Today, at local supermarket. The woman ahead of me, got her stuff through the conveyer and paid. She was loading her

[3Hotdogs]

stuff into the cart while my purchase of about 10 items was being scanned

She turned away, then slipped her credit card into the reader and proceed to leave. It looked like she was just trying to leave a donation to the food bank. I advised her to be careful, she was paying for my stuff.

She immediately left. I put my card into the reader, when the cashier said it was already paid for by the woman ahead of me.

I put the stuff in the cart and chased after her to verify that paying for me was her intention.

It was. "Merry Christmas."

I thanked her and left, my feeling was that she got more joy from the gift than I did from receiving it and so it was a win-win.

[Leghorn21]

1. Oh, tell me this was your monthly purchase of lobster, caviar and champagne, 3!!

NO SERIOUSLY, Merry Christmas to you and to the rest of us who got to read this post!!

MARVELOUS!!

[Lovie777]

2. K & R.....................

see, there nice people.

Merry Xmas

[Lunabell]

3. That was so kind!

Happy Holidays!!

[debm55]

4. That is wonderful and so kind of her.

[rogerballard]

5. Very cool!

I would have been verklempt...

[SWBTATTReg]

6. That's so nice and especially nice that she didn't want the acknowledgment of her gift. I'm like that too,

that a gift or something like this shouldn't be blared out in the open, as I'm a person who gives w/o the praise and etc. that goes w/ giving such stuff to others. I have enough of my own power and acknowledgement that I don't need the blessings of others. In other words, a quiet donation, a quiet gift does wonders for my soul, and in a way, it's a gift to me too. Do unto others as others do to you. A nice thing, isn't it?

[AllaN01Bear]

8. many of us dont do that for the glory i love this .

[Hermit-The-Prog]

7. You just magnified her gift by sharing it here -- we get the joy, too.

[Demovictory9]

9. Great story for December

[homegirl]

10. Two years ago

my small family decided we have everything we need, and more! So, we agree to each contribute to the local Food Bank. Nice check of $600. to feed the needy.

Last year we upped it to $750.

Trying for $1000. this year.

Merry Christmas to all and Congratulations on the successful completion of your annual trip around the Sun...

[calimary]

11. Maybe Christmas just brings it out in people.

Kindness. Sure pays dividends, and not just financial ones.

Thanks for this story, 3Hotdogs! Stuff like this always gives a little more hope, and warms the heart.

[twodogsbarking]

12. Grocery store was playing crappy Christmas music, loud and nonstop. Asked the woman who helped me if

she was tired of Christmas music. With a sad look in her eyes she nodded yes.
People sing Christmas songs like they are in pain. I get it.

[MOMFUDSKI]

13. Wonderful to hear such an uplifting story.

There are more kind people than there are nasties. We must keep believing that.

[GAJMac]

14. Kindness is not dead

Kindness is just hibernating, waiting for the new Spring. Sometimes she stirs in her sleep and causes people to act as they always should. I'm glad you could see her.

[raising2moredems]

18. Even small acts of kindness go a long way...

I stopped at a gas station in a small town on a way to visit a relative. Didn't need anything except change for a $10. Bought $5 worth of scratch off Xmas themed tickets. Paid for them, got my change, pushed the tickets backed to the clerk and said "for you, Merry Xmas". Caught the clerk totally off guard. He may not have won anything but the smile on his face told me it was worth it.

[CrispyQ]

15. I hope you bought more than 3 hot dogs.

What a lovely holiday treat!

[Butterflylady]

16. What a Wonderful story.

"Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus 🧑‍🎄"

[True Dough]

17. I think about being in a position to do good deeds like this

but I'd want to be sure that the people I'm helping out really need it. With my luck, if I selected someone at random, they would be better off than I am (you can sometimes tell by the way people dress, but not always).

[3Hotdogs]

20. That is in the back of my mind in telling this story. Our area is probably one of the wealthiest in the nation.

Last edited Tue Dec 12, 2023, 09:23 AM - Edit history (1)

Most people dress up... many Mercedes, Audi, and such in the parking lots. They are well dressed.

I, on the other hand, am 81. Based on that alone, I do not look cool. I also dress down.... cargo pants and a long sleeve "T" , usually without any logo. I also cut my own hair because I think I do a better job than the barber. But who knows, maybe I don't. However, I don't have to impress anyone and there are not many hot babes that I have to dress to attract.

So, I don't. My yearly "net" is $73k.

But I probably look poor. I wonder if she was also taking pity on me.

But it doesn't matter if she felt good about it.

[samplegirl]

19. That's so nice

I’ve heard of people doing this. Also buying someone’s order through a drive thru.
But personally it’s never ever happened to me.
Random acts of kindness though are the greatest even if you’re just giving.
I gave my mail woman a gift card for national mail carrier day and you would of thought I gave her the
Taj Mahal!

[Native]

21. I hate it when people do this stuff!

I can't tell you how many times I've pulled up to the window at Starbucks only to be told the person in front of me had paid for my order. When there are so many homeless people and people going hungry in our country, why not give that money to the people who need it more? This seems completely self serving to me. Do these people just want the recognition? Do they simply need to feel better about themselves at that particular point in time?

[BumRushDaShow]

22. The concept of "paying it forward"

lets you have the opportunity to "give" (an equivalent of) what you got from someone, to soemone else, but in this case, in the manner that you choose!

So if someone ahead of you paid for your $3.50 coffee, you now have "$3.50" (that you "saved" ) to give to someone else in cash or some item.

Would rather see that "giving" than the hoarding and "taking" that so many out there do.

[Shermann]

24. Yeah vetting the benefactors misses the point

If you feel like an undeserving recipient, then pay it forward twice over to others!

[Native]

26. I totally understand the pay it forward concept,

I just think it's stupid. The movie was OK though. For one, you run the risk of offending the recipient, as the OP mentioned (do I look needy?), and two, you're assuming that an actual person in need won't ever be able to 'pay it forward' in the future. Just because someone is down on their luck now, doesn't mean they won't have the opportunity, wherewithal, or the desire to help someone else in the future. Oh, look at me, I'm such a kind person, I just bought that girl with the cute dog in her car a latte.

[BumRushDaShow]

27. I think for the example of Starbucks

it is probably a tiny fraction of where this practice actually occurs. The OP mentions a supermarket and I expect not only there, but it happens in the little convenience stores and fast-food drive-throughs (as that is where I hear about it most) as well.

I anything, it's more "understated" than just turning around and "publicly" (visibly) handing someone behind you a $20 and walking away (which might really be considered "look at me" show-boaty).

[underpants]

23. Nice.

[appleannie1]

25. There are still good people in this world. Recently

I made a purchase at Tractor Supply and left the store. I was putting stuff in my trunk when the man that had been behind me in line came running across the parking lot. He handed me my debit card. I had left it in the reader. I am on SS and my entire monthly check was in the bank. It could have been disaster if he was dishonest. I call it payback for the time I saw a purse sitting on a bench in the center of the local mall. I simply sat down beside it and waited. About 5 minutes later I saw an older couple hurrying from bench to bench. She was crying and he was scowling. As the approached my bench, I pointed to the purse. Turns out they had just gotten their Christmas club out of the bank and were at the mall to purchase gifts for their many grand and great grandchildren. Karma can be a lovely thing.

[soldierant]

28. To everyone at DU -

[XanaDUer2]

29. Awwwww!