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'Worthless' gift has value to traveler

Staff photo by SCOTT ISKOWITZ

Carolyn Leonard says the Afghani bill she got from a Marine will remind her that life goes on.

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By CAROLYN LEONARD

Special to the Tribune

Published: October 17, 2009

I just returned from my "annual celebrate my husband's life" trip. I travel every year around Oct. 6, the anniversary of his death, to a location where we enjoyed time together. This year, thanks to frequent flyer miles and a free three-night hotel stay at New York New York, I enjoyed a very frugal Las Vegas trip and attended a Cirque du Soleil show. On the way home, I had a very touching experience.

On the flight from Phoenix to Tampa, a young man sat next to me in the dreaded middle seat, I was in the window seat. He sat down and was very quiet, not making eye contact. As a social butterfly and chatterbox, I was sad that I would probably spend the next four hours in silence. About a half-hour outside of Phoenix, he looked at me and smiled so I took the opportunity to initiate conversation.

His name was Aaron and he was going home to see his mother. He had not seen her in a year. He was a 20-year-old Marine, stationed in Yuma, Ariz., and had returned Oct. 2 from a seven-month tour of duty in Afghanistan.

While talking, the beverage service cart came by and Aaron said no thanks. After it passed, I asked him why he had passed on the only free item on the flight. He responded that he thought he had to pay. I called the flight attendant back

We talked more and he told me about the past seven months. He was proud to be a Marine and felt that he was making a difference. I excused myself and stumbled over Aaron and the very nice lady in the aisle seat to visit the bathroom.

I took the opportunity to tell the flight attendants his story and they brought him a free snack box. He ate it, very quickly, and asked whether I had something to do with his free meal. I responded that as a "long-suffering Catholic mom," my personal goal was to save the world and he was only receiving what he gave to others.

As we approached Tampa, he thanked me and said that he could not repay me for my kindness. Instead, he reached into his wallet and took out currency from Afghanistan. He gave me a bill and told me that it was worthless here but it was all he had. He knew his mom, who was down on her luck and worked at the Dollar Tree in Lakeland, would meet him at the airport and that she had a surprise for him.

We walked to the airside and Aaron stopped at the restroom. Before going in, he stopped and hugged me, thanking me for my kindness. We said goodbye and I told him to stay safe. He promised that he would, since it was likely he would be redeployed soon.

When I arrived at the main terminal, I looked for his mom. As I scanned the crowd, I saw a woman with tears in her eyes. I knew it was his mom. I knew that when he did get off the tram, those tears would flow. I walked away knowing that this was his mom. I just knew.

I had spent three days in Las Vegas, celebrating the 35 years that I had with my loving husband. I was very sad when I headed home. Then God brought Aaron to me to remind me that life goes on. I will forever keep my "worthless" Afghanistan currency, and my priceless memories of Aaron, the 20-year-old Marine from Lithia.

FAITH MATTERS

Faith Matters is an occasional series by readers who share their stories of how an experience affected their faith. Not all submissions are accepted. If you have a story to share, e-mail Michelle Bearden at mbearden@tampatrib.com or send mail to Faith Matters, c/o Michelle Bearden, Tampa Tribune, 200 S. Parker St., Tampa FL 33606.

Carolyn Leonard, 59, of Tampa, is a former trainer and wedding sales coordinator at Walt Disney World and management contractor with Verizon. She now enjoys writing and traveling in her retirement. Her husband, Richie, died one month before their 35th wed

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