My honesty made me do it, now I want to cry.
By tiffsmom2007
@tiffsmom2007 (279)
United States
June 30, 2007 5:47pm CST
I went to an estate sale this morning. Just thought I'd stop by and look since I'm so freaking broke I can't even pay attention much less afford anything else. Anyways, I was going through a box of old camera books and saw some folders on the bottom of the box. I thought "I want those".. well they were tore up but under them I found a stock certificete for 100 shares of........The Coca Cola Company from way back in the day. Me, being so freaking honest, I gave them to the lady running the sale since it had her grandmas name on it. What would you have done? In my heart I know I did the right thing but it still makes me want to cry buckets.
15 people like this
23 responses
@Feona1962 (7526)
• United States
1 Jul 07
You did the right thing...One time I was having a yard sale and someone brought up a paper that had to do with some property I sold. It had gotten stuck in a book they wanted to buy..I thought that was very nice of them....I would have done exactly what you did...
@tiffsmom2007 (279)
• United States
1 Jul 07
I don't think this lady was doing the sale right anyway because she sold an old wooden chest and when the person opened it the chest was full of personal things including the family bible. When the person pointed it out she said"I know it's there I just don't feel like taking it out right now." So the people who bought the chest had to leave it there until she emptied it which she still ahdn't done by 4:00pm. Why would she do that? It was her grandma and mothers things.
1 person likes this
@Feona1962 (7526)
• United States
1 Jul 07
That is weird..Something is surely bothering this lady...
1 person likes this
@kitty1234 (1476)
• United States
1 Jul 07
Sounds like she really didn't want to sell these memories, maybe she is pressed for money and had to sell things she wanted to keep, but you helped her and will be rewarded ten-fold.
1 person likes this
@barehugs (8973)
• Canada
1 Jul 07
You are a Wonderful example of Truth and Love. When I read your post, I got this wonderful feeling, that you will live to be doubly blessed. This courageous act will be the magnet in your life, that will bring good things to you forever. May your tears be tears of Joy!
@tiffsmom2007 (279)
• United States
1 Jul 07
Crossing my fingers and praying your right. I need all the blessings I can get right now.
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
30 Jun 07
well you really did the right thing in my opinion anyways. Honesty is most often the best policy!!
How could you have traded them in without your name on them anyways? is there a way to have been able to do that? what would you have done with them? traded them in no doubt, right?
2 people like this
@tiffsmom2007 (279)
• United States
30 Jun 07
I don't believe I could have done anything with them except say "See what I got" while grining like fool. I'm sure I did the right thing.
1 person likes this
@sunshine4 (8703)
• United States
30 Jun 07
You should be very proud of yourself for turning these stocks in to the person doing the sale. I know it is probably eating away at you, but you did the right thing. If you hadn't, that would be much worse for you to live with.
2 people like this
@speedy1279 (2665)
• United States
30 Jun 07
Don't feel bad, you did the right thing. I would look at it this way. Put yourselve in the lady's shoes. Had someone come and found something like that of your grandmothers and didn't give them to you and just hid them. How would you have felt?
I know I would have done the same thing as you. If not I would have felt guilty until I went back and gave them to her. Be proud of yourself. You are good hearted person.
2 people like this
@tiffsmom2007 (279)
• United States
1 Jul 07
I would have felt bad if I had kept it. I would want and hope someone would do the same for me.
@onerygirl (549)
• United States
30 Jun 07
Someday your honesty will be rewarded. You are a true and thoughtful person who puts the right thing above your own needs. That in itself makes you special.
Keep your head up proud knowing you did the right thing, even when it hurt. I am proud of you.
@tiffsmom2007 (279)
• United States
30 Jun 07
Thank you. On a happier note, my husband gave me $14.00 earlier so I could go back and the lady let me get a whole bunch of nice antiques. Stuff by someone named lefton and leeward. She sold me a solid silver locket shaped like a tiny purse for $1.00.
1 person likes this
@theproperator (2429)
• United States
30 Jun 07
Well, you certainly did the right thing. If it makes you feel better, I don't know that you could have claimed them yourself, since, as you say, it had someone else's name on it. I would think that you would have to prove that you came by them honestly, which means proving you were related to the original owner, or having some sort of proof of a legal transfer from her to you. So, even if you ahd bought the box with them in it, I don't know that you could have used them yourself anyway.
