Day 1030 Kindness

 

Some days are just full of nice surprises! I wasn’t feeling my best, but I rallied and tried to go about my daily routine as usual. I took an early lunch and did a little thrifting, where I found a couple of treasures, then headed back to my office.

The parking lot can get crowded, so I parked way in the back—across a field—to leave room for others. As I walked across the grass, I noticed a bunch of Fireball nips littering the freshly cut field, so I started picking them up. I didn’t see another person in sight, so I went about my task happily, collecting trash as if I were finding small treasures. There were lots of nips, plus shards of plastic from a cup that had been sliced by the mower.

At the end of the field, I found a trash can and tossed everything in. Then I went inside to quickly wash my hands—lord only knows who the nip-drinking partiers were! The rest of the day flew by, and when I walked to my car to head home, I noticed an envelope tucked under my windshield. As I got closer, I could read the writing on the front: So nice! I figured someone appreciated that I parked far from the building.

But when I opened the note, I was blown away. It read:
“I saw you pick up trash this afternoon after leaving your car. Thank you for being so thoughtful. Coffee on me!”
Inside was a $10 bill.

I looked around, half-expecting the note’s author to still be nearby, watching—but again, not a soul in sight. I hadn’t realized anyone saw me picking up litter. I do it often—it feels like the least I can do to show Mother Nature some love for all she gives me. But wow… I never expected such a kind gesture in return. The note alone would have been enough, but the $10? That stranger out-niced me!

Also, let’s just pause to reflect on the fact that buying someone a cup of coffee apparently requires $10 now—but that’s a rant for another day!

I came home excited to share the story, and even more thrilled to spend the evening at game night with Tim, my son, and my daughter-in-law. We played Ticket to Ride and—miraculously—for the first time ever, I won that darn game.

The universe must’ve been blowing good fortune my way… in the best, most unexpected ways.
Kindness really is contagious. Here’s to paying it forward, one small act at a time.