Bicycle chains and spare change

Tonight we went in search of new bikes. It's the latest in our get fit quick schemes, and hopefully one we will stick to. Sandra got a cute little pink one, Jeremy got a blue one, and I got an aluminum colored one. We shopped around and finally settled on the ones at target. I need to exercise more, and the nearby park just put in some new bike paths, so, I say, no day like today. As we were leaving the target, after dropping close to 400 bucks between the three of us, trekking off across the parking lot, I hear a little girl say to her mom, wow those look expensive. I turn and make eye contact with a lady holding the hand of 2 little dirty blonde haired girls. She asked us if we had any spare change, I felt around in my pocket, all three of us were dry of cash.
now here's the rub. My heart bleeds for children that are used as tools for begging. The mother wasn't pimping them out, but still, I know what it feels like to have to tell someone you are hungry, the shame in being poor, and the dark corners it leaves in your mind years after you have put it behind you. I got to the truck and we loaded our bikes, I'm sure a lot of people look down on the mother, but what if that really was her last straw. What if your kids had to depend on the kindness of strangers or go to bed with an empty stomach? Let me tell you from experience, strangers are not always kind, and I remember my mother crying at night because she couldn't provide for us. Those days are long gone for me, and I can do , see, have, and eat the things I want. I walked back over and the little girls whispered loud as little ones tend to, look mama she's coming back. All I had was a ten dollar bill, it was going to be a bottle of wine for me, but now I hope it is dinner for 2 little girls. I didn't make eye contact with their mother, but the little girls smiled as she said god bless you. As I walked away, I couldn't help but think he already had.