Pay it Forward

It was a typical Monday morning as I got dressed and packed my lunch to head to work. Until I stepped outside and realized there was an icy mess covering the ground. I quickly turned around and stepped right back into my apartment to replace my high heels with warm boots. As I walked back outside I smiled to myself taking in the beauty that the tiny bit of snow had added to the world. And it was beautiful. Until it turned my 6 mile, 12 minute drive to work into a half an hour on ice-covered roads as I gripped the steering wheel a bit too tightly and tried to remain calm and not scream at the crazy drivers around me as I slowly drove my normal route to work. Since I hadn't eaten breakfast I decided that I needed to drive right past work and head to Tim Horton's for a honey wheat bagel toasted with cream cheese. Real cream cheese, not even the low fat stuff, because after that drive in, I felt I deserved it. I placed my order at the drive thru and drove around the corner to pay the cashier. As she opened the window I held out my $2. "The lady in front of you paid for you," she says. Slightly taken aback I glance to the car driving away in front of me to see if it is someone I know. It isn't. A complete stranger just bought me breakfast without even knowing who I was or what I had ordered or how much it would cost. I quickly gathered my amazement and spoke to the cashier: "well, can I do that for the car behind me then?" I ask. She told me the total was more than my bagel would cost but I told her that was okay as another worker stared over her shoulder with a shocked smile on her face. I paid my bill and drove off as the cashier wished me a great day. I smiled to myself knowing that it would be just that. I was given a random act of kindness on a morning that was starting off poorly when I hadn't even made it to work yet. And I paid it forward, to give someone else the same kindness that was given to me. I hope it went on all day, people giving to strangers and paying it forward at a small Tim Horton's restaurant in Dayton, OH.

As you rush around preparing for the Holiday's, I hope that you will take some time to pay it forward. Next time you're at a drive thru maybe you will spend a few extra dollars and pay for the person behind you. And maybe they'll pay it forward. And maybe you'll reach more people than you ever imagined through your random act of kindness. Because someone in that drive thru line is having a bad day or a bad week or a bad month, and your kindness may be the only cheer in their day.

Thank you to whoever bought my breakfast yesterday. Thank you for the reminder of how easy it can be to give back and spread cheer through simple, random acts of kindness. And Thank you for the chance to pay it forward.

And to anyone reading this, this is your chance to do something unexpected for someone else and continue to pay the kindness of a stranger forward to the lives of others. I hope that you will, and I'd love to hear about the ways you've found to do so.