Pay It Forward

I have so much to write about and so little time, it seems, to get all of my thoughts down in readable form. Frustrating! Regardless, I'm taking time to put these thoughts down 1) because I was reminded this afternoon about something that happened a month ago that prompted this particular blog idea and 2) because I don't feel like doing the other tasks on my list for this afternoon. My blog has become a reason to procrastinate...like I needed a reason.

Back in December, a friend of mine posted on her Facebook page that the woman in front of her at the Starbucks drive-thru generously paid for her order and told the person working at the window to wish her a Merry Christmas. It made her day. The unprompted generosity of this woman brought her to tears. Reading her post, I was moved by the idea. And decided right then that these little acts of kindness needed to become a habit. And not just at Christmas-time. All year round.

I decided to take action. About a week later I was in the drive-thru at McDonald's and decided to act. I paid for the girl behind me's order. The cashier didn't blink twice when I asked if I could do that, making me think that maybe this idea isn't as rare as I thought. I hope not. Waiting in line, looking at the girl in the car behind me, she looked to be about 20, driving a clearly used car and had a school parking sticker in the window. I imagine she was a college student getting her morning breafast and dose of caffeine. She had no idea what was coming and it made me feel pretty good inside knowing that I was about to surprise her with a free breakfast.

A coworker of mine suggested an idea to me for another act. She said that she was driving by our work and saw a group of people standing out on the sidewalk across the street from our building having a smoke break. In the rain. She stopped, got the umbrella out of her back seat and gave it to them. Then drove away. Saw the need and met it.

Randomly, out of the kindness of you heart and without thanks expected in return, we should all see the simple needs in other's lives and meet them. The phrases "pay it forward" and "random act of kindness" have been so overused in our society in recent years that everybody just sort-of blows over them now when we read or hear about them. But if we stop just reading about them and actually perform them, then they become real to us. And you don't have to wait to come across someone stranded with a flat tire on the side of the road. If an opportunity doesn't come along, you can create one of your own. Like I did. Oh we're all so busy and stressed and preoccupied with our own problems!!!! It costs you almost nothing in money or time to do something like this, but it will make you feel like a million bucks--not to mention how it will make your recipient feel. And hopefully they will return the favor to someone they come across. Imagine if everyone started doing these things? Just being aware of other's needs and being thoughtful enough to meet them. Simple, huh?