Goodbye...Mom?

I got this through another email. 

It looks like a sad  story.................but do continue reading
to the end!.............It a  lesson to learn.........

I was walking through the supermarket to pick up a few things when I
noticed an old lady following me around.  Thinking nothing of it, I
ignored her and continued on. Finally I went to the checkout line, but
she got in front of me.

 

"Pardon me," she said, "I'm sorry if my staring at you has made you
feel uncomfortable. It's just that you look just like my son, who died recently."

"I'm very sorry," I said to her, "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Yes," she said, "As I'm leaving, can you say 'Good bye, Mom?' It
would make me feel so much better."

"Sure," I said. An odd request, but no harm would come of it.

As the old woman was leaving, I called out, "Good Bye, Mom!"

As I stepped up to the checkout counter, I saw that my total was
$1027.50.

"How can that be?" I asked, "I only purchased a few things!"

"Your mother said that you would pay for her," said the cashier.

------------------------------------

 

Now... is that a bad story with a good lesson or a good story with a bad lesson?

 

Sometimes from our early lessons we're brought up with, we do good deeds like these because we all have mothers.  And our instincts tell us, "Why not?"  But on the other hand we feel we got conned.  And that hurts in a few places.  First it's our wallet, then it's our self-confidence, and our pride.  After that our heart gain a few more calluses which makes it harder.  But when we can look at it from another view point, that old lady probably needed the help but she was just too proud to beg for it.

 

I think many people are like that.  Pride, like our other emotions, can help us or hurt us.  It's probably just too bad for that old lady.  She'd have used up all her luck before long and her trick will not work forever. 

 

If you'd ever be in the same situation as the young man, how would you react or feel?