Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Paying Forward With a Pocket of Coins


--by friendlyfrog, posted Aug 12, 2011

Today, during the busy lunch rush, an elderly gentleman came up to the counter with his items. As I rang them up he pulled out his wallet and I could hear what sounded like a ton of change jingling around. When I told him the total he nodded and started to count out the bills needed.

I noticed that his hands shook forcefully when he did this. When I saw him having trouble trying to get his change out I told him not to worry, that I could cover it. Even though he clearly had the change I used my own to spare him the difficulty. He was so moved by this that when I handed him the receipt he had managed to get a handful of coins and asked me to take what I had given him.  When I said that I was just going to give it to the next person that needed it, he told me to take all of it. So I put it in a little jar for needy customers and he went on his way.

The next person in line saw what I did and what the old man had done and added more change to the jar. This went on for the next five customers! I was very amazed and moved. When an older lady came in and was short a few bucks, the jar was able to cover her much-needed medicine! The customers before her had unknowingly put her on the road to recovery from the flu!

I'd like to thank the old man for starting it all!. What a great guy.

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Readers Comments

moral12 wrote: What a great idea for the spare change, and, how kind of you to "cover" for that guy's purchase with your own change. (is this a case of "being the change you wish to see? " ;) way to go!
upasaka wrote: Visions of the world as it will be one day soon if we all continue on this wonderful journey of helping others.
annjav wrote: What a good example of passing it on and paying it forward. The lady whose medicine was paid for really was grateful, i know!
oldgirl wrote: friendlyfrog what you did was simply fantastic.
Kindness and helping others can be cintagius - and for that we can all be very thankful, because like happened here one needy person could get a necessity to improve their health and life.
Bluxess wrote: What a great story of kindness going and coming around ... God bless all of you in the divine circle ... As ogirl say, kindness gets infectious ...
FairyBubbles wrote: That is so lovely - one good thing lead to another - just how life should be everywhere.
MakeSomeoneSmile wrote: Kindness is definitely contagious, as you saw with your experience! Way to start a wonderful ripple of kindness!
unknown wrote: the "great guy" was led to do what he did because you were the catalyst for him. Isn't it amazing how one action begets even greater actions? Good on ya for being open to the moment of kindness, so that the old man could do HIS moment of kindness too.
Bluebell wrote: Ripples of kindness, how lovely. Thank you. Love and Light, Bluebell

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