One woman gets an unexpected message in the Dunkin Donuts drive-thru line while grieving the recent loss of a dear friend.
Ramona Crawford was hired by Allen and Penny Ellison in 2017 to help them with their business. She recalls that her and Allen became instant friends.
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“He was a prankster to the 10th degree, and I was a target he never truly could get. I can’t tell you how many times I turned a corner in the office to find Allen just on the other side, standing…waiting…with his little signature smirk on his face,” Romana shared. “Allen was Army, through and through. He served as Staff Sgt First Class in the 82nd Airborne tied to A Company 325. I loved to get him started on stories from his time in the service.”
One inside joke that Allen and Romana had was that they liked to think that they were the only people who really liked cake donuts. “Often, on days he knew I would be in the office, he would have two cake donuts waiting for us,” she said.
Then in 2019, Allen got very sick. “Before things got bad, I got a call from Allen. He told me he trusted me to take care of Penny,” said Ramona. “I promised I would do my very best. I like to think that I have.”
After he passed, Penny continued to run their business on her own. And on Allen’s first birthday without him here, Ramona arranged something special for Penny. She wanted her to know that she is still loved and supported. “I arranged for friends and family to send a birthday card for Allen to Penny with happy/funny messages inside,” Ramona said.
But what was amazing was the message that Ramona received on Allen’s birthday.
“When I woke up on the morning of his birthday, of course, I was thinking of Allen and how I was going to fit in a visit to see Penny. I dropped my son off at school and made my way over to Dunkin Donuts, an everyday occurrence. I ordered my usual iced coffee and waited for my turn. While in the drive thru, I noticed the vehicle in front of me had Florida tags,” she shared.
“When I pulled to the window, I was surprised to learn my coffee had been paid for. Then, the Dunkin Donuts employee said, ‘Um, this is kind of weird but…they (the Florida tag people) also said they felt like you HAD to have a cake donut.’ The car in front of me paid for my coffee that I did order AND bought me a cake donut that I DID NOT order.”
Ramona then remembered her little joke between her and Allen about how they are the only people who like cake donuts. And the mysterious person in front of her in the Dunkin Donuts drive-thru line bought her a cake donut! Talk about the Holy Spirit moving in people to help encourage those in need!
Ramona later met up with Penny and was able to enjoy her cake donut in honor of Allen’s birthday. “We talked about Allen, what the day has been like for her, the cards that had arrived…life. I split the donut, handed Penny her half, and enjoyed my portion while thinking about how twisty-turney life can be.”
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May this serve as a reminder to always listen to where the Holy Spirit leads you in everyday life, because you may never know how much of an impact it can have on someone!
h/t: Love What Matters
Featured Image Credit: Ramona Crawford