Once， when I was a teenager， my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus. Finally， there was only one family left before us.

This family made a big impression on me. There were eight children， all probably under the age of 12. You could tell they didnt have much money from their clothes.

The children were well-behaved， two-by-two behind their parents， holding hands. They were excitedly talking about the clowns， elephants， and other acts they would see that night.

One could sense they had never been to the circus before. It was promised to be a highlight[亮点] of their young lives. The father and mother stood at the head of the pack proudly. Soon it was the familys turn.

The ticket lady asked the father how many tickets he wanted. He responded loudly， “Please give me eight childrens tickets and two adult tickets.”

When the ticket lady told him the price， his head dropped， and his lip began to quiver[颤抖]. He leaned a little closer and asked， “How much did you say？”

The ticket lady gave the same answer. The man dumbfounded there. Obviously he didnt have enough money.

How did he turn and tell his eight kids that he didnt have enough money to take them to the circus？ Seeing this， my dad dropped a $20 bill on the ground in a hurry.

My father reached down， picked up the bill， patted the man on the shoulder and said， “Excuse me， sir， it fell out of your pocket.”

The man knew what was going on. He wasnt begging for a benefaction[施舍] but certainly appreciated the help in a desperate， heartbreaking， embarrassing situation. He looked up at my dad， and then took his hands tightly. He replied with tears running down his cheek， “Thank you， sir. This really means a lot to me and my family.”

My father and I went back to our car and drove home. We didnt go to the circus that night， but we didnt feel regretful.