True Goodness

This holiday season I have read several stories about people going into Kmart stores anonymously and paying down or paying off the layaway accounts of others. This is the most touching trend I have heard about in a very long time. I read about one man who was in his work clothes with his two children and had gone in to make a payment on his layaway, knowing that he wouldn't get it paid off in time for Christmas. When the employee told him that his account had been paid off, he burst into tears! That was after asking if they were joking. It's the most unbelievable gift and I'm so inspired by the many people who have jumped on board. This week a 10 year old boy went in and paid $20.00 of his own money toward a layaway account at his local store. He specified that he wanted the account to consist of toys for boys. The family was elated when they found out that it was a young boy who did this wonderful deed for their family. This and adopting families for the holidays are the truest form of giving. This wave has inspired me beyond words and I will now be giving back as much as I possibly can.We are joining in a few charity projects this year and I can't wait to share them with you soon! Giving is the best and knowing that you are making a difference is the ultimate in goodness. Share goodness!

Flat tire...not ALL bad

Last winter I had a flat tire situation and since I ran into the tire changer in shining armor I figured I would share this bit of goodness. Someone honked to let me know that my tire was very low (sad to say I didn't realize it at all) and so I pulled into the first gas station I could find. They wouldn't help me put air in (did I mention I'm clueless) and didn't have a garage to check if it was low or flat. Since I had now gotten out to see the damage it was clear that  "low" was a gross understatement but this place could not would not help me out. I had just picked up son #1 and had maybe a half hour before I had to get son #2. I drove on my rim to the car wash, gas station across the street and prayed that they could help. When I got there in the snow mind you, they told me they too had no garage. There was a guy standing there who was in charge of the car wash and I could tell that changing my tire wasn't really what he wanted to do in the current weather conditions but he said to pull into the car wash door and he would do it. I wanted to hug him! I had my little man in the car but he didn't mind the unexpected delay and I called little, little man's school. Everything was working out fine and I had this great good deed man changing my tire with his assistant. When he was done I asked how much and he pointed to the assistant.This wasn't really a typical service they offer so they didn't have a standard price to charge and I could tell it was becoming an awkward moment. I was soooo grateful so I just said "can I buy you lunch tomorrow." They both seemed to love the idea and off I went. The assistant told me they would both be there the next day. I called a bunch of pizza places and only Jets said they would be happy to get my order ready a few minutes earlier than they normally start so that I could get my boys on time and drop off the lunch. They were so sweet about it and said they were there hours earlier anyway. They are actually doing our birthday party next weekend because they are SO accommodating. I dropped off a pile of boxes stacked to my forehead, filled with pizza, subs, bread sticks and dessert. They pizza place did a good deed and helped me thank my saviors properly for their goodness. So grateful and so thrilled to experience such goodness in what started as a not so good situation.

More Grocery Goodness (believe it or not)

My 3 year old and I were at the grocery the other day.  We had just been to two stores trying unsuccessfully to find power rangers so of course he was still on mission ranger. Grocery stores don't generally sell power rangers but lucky for me they do sell matchbox cars and with only 3,000ish cars in his collection he was really in need of one more. At the check out I showed him three different cars and let him choose one. Just as we were leaving our cashier told me to wait and she ran over to the two cars we had put back. She grabbed both and brought them over and told my son to choose one more. She bought him another car! I have been to many stores for many years and I don't recall every seeing anything quite this sweet. He was thrilled and I was just so amazed by her kindness. It isn't buying things for others that makes giving so wonderful it's seeing something they love and wanting to give them more of it. She made his day and inspired me! Quite a woman!

Grocery Store Goodness

I went to the grocery store a few weeks ago and the lady in front of me had a package of mac and cheese. I asked her if it was good because I have been on a macaroni mission for a long time now and I'm always looking for the perfect recipe. She told me that she didn't know because she buys it for her husband but that she has an amazing mac and cheese recipe and would love to share it with me. I opened my email on my phone and off she went rattling all the ingredients and a step by step recipe plan. I kept thinking how generous she was to take time out of her day to share her secret with me. When I got to the parking lot she was running back into the store with a box of noodles to give to me. I refused to take them because I had to go back the next day anyway to buy all of the ingredients but she was just the sweetest lady. So I went home and tried it and then adjusted it the next time a little smidge to make it more my style and voila! I have my very own perfecto mac recipe. At least 7 years of mission mac and cheese and in one little grocery line a kind woman ended my search with cheesy goodness. This is how people should be.