I took the day off yesterday, so that I could just spend time with my wife and kids. My son Brandon's 10th birthday is today, and we also wanted to spend some time cleaning around the house in preparation for his party. We went to a book fair in the late morning, then had lunch at Golden Wok in north Austin.
The lunch was lovely, and Brandon even tried sesame chicken for the first time, which was a hit. We were going to head home and do dishes, laundry, etc. to get a jump on tomorrow's festivities.
However, our day took a turn for the worse as we were leaving the restaurant.
It must first be noted that Brandon and Aleah (our two older kids) are big fans of their handheld Nintendo DS video games. Brandon asked where his DS case was, which contained all 16 or 17 of his games. I didn't remember seeing it at all during our time running around, but he had apparently switched games while we were out and about, which meant that he had it in the car before we ate. I knew he hadn't taken it into the restaurant, and neither my wife nor I recalled seeing it at the book fair. Brandon thought it must have been stolen.
Of course, my first reaction was to assume that he was incorrect, or that he'd left it inside (no) or inside at the very low-traffic book fair (also no). We tried to re-assure him that we would find it, but after some detective work, we determined that it was in fact stolen from our vehicle in broad daylight as we enjoyed the food inside.
I am still dumbfounded by this, since it seems like such a bold move for someone to make. Also, it seems like an odd choice to steal since there were other "valuables" in plain sight.
Since Pam had the keys, I figured that the car was locked. She is the more responsible member of our marriage on stuff like that. Perhaps she was distracted by our two-year-old and forgot to lock it. Either way, this was shocking to all of us, especially on the eve of such a great day.
Since I didn't have a lot of time to write an actual blog post when we got home, I went to Twitter and wrote the following "tweet":
My son is very upset-all of his Nintendo DS games were in his case, which was stolen from our vehicle today. Tomorrow is his birthday. Damn.
The response there was overwhelming and swift. Several of my friends (who are also here on AR) offered to help by sending replacement games and/or used games to help make Brandon's birthday a little brighter. Our insurance company will cover part of the cost (about 1/2 in my estimation).
Clint Miller was quick to offer support by offering to purchase a game for Brandon. He ordered two of them from Amazon on my recommendation, one of which will be paid for by Elizabeth Ramsey Cooper. Elizabeth is also sending another game or two that her daughter was willing to part with. Tina Merritt's son heard about what happened, and they also donated two games to the "cause".
So, who are these Good Samaritans, anyway?
Clint Miller has become a good friend of mine over the past few months, and he has always struck me as a stand-up guy. His company, Real Estate Client Referrals, provides "warm" leads for agents all over the country. I used this service for a short time and the leads were pretty good, but some unrelated financial issues made it tough for me to give it a fair shake, so I had to discontinue. I might resume this service in the spring. If you are looking for a reputable person/company in that arena, I would recommend speaking with Clint first. He does what he says. Period.
Elizabeth Ramsey Cooper is another friend of mine. She and I have actually discussed starting a charitable cause benefitting children that would leverage our "audience" here on ActiveRain. She is a great lady, and although we have only spoken once on the phone, it was like speaking to an old friend. We are still working on the direction that we would like for this to take. She has already claimed the Oprah spot if it takes off. :)
I will admit that I don't know Tina Merritt very well yet, which makes her gesture even more special to me somehow. I so appreciate this generosity on her son's behalf. She is clearly a great mom who is raising her son correctly. Kudos to you, Tina! Thanks to Plaxo.com, I also know that tomorrow is Tina's birthday. Stop by her blog and wish her a happy birthday if you have a chance. Happy early birthday!
There was another member whom I think is sending two more DS games, but this was via word-of-mouth and not yet confirmed.
I cannot overstate how touched I was by the kindness of my friends. More importantly, my son was incredibly thankful. We both got a little emotional at the thought, truth be told.
THANK YOU! God bless each of you.
You have helped to make a newly minted 10-year-old boy very happy! I hope to have the chance to re-pay your kindness someday.
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Dude...you put such a smile on my face. My oldest will turn 10 in a couple of months. that has to be heartbreaking as a dad. You're loved....It goes to show that the love of Christ knows no bounds. This post is toooooooooooo cooooooooooollllllllll. I'm flagging this.
