Day 193

11/24/22

Happy Thanksgiving...and it was at our home! We were able to host a brunch with our daughters and their families. Being this side of covid, brings much joy, gratitude and happiness! Our Goldens were ecstatic to share their love with someone other than the two of us...and they did!

As the day progressed, I was mindful of my goal (stated yesterday) to share some hope and joy three times during this special holiday. The first two were easy, but the final one was elusive.

We decided to head to Perkins to have our first restaurant meal in a few weeks. We were seated by a hostess/drink order provider and all-around sweet gal. She shared a bit of her story and we were touched. We were able to make her day a bit better with a couple of $2 bills as a thank you. She had tears in her eyes.

There! I could check off my three acts of sharing for the day. But, wait! Our waitress approached and, somehow, I knew she was someone very special.

Mac always asks the wait staff if they are in school or what their plans are for the future. This sweet girl shared that she was hoping to go into nursing and had applied to Bemidji...one of my alma maters! We write to college students and offered to give her our emails so she could get in touch with her dorm address in the fall.

This is when my heart started to melt. It turns out that she lost her mom recently and is in the county foster program. Her social worker is trying to help her with financial aid paperwork, so she hasn't been able to finish her application.

Oh my goodness! This absolutely beautiful young lady was the sweetest, most humble person I had met in a long time. The smile on her face never wavered as she told us she hadn't given up hope yet!

Off she went to another table as we conferred about how we could help this person. When she returned I offered our emails and Facebook information and told her that we would like to help her as she chased her dreams! Asking her to check us out...to make sure we were safe...we told her to get in touch with us and we would promise to help and cheer her on her journey.

She told us it was "too nice" and "we didn't have to do that," but I know almost anyone would have made the same offer.

My fourth connection with paying it forward was unexpected and heart-warming. We left that restaurant with humble hearts of gratitude and love. You see, we were the real recipients of that pay-it-forward. She gave us the gift of allowing us to share with someone who needed us...and that's what it is all about!