Photo: Courtesy Debbie Hennessy
When there was a break in thedeep freeze that swept across Texaslast week, Tim Hennessy and his wife Deb piled into his Jeep and headed for the grocery store for a few last-minute supplies.
There was a line to get into the store, so Tim did what most Texans do: he made friends with the strangers around him.
“I love people,” says Tim, who lives in Leander, Texas, about 30 minutes north of Austin. “I was teasing the people in front of me. I said, ‘You know, they only have liver and lima beans left.’ We all started to laugh.”
It was a much-needed laugh for many who enduredpower outagesamid the icy storm — which, in many cases, cut off their access to heat — and for others forced to deal withwater shortages, leaving them without ways to drink or shower.
Taking advantage of the weather break, dozens lined up at H.E.B., a beloved grocery store chain for many Texans.The New York Timesrecently wroteabout its cult following, which includes patrons wearing T-shirts and others posting to TikTok as proud members of its fandom.
Once inside, the Hennessys began filling their cart with their family’s requests — milk, tortillas, fruits and vegetables — when it happened again.
“We’re there about 10, 15 minutes, then boom! The power goes out,” he recalls. “You could hear a groan throughout the whole store.”
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As they settled in for the long wait, he realized the line began to move. Swiftly. As they approached the cashier, she waved her hands and told them, “Go home, and be safe driving home.”
It took Tim a minute, he says, to realize everything in their cart was free.
“I think everybody thought it was just a great gesture,” he says. “And I think just because of that, it makes you want to help other people in that moment too.”
The couple immediately teared up at the gesture. Tim shared his story on his Facebook page and it immediately went viral.
H.E.B. did not return a call for comment.
Tim says he realized how fortunate he was despite the disaster.
“What’s amazing about stuff like that, this country’s gone through some tough times this last year or two,” he says. “And compared to the rest of the world, we’re really fortunate here.”
source: people.com