Tough story for you there Jason and for your son. Great you had such a quick response from the fine Good Samaritans in our midst. If you have that key lock dongle on your key chain (or if Pam had it) just click that as everyone leaves the vehicle. I always listen for that locking sound.
Hi Jason,
What a wonderful outpouring of generosity! How wonderful to have AR build such strong relationships...and a Happy Birthday to your son! :)
Michael
Jason -- Thank you for your kind words and support of both me and my company. Youre a good friend...and an awesome dad. I didnt expect any accolades when I offered to get Brandon a game or two...and I certainly didnt expect this or the outpouring that came on Twitter yesterday. I just did it from one dad to another. I hope Brandon's day is a little brighter as a result of the games I sent...Thats all I require in return.
I hope you both have a wonderful day!
@recr aka Clint Miller
Someone sent this to me. Don't know if this is true or not, but worth reading.
Subject: Auto Car Locks
I locked my car --- as I walked away I heard my car door unlock I
went back and locked my car again three times. I looked around and there were two guys sitting in a car in the fire lane next to the store. When
I looked straight at them they did not unlock my car again.
How to lock your car safely:
While traveling my son stopped at a roadside park. He came out to his
car less than 4-5 minutes later and found someone had gotten into his
car, and stolen his cell phone, laptop computer, GPS navigator
briefcase.....you name it ...
Called the police and since there were no signs of his car being broken into- the police told him that there is a device that robbers are using now to clone your security code when you lock your doors on your car using your key-chain locking device.
.
They sit a distance away and watch for their next victim. They know you
are going inside of the store, restaurant, or bathroom and have a few
minutes to steal and run.
The police officer said ...to be sure to manually lock your car door-by hitting the lock button inside the car, that way if there is someone sitting in a parking lot watching for their next victim it will not be you.
When you hit the lock button on your car upon exiting...it does not send the security code, but if you walk away and use the door lock on your key chain- it sends the code through the airwaves where it can be stolen, something totally new to us...and real ...
What a wonderful story! Especially this time of year, right?
Jason ..sorry for your son, but a nice story in the end..it seams you can find caring neighbors at any distance..it is a small world after all. Happy birthday to your son. Steve
Jason...
Clint is amazing ant the other Twitterers equally so. I was on Twitter at the time and the response was instantaneous! Too cool!
Jason-Ditto to ALL that Clint said. It broke my heart when I read your son's loss on Twitter. Poor kid, and right before his birthday. I'm thankful for AR, and Twitter. Brings us all together as friends and family, truly.
When my kids were younger, I took them to the circus. We came out, only to discover someone had broken my car window and taken ALL of my CD's and my sons brand new Chiefs jacket that he had gotten for his birthday. The poor little guy cried himself to sleep, partly because of his jacket, but mostly because some "bad guy" did it. He's now 21. If I can make a 10 year old a bit happier, I'm thrilled to be able to do so!
You're a great Dad Jason. Thanks again for the pat on the back! I certainly wasn't expecting this and it was not necessary. Now that I've made it to the "big guys" blog, I'll surely collect at least 20 new subscriber's now, lol.
Happy Birthday Brandon!
LARRY - I got one more offer after posting this, which is awesome to me. Thanks for stopping by - God bless you and your weekend.
Sorry to hear about your son's games, but it's very cool to hear about everyone running to his aid. Hope he had a happy birthday.
Jason,
Thank you for the nice post....though it was definitely not necessary. It was a great learning opportunity for my son. I hope Brandon had a wonderful birthday and has realized that there are a lot more good guys than bad in this world.
Tina in Virginia
How wonderful that you had friends come to your rescue and turn a terrible experience into something really neat. This is a really unique and special bunch of people, and I'm glad to be a part of this community.
Happy Birthday to Brandon!
Jason - Please tell Brandon that I said Happy Birthday. I'm so sorry his games got stolen. But the real world is cursed with some pretty moronic people. One can only hope that the thief will get his comeuppance someday.
Happy Birthday Brandon!
Jason, Wish I could say that I was surprised by the theft and by the response from your friends,but I am not surprised by either. Since your son is old enough to understand the theft, he will also understand your friends' generosity and I bet one day he will remember that more that what he lost.
