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| This will probably be me someday. |
On a recently trip to my favorite store just before New
Year’s, I grabbed a few things and found a place in line behind a woman with
two kids and an elderly lady. All of our
chosen items were laid on the belt neatly separated by the plastic
dividers. It was business as usual.
As the checker was ringing in the family’s items, the mother
suddenly turned around and moved toward the elderly lady. She began to speak to her and as she did she
removed the plastic separator between their purchases, moving forward a bottle
of aspirin and a few personal items that the elderly lady was about to buy.
“I’m going to take care of your shopping today,” she said to
the woman as she placed her arm around her.
“Might as well start the year of right!”
I have never seen a person more thankful than that little
old lady in line at Target. The
additional items likely totaled less than $20, but to this woman, in this
moment it meant the world. A simple
gesture had made her day.
It might seem like a rather small act, but sometimes the
simplest things mean the most. It didn’t
change the world or make a difference to a lot of people, but in that one
instant it was perfect. All I know is
that it made me want to be more conscious, considerate and thoughtful of others. It made me want to pay it forward.
I haven’t found my moment yet, but I’ll know it when the
time comes. Or at least I hope it
will. Until then I’m just going to make
sure that I’m mindful of the people around me.
Maybe I can make a little difference too.
So how do you pay it forward?
Okay, that made me cry. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI saw someone do that at the grocery store a short while ago and it brought a similar reaction to me. To see the recipient's reaction was priceless and we knew that she truly was appreciative.
ReplyDeleteSometimes, when I'm in the drive-thru at Starbucks, I will pay for my own as well as whoever is behind me. Not much, but someone did it for me once and it made my day!
ReplyDelete