The Broken Glowstick

A friend told me this story. He read it somewhere.

Photo by John Kinnander on Unsplash

If you recognize it and can tell us where you read it we can give credit where it is due. I'm telling you what he told me and using my own words to do it, so it's my version, how I remember it.

---

A young mother was with her two little boys in a local small grocery store. The five year old was walking by her side and the two year old was strapped in the stroller. As they were turning the corner of an aisle there was a display of glowsticks, each one packaged in fun bright colors.

When the two year old saw this he wanted one. At first he was ignored, so his voice became louder and shriller. Now everyone in the store could hear his pathetic wail.

To manage her own sanity, the mom gave the little boy a glowstick and once-again peace was restored.

Suddenly, the five year old took the toy from his little brother. Of course the wailing started again and the mother frowned at her older son.

"Why did you take his toy?" she demanded.

The five year old then broke the glowstick so its inner chemicals would mix.

Suddenly, it began to glow.

Then he handed it back to his brother.

"It only glows," he said, "when you break it."

---

My friend told me the story haunted him for a week.

Let me know what you think in the comments below.