Here is a summary of my morning, which proved to me (once again) that - THE UNIVERSE ABUNDANTLY OFFERS RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS!!
KINDNESS #1 - (without even realizing it was an ACT OF KINDNESS)
I got word last night that a FLORIDA friend of mine (56) died unexpectedly. Although it had been years since I had spoken with his daughter, I was texting with her this morning and offered the name of the ATTORNEY we used there to handle the details of MY PARENTS' ESTATE. She and her mom were feeling absolutely overwhelmed with all of the required paperwork. They are going to give him a call.
KINDNESS #2
I'll be visiting my NEPHEW and his WIFE in a few months and AMERICAN AIRLINES just emailed me that the return flight time was changed. The new time is too early, so I knew they would offer me another time (if available) for FREE. At the same time, I asked them if I could change my departure date for FREE (hoping for the extra time to visit several AUBURN sorority sisters who live nearby). I honestly anticipated a fee for this change, since it was MY choice, not something the airline imposed. BUT, as my Dad used to say, "YOU NEVER KNOW 'TILL YOU TRY....." So I asked, and they DID make the date change for FREE!!
KINDNESS #3
Seeing ANDREA BOCELLI perform LIVE has been on my "60 THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN MY 60's" for quite a while and if it's gonna happen, one has to take the steps to MAKE it happen, right? I found out that he is performing on my BIRTHDAY! But the tickets online were outrageous in price AND added a $148 processing fee! I called the venue directly, got the NICEST guy on the phone and he explained that the seats I was looking at were reserved by the performer and would be much higher in price. BUT, he recommended another great seat that was available for HALF THE COST. I gladly accepted the offer and booked the seat!
- This all reminded me again about how tremendously lucky I was to meet ANDREA BOCELLI'S MOTHER in their family restaurant in LAJATICO, ITALY (his home town) just a few months ago!
THE UNIVERSE DOES ABUNDANTLY PROVIDE WHEN YOU INVITE IT TO!!
After all of these wonderful things happening this morning, I was already feeling quite fortunate....... THE GOODNESS CONTINUED!
I had to return something to AMAZON and it's free if you drop it off at KOHLS, so CLOVER!!! and I then hopped in the car. When I was handed the receipt, there was also a 25% OFF COUPON for anything in KOHLS. I picked up something I needed and got in line.
RETURNING THE KINDNESS......
The YOUNG GIRL (in her 20's?) in front of me, was going to purchase 2 tops. As I looked at her looking at them, I remembered back when I was her age and how EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR counted in my meager budget. Without really thinking that I'd be "returning a kindness", I simply asked her if she had a 25% OFF COUPON. She said, "No...." - I said, "Here, take mine!" IT FELT GREAT.
KINDNESS #4
When I was checking out, the cashier asked me if I had any coupons