Don Ramón, of 70 years, was sad, frustrated and worried because he couldn’t sell his handmade furniture. All he needed was the help of a young woman with a big heart who posted his photo in order for thousands of people to lend him a hand.
Grandparents are a treasure. These wise elders, tired after a lifetime of struggling to get ahead, are generally a source of knowledge and kindness and an example of effort and improvement.
This is why, once in their golden years, the vast majority has earned the right to rest and happily observe with satisfaction how their children and grandchildren grow up to become good people, just like them.
But there are some grandparents who can’t afford to do that. Life can be very unfair sometimes, even with the people who have struggled for years who are forced to continue working although their bodies can – nor should have to – no longer resist such things.
This is the case of Ramón Rojas, a 69-year-old grandfather who makes wooden toys and sells them outside a zoo located in Chilpancingo, Guerrero, Mexico.
Don Ramón became a carpenter at age 35. He taught himself everything he knows and started because he wanted to build toys for his daughters when they were 4. “I just wanted to see them happy,” said the man, who says that although his work is a bit complicated and even painful, he’s always pleased to see his finished products.
Now, almost 70 years old, the old man has been forced to continue building his beautiful furniture to survive but hasn’t had much luck. With little to no sales, his money ran out and sadness and frustration took over his thoughts.
This was until a nice young woman decided to sit with him, listen to his story and lend him a hand so he can have the rest he so much deserves.
Fernanda Valle was walking near the zoo when she saw Don Ramón sitting with his eyes glued to the horizon. When she saw his products and the old man’s kind face, she decided to approach him and talk to him for a moment. Seeing how the man’s sales weren’t prospering, the woman decided to help him and post photos of him on social media to promote his merchandise. Her plan worked great.
«Look at who I found! Mr. Ramón Rojas asks you to please visit him. He’s next to the Zoochilpan zoo selling these beautiful crafts that he makes himself, he told me, and I quote, «I make them with a lot of love». Very kindly, he invited me to take a seat .. He was sad because he hadn’t sold a single item. They’re beautiful and well-priced…. he makes the pieces in real size, too», wrote the young woman on Facebook.
The grandpa didn’t have much hope that Fernanda’s post would make a difference, but he gave a heartfelt thank you to the young woman for her good intentions.
What he didn’t know is that social media has become a powerful tool to help, and make more visible, those who need a hand. Thousands of people shared his images and hundreds of people visited his small shop to buy everything he’d made.
The young woman’s post was so successful that the man has even received several purchase requests from the United States.
Don Ramón just needed to be seen and heard in order to sell his products and bring food to his table. Thanks to a sweet young woman and the power of social media, the success, and the much-deserved rest that comes with it, is getting closer and closer.