Single Mom Walks 3 Hours to Work for a Year, One Day Finds New Car and Keys by Her Window — Story of the Day

Madison worked hard at a steak house to provide for her two kids, but she had to walk three hours each day to get there as the buses didn't run near her home. However, one day, a brand-new car appeared by her window along with its keys. Madison had no idea why until she got to work that day.

"I still can't believe you walk so much each day. At least, you're going to be in total shape," Madison's co-worker, Alex, said during their break. They were outside the steak house where they worked, getting a little rest before the lunch rush.

"Yeah, but I need a car. My knee is starting to kill me. I don't know if I can do it much longer," she replied, sighing heavily. "I'm saving up, but when you're a single mom, your kids have to be a priority at all times. And extra expenses really come up when you least expect them."

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"That's true," Alex agreed, nodding. "I know what that's like. I mean, I don't have kids, but I still get it."

They continued talking for a few more minutes until it was time to go back inside.

Madison worked the grill at the restaurant, one of the most important spots in a steak house. She covered the morning and lunch shifts, and someone else worked the dinner shift because she had to walk home and get to her kids.

Luckily, she had a neighbor who volunteered to get them where the school bus dropped them – it was the only public transportation that reached their neighborhood in West Virginia – and watched them until Madison got home. She was thankful to her for that. Otherwise, she couldn't keep this job, which paid pretty well.

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Hopefully, she would soon be able to buy a car, and the days of walking three hours (1.5 hours to work and 1.5 back home) each day would be a distant memory.

***

Madison woke up bright and early, urging her kids to get dressed quickly, so they could walk with her to the area where the school bus stopped. It wasn't a regular bus stop, but the district had assigned it as many kids in their neighborhood didn't have any other way to get to school. She usually left the kids there and would continue walking the long distance to the restaurant.

That day, however, as they walked out the door, her kids yelled, "OH MY GOD! MOM!"

"What? What? It's early for yelling, guys," she shushed them but followed the direction of their eyes. There was a car sitting on her usually-empty driveway.

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"Mom, did you buy a car?" one of her kids, Luke, asked.

"No, honey. One of the neighbors must have parked here accidentally or they might have guests," Madison answered, looking around to see who could've left their car on her driveway. But a flash caught her eye. It was a set of keys was sitting by her window, and there was a tiny note attached to it.

She grabbed it and read, "For Madison, so you never have to walk so much again!" Madison was frozen in shock.

Luke grabbed the note and read it. "It's your car, Mom! We have a car!! YAY!" he cheered, looking at his little brother and jumping up and down.

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"Is this real?" she asked herself quietly as the kids rounded the vehicle and looked inside.

Madison grabbed the keys and opened the car door. Her children got in excitedly, and she turned the engine on. She was still flabbergasted, but she needed to get to work.

She drove her kids directly to the school, and the smiles on their faces were priceless. Then she went to work and parked her car where other employees usually did. She was rocking the keys in her hands as she went inside, wondering who her generous gift-giver was, but the answer was suddenly right there.

She saw the entire staff, even those who didn't have shifts until later, clapping for her. Tears gathered in her eyes, as she realized how silly she was not to have guessed immediately who gave her such a generous gift. Only a few people in the world knew she had walked so much and worked so hard.

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She hugged and thanked each one of them for their incredible gesture, asking how they afforded it. To her shock, some of them, including Alex, had entered a BBQ contest the past weekend and used their winnings to buy the car for her.

"But why? You could've used that money for something else. You don't even know me that well," Maddison told them, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"We know how hard you work, girl. You've been here for a year already, and sometimes, doing something good for someone in need is much better than spending money on yourself," Alex said. Her other co-workers nodded and praised Maddison for being a hard worker and caring for her kids so wonderfully.

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Next to the births of her children, this was the best day of Maddison's life, and she knew that she would never be able to repay the kindness her co-works extended to her. But she would try, even just by continuing to work hard.

What can we learn from this story?

• Doing something good for someone in need is better than anything else. Maddison's coworkers did something incredibly generous, knowing it was much more rewarding than using the money they won on themselves.
• Hard work pays off, even in ways you never expect. Maddison's strong work ethic and dedication were evident daily, and her co-workers saw it. It inspired them to do good and prove that hard work leads to good things.

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a single mom who lost her job for being late all the time, so her son visited her boss.

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.