Pay it forward!

So I thought I'd switch it up a bit with my 'Fifty-two New' this week. This wasn't planned at all but I thought it is a great ending to the second week of the year for me. I've always been touched by the stories I hear about people "paying it forward". I used to work at a Christian radio station where they were famous for "make a difference Monday". I'd always look forward to getting into my car on Monday and turning on the radio to hear a story about a nice thing that someone did that morning for someone else. The most common mention would be of the drive-thru line at Starbucks. Now I'm sure you've all heard this story before. It started off with one person paying for the coffee of the person in the drive-thru behind them. That cycle continued for a while until it finally stopped. It made big news here with our radio station and that's when "make a difference Monday's" came about.

Well, today was my "make a difference Monday"! Yes, I know its Friday, but hey :-) I just dropped my daughter off at her sitter and made my way to Starbucks as I do every morning. I usually don't do drive-thru's, but today was different for some reason. I drove on up to the window and placed my usual order just as another car drove up behind me. As I continued on to pay for my drink, the thought came to my head. I'm not sure why at that very moment I thought about paying for the coffee behind me. I've had my share of opportunities to do this but for some reason now was the first time I've acted on it. Boy did it feel good! It brought me back to think of those times when I was younger that I would be more involved. Involved with helping others more. Yes, this guy behind me was driving a Lexus and probably could afford to pay for a year's worth of his own coffee right then and there. But that was not the point! I was reminded of how much more I could be doing just to make someones day a bit brighter. It may look as though everything is fine and dandy on the outside, but they may be going through a lot on the inside. Maybe stress, sorrow, loss- anything. And right now I am as happy and grateful as I can be. I have been so blessed for all that I have and for the family and friends that surround me. I don't know what the person behind me is going through. He may be as blessed and happy as I am. But it was such a great feeling to do the unexpected for someone today to brighten up their day. It's greatest way to express the thanks I have for all I have, the happiness I feel, and the life I've been given!

Happy Friday!!