Stories of Kindness from Around the World

I can laugh at this today. Hopefully it will give you a chuckle too.
Yesterday I was getting ready to go to a support group that I attend once a week. I have recently gotten into the habit of picking up $5 gift cards at a local coffee shop, putting a Smile Card in the envelope with the gift card and slipping it into somebody's purse or pocket while at the meeting. While I was getting ready to leave for the meeting I started looking for a Smile Card. I checked some of my pockets several times because I just could not believe that I did not have a single Smile Card!!! Finally I decided I had to leave because I still had to pick up a gift card before the meeting.
I decided to stop at Starbucks for a gift card. I couldn't think of anybody in our group who would be likely to go to Starbucks, but it was on the way and I thought it might be a nice treat for somebody. When I got to the counter I was told that the computer was down and they could not process any gift cards. Yikes!!!! So I decided to stop at the local convenient store chain and pick up a card. Well they only had $10 cards and not $5 card. Well, okay, I can live with that.
So now I am driving to the meeting with the card but no envelope and no Smile Card. I pulled into the drugstore a block from the meeting and figured I would pick up a card or envelope of some kind so I could write a note with the gift card. I didn't want to leave the card with no explanation. had a hard time finding something and finally settled on colorful post-it notes. On my way out of the drug store I realized that I did not have a pen in my car. So back into the store I go to buy a pen.
So I finally get to the meeting. With gift card in pocket, post-it note written out and on the card, I am ready to roll. The guy I originally intended to give the card to has a big jacket on with zipped up pockets. Darn. Maybe he will take the jacket off. No such luck. Ok, next victim. She does not have a purse but she does have an open pocket and she is standing around talking to somebody after the meeting. Distraction is important here but every time I get close she puts her hand in her pocket. I decide it is just too darn hard to be stealthy so I just tell her I am putting the card in her pocket and she lets me. Then she pulls it out and thank goodness is overjoyed. She tells me she goes to this store every day and she could really use the card.
There were so may times along the way that I considered giving up. Maybe all these things that seemed like obstacles were really just leading me to the right path for the right person?
This morning I get to work and reach in my pocket for my desk keys and pull out a Smile Card. Ha, it was right there all along.