2 people like this
@tiffsmom2007 (279)
• United States
30 Jun 07
Thats what I told my husband when his mouth dropped open after I told him what I did. It would have been wrong to have kept them even if I knew I could have sold them. I told hin "Don't worry since I was honest we will be blessed."
1 person likes this
@Denmarkguy (1845)
• United States
1 Jul 07
Well, good for you! You absolutely did the right thing, and showed yourself to have a wonderful sense of honesty and integrity. Yes, it may feel like a "loss" in some sense-- at least for now-- but how can you really put a monetary value on returning "found money" to its rightful owner.
I also have to believe that your act of kindness means you'll have good fortune, yourself. Ever see the movie "Pay it Forward?"
1 person likes this
@tiffsmom2007 (279)
• United States
1 Jul 07
Yes i love that movie. And I feel good about what I did. I don't feel at all stressed today like I usually do, also I keep thinking about tomorrow for some reason. I feel as if I am going to have to do something big tomorrow. I just can't figure out what that something is:)
@sjohnson628 (3197)
• United States
1 Jul 07
You did the right thing. My grandfather passed away in march and my mother had an estate sale this past weekend at his house. One of the things they sold was his bed room set and in the nightstand drawer was one of his gold watches his silver watch and his wallet with a credit card in it that does not expire until 2009! Well it turned out that the person who bought the set was honest enough to return those items back to my mom.
1 person likes this
@munhozmib (3837)
• Sao Paulo, Brazil
30 Jun 07
You don't need to regret what you did. After all, you know you did the right thing! Don't be sad, lady. You shouldn't. I'm proud of you, even not knowing you. Many wouldn't have delivered the certificate.
Cheer up!
2 people like this
@tiffsmom2007 (279)
• United States
30 Jun 07
There was also a deed for oil and gas wells and I know from experince how hard it is to get paid for your oil without it. We haven't been paid for our's in 18 years. The woman was so happy when I took them to her she hugged me and told me they had been looking everywhere for those things.
1 person likes this
@student7 (1002)
• United States
1 Jul 07
I would have done the same thing. I am so tired of being broke and those stock certificates would have helped me a lot, but I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't give them back. It would have been nice if she got your name and number and shared a little bit of the proceeds of the sale of those stocks with you otherwise, she would have been none the wiser.
@DanaMark (807)
• United States
1 Jul 07
The previous comments have said it already, but I will add it once again. You did the right thing. I'm sure it was difficult. Most people would at least have to think about it twice. I hope all the positive comments about what you did will be some comfort to you, knowing you came close to having a bunch of extra cash. I'm not an expert on the subject, so I don't know if you could have cashed them or not. But that is not the question. You did the right thing. That's where the discussion stops. Honesty is its own best reward. You have given the rest of us encouragement to be completely honest today!
@minijumbuk (514)
• Australia
1 Jul 07
I would definitely have given the shares back to the lady running the sale! You did the right thing giving it back to her and not selling it. It is equivalent to stealing if you had not given it back to her and sold it as it it was your own!
You are right you will be blessed for your good doing! A good thing to think about is that is the lady is the one who lost the shares certificate, SHE would be the one crying buckets!
Don't worry, God always bless those with a kind heart =D
2 people like this
@Marie2473 (8512)
• Sweden
1 Jul 07
I think that u did the right thing. i just wish that more people would be honest , the world would be a better place if they were.
I like to think that I would have done the same thing as you did
1 person likes this
@kareng (54280)
• United States
1 Jul 07
Wow, that is a remarkable find! I'm glad you gave the certificates to the lady. You couldn't have done anything with them anyway with someone else's name on there. You should feel good about this, you did the right thing!
@daycarepal (1998)
• United States
1 Jul 07
Yep you did the right thing. You know if you didn't turn it over to the lady, then you would have felt really guilty. Be proud of yourself. I bet something good is coming your way soon.
@wachit14 (3595)
• United States
1 Jul 07
You absolutely did the right thing. Even if you didn't, what could you have done with those stocks any way since they were in someone else's name? Your honesty will be rewarded somewhere down the road in one form or another. Just feel good that you maybe unearthed a treasure for this family that they had no idea even existed.
@asawako48162 (3321)
• United States
1 Jul 07
these were probably bearer bonds and could be cashed in..but what does it gain you to gain the whole world but lose your own soul?
the love of money is the route of all evil..
easy money ..easy come ..easy go..
the fact you were broke..did it make a difference in the course of action you would have taken..???
1 person likes this
