“Our customers will wait in a check-out line, when they don’t need to, so they can receive service from one of our Special Olympians.   Having him work for us has changed so many people’s lives.”

- Bob Harmon

Giving is Receiving

When did you ever think that owners of a local grocery store chain would be hailed as heroes?  That’s what I thought to myself as I stood in a reception hosted by my friends Bob and Randy Harmon.  Of course I shouldn’t have been surprised, because I’ve felt that way about them from the very first time I met them.   But this moment was exceptional, singular!

I watched as Bob and Randy entered the reception area, a reception they were hosting.  When right in front of me one of the Special Olympic Athletes I knew, had the biggest smile I’ve ever seen burst across his face in supernova fashion.  He ran forward to greet them and threw his arms around them in an effort to scoop them up into his heart.  Then he looked back at me and said, “That’s my boss!”

I turned to my wife and said, “When have you ever heard someone say that about his boss?”

In fact, when have I ever seen anyone that happy to see someone else?  Well, if I really think about it perhaps it was when my children we two and hadn’t yet discovered that I wasn’t the greatest man who ever lived.  Oh, those were the days!

But now, I felt as if I were the two year old because I could see that there was something wonderful to learn from Randy and Bob.  They had worked a full day in their business, provided a reception for the Summer Special Olympic Games, and were there to give every participating athlete a “High-Five” as a token of encouragement to compete with bravery, give their best effort, and to have fun.

I looked around me and saw hundreds of people having fun.  Perhaps most of all, I watched Randy and Bob truly having fun as they full heartedly gave best wishes to everyone in sight.  I’ve never seen people of Rock Star status giving from their heart in such a fashion.  But, that’s what makes them so remarkable.

Bob said to me, in a private moment, “We get way more than we donate!  When we started working with Special Olympics Utah we never dreamed that we would get more than we gave.  You know, we came to one of our athlete employees and said, we’d like to teach you to be a checker.  When he started his training, he apologized to our customers for not being able to ask his riddles for a while because he needed to learn his new job.  But, it didn’t take him long before the riddles soon reappeared.  Now our customers will wait in his line just so they can receive his wonderful service.  Our customers also get more than they ever imagined!”

So, now you and I know that giving is also receiving.  Find an opportunity to give today, or, if you would like to have the same experience as the Harmon’s, give to Special Olympics and you’ll receive more way more than your gift in return.