The young man was seated in the sun on the curb outside when he asked “Could I wash your windows for 50 cents?”

In a hurry to get my bottle of iced tea for lunch, I said “No, thanks” and walked in the store.

The length of the line was consuming my valuable time until I noticed the disabled woman at the front of the line was 35 cents short.

The cashier asked “Well, do you have the 35 cents lady or not?”

Six handfuls of coins reached out in sync—everyone in line wanted to help. Not to move the line along faster, we all genuinely wanted to help.

Humbled and embarrassed by our communal act of kindness before him, the clerk declined our offers, took the loss and closed the register, allowing the woman in the scooter to get along.

“Next.”

We waited in silence for our turn at transacting and eventually, my four iced teas came to precisely $4. Change from the $5 bill, I kept the dollar in hand as I exited the store thinking how just minutes before, I’d turned down a 50 cent window wash from a man who wanted to work for it, and gladly forked over four dimes for someone who couldn’t.

It was one of those serendipity moments that cost me nothing but a cold iced tea and a buck to a guy who needed it a lot more than me.

I think everyone learned a lesson at lunchtime today.