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Have you ever had the opportunity to bless someone with a gift card? What about pay for someone else’s holiday gifts when they least expected it? I recently had the opportunity to do exactly that – thanks to Macy’s – and it proved to be more challenging than I expected.
The Macy’s $100 Surprise Give Away
This holiday season, Macy’s and Savings.com provided me with a $100 Macy’s gift card to surprise someone doing their holiday shopping at Macy’s.
I jumped at the chance to participate in the surprise! After all, who wouldn’t want to give someone the surprise of their life? Can’t you just picture it? Someone standing in line at a register getting ready to pay for their purchases, excited about what they’ve found, but still a little worried about how they’re going to pay for the rest of their holiday gifts? It seems like a movie plot, except I got to be a part of it 🙂
I walked into my local Macy’s, giddy with excitement for what I was about to do. But then all of a sudden the weight of the situation overwhelmed me.
Who should I pick?
Did they deserve it?
How do I know if they’re shopping for presents versus just buying something for themselves?
Do I go up to a single woman or a family?
I didn’t know how to rectify all the questions swirling in my brain. I must have ridden up and down the escalators amidst all three floors a half dozen times trying to find the perfect recipient. I tried to engage my head and my heart, simultaneously looking at what they were shopping for while also waiting for that ‘feeling’ in my gut telling me who was “THE ONE”.
I never thought it would be so difficult to give away $100!
Turning Down a Gift
I initially tried to surprise a sweet young family with the gift card. Dressed in holiday sweaters and pushing their baby in a carriage, they appeared to be buying holiday housewares and kitchen gifts.
I explained that Macys & Savings.com wanted to surprise them with $100 to put towards their holiday purchase. They looked at each other, smiled, and then looked back at me. Almost in unison, they thanked me profusely, but then declined, saying they’d rather see it go to someone who needed it more than they did.
I was flabbergasted.
If someone showed up out of the blue and offered me $100 towards my holiday shopping, I think I’d scream and hug them…not take a moment to reflect on the fact someone else may need it more than me.
The moment touched me deeply, but it also troubled me deeply. What was I supposed to do now? I’d spent so much time picking the perfect couple, the thought of beginning the process all over again seemed daunting.
Picking the Perfect Family
I’ll spare you the details of what it took to eventually live up to the task before me, but suffice it to say, I found the perfect family to surprise. I loved that they were all shopping together and I could tell they were checking prices and considering their purchases carefully.
I’m sure they were wondering why some stranger was approaching them. But as I began to explain what I wanted to do and their gaze shifted to the small gift bag in my hands, you could tell their apprehension shifted to appreciation.
The mom even commented that the surprise made her “warm all over”. Their girls remained quiet, yet you could see the wheels turning in their heads. I don’t know what may have been going on in their lives that day, but I pray they will never forget the unexpected blessing this day held for their family. More than that, I pray it encourages them to pay it forward in the lives of others.
The Best Holiday Deals
While you may not have someone offer to pay for your holiday gifts while shopping at Macy’s, there are still great deals available from Macy’s all through the holiday season.
Personally, this is one of my favorite weeks to shop at Macy’s because their famous Friends & Family sale is happening. While most people know Macy’s for their One Day Sale, I personally like the Macy’s Friends and Family sale better for two reasons. First of all, you see designers on sale that RARELY get discounted. Second, beauty and fragrance are also discounted by an extra 15% off.
Simply put, it made my heart happy to see other smart Macy’s shoppers not only getting a leg up on their holiday shopping, but saving big while beating the last-minute crowds.
Macy’s Surprise Video
This is actually the second time I’ve been able to surprise someone in Macy’s with a gift card. You can watch my previous Macy’s Surprise video where I got to surprise an unexpecting father buying Christmas clothes and gifts for his young son.
Even if you’re reading this after the Friends and Family sale is done, you can check back here to find the best deals all season long via the ad-unit below:
