Losing a loved one is one of the most gut-wrenching experiences a person can go through. The novels of their lives end abruptly as we cry out for the chapters we desperately wish they yet had to live alongside us.
Long after they’re gone, sights, sounds, smells, and all the little things they loved remind us of them, often bringing stinging tears to our eyes and leaving a dull ache in our hearts. Every once in a while, we even get a little soul wink from heaven, as God seems to serendipitously plan moments that bring their memory flooding back into our lives in living color.
Such was the case for Ramona Crawford, who experienced quite the treasured and timely reminder of her friend Allen, who had passed away last November.
In a post that has now been shared over 47,000 times, Ramona shares the sweet story of a kind stranger who acted as a conduit of unexpected joy in her grief, in a Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru of all places.
Read Ramona’s post in full below:
“This morning I stopped at Dunkin. I ordered just an iced coffee, nothing else. When I pulled to the window I was surprised to learn that my coffee had been paid for. Nice, right?
Then the Dunkin employee said “Um, this is kinda weird but … they also said that they felt like I *had* to have a cake donut.”
The car in front of me paid for my coffee, that I did order AND bought me a cake donut that I DID NOT order. Unusual, but not crazy, right?
My friend Allen and I always joked we were the only two people who liked cake donuts. Often, on days he knew I would be in the office, he would have two cake donuts for us.
Today is Allen’s birthday.
He passed away in November of last year.I called his wife, Penny, and just cried, not sure how to process this.
We split the donut.”
“Who knew a cake donut would make someone Internet famous?” wrote Ramona on Facebook, after her post spread like wildfire across the web. “I hope that this expansion on my original post brings peace and happiness to those who need it.”
Indeed, we pray it does as well. ♥
