We didn't have money for candy or Easter baskets for our kids yesterday. We spent all the money we had left on eggs, so we could at least dye eggs and have an Easter egg hunt. My husband and I felt like the biggest failures as parents.

Our kids are 14, 11, and 8. The older two understood that we're going through a tough time financially right now, and though they were disappointed about no candy, they just accepted our promise that the money problems really are going to get better very soon. My husband just started a new business not too long ago, and it was rough for a while. But he's finally full up on clients - we're just playing catch-up on back bills now, and then we'll be fine. Even our 8yo, who doesn't really understand all that and was bitterly disappointed about no candy, never complained or even pouted about it. Even when we were actively failing to meet their reasonable expectations from us, they just loved us and trusted us to take care of them, and enjoyed dying eggs and then hunting for them (or, the 14yo, helping us hide the eggs.)I have the biggest sweet tooth in the world, so I had a little stash of Blow Pops, Starbursts, and Laffy Taffys in my purse. I divided that up between the three of them, and they were as excited as if it were full Easter baskets. Somehow, that made me feel even worse.A little while ago, someone rang the doorbell, left a HUGE basket of Easter candy and balloons, and five smaller Easter baskets inside the big one, and then drove off before we could see who it was. Expensive, nice stuff, not just a few peeps and jelly beans, and a LOT of it.I don't know who did that, or how they knew we needed it. Maybe one of the kids was talking to a friend, who told their parents. Maybe a teacher. Maybe a neighbor. Whoever you are - with all my heart, thank you. We'll be doing a lot better soon, and when we are, I promise we'll pay it forward as many times over as we can. Thank you. via /r/Parenting http://bit.ly/2UQbjQE