunk. When she was about to drive away, he called out, “By the way, check the car’s trunk when you get home. I left something for your children inside.”
Jennifer, busy with commuting to work and managing her children, forgot to check the trunk until she later found a note in the car’s glove compartment.
The note read, “I hope you and your children liked the gift I left inside the trunk. May it be of great help to you.” Curious, Jennifer decided to open the trunk to see what the gift was.
At first, Jennifer was puzzled when she saw only a white envelope in the trunk. It was the same envelope she had used to pay for the car. When she opened it, she found her $5000 payment untouched.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Jennifer cried, touched by Jeff’s kindness. She drove back to the dealership after work to thank Jeff.
Jeff told her, “The world throws challenges at you, and it’s up to you to rise or succumb to them. I’m proud of you for staying strong for your children. I thought you could use the money more than I could. Just don’t forget to pay it forward.”
What can we learn from this story?
1. Compassion makes a big difference. Jeff, who owned a successful car dealership, chose to help Jennifer, a struggling single mom, in a meaningful way.
2. Determination pays off. Jennifer worked hard to support her children despite many obstacles and rejections.
3. Inspire others. Sharing stories like this can uplift and motivate those around you.
If you enjoyed this story, you might also like one about a teen who discovers a will under the seat of his late granddad’s old car on his sixteenth birthday.
Trace Adkins Reflects on Toby Keith’s Patriotic Legacy, Delivering an Emotional Rendition of ‘American Soldier’
Adkins said, quoting Keith, “Never apologize for being patriotic,” from the platform.
On July 29, 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee, Trace Adkins takes the stage at Bridgestone Arena. Image courtesy of Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images for Universal Music Group
In the two-hour NBC program Toby Keith: American Icon, Trace Adkins paid a moving homage to Toby Keith, recalling their many years of traveling together and the significant influence Keith had via his patriotism.
Adkins was one of the few artists that really know Toby Keith and the man behind the scenes, having been friends with Keith for many years and going on tours with. Adkins paused to remember the poignant message that Keith conveyed at the conclusion of each of his live performances before giving an incredibly emotional and beautiful rendition of “American Solider” in honor of Keith and his dedication to the military.
“I’ve known Toby for a very long time, and we did a lot of gigs together while on multiple tours together. I seem to recall that at the end of each performance he gave, he would always say, “Never apologize for being patriotic.” Every night, he said that, Adkins noted. And since, my God, he really did believe that, I realized while he was saying it that it was both a challenge to the rest of us and a window into Toby Keith’s personality.
Keith lived what he preached, and Adkins praised him for it. Keith had undertaken 11 USO Tours, performing in front of 256,000 soldiers and military families in 18 nations at over 285 engagements.
“He had a deep-rooted love and respect for the men and women who have served this country.” It was real, authentic, and meaningful. With a rich, baritone voice, he remarked, “I always respected him so much for that.” “Toby is someone I could talk about all night, but for now I’ll just say that I’m glad I got to know him and call him a friend. We miss you, Toby. Thank you.
Trace Adkins performed “American Solider” in a terrifying manner a short while later. On the screen behind him, pictures of Toby Keith and his numerous USO Tours displayed during his performance. Toby Keith: American Icon gave a truly remarkable performance, and it was undoubtedly an emotional time.
Written by Keith and Chuck Cannon, “American Solider” was published in November 2003. It can be found on the album Hi Shock’n Y’all and has an RIAA Platinum certification.
Among the many famous country musicians that gave their all to pay tribute to the late Toby Keith was Trace Adkins. Priscilla Block, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Jordan Davis, Scotty Emerick, Brett Favre, Brantley Gilbert, Riley Green, HARDY, Tyler Hubbard, Jamey Johnson, Krystal Keith, Ella Langley, Mac McAnally, Ashley McBryde, Parker McCollum, Leanne Morgan, Darius Rucker, Carrie Underwood, Clay Walker, and Lainey Wilson were among the performers and special guests on the two-hour special.
The special featured a variety of musical performances that showcased Keith’s amazing songwriting and music, but it also emphasized his kindness and generosity by supporting The Toby Keith Foundation’s OK Kids Korral and Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Families from both groups seemed to tell the stories of how they were helped and supported when things were really hard.
NBC broadcast Toby Keith: American Icon on Wednesday, August 28 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The next day, Peacock will offer the episode for streaming.
On February 5, 2024, the legendary country music performer Toby Keith departed from this life due to stomach cancer. He had an astounding 32 No. 1 hits over his career and sold an astounding 40 million albums.
Given that he has achieved a chart-topping hit for 20 years running, including “How Do You Like Me Now?!,” “Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue (The Angry American),” “I Love This Bar,” “Beer For My Horses,” and “As Good As I Once Was,” it should come as no surprise that he is considered one of country music’s biggest hitmakers.
In addition to being inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (after being admitted into the all-genre Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015), he has been awarded the National Medal of Arts and the prestigious Merle Haggard Spirit Award by the Academy of Country Music.
The Oklahoma native won three BMI Country Songwriter of the Year awards over his career in addition to the BMI Icon Award. In 2006, his popular song “As Good As I Once Was” won BMI’s Country Song of the Year.
To date, Toby Keith’s music has received 100 million terrestrial radio spins and over 10 billion streaming.
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