I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “What goes around comes around.” That seems to be especially true when it comes to acts of kindness.
Anna, from Fargo, goes out of her way to make other people feel special. Luckily, karma caught up with her.
“Hi, Nicole, I wanted to share a moment that has stayed with me. It has shown me how the human spirit can shine regardless of the circumstances.
I have to preface this story by saying that I am generally the one who strives to make someone’s day – it puts a smile on my face. However, one day an act of kindness was done for me.
I used to work at a store in town, and since I know most of the staff there, that is where I still tend to shop. One day I ran into the store because I was suffering from a nasty sinus headache. I couldn’t focus on anything but trying to make the pain stop.
I grabbed the meds and some food from the deli so I wouldn’t be taking the medicine on an empty stomach. I got into the first available line, and it just so happened that I knew the cashier.
When it was my turn to pay for my merchandise, I discovered I did not have enough money to cover both the food and the medicine. I started to tell the cashier that I would have to skip the food when a lady behind me interrupted me by saying, “I will get her purchases along with mine.” Before I could turn her down, she had paid the bill and collected the receipt.
Dazed and grateful, I thanked her and headed back to my car. However, I came up to another challenge before I left the store. I was asked for the receipt for the purchases I held, but I did not have it as the lady who paid for my items had kept it.
As I came up to the person working at the door, I told her that I did not have the receipt and then related the story to her. I told her the name of the cashier who had witnessed the whole thing. The worker took one look at me and let me go.
I will always be eternally grateful for the staff and the lady who helped me out that day. That experience gave me new strength to continue helping others to have at least one bright moment in their day.”
Thanks, Anna. In my opinion, an act of kindness is rarely a singular event. It’s the domino effect: One small act spurs on so many others. Very quickly, kindness will find its way back to you.
I love hearing your stories of kindness. Please, take the time to tell me about someone who did something nice for you or a time you went out of your way to help someone else. It’s not bragging. It’s the first step to spreading the kindness bug.
You can reach me at nphillips15@hotmail.com or send me a letter at Kindness is Contagious, c/o Nicole Phillips, The Forum, 101 5th St. N., Box 2020, Fargo, ND 58107. I can’t wait to hear from you.
Nicole Phillips is a former television anchor for Fox News in Fargo. She is the mother of three kids and the wife of Bison men’s head basketball coach Saul Phillips. Her columns run every Saturday.
