 When a father struggled to pay for his grocery bill, he looks up to see a cop coming. For people struggling with financial hardships, every penny counts when it comes to bills, groceries and any extraneous expenses. For one father of four, feeding his family was a top priority, even if the cash to pay for it didn't come easy. However, on one particular shopping trip, as the beep of the register correlated with a quickly increasing total, he knew he might not have the funds to pay for it. It was then a police officer approached him, which would shift the course of his night in a positive direction. When it came to understanding hardships, officer Mike Kelly considered himself an expert. He'd experienced many ups and downs in life, but they all helped shape him into the man he was today. One of the biggest struggles from his past was his relationship with his father. You see, Mike's father wanted him to inherit the family business a small hardware store, but the problem was, Mike hated retail. To say that Mike's dad didn't agree with his choice to go to college and not work in the family business would be an understatement. Dinners were eaten in silence for weeks, and no matter how Mike's mother tried to mediate the situation, his father remained quiet. Could anything repair their relationship? One day, Mike's mother asked him to stop by the family store after school. When he arrived, he found a closed sign on the front door. Peering through the window, Mike was shocked to see a disturbing chain of events unfolding inside. His father was being robbed. A masked man held a gun to his head, while his father frantically stuffed cash from the register into a bag. The robber ended the altercation by hitting his father over the head just as he locked eyes with his son outside. Mike's father realized from that day on that life was short and time was precious. Mike couldn't stand the thought of his father so helpless and realized his calling was to join the police force. His father, for the first time in a long time, supported the decision. After excelling in the police academy, Mike would eventually go on to be a very well-known and respected cop in his local area. Unfortunately, not everyone had the same luck. Spencer Doring was a man who enjoyed living his life by the seat of his pants. He worked hard and spent the weekends living it up at the bar without a care in the world. His network of friends was vast and waking up hung over on a Monday was a routine. However, something would happen that would change his perspective and life. When Spencer's mother died, he realized the large swath of friends he thought he had were not there for him. Of course, when he was paying for the drinks it was party with Spencer, but when the money ran out, his friends were nowhere to be found. It was this realization that motivated Spencer to make a change in his life. He wanted more meaning to his existence and thankfully, that would come in the form of Ashley. One night at a bar, Spencer met a beautiful career-driven woman named Ashley. She initially refused his offer to buy her a drink, something that attracted Spencer to her even more. From that day on, he was determined to capture her heart. After pursuing her for some time, Ashley finally gave in and the two fell in love. As the years passed they would eventually get married and have three children. Spencer never could have imagined that life could be so fulfilling. However, tragedy would soon strike and his life would once again shift course dramatically. Ashley would end up being diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. And sadly, before any plans for treatment could be made, she passed away. Now, Spencer was left trying to support his three children on his own. Unfortunately, working full-time didn't allow him to be home with his children and grief properly. He knew something would need to change, but his luck was just about to run out. Spencer pleaded with his job for more time to spend with his kids as they tried to deal with the death of their mother. However, his job was far from understanding. They gave him two choices, continue working his set schedule or be fired. Unwilling to compromise his kids' well-being, Spencer chose to terminate his employment. Unfortunately, he had no idea how hard being unemployed would be. After grieving for a few months with his children, Spencer tried to take some odd jobs to keep the money flowing in. He was shocked by how fast he was going through his savings and paying for just the essentials soon became a struggle. Therefore, when he arrived at the store to buy groceries for his family, he dreaded what the total would be. So, you could say he was quite surprised when a police officer approached him as he was struggling to come up with the cash. Officer Mike had been on duty that day, stopping in the store for a few items when he noticed the father of three struggling to count his change. I'm looking down at the little girl and the young kids looking up to her dad, and I look in the shopping cart. It's just ramen noodles. I don't know if it's a financial thing, or if the card just didn't work. Regardless, what Mike did next would leave Spencer speechless. As Spencer continued to come up with the last few coins he had, Officer Mike handed him a $50 bill and said, I got this. He then told the kids maybe they could also go out for some ice cream too. Spencer was stunned. He quickly shook the officer's hand, completely blown away by his act of kindness. Spencer was completely overwhelmed by the officer's gesture and started to emotionally break down. Sensing he was about to lose his composure, Officer Mike sent the children to play some arcade games. Spencer revealed to the officer the struggles his family had been facing, and Mike assured him he was happy to help. Sometimes we all need a helping hand every once in a while. Another customer in the store took notice of the officer's kindness, and immediately posted about the moment on social media. Little did Spencer and Mike know, this would lead to something much bigger than both of them. Officer Mike's good deed would soon go viral, with local news outlets picking up the story. With today's dark times, the positive story struck a chord with people across the country, with journalists wanting to interview the local hero. Of course, Mike was not seeking attention from his deed, he truly believed it was his duty to protect and serve the people of his city. Over the course of his career, Officer Mike had seen it all. He knew the hardships children went through and families that were broken, and those that were not financially stable. While kids seemed to be unaware of the financial hardships of their parents, Mike felt helping Spencer could bring a little light to their lives. Officer Mike is just one example of how a small gesture can make a huge impact on someone's life. It didn't take much time or effort, just a simple $50, that helped a family put food on their table. What are you going to do today to make a positive impact on the world?