Great Acts

7 years ago, things were hard, I mean REALLY hard. The company I had been working for demoted me to a different department. This also meant I took a paycut, and it was a harsh blow. The worst time of year for it to take place, Christmas. I had bills, lot's and lot's of them. How on earth was I even going to pay for Christmas that year? I told my parents, and since they were both on disability. There just wasn't a way for them to help me, but they did tell me not to get them anything that year. At 32 years old, how did I get to this place in my life? Why did I allow something like this to happen?

Bill collectors called, and called. They were relentless, telling me I had to pay them or else. Then, I found out that my driver's license had been suspended for a ticket that I had already paid for. So, I had to come up with the money to pay for the ticket a second time (note to self, always save important receipts). Then, I had to pay to get my license re-instated which again, was going to cost me heaps of money.

I was finally at my breaking point. I used some personal time at work and took off in my car to get things paid for and paid off for the ticket and my license. I cried as I had never cried before. How was I going to handle all of these bills, pay for all these things, and be able to survive? My rent was going up, my utilities cost more that month because of my roommate. Here I was, just sobbing in my car, not sure what on earth I was even going to do. Then, out of the blue, I received a call from a debt collector. Yep, to add to my misery, this attorney on the phone was demanding $1500 or he was going to have my checks garnished. I couldn't stop crying, I apologized to him, and since he was right there. I unloaded everything... I wasn't in debt because I managed my money poorly. I was in debt due to medical bills from a surgery I had that I had to have. It's amazing how quickly medical bills can add up from surgery. Then, I just kept unloading on this poor man, because he was right there and available. We talked things through, he calmed me down and discussed everything I had available to me. I told him about my job, I told him about these traumatic things that kept happening to me over and over again. I officially had the worst luck, and he agreed. He told me to take my time coming up with the money, and he gave me his number to call back when things improved. Well, I won't say things improved for me, but I was grateful that he listened and cared.

Right before Christmas, I was the saddest I had ever been. I still hadn't been able to get anything for my parents for Christmas. I couldn't get anything for any of my family. It was right at the lowest moment of my life, that a letter in the mail came. The bill that I owed, the one the attorney called me about. It had somehow mysteriously been paid. I knew this was a bill I owed and knew what the bill was for. I couldn't figure out how this bill had been paid, I had only told my parents about what happened. I know they didn't have the money to pay this bill off. Then, it hit me, the attorney I talked to on the phone. He knew, he was the only other person who knew my story. He either wiped the debt completely, or he paid it himself. $1500.... I cried again, so hard. That is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. It also taught me a lesson, that there are kind and generous people in the world. People who you wouldn't expect to be kind and caring. I would never have expected it, and would never have asked for it.

I got a second job after that happened, it wasn't easy but I was able to reduce a lot of my debts. By doing that one favor for me (a rather huge favor), he helped me get to a better place in life.