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paying it forward… TODAY… december 1st.
Posted on December 1, 2010
UPDATE BELOW!!!
I saw THIS this morning and thought it was a great idea!
A few years ago we were broke and I went to get gas. I had to pre-pay because I only have $10 to spend so I went inside and said I wanted to put $10 on pump 3. The woman smiled at me and said there was already $30 on there and to enjoy the free gas! I was speechless and she said that someone wanted to make someone’s day easier.
That has stuck with me. And when I can I try to help whether that’s stopping to ask a biker in the rain if he needs a ride or helping push someone’s car to the side of the street or just holding the door for someone. I try my best to pay it forward but I’m not intentional every day with it and I can certainly get better.
SO. Today is PAY IT FORWARD day and I am totally on board! I haven’t figured out what I want to do but I’m thinking the gas idea is perfect because it seriously saved me that day someone did it for me.
AND if you pay it forward somehow please leave it in the comments and we’ll pick our favorite idea and give a $10 iTunes gift card away! This is obviously ON YOUR HONOR b/c we don’t know if you actually did anything or not so please be honest. And don’t tell us what you WANT to do, tell us what you DID after you’ve done it. Then we’ll pick our fav and you’ll get some new Christmas music this season!
UPDATE ::: we’re extending this until Sunday! I’m loving the stories in the comments so we’re giving you guys a few more days to pay it forward! Tonight on my way home when I stopped to get my soda I gave $20 to the cashier and asked her to put it on the pump the next car came to… she thought I was crazy but I’m praying someone who needs it pulls up there tonight! Anyway, any random act of kindness you do will enter you to win not only the iTunes gift card but also a gift box from Greening Sam and Avery (or my awesome sister!)! Details on the gift to come! Sunday we’ll pick the winner!
What a lovely idea! Receiving is always nice but it is definitley no match for the feeling of giving! Helping people always brings such joy!
I completely love the idea of paying it forward. I am a broke college student so financially I cannot pay it forward often but I do go through my city’s toll every once in a while, and every time that I do go through I always pay for the person behind me. Our toll is only 50 cents each way, but like I tell all of my friends, you never know when that 50 cents can mean the matter of eating or not that night for someone. Since I started doing this and explaining this to everyone I know, I now have my friends and family doing this as well. Its cool to know that every time I do this I also have a friend and family member doing this too and that I am making a small impact on someones life.
Last year when I was working on saturdays for my parents I always stopped at the Queen Bean to get a big soda for the day, every Saturday in December I also gave an extra $5.00 and said I would like to buy the next person their drink. When I went back one day the lady at the drive-thru said it continued for 16 cars- everyone kept paying it forward buying the next person a drink. How cool is that?
it’s funny that you posted about this because i decided three years ago that i was going to start paying it forward in december. december is when starbucks puts out their eggnog chai latte. this is the ONLY time i ever stop there.
so i decided that when i am able to stop and enjoy this wonderful beverage, i am going to pay for the person behind me. the first time i did this the cashier asked me if my mom was behind me. nope. my sister? nope. a complete stranger they asked jokingly. yep i said.
i don’t peek in my mirror to see if the car behind me is packed with a ton of passengers. and i don’t get to see the look on their face when they realize their order has been paid for. i drive away hoping that i put a smile on their face – if just for a moment – during this crazy holiday season.
[...] it seriously December 2nd already? Holy cow! Did you see yesterday’s post about PAYING IT FORWARD? Last night I put $20 on a gas pump and this morning I did $10. Nothing [...]
It just gives me goose bumps thinking about all the WONDERFUL and KIND things people are doing for each other!!! Your GAS idea is fantastic. I was just in the post office today and asked the clerk– “what’s your favorite kind of cupcake??”— as we talked she got TEARS IN HER EYES. It amazes me that kindness doesn’t even have to be BIG And FANCY to make a huge impact!! I’m tickled you enjoyed the list and I can’t wait to hear about the rest of your monht.
:):)
Today my mom asked me to pick her up a coffee- trying to stall me because she was running late to meet me
I bought the car behind me a coffee too…..wonder if it continued
Every year our zoo membership expires in December so we go to the Zoo lights and ride the carousel. After a couple of rides we use all of our remaining credits to cover rides for however many we can. Last year we had 23 credits left!
I haven’t paid it forward, but I was just a recipient! Hope this counts for my friend who would never brag on herself!! My precious friend, Mary Catherine Kirby, read my plea on facebook for a Starbucks. I am stuck at home with a 4 year old that has the stomach bug, and I’m running on just a couple of hours of sleep that was mixed with two changes of sheets and countless beach towels filled with vomit. In my attempt to whine a little, I posted my need for a Starbucks to get through my day and get my Christmas cards addressed. Within one minute, MCK responds that she is on her way with a Starbucks. It was a precious gesture of love from an amazing friend and I WILL pay it forward but I hope this can count as her entry in your little contest!
I just blogged about my pay it forward project: http://www.jessicawhittlephotography.com/2010/12/paying-it-forward.html
In summary, I bought six $10 gift cards. I gave two to a random stranger – one to keep and the other to pay forward. I’m giving two at a Christmas party on Monday – one to keep and the other to pay forward. And I’m using the remaining two to encourage my blog readers to pay it forward themselves! I don’t have nearly the readership as Jodie and Kim, but I’m hopeful that they’ll be inspired nonetheless.
My 6 year old son Dallas has been in and out the hospital since February. He just had to have surgery again last Tuesday. On Monday night we went and picked out three games that he could bring along for his hospital stay. He then went home and picked out one of his own games and two puzzles to take with him. When we left on Wednesday we stopped off and he donated all of them to SLCH — he said that he wanted to make sure the kids that came after him had games to play and puzzles to do. My husband and I were so proud of him and glad that he wants to help out by leaving gifts at the hospital that has helped him so much.
I heard about something similar on facebook. I bought the person in the car behind me two cups of coffee at Starbucks and went about my day. The next day, I grabbed the mail. There was a letter in it with 500 DOLLARS CASH in it! A friend sent it to me with a sweet note saying that I should use the money to purchase a new lens I have been dying to get (50mm 1.4). I need a new roof, computer, brakes, tires and much, much more right now, so the lens was definitely at the BOTTOM of my list. Proof that random acts of kindness are life changing!
Today I was at Food Lion waiting in line. The older lady in front of me was paying for her things but left some stuff at the end of the belt…the cashier asked about it and the lady said she would see how much money she had left. So she paid for her groceries then was choosing what else to buy (from the things she had left). I told her just to put it all up there and I would pay for it. Granted, it wasn’t much, only like $10, but she was so grateful. I have never done anything like that before but something just told me to do it. It might not even be considered a pay it forward but it sure felt like the right thing to do! Love the other stories too!