Pay it forward

Rolex was out to dinner a few nights ago at our favorite little Italian restaurant.  We had come home from a hard day at work and were feeling excited about going out, relaxing, eating good food and being together.  After devouring our meals, our server brought the check and let us know there was no need for payment because it had already been taken care of. Shocked, we looked around the restaurant to see if we knew anyone.  The server kindly pointed out the genleman who paid for our dinner and we had no idea who he was!  We made our way over to thank him for his act of kindness and let him know how grateful we were.  When asked why he decided to make the kind gesture, he said that he periodically chooses people to buy dinner for and that we looked like we were enjoying ourselves and thought we might like an all-expenses-paid dinner.

The kind gesture warmed our hearts and reinforced our faith in humanity.  Rod and I discussed it in-depth that evening and we began to think about how seldom we commit random acts of kindess.  Perhaps the world would be a better place if we made it a point to pay it forward on a regular basis?  Sorry to get so "mushy", I just feel inspired by the act and feel the need to inspire others!  I would like to think that for every act of kindness it could be paid forward exponentially.  Potentially creating incalculable amounts of happiness.

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, "In the order of nature we cannot render benefits to those from whom we receive them, or only seldom.  But the benefit we receive must be rendered again, line for line, deed for deed, cent for cent, to somebody."

In other words, pay it forward!

Have you ever been the victim or perpetrator of a random act of kindness?