Jason... that is so cool.... but now I feel guilty... but I am just now getting onto Twitter and Facebook... still figuring some of it out.... but I need to get back to a schedule and make it work for me... but also to keep in touch. Hope Brandon had a great b-day..
Wonderful Xmas story - great story especially for this time of year - first snow in Texas and now this... Yes, maybe I should believe in Santa.
What a great story and an example to Brandon about the right way to behave. Happy birthday to Brandon.
Jason,
And they lived happily ever after!!! Nice Story ending...!!! Thanks, Fran
This is a great Christmas story.
Sorry to hear about this. I know that you mentioned it in twitter, but I didnt hear the whole story. Anyway, it sounds like you have surrounded yourself with some good people with big hearts. I know that Elizabeth has a HUGE heart and Im getting to know Clint a bit more. Both are fantastic. They are the Jie-est.
That's horrible! I imagine someone was desperate... and a lying, dishonest, jerk and loser! That's in case they ever read this post. And I'm so glad to hear that there are so many wonderful, big-hearted, giving people as well. So how is your son now?
I was there live in Twitter when you tweeted that...and I saw firsthand how our friends reached out in love. The part that was so amazing was how natural it was...no hesitation...just unselfish acts of kindness. Please tell my nephew 'Happy birthday' for me. I hope that his day was especially blessed and special. ~GBU~
Jason, you are blessed with both family and friends!
Regina P. Brown
Allison James Estates & Homes
Hi Jason-This is such a great story and goes to show the power of soical networking and the truly wonderful folks you meet in person & here in cyberspace. There are a lot of folks out there that are like the ones who stole your son's games. It happens a lot especially this time of year even if your car is locked. That is why they tell you to put your stuff in your trunk. It does my heart good when I hear such wonderful heart touching things happen after something someone did that was so totally opposite of that. Makes you smile that there is good in the world that is stronger than evil. The devil lost again. :-)
Hi Jason I am so happy this is working out for you. Glad the insurance will help too. Have a great weekend.
I'm hoping to never have video games in the house or in my sons's palms. We'll see....
That is wonderful -- it is good to see people on the rain step up for situations like that.
I missed this conversation on Twitter. So sorry to hear about what happened though. In spite of this, isn't it nice to know that you have real, true friends that you probably have never even met IRL?? This was heartwarming!
~Renae
Jason~I sure hope your son had a good birthday today and that the random acts of kindness you and he have experienced stay with you forever...see, there are still good hearted people in the world, no matter what the news says!
Jason, that totally stinks what happens, but at least there seems to be a bright ending to the story!
Jason- Isn't it amazing how the Lord works in our lives. What seems like such a bummer turns into a blessing and what a great spiritual lesson is for your son. God knows best, always. Happy Birthday Brandon.
Jason, what a shame your son games were stolen. But what a chance for a wonderful life lesson that he will remember forever! God works all things for the good of those who love the Lord & are called according to His purpose. The devil comes to steal kill & destroy, but He came to give us live abundant.
Brandon has seen how evil can steal from him and it has made him sad, but joy returns when God's people reflect His glory by sharing their goodness & goods!
Brandon, God has great plans for you. Happy Birthday~
Really nice testimonial to the depth of connections that can be made online. This goes way beyond merely 'following' to a personal and spiritual level. Impressive how people responded, but to be honest, from what I've seen online I'm not at all surprised. Hope Brandon had a great birthday!
Hi Jason...First I heard of Brandon's loss.
I wish I had asked Santa for some for Christmas then I could have shared with Brandon but Nintendo games were not on my list.
It looks like you and Brandon are all set with the help of some very nice folks here on the Rain. How good of them to come to the rescue.
Kate
it's so nice to know there are so many willing to help out in a tough situation. Hope your son had a great birthday!
That's a great story of a community, even a virtual community, coming together to help one of it's members.
Very cool Jason!!! I hope your son enjoys his birthday!!! You sound like an awesome Dad.
Awww, Jason, I'm so sorry about Brandon's games. I was in Louisiana for a few days (11th thru 16th) so missed this post. Hope Brandon had a great birthday! :)