Kitchen

[beach-mom]

On 6/7/2014 kittymomNC said:

On 6/7/2014 house_cat said:

Good for you, kittymom

My son is a musician and an artist. Now that he's older he has found another vocation to keep food on the table, but it broke my heart when he told me there was a time he was sitting outside a bakery in San Francisco, with his best friend and his dog, just hoping someone would give them something to eat. Someone did and he's never forgotten it. As a mom, I cry whenever I think of that story and no matter how old the person is who asks me for help I always think that somewhere, they have a mother who would be glad someone helped.

Wow, my son wanted to be a professional and played guitar in a band for ten years--he's also older now but still regrets the fact that the band members couldn't seem to keep on the same track, so they could get further with it than they did--they actually were very good. But he had a regular job at the same time -- I can't imagine how I would feel if I ever thought he had gone hungry. I'm sure I would have been a basket case. I have such a soft heart and want to save all the animals in the world - how can I do less for people? If any of them have been scammers, someone much greater than me will be their judge someday...

So true. I try to help when I can.

[nolari]

My sister has a great idea -- she buys a whole bunch of $5 McDonald's gift cards and gives them to needy people. As to what folks use donations for: What you give is your Karma; what the recipient does with it is THEIR Karma.

[ivey]

I have a friend who was telling us about her doing for the homeless. She goes to the thrift shops and buys backpacks or tote bags for practically nothing. Then she puts a bottled water, can of soda or juice, bars, peanut butter crackers, etc. toothbrush and tooth paste, wet wipes, in the bags. She also makes baggies of dried dog food for those who have a dog. She keeps a couple of bags in her car all the time to give to people. I thought that was a very nice gesture.

[NYC Susan]

On 6/7/2014 terrier3 said:

One time I was at the toll booth off the Thruway. It was the first exit after the tolls, so it was just 50 cents.

The attendant told me that the person ahead had paid...did I want to do the same for the next car in line? He said that after the first person got it started, 45 people had paid for the next car in a row!...They were shooting for 100...

I love it! And that reminds me of something similar.

When I was younger (and cuter!), a really attractive guy was driving in the lane next to mine during heavy traffic. It had been a rough week for me, and I really just wanted to get home. He smiled at me, I smiled back. Harmless flirting - no words were exchanged, nothing weird or creepy about it, as we drove a few miles pretty much side by side, occasionally smiling, sometimes making sympathetic faces at each other about the amount of traffic, making each other laugh, things like that. Right before the toll booth, he pulled in front of me, went thru, and waved as he sped ahead and out of sight. When I handed the person in the booth my money, she said it had been paid for by the guy in front of me, and he had told her to tell me that he liked my smile & thought I was beautiful. It made me feel so good the rest of the day. Just so sweet! Someone making a gesture like that and fully knowing he would never get anything in return.

The next day I wished that I had told her to take my money and use it to pay the toll of whoever was behind me, but I was too flustered at the time. So the next time I was on a toll road, I paid my toll and then paid for whoever happened to be behind me. The message I asked to go with it was simply, "Have a great day and please pay it forward". I drove thru the toll slowly, and I saw that in the car behind me was an elderly man, and the look on his face was priceless. Nice big smile. And he gave her money too, so I assumed he paid for whoever was behind him.

I'm pretty sure that the cost of the toll was not bank-breaking for any of us, but a little act of kindness like that does so much! Every now and then I pay for the person behind me, and it always makes me think of the cute guy who liked my smile and how he lifted my spirits that day. Very often it's the little things that truly are big things.

[RainyDayGal]

On 6/7/2014 circles said:

I am curious......I have read about these act of kindness when someone paid for someones meal...or such....

How the heck do they know what it will be...like you who was at the drive=thru...how would he know what you were ordering......or when the person/people are eating their meal and another paid for their food.....how could that be determined as they might order something else...yet they say it didn't cost them anything....I don't "get" it...

I think its a wonderful gesture...just need to understand how it works....

I have paid for cops drinks at the espresso stand. They've been on the other side of the drive-thru. I just tell the barista that whatever they're ordering it's on me. She rings it up while I'm there and I pay for it. If they were to be behind me I would just pay $5.00 towards the cost, that would cover most.

[NYC Susan]

On 6/7/2014 stilltamn8r said:

On 6/7/2014 circles said:

I am curious......I have read about these act of kindness when someone paid for someones meal...or such....

How the heck do they know what it will be...like you who was at the drive=thru...how would he know what you were ordering......or when the person/people are eating their meal and another paid for their food.....how could that be determined as they might order something else...yet they say it didn't cost them anything....I don't "get" it...

I think its a wonderful gesture...just need to understand how it works....

At the drive through it is easy.. the person at the window knows how much the next order is for....in fact ALL of the orders behind you...

Exactly. At the drive-thrus I go to, you give your order and they tell you what your total is. Then you pull up to the window to pay & get your food. So when the car in front is paying for theirs, they can offer to pay for whoever is behind them and the cashier will know exactly what that amount is.

[skyblue]

I have had my coffee paid for at Starbucks. I was having a really bad day and this random act of kindness made a huge impact on me! Never underestimate how the power of a simple gesture or a kind word can impact someone else!

[house_cat]

On 6/7/2014 ivey said:

I have a friend who was telling us about her doing for the homeless. She goes to the thrift shops and buys backpacks or tote bags for practically nothing. Then she puts a bottled water, can of soda or juice, bars, peanut butter crackers, etc. toothbrush and tooth paste, wet wipes, in the bags. She also makes baggies of dried dog food for those who have a dog. She keeps a couple of bags in her car all the time to give to people. I thought that was a very nice gesture.

I love this! I don't think it would work here where I live because it's too hot most of the year to leave that in the car… some variation of it might work, though.

[Porcelain]

Yep. You know how they say (jokingly of course) that H-E-double-hockey-sticks is other people? Well if that's true then heaven is other people too.

We can create great experiences for each other every day if we want to. Can't imagine anything better or more important to do with our lives than that. For real. More of this please!

[NYC Susan]

I just thought of another one.

I was a newly-divorced mom with two young sons, pretty much a single parent because at that time my ex wasn't very involved in their lives. (I'm happy to say that has changed!) For the birthday of one of my sons we went out to dinner. When it was time to pay, I was told that a couple at a nearby table had paid because they were so impressed with how well-behaved my children were and because they had enjoyed watching me interact with them. Wow! That gave me a much-needed boost at a very difficult time in my life. Not having to pay was wonderful (money was kind of tight), but hearing that someone thought I was doing a good job as a Mom was priceless!

I agree with those who have said that they give money to the homeless, etc. I don't always do it, I'll be honest. If I'm on a side street in the city, it's late at night, and no one else is around, I'm inclined to keep walking and not pull a wallet out of my bag. But in more ordinary situations, I do give a few dollars. Yes, I know they could be using it for drugs or alcohol or whatever. But - as others have said - I'm willing to give anyway if there's even the smallest chance that someone will go hungry if I don't.