Amazed and still In a State of Shock....

[NightOwl]

yesterday I was gone all day and didnt log on until  late.  When I did I found a message from Patty at PUT asking me to call her.  I had some business to take care of anyhow so it seemed an efficient way  of  contacting the PUT office for more than one purpose.

When I got Patty on the phone, she took great glee in telling me that "Anonymous" had already renewed my subscription for the next year.  I was TOTALLY unprepared for this  and almost cried because someone thought so kindly of me that they would want to do this.  It just never occurred to me that this would happen.  Thank you, Anonymous for this lovely gift, more than  mere words can say.  

This board is my "go-to place" when I am depressed  because of Billy's increasing health problems, or when I am lonely for my far-away children and DGD, or when, for no particular reason, I just feel I need a bright spot in the day and the chance to be in touch with old friends.

It is good to know that this has been a year of good news and success for Dave, the board and the magazine,  and that we will all be traveling on down the trail together to see what is beyond the bend and over the next hill.

[tlhdoc]

NightOwl what a wonderful surprise.  There are many great people on this board.

[LoadedCamera]

Nightowl,
 
When something like that happens, it goes a long way to restoring your faith in people.  This world has become a self-protective, step on others, place.  Its nice to hear that there are people out there that actually care about others.
 
Compassion is something that is slowly disolving into the abyss.  Whenever I hear of someone that reaches out and helps another, no matter what it is, that is a comfort to me that all is not lost!

[MommaMia]

One good turn deserves another.  Wish I had been anonymous.  Seems like a random act of kindness.   I do it sometimes.  Even if it's a silly little thing.  One day in the checkout line at the grocery store an older teen asked his mom to buy him a big bag of Skittles.  She said she honestly didn't have enough $ with the stuff that she already had to purchase.  The teen didn't argue.  He put it back quietly.  No moaning or groaning.  I was impressed.  I bought the bag of Skittles and caught up with the mom and son just as they were getting to their car.  I tossed the candy to the teen and said "You did good.... you too Mom".
They just stood there with their mouths hanging open.  The Mom said a wispy little "Thanks".  I was on cloud nine the rest of the day.  I hoped they were too!

[birol]

Kindness always pays back ! Always !

Few years ago DW was at the hospital, I went to visit her, and wanted to get her something from the gift store at the hospital. While browsing for something for her, this old lady kept looking at one doll bear, which could sing-talk etc. She was around 70's or older, she and her friend kept coming and going and looking at it, she blurted out that she wanted to buy it but had no money. So they kept looking around, and were eyeing the bear. After chhoisng something for DW, I did something which amazed me, and politely asked her, if I could buy the bear for her. At first she gave me a cold stare, and I said, darn ! I did it, You don't ask these things, you don't do these kind of stuff here ! But after her friend told her (little bit louder than me) that I wanted to buy it, She gave me the nicest look I ever had, probably after the ones I got from my mother. She was very happy to get it.

Next time I went to visit DW, guess who was the roommate of wifey ! The old lady ! Dw and she made good friends after that, and she visited her for quite sometime at the hospital.

So acts of kindness always pay off, I wish I was in a situation to do more of this kind of stuff  


Why I wrote all this, because I just wanted to say Thank you too ..

[NightOwl]

When I started this thread, all I wanted to do was publicly acknowledge the kindness of my anonymous benefactor.  But I see it has done much more thsn that--

It reminds us of the kindness we still find in  caring  hearts, and as  LoadedCamera  said, it gives us all a feeling that the world is not such a cold and selfish place after all. And Cindy's and Birol's "impulse"  kindness of perfect strangers is probably still warming someone's heart.

Want to do something nice for someone without spending a penny?  Next time someone  goes out of their way to be kind or pleasant or extra-helpful, ask to speak to their supervisor or the store manager.  It REALLY matters!  It may not get the person a raise right then, but it probably goes in their personnel file.  And sometimes your praise is the only reward they receive for going that extra mile.  I try to do this kind of thing when I can because I  know from experience how much it means to have   work noticed when you take pride in doing your best.

Think about it this way:  When you knock yourself out over and over again and no one ever seems to notice, and the only feedback you get is criticism because something has gone wrong , it isnt hard to become callous and uncaring because obviously no one cares that you put your heart and soul into doing a good job, but people are happy to stomp all over you if you slip up..

Not long ago, in the local postoffice, I stood behind an elderly country  woman who was having a terrible time filling out the paperwork to send a package overseas. It soon became clear she was illiterate. The clerk kindly and patiently (and NOT patronizingly) explained it to her and personally "helped her" fill out the required  forms.    It took extra time and a line formed.  NO ONE in the line complainend about the delay.  And  when she left (with a smile on her face)  I thanked the clerk for his respectful  kindness to her as did others behind me.  He was BEAMING when I left the  building.   :S

[B-flat]

As my grandpa once said, "It doesn't cost a thing to be nice."    However, whenever a gift is given, it is really the thought behind it that really counts.  

[vjm1639]

and others wonder why we come back here to a Pay site!  It's folks like those here that just make this a terrific place to be. I got tears in my eyes just reading some of the nice things here.

 
:>

[angelsmom10]

and others wonder why we come back here to a Pay site! It's folks like those here that just make this a terrific place to be. I got tears in my eyes just reading some of the nice things here.
 :>

Yes, I agree, the hearts here are much bigger than on the non-pay sites...they are just so cold.  People care about you here whether they have met you or not and it's just good to know you still have friends no matter what.  
 
Thanks all for your friendship and kindness.

[NightOwl]

and others wonder why we come back here to a Pay site!  It's folks like those here that just make this a terrific place to be. I got tears in my
eyes just reading some of the nice things here.

 
:>

vjm, and angelsmom10,  you are both  on to something here!  I never really mentally  "isolated" this  aspect of the board before as a  distinct  reason I wanted to stay on here , but YES--now that you mention it--it is darned  well worth paying when you can associate with people who are generally kind and considerate and who have goofy  impulses to commit "random acts of kindness" like Cindy and Birol wrote about.    

I imagine that many people in our membership have done things like that
and happily gone on their way  not making a lot of it at the time, but  taking pleasure in knowing  they have done something to add a moment of joy to someone else's life.   :W

Sorry if I sometimes get corny on the board  about the good things in life available to us.  I know it isnt cool NOT to be Kool, but  we only walk this earth one time and  it is a privilege to hang out here with people who recognize this fact and ACT upon it to make things a little .  better for those we meet along the way.

:S   :S   :S