By: Tiana Dovetko
“But why do I have to go?” Finley wines as she walks down the stairs carrying another box almost full to the brim with soup cans.
“They’re donations, remember?” Her mother chuckled, “It’s for the soup kitchen I told you about a few days ago” Her mother hummed a tune as she descended the stairs following Finley. “You got everything?” She said looking over the box of soup in her hands to see Finley slipping on her little fur boots. “Do you really think it’s cold enough for your fuzzy boots?” She asks as she places down the box to tie her shoes.
“Well…” Finley began with an expression only a little kid could make before giving some bazaar explanation. “Normally we always have soup on rainy or super super cold days. So I thought because it’s cold, why not wear my boots! Besides, their pink and sparkly” She said beaming at her mom with a huge smile.
“Cant say I argue with that reasoning.” Her mother replied, feeling herself smile. “Do you carry that box to the car for me?” Her mom asked as she reached for her keys on the little bowl by the door.
“Definitely!” Finley practically yelled as she waltz out the door box in her hands.
They both walked out to the car and loaded up the trunk. As Finley buckled up, her mom closed the trunk and shut her door on the way to the passenger seat. The trip wasn’t too long; in Finley’s mind, it was only about three VeggieTales songs until her mom called from the front, “Only about five more minutes left.” As the shedding trees blurred past with some beginning to changing from their dull green into a deep brown-ish orange, Finley began to actually wonder why they were taking such a long drive for some measly cans of soup.
“Hey mommy?” Finley asked while looking out at the brown leaves gracefully floating off the trees planted along the dividers in the road.
“What’s up kiddo?” Her mom replied as the light turned green.
“Why are we going to this kitchen anyways? Don’t we have our own kitchen at home that can boil soup just fine?” Finley asked, catching her moms eye in the rearview mirror.
Her mother let out a little snort before replying, “Yes I suppose we do have a working kitchen at home. We’re taking all of these cans to this kitchen because it can help others that don’t live the same life as us. Some kids grow up in different situations like how-”
“Did they not have chicken nuggets growing up?” Finley asked, shocked.
“Well, I don’t know for sure Finn, but maybe.” Her mom replied, catching Finley making the most shocked and offended face known to mankind. “Remember how I said not everyone grows up the exact same way?” Finley nodded. “What I mean is, you know how we got you six ‘big’ presents for your sixth birthday this year?”
“I remember, it was some toys and some really pretty dress up night gowns!” Finley replied enthusiastically.
“Well, some kids may have gotten five or maybe even one present instead of a ton of princess dresses.” Her mom replied as she turned into the parking lot. “So we can try and help make someone’s day better.”
“By bringing soup to some kitchen in the middle of nowhere?” Finley asked as her mom unbuckled from her car seat.
“This isn’t the middle of nowhere Finn, but yes, it’s more than just helping people, it’s also about being thankful for what you have and what you can give back to others.” Her mom replied, grabbing a soup box out of the trunk. “These people today will be so grateful that they can have some hot soup on a kinda cool day. And one way we can help is by giving cans of soup so they can make a ton more.” She finished before handing Finley her little box she had brought down the stairs.
The both of them started walking up to the building, it wasn’t anything special, it looked like some normal white building, but inside there was a room full of tables with a line leading to what looked like all the food. People were scattered throughout the tables eating and talking with each other. Finley’s mom took her box and walked towards the back, while some nice lady came up and took Finley’s box and followed her mom behind the metal swinging doors. The walls were covered in paper lanyards with the colors brown yellow and red switching through. Some tables had little paper turkeys on them, and some signs covered the walls as well. Some handdrawn, some bible verses, there was even a wall dedicated to drawings people had done. Finley looked through the room and spotted a girl sitting at a table with what appeared to be her mom. The little girl looked almost the same age as Finley, her hair was short and curly, with the brightest blonde hair she’s ever seen, it looked just like Rapunzels, just a lot shorter.
“Hi.” Finley said sliding onto the bench across from her. The girl looked up from her bowl to see a girl who also had short blonde hair, but it was pin straight, unlike hers which was curly.
“Hi.” She replied, “My name’s Kinsley!”
“No way!” Finley replied, “That sounds just like my name. I’m Finley.” The girls took a moment to look at each other, it seemed their hair, and names were the only thing in common with each other.
“Did you get anything to eat yet?” She asked, turning towards the line that has dwindled since Finley and her mom came in to drop off the cans.
“No, I already ate today.” She replied fidgeting with a button on her sweatshirt. “Thank you for offering though.”
“Of course,” she replied, “I wanted to say thank you to your mom, I saw her bring in a big box of soups. Any little thing helps, sometimes during the winter we get close to running out of food, so everyone here is super grateful.” “It’s always helpful to get a free meal here and there, especially with money too. My mom always says something along the lines of how we need to save up, so any little thing is important.”
Finley’s mom walked back out the swinging metallic doors and sat down beside her asking, “Who’s this?”
“She’s my new friend,” Finley replied before continuing, “Her name is Kinsley, it kinda sounds like my name! She was telling me about how people come and visit for food”
“That’s nice, Kinsley, how old are you?” Finn’s mom asked out of curiosity.
“I just turned 6!” She replied, “My birthday was a few days ago.”
“No way!! I’m six years old!!” Finley replied overjoyed she had another friend around her age. “Did you get any big presents for your birthday? I got a bunny plush for mine, I named her Tracy.”
“No, I didn’t get anything big.” Kinsley replied “My mom got me some clothes though, one is a sparkly princess shirt.”
“I love princesses.” Finley replied enthusiastically, “They’re super fun and pretty, you know when I grow up I think I want to be a princess.”
“Me too!” Kinsley replied, but before she could continue her thought her mom said it was time to go. Both girls said goodbye and hugged saying they hope they’ll see each other again.
Finley and her mom said goodbye and on the way back to the car, Finley tugged on her moms coat to ask “Hey mom, how come Kinsley didn’t get a plushy bunny for her birthday?”
“Well,” Finley’s mom began, “maybe she didn’t want one, or her family couldn’t get her one yet. Remember how I said some people don’t have the exact same life as us.” Finley nodded. “Well Kinsley’s family may be going through something so they may not be able to get the exact same toys or as many as you may have gotten.”
Finley thought for a moment before asking, “Mommy? Do you think when we get home we can take some of my stuffed animals to the store where we drop off stuff I’ve grown out of?”
“Sure,” her mom replied, “but why do you suddenly want to donate some of your plushies?”
“Because,” Finley began, “I was thinking how because not everyone has the same life, maybe I can give some of mine to them so that way they can enjoy them too. Besides,” Finley added, “I don’t play with all of my plushies so that way someone else can play and snuggle with me at night.”
“I think that’s a lovely idea, when we get home I can help you.” Her mom replied. She buckled Finley into her car seat and drove back home, with Finley watching the passing brown and yellow trees before falling asleep.
Photo Credit: Luke Miller
