Pay It Forward

There was an elderly woman in front of me as I was walking up to the entrance doors at Speedway on Sunday. She was moving slowly, using a four-pronged cane and carrying a homemade cup carrier held together with duct tape.

She smiled and said, "Nice Truck," to a man sitting in a pickup with bright paint and fancy pinstripes.

As she opened the door, she saw me and offered to hold the door.

"Thanks. After you," I replied.

She walked in ahead of me and then turned, with a smile on her face and asked, "Did you see that HOT truck out there?"

"I did.  It's pretty fancy."  I wanted to laugh at her calling it hot.  What a sweet, happy woman.

She walked over to the cappuccino machine as I grabbed my customary iced tea. She carefully place one, then two large 'caps' into her homemade carrier -- a necessity for her since she walked with the cane.

I was at the register while she was putting on the lids, and I told the clerk I wanted to pay for the woman's beverages.

The clerk said, "That's nice."  I told her the woman seemed like a very nice lady.

As I left the store, I saw a van parked in the handicapped space. There was an elderly man in the passenger seat.  Probably her husband.  She was in the store, on a sunny Sunday afternoon, buying a sweet drink to share with her spouse.

I smiled knowing she had no idea who I was or why I paid for her cappuccinos. I felt warm hoping she'd be flattered. It made my day to practice random kindness.

Pay it forward... it feels wonderful!