When being nice comes back to you

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi Everybody and Merry Christmas along with Happy Holidays for all,

Went to the mailbox yesterday and on top of my mail was a plain envelope with only my nick-name and last name wrote on it. Hmmmmmmm.

So, I of course opened that baby up right away. I was stunned and curious. This is for me? Oh Oh what have I done now was my first thought, then I thought why would someone do this?

Well inside was a $20 bill. I live in the country and hear every car drive in or pass by, but I heard nothing yesterday. Just when the mail lady brought the mail to the box.

At first I felt guilty, surely there are more deserving persons who need this money.

Then I racked my brain trying to remember if I held a door open in town or something of that nature. Couldn't think of anything out of my normal scheme of life.

So I decided to use the money to help fill my truck up with gas. I have appointments the next three days and 1/4 tank of gas. I agreed with myself lol

that that is what this money is for.

Isn't it hard to take a nice gesture from some other nice person and feel you deserve it? I've been pretty darn nice all my life, exxcept to liers and thiefs.

Any one else have an experience like this? I'd really appreciate some feed back.

Thanks!:monkeydance:

our very own spacenurse, did something very nice for me a while back and i just wanted to say thankyou. you are an angel.

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My husband noticed this little old lady driving on a flat tire in very busy traffic. He stayed behind her trying to get her attention to pull over which eventually she did (hard of hearing). She was scared seeing this guy walking up to her so she cracked her window and he told her about her flat tire. She went to get out of her car and my husband asked her to please wait inside with the AC (SW Fla. very hot out) while he changed out the tire. She called him her hero after he got it all fixed. She later sent him a thank you note with 100 dollars (she got his name off his company shirt). He sent the money back of course and told her he was happy to have been there to help her. The girls in my husbands office got him a plaque for chivalry (sp?) and some balloons by the end of that work day. This little lady even sent a Christmas card this year telling him thanks again and how all her children were appreciative as well. The feelings you get from just doing the right thing or going a little above and beyond is priceless.

Toq

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTC/Geriatric.

Last December I was in a drive through lineup and noticed that the car behind me was a woman who was on the news very frequently as her 22 year old son was missing and the family was pleading for info on his whereabouts. The family had just put up a $100,000 reward for info.

I told the clerk to add her total to my bill and paid it. It was a small gesture, but I hope it made a small impact on her day and let her know people were thinking of her family during their difficult time.

Her son has never been found to this day :(

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Specializes in Med/Surg; Psych; Tele.

JerzyTech's post made me think of something I hadn't thought of in several years....Back around 1992-3, I was doing some kind of homeless project for school (first degree is psych, but this was for a sociology class) and got such a high from feeding those folks in exchange for their interviews, that I went back to the city the next weekend, loaded up with lots of food & drinks, seeking out the places most heavily populated with homeless people.

Nothing beats the high of seeing hungry folks eat!!!

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Specializes in Med/Surg; Psych; Tele.

This thread made me think of something else...in a previous life, I was a substance abuse counselor and I had this client who had done some time in jail. While he was in jail, working on his "step work" (12 steps in recovery), he found a way to stealthily slip a candybar into the possession of a guy who had given him a lot of difficulty. The candybar was the mean guy's favorite and my client was never "found out".

That's even cooler than just the standard "paying foreward" - anonymous kindness to your enemies!

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Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.
Isn't it hard to take a nice gesture from some other nice person and feel you deserve it? I've been pretty darn nice all my life, exxcept to liers and thiefs.

Any one else have an experience like this? I'd really appreciate some feed back.

Years ago I was in the parking lot at Toy's R Us and a woman came up to me and put something in my hand and said "God wants you to have this, please accept it kindly". I was like stunned. She walked away quickly and got in her car and left. I opened my hand and there were 2 $20 bills. I still don't know what to think. I gave each of my kids $20 to spend in the store.

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Specializes in Neuro/Med-Surg/Oncology.
Thank you all for sharing your experiences (sniff, sniff). When my daughter was little and asking if Santa was real I used to tell her that Santa was the spirit of the holiday- the giving spirit. Good to know it shines through unexpectedly in so many places.

Chaya-My mom always said that Santa Claus is the Christmas spirit. I never heard anyone else say that. Thanks for the happy memory

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this is something that happened to my dad. i still tear up when i tell this story. it's not really a pay-it-forward kind of story but i think it fits with the topic.

my dad is in his 70's, overweight because of immunosuppressives, he creaks in his hips and knees, etc. he is a veteran. he wears a baseball cap that says "korea-vietnam veteran".

one evening he and my mom, my two older kids and i were at the mall. i was walking with dad since he moves slower. two young men, no more than 20-22 years old, came hurrying up to him with their hands held out, and they said, "sir, we want to thank you."

i geared up for a fight, because i thought they were going to hit him up for something.

dad shook their hands and said "you're welcome, but for what?"

"we're marines, we know about korea. we want to thank you for your service."

they took off and my dad stopped dead in his tracks. next thing i know my big, burly dad was crying, and he said "no one's ever said that to me before."

since then, whenever i see someone in uniform i tell him/her, "thanks for your service, and thanks for keeping the peace."

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Thank you Tazzi, you made me cry as well.

My father was in Vietnam as well, never talked about it though. My hubby served 14 years before being injured in Desert Storm and had to get out. Those men and women pay it forward everyday and some with their livelihood and/or with their lives. The ultimate sacrifice.

Always honor those serving even if you disagree with the "why."

God Bless those in service, served, and/or gave their lives. Merry Christmas to all.

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Specializes in IM/Critical Care/Cardiology.

I still cherish the POW bracelet I received in the 8th grade. When I went to Washington D.C. to visit the wall, I looked him up still MIA. I cried.

When I went wireless in the house for computers the tech and I started talking and I found out he just got home from Iraq. I made my husband get up and shake his hand. It really is an honor, I agree.

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Specializes in ICU, SDU, OR, RR, Ortho, Hospice RN.
this is something that happened to my dad. i still tear up when i tell this story. it's not really a pay-it-forward kind of story but i think it fits with the topic.

my dad is in his 70's, overweight because of immunosuppressives, he creaks in his hips and knees, etc. he is a veteran. he wears a baseball cap that says "korea-vietnam veteran".

one evening he and my mom, my two older kids and i were at the mall. i was walking with dad since he moves slower. two young men, no more than 20-22 years old, came hurrying up to him with their hands held out, and they said, "sir, we want to thank you."

i geared up for a fight, because i thought they were going to hit him up for something.

dad shook their hands and said "you're welcome, but for what?"

"we're marines, we know about korea. we want to thank you for your service."

they took off and my dad stopped dead in his tracks. next thing i know my big, burly dad was crying, and he said "no one's ever said that to me before."

since then, whenever i see someone in uniform i tell him/her, "thanks for your service, and thanks for keeping the peace."

hi tazzie

such a beautiful story. thank you so much for sharing that.

hope you are doing ok my friend.

sabby :)

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