I have to say that thinking about all of the possibilities, and then the logistics for those possibilities, is more fun than actually carrying out the Pay It Forward deed.
On Facebook, I saw that some guy named David is hosting his 2nd annual Pay It Forward Day today. I'm all over that!
And so are over 535,000 other people! Just think, one person suggests a day of action and a huge chunk of the world changes. Over a million people will either be paying it forward or receiving an unexpected act of kindness. And those are just the ones that we know about!
So last night, it took a long time to go to sleep, because my mind was sifting through various scenarios of how I could best use this PIF day. I came up with the idea that I would keep my act close to home. I know someone who lives nearby who is not doing well financially and because of that, not doing so well stress-wise, either. Today I will send the person a gift card that will help with groceries.
Oh, I am so excited!
I've been following Reed as he has journeyed through A Year of Giving. He has been giving away $10 to someone new every day for almost a year now. He doesn't just hand the $10 out of his car window as he drives by a person with a sign that asks for money, he gets to know the stories of his recipients. That has made an impact on me. People need food and money, but they need to be heard and to feel connection just as much.
Because I am paying it forward anonymously, which is definitely called for today, I won't get to spend time with the recipient of my gift. But I have done that many times already. For me, today is about not needing to hear a thank you. It's also about re-igniting hope in my recipient and offering the knowledge that this is a kind world.
Have you had any memorable experiences while paying it forward?
What a nice thing to. I'm sure the person who receives your gift card will definitely appreciate it. And thanks for sharing the information about Reed, too. About once per semester, I pay for whatever the student in line behind me is picking up from the cafeteria the college. Kindness is so refreshing!
ReplyDeleteG.G.,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing about your PIF actions. I have never paid for the person behind me - not very often am I in a situation where I can do that, though. As I was contemplating what I was going to do the other night, I was bummed by a missed opportunity from that day where I could have paid for the lunch of a man sitting close to the table where my friend and I ate. This is all making me more aware of opportunities.
I think that you are paying it forward A LOT with your scarves!!!
Carol: I hope so - about the scarves. I'm impulsive when I shouldn't be, perhaps, but I've had some great PIF moments. Last year, in a smallish store, a woman walked in wearing a halo - the metal one that patients need to wear because of a neck injury. It gets screwed to the skull to help keep the head and neck immobile. She was shopping with her adult son. I impuslively walked up to the son and asked him what kind of flowers his mother would like, went and bought them and then handed them to her and told her, been there done that with the halo, and then wished her a good recovery. PIF is fun and it opens our eyes to the world. We're not alone on this planet and PIF helps us remember that.
ReplyDeletep.s. I came back to tell you that you have another fabulous photo in your banner. From your visit to see your friend?
G.G.,
ReplyDeleteYour impulsiveness is sweet!
The photo on my banner right now was taken a couple of years ago when we went to California to visit my daughter. We experienced blow-your-mind sunsets on the beach in northern CA.
AH! CA. It's a very beautiful sunset.
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of getting to know the stories of people being aided. If more people would be willing to do that, I believe we could reach that dream of "sharing by all means scarcity for none."
ReplyDelete