It Happened AGAIN. The coffee could have been burnt or cold, it was still the best ever!

*Side Note: I wrote this post a week ago but held off posting as I feared it may come off as brag-a-doseo, and that is not my intent. But then “it” happened again yesterday! So with world kindness day this Friday 11/13, I decided to post.....

Do you remember a long long (long) time ago when there was a piece of paper that would be delivered to your eagerly awaiting hands or show up under our keyboard at your desk every Friday? This piece of paper was a real live paper check before long before there was direct deposit.

Around the same time, do you also remember when driving on the highway, we used to have to slow down every once in a while, to come upon a small metal box where we would pay the person a cash sum of money for a toll to continue to drive through?

Well, way back when after landing my very first corporate job straight out of college, often I was told how lucky I was to have a job during a recession. Due to that, I would occasionally pay an extra $5-$10 dollars in tolls to take care of the cars behind me as I felt so fortunate to be working. I vividly remember being on my way to Vermont in my first car; a little blue Saturn and pulling up to the tolls behind a big white van. This is the first time someone paid for me and I still remember it all these years later! A little gesture that left a big impact for me to continue to pay it forward.

To this day, I pay a little extra at drive throughs (not that I am admitting to eating fast food mind you; of course, not)! I’ve paid for soldiers’ meal or a coffee/drink at the airport. On one or two occasions I have been known (pretend) to “find” a $20-dollar bill that must belong to the person in front of me while in line checking out of a Walmart or Target. Especially around the holidays when people need a little more hope. And yes, sometimes “finding” the $20 they dropped is a better way to pay it forward for the sake of someone’s pride.

Keep in mind, its not a lot of money I am spending, and not sharing this to toot my horn in any way. There is a point to the story. Keep reading.

Although my husband has supported me giving all these years, I know there is a little part of him shaking his head as to why I keep doing it. We call him crowbar because that's what we need to open his wallet. Before you ask, yes, I read this to him before posting and he said it was ok; he’s proud of his frugal ways. Again, he understands the pay it forward movement. I've even caught him paying for someone’s gas at the station, picking up a tab at the bar/restaurant, and even caught him helping someone at Home Depot. I know he appreciates how good it feels to pay it forward.

The reason I share this story with you is what happened last Sunday and AGAIN Yesterday.

We drove through the Starbucks drive through and waited in a long, long (I mean 18+ cars long) line. During the Pandemic, to me, the wait is worth it. The order is always the same- 1 venti decaf skinny latte (can you even IMAGINE me with caffeine)?  My husband likes the .10 cent tea at home and won’t pay the price tag on principle alone; plus he says someone has to save a little so I can spend it on someone else. =)

Today, today was a rare occasion where he ordered a drink as well. When we pulled up to the window the Barista simply said, “You’re all set, the gentleman in front picked up your order- have a nice day”! It was the first time my husband got to feel the unexpected joy and appreciation of someone else’s act of kindness.

Yesterday was the exact same scenario. Different car, different man, but he also picked up our order! Once again, my husband smiled, shook his head in disbelief and agreed it felt pretty darn good to be on the receiving end from a perfect strangers kindness.

So if you are on LinkedIn, and may have paid for a white Jeep over the past 2 weekends, Thank You! The coffee could have been cold, burnt, or filled with grinds. It did not matter, it tasted better than ever because of humanity. And we all need a little more of that…..

~me

~me