I had planned out in advance about 25 things I was hoping to do, but prayed for opportunities to present themselves. I did many things on my list but many things that were not on my list. :)Here's what I did today:
1. Left flowers on the door step of our neighbors with a little note.
2. Left a note of thanks and a chocolate bar for our mail carrier. Unfortunately, today was considered a federal holiday, so she won't get it until tomorrow. :)
3. Took two dozen doughnuts and a jug of coffee to Skyland Fire Department with a handwritten note thanking them for their service.
4. Paid for a father and daughter who were in line behind me at Dunkin Donuts.
5. Bought a $10 gift card at the grocery store and handed it to the cashier and asked him to apply it to the lady behind me in line. He looked at me like I was crazy. :)
6. Bought a single rose at the grocery store and gave it to an elderly lady in the parking lot. She was so gracious and told me no one had given her a flower since she had a baby and she told me not to bother guessing how long ago that was. (She must have been about 75 years old.)
7. Left flowers and a personal note for two of my closest local friends.
8. Left notes and $1 bills in some books at Barnes & Noble.
9. Corralled some run away carts in the parking lot at the grocery store (caught a couple before they slammed into cars due to the extreme wind today). Took them inside the store so the employees could save a trip to the cart return.
10. Put $2 into a vending machine that requires $1.25 for a beverage. Left a note saying "enjoy a free drink on me" -- whoever took the free drink also got $.75 in change.
11. Offered to purchase a beverage for the gas station attendant. She chose a water. :)
12. Left two little red bags of "treasure" at two different playgrounds. The bags each contained nearly $3.00 worth of pennies. I hope the kids that find those bags feel RICH.
13. Met up with my husband for lunch at a place of his choosing. Decided while we were there to buy the staff a cookie. They, in turn, gave me a coupon for a free sub in honor of my birthday. Thanks, Firehouse Subs!!
14. I didn't eat at Firehouse, but instead went to Asiana for my free birthday sushi lunch. I left a note with the full amount I would have paid for lunch and tip in the envelope for my waiter.
15. As I was leaving Asiana a mother was taking pictures of her two girls on one of the statues outside. I offered to take a picture with all three of them together and she was really excited to let me do it.
16. Went to Park Ridge Hospital and left a baby gift bag with diapers, a receiving blanket, pajamas, a rattle, some wipes, and a note welcoming new baby into the world on January 2nd. I was told it would be delivered to a baby boy who was born there today.
17. I left two 24 packs of water to be delivered to the nursing staff at Park Ridge.
18. I left a little pot of flowers with a get well balloon and asked them to deliver it to someone who was sick who didn't have many visitors.
19. I left coloring books, crayons, glow sticks and two stuffed teddy bears to be put in a waiting room or given to a child who was at the hospital. The sweet lady at the information desk said she'd take care of it for me. :)
20. Took two boxes of hot chocolate to my husband's work place for him and his coworkers to enjoy.
21. Took my husband's car to get an oil change (and paid for it) since he hasn't had a chance to take it himself.
22. Left quarters in the candy machines at Biltmore Square Mall.
23. Bought some teddy bears at the Dollar Store and gave two of them to little girls who I saw at the mall (after asking their guardians' permission). One of the little girls LOVES bears and was so excited to receive it. She told me she was naming him Morris. CUTE.
24. Left a teddy bear "free to a good home" for a child to adopt.
25. Left several quarters in the return slot on some video game and toy machines.
26. Asked the worker at Starbucks to use my $5 gift card on the next person in line.
27. Left a $5 bill and a note in the pocket of a clearance jacket at one of my favorite stores.
28. Got my hair chopped off to donate to Locks of Love. Didn't know this, but Great Clips offers a FREE HAIRCUT if you're donating to Locks of Love. Sweet!
29. Left a very generous tip for the guy who cut my hair (the cost of the cut).
30. Left notes of blessing on some random cars in a parking lot. (If any of you who are reading got one of them, let me know!)
31. Bought my own dinner at Moe's and told them to use my voucher for a free birthday entree on someone behind us in line.
What a great day! If you did a random act of kindness in honor of my birthday, please let me know what you did!
Here's the ones I've heard so far:
Amy: So...I went to Chic-Fil-A to try their new Chicken Tortilla Soup that came out today (fabulous, by the way!), and decided to pay the bill for the person behind me. I pulled up and told the cashier, and she began totaling it up. In the meantime, one of the managers walked up, who happens to be a BBC member with kids in AWANA. She recognized me...I told her I was getting ready to test the new soup...without even knowing I had just planned to pay for the car behind me, she leans over to the register and pays for my soup!! Totally surprised and shocked, I laughed and thanked her, and told her what I had just done. She couldn't believe it and thanked me for "paying it forward!!" My sole intention was to bless someone else, and I was immediately blessed right back, in return! Thank you, Amber, for the inspiration!
Brian: Happy Birthday!!! Paid for car behind me at Sonic for your birthday.... VERY cool idea!!
Jamie: RAOK #1: Helped a CNA get a 500 pounder back into bed; RAOK#2: Helped a one legged man un-jam his prostesis. All three of them were very grateful. You are welcome lol!
Jeni: Random Act of Kindness-paying for a cup of coffe for the person behind be today
Bryan & Kelsey: Hey! Kelsey and I paid for the car behind us at McD's this morning!!! Didn't know where to post this so you would know. Great idea, I might have to do the same thing for my b-day.
Marlys & Chet: We stopped at a gas station in my hometown of Mendota, IL on the way to Wisconsin and bought a gas gift card - gave it to the next person who pulled up to the pump. Happy Birthday, Amber!
Andy: I watched the store next to me so that the gentlemen could go and get lunch.
Steve & Freda: Steve helped a man get soup and I helped an elderly lady get to the restroom and I took her back to her elderly husband when she was finished. She told me she had been sick for three weeks after taking some medicine. She was so thankful that she hugged my neck.
Mike: Happy B-Day Amber. My random act of kindness was not whooping a certain cranky sick person's heinie! Lol
Katherine: Amber, I have a FB friend whose daughter was one of the ones to receive a teddy bear yesterday!! She has autism and was thrilled -- just crazy to see how we're all connected!!!!!!!
Mikki: Paid for the person in the McDonalds drive-thru beside me!
Leigh Ann: So in honor of your bday, I anonymously paid for a Hispanic couple's purchase today at the grocery store. They were behind me in line and were buying bags of rice and fruit. :)
Kristin: I am doing my random act of kindness tomorrow in your honor when I take my sister to the airport. I will pay for the person behind me for parking.
