She Deserved the Purse

By Audrey Hwang

When Denaesha Gonzales was shopping one day, she noticed something out of order. Tucked in between baby lotion and children’s medication was a small purse.

Her first thought was that a mother must have picked up a purse while shopping, but put it back down on the aisle to afford necessities for her child. 

It's familiar between mothers, sacrificing things for their own pleasure or enjoyment to place the needs of their family before them.

Gonzales went to TikTok to post a video with the words, “She deserved the purse”. The caption wrote, “To the Mothers who chose themselves last, you deserve the world tonight and always.”

The video blew up, gaining over 25 million views in a matter of weeks. A short TikTok created the push for a real-life moment, one that urges people to step up for mothers. People now go to the baby aisles of department stores to tuck cash in diaper boxes, place notes under formula caps, and give the mothers the support they need to be able to pick themselves as well as their children.

For the mothers out there, you deserve that special thing for yourself. This trend has given society the momentum they need to remember the struggling mothers and pay back, both physically and mentally. Thank you for sacrificing yourself for us, if it's over a purse or even something as large as your dreams.

But with the attention the trend has gathered on social media, it hasn't just attracted struggling mothers but also heartless strangers.

People have flocked to large stores to rip open diaper boxes and upturn aisles in search of cash and gift cards. They take advantage of people who give up their own hard earned cash to support women who want to provide for their children.

If you see someone stealing from these boxes, merely for some extra cash, speak up. 

For anyone, $20 is enough to buy some food, but for a mother, it's enough to buy her baby’s goods and snag something extra for herself.

This trend has finally brought attention to mothers who live paycheck to paycheck for their children. The best thing you can do is help out with the cause or prevent people from ruining it for others.