We have a business card with the phrase “You’ve been gifted a random act of kindness”, and I keep a few copies in my wallet for those occasions when they arise. I have been blessed with gifts and random acts of kindness over the years, and I try to return the favor to others whenever I get a chance.
My boyfriend and I were in the drive-thru at Starbucks early one Saturday morning, so you know the line was wrapped around the building. We reached the window and as he handed his debit card to the girl in the window, she said “the car in front of you paid for your order”. I immediately said “Oh, that is awesome! You need to pay for the car behind us!”. His look of bewilderment and saying “What?? What is going on here?” made me burst out with laughter and excitement! I said “it’s a random act of kindness! You need to keep it going and pay for the car behind us!”. With reluctance, he agreed to pay for the order behind us, which came to over $15. That’s not a lot of money, but his belief in the “act of kindness” went out the window when he paid over $15 for his one cup of coffee!
As we drove away, we continued the discussion. I had heard hundreds of stories over the years of this happening at various drive thru windows. However, he had been completely unaware this particular trend had been occurring every day all over the country. He doesn’t participate in social media, which is where I hear a lot of “random acts of kindness” stories. He is generous and will show his appreciation for people in his life; employees and family. If we pass by a stranger walking through a store or through a parking lot that is struggling with getting something in the car or getting the carts unstuck, he always offers to help.
Random acts of kindness don’t always have to cost money. We need to make “random acts of kindness” a way of life, not just a social media status. Mow your neighbor’s lawn, pay it forward in the drive-thru, help the elderly put the groceries in their car or put their cart away for them, or so many other options! The world needs extra doses of kindness right now. Spread the word and sprinkle kindness like confetti everywhere you go!
