Things for my family the last few years haven't been great. In fact, there have been some pretty dark times for us as we went through injuries, job loss, major illnesses and other stressful transitions. We're turning it around now, but we've never forgotten those moments when someone did something spectacularly nice for a perfect stranger.
One of those early moments came a few years ago. We were desperately struggling financially, had little food and I was so sick I could barely function. But every week, the three of us would go to the local food bank and standing in line in the cold, early morning light and wait to get what we could. This particular morning, on our way to the line, I spotted and envelope, taped to a park bench. It had bright stickers plastered all over it with the words, "Just to make you Smile - Please claim me," inked on the front.
This was the second or third envelope I'd seen since we parked the car, so I stopped... And claimed it. On the back was a Facebook page address and a little note of "If this makes you smile, pay it forward." Inside was a $5 bill.
Yup. Someone stuffed $5 bills into envelops and placed them in random spots for no other reason than to pay it forward. This person scattered several around the food bank - a place where folks really could use the money, the kindness and the smile.
That $5 bought us a couple extra groceries to get us by until payday, but I've never forgotten it. And while I don't do fancy envelopes, I might tuck a buck in a library book before returning it. The point isn't about the money. How much do you smile when a crisp $1 bill falls out of your library book? A little? A lot? That, my friend, is the whole point. Spend the dollar. Then, take a couple dollars next week and tuck them in random places. Let them go with love, knowing you've not only paid it forward, you've multiplied the positive energy in the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment