extendedforecast Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 We just got home from eating out. The meal started out badly because of DD's bad attitude, but I nipped it in the bud right away and we ended having a very good time enjoying being together. Even the baby sat happily in her high chair while we ate. When it came time to pay the check, we were informed that someone anonymously paid for our meal. I wish I knew who it was so I could thank him or her. It feels so weird to not know why. Anyhow, we are going to pay it forward the next time we have the opportunity. I feel blessed, but also a little perplexed. That is all. I just wanted to share. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 What a blessing!:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 It's a funny feeling. Someone paid our highway toll recently and I just kept staring at the toll booth person in shock. But it made my day! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readinmom Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Someone did that at the Starbucks drive-through recently. I, too, was pleasantly shocked. I used my money to pay for the person behind me. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crissy Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Oh, how wonderful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadeOrchidSong Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 This gives me an idea: I will look for an opportunity to do this to strangers in a restaurant just to bless them, most likely to people with young children. I have a friend who has a new born, a toddler, and a 7 yr old. That would be a perfect family to receive such blessing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
extendedforecast Posted April 4, 2011 Author Share Posted April 4, 2011 This gives me an idea: I will look for an opportunity to do this to strangers in a restaurant just to bless them, most likely to people with young children. I have a friend who has a new born, a toddler, and a 7 yr old. That would be a perfect family to receive such blessing. It really was a blessing. It was also a reminder that we need to show acts of kindness more often. The world would be a much better place. I'm so happy to read everyone else's similar experiences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 I know this is probably a very dumb question but how does someone do something like this? I suppose in a restaurant you call the waitress over and ask to pay the check of "the table over there" but how do you know they've stopped ordering and won't add on a drink or dessert or something? And how do you pay for someone behind you at a drive through? You don't even know what they are going to order! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Peregrine Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 And how do you pay for someone behind you at a drive through? You don't even know what they are going to order! The cashier already has the order in the computer. You are taking a chance that they didn't just order for the whole football team! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorganClassicalPrep Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Wow, how... incredible. It's not often you hear of people doing RAOK like this. I always mean to pay the toll for the person behind me when I go through a toll booth but... forget. :tongue_smilie: Just something little to make someone else smile! (Although, dinner for your whole family. Not little at all! :D) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Peregrine Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 We just got home from eating out. The meal started out badly because of DD's bad attitude, but I nipped it in the bud right away and we ended having a very good time enjoying being together. Even the baby sat happily in her high chair while we ate. When it came time to pay the check, we were informed that someone anonymously paid for our meal. I wish I knew who it was so I could thank him or her. It feels so weird to not know why. Anyhow, we are going to pay it forward the next time we have the opportunity. I feel blessed, but also a little perplexed. That is all. I just wanted to share. That is wonderful! It happened to us when we just had one child. Great memory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeidiKC Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 I know this is probably a very dumb question but how does someone do something like this? I suppose in a restaurant you call the waitress over and ask to pay the check of "the table over there" but how do you know they've stopped ordering and won't add on a drink or dessert or something? And how do you pay for someone behind you at a drive through? You don't even know what they are going to order! I'm guessing in both cases you leave your cc# and trust the place. They might leave your "tab open" and just add the other person's order onto yours after you leave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Peregrine Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 I am a little afraid to do it myself because I don't trust that the cashier will not just keep the money. We watched a parking attendant take money from my sister in the car behind us after we paid for her parking fee. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue G in PA Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 That happened to us a few years back. I think we had 6 kids at the time...maybe 5. Anyway, it was around Christmas Break and we decided to splurge and go out to eat (something we rarely did). The kids were relatively well-behaved, the meal was good and then the waitress came over and says, "You are not going to believe what I have to tell you". I was waiting...for the worst! She tells us that somebody had already paid our bill and wished to remain anonymous. I was shocked. And it was truly a blessing. So glad it happened to you! We paid it forward when we were able as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadeOrchidSong Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 I know this is probably a very dumb question but how does someone do something like this? I suppose in a restaurant you call the waitress over and ask to pay the check of "the table over there" but how do you know they've stopped ordering and won't add on a drink or dessert or something? And how do you pay for someone behind you at a drive through? You don't even know what they are going to order! I would just pay for what they have already ordered. Whatever they happen to order after that they will pay. My intention is good: to bless them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadeOrchidSong Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 I am a little afraid to do it myself because I don't trust that the cashier will not just keep the money. We watched a parking attendant take money from my sister in the car behind us after we paid for her parking fee. :glare: What did you do? Did you sister know you would pay for her parking fee? Did you confront the attendant about his dishonesty? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 I am a little afraid to do it myself because I don't trust that the cashier will not just keep the money. We watched a parking attendant take money from my sister in the car behind us after we paid for her parking fee. :glare: :iagree: Dh and I had separate cars going over a toll bridge one day. He paid for my toll because he knew I didn't have any cash. The toll person still tried to collect from me. When I told her dh, in the car just ahead of me paid for my toll, she said "oh, we don't do that 'pay it forward' thing here" :001_huh: Okay, then, why accept his money! :001_huh: She didn't realize the reason WHY he paid my toll, but apparently planned to just pocket the cash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ourjourneys Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 What makes this so much better is doing it anonymously :001_smile: Even if you do something for your best friend it would just make such a difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Our radio station was encouraging people to do this over the holidays Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Tara~ Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 That's awesome! We've been on the receiving end a surprising number of times. It shocks and warms me just the same every time. :) Hearing these stories makes me want to be more diligent in paying it forward. Again, I vow to try to do just that. Thank you for sharing. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maeintx Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Not for our family but a friend recently had the same experience. She is 9-mo pg and due any time. She was out to eat with her family and was told the check was taken care of. They did inform her it was the elderly lady eating alone who had left but wanted give them a baby gift, They said, "Congratulations and to enjoy the new little bundle." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 But you do know why: so that you would feel just as you feel right now, blessed. And so that you would pay it forward, and hopefully so will the next person and the next and the next..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_l_e_0..Q_c Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Eons ago, almost in a previous life, I wanted to buy a chocolate bar from a vending machine. I was short a quarter. The guy next to me just handed me a quarter. I had never noticed the guy before, or after this. Total stranger. He did tell me that he didn't want the quarter back. Someone had helped him the same way the week before, and that I should do the same to another person whenever possible, which I did within a week. Two years later I had to revisit that college, and that same vending machine. There's a small line-up. Someone was short a quarter, and the other person just gave him one, telling him to pass it forward as soon as possible. TWO YEARS LATER that 'free' quarter was still going around! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewellsmommy Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 I don't know if any one here listens to K-Love, but it's a radio station, pretty much nation wide. They have what they call "make a difference mondays." They encourage people every Monday to do these sort of things or go above and beyond in other helpful ways. My first thought reading your post was "hmmm, I wonder if that person (who paid for you) was a k-love listener?" I think this sort of thing is such a neat concept. That movie Pay It Forward made me cry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kristin in NE Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 My husband loves to do this for people, and he does NOT want them to thank him. He wants all glory to go to God and is so thankful when God provides for him such that he can do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
extendedforecast Posted April 5, 2011 Author Share Posted April 5, 2011 My husband loves to do this for people, and he does NOT want them to thank him. He wants all glory to go to God and is so thankful when God provides for him such that he can do it. This is beautiful. I'm about to go to bed, so I don't have time to reply to each post, even though I want to. I've read all the responses up to this point, and I feel so positive and uplifted. My grandfather died a couple of days ago, and I've tried to avoid reading negative threads that would get me even more depressed. Thank you all for your responses. It has been a bit therapeutic for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Peregrine Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 What did you do? Did you sister know you would pay for her parking fee? Did you confront the attendant about his dishonesty? She did not know. We pulled forward slowly stopped, watching in the rear view mirror to wait for her. She handed money out the window and he took it. My mom jumped out of the car and yelled at the guy. :lol: He handed her the money back and didn't even seem embarrassed.:glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyinTN Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 That is just so nice! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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