Why Pay it Forward???

Every once and a while you hear of a "random act of kindness" (RAC).  I remember my mom telling me last year that after the shooting in CT  people were doing RAC's and someone bought my sister coffee or McDonalds, or something, I really didn't pay it much mind.  I said, "oh that's nice mom, I hear people doing that".... blah, blah, blah.......I don't ever think of myself as a recipient of RAC, I think of myself as needing to be the giver of RAC.  That's what I do.  I am a Social Worker after all, I give and give and give.  And I LOVE giving. It's just who I am and what I do.

Then yesterday things changed for me.  I took a quick break from work to get some caffeine, I was just dragging and needed a quick pick me up.  I went to the local drive thru Starbucks, ordered my favorite drink (the one I try to quit all the time), Grande Chi Tea Latte.  The young man at the window looked me in the eye and said to me "today is your lucky day".  He went on to tell me that the nice lady ahead of me bought my tea for me.  I was floored.  I said to the kid, "Are you messing with me????".  It reminded me of the day when the first boy asked me out in front of the 8th grade Art class and I thought he was messing with me and I laughed in his face.  I really could not believe it.  Then when I finally accepted the drink and started to drive off, all I wanted to do was Thank the person who bought it for me..... I was left with such mixed emotion.  Grateful, blessed, stunned and then empty because I couldn't properly thank the person.

So what did I do?  What I do often, I brought it to FB.  I announced the big RAC!  The post received over 60 likes within hours.  When we click the like button, its the fleeting second that we identify with the post, the post touches us in some way or we just simply "like" it.  So this simple RAC that this "nice lady" in front of me did, not only touched me, but another 60+ people!  Wow! Who knew a $4.00 drink can have such a positive impact on so many people.

This certainly  has motivated me to pay it forward and I hope that it inspires you to do the same this holiday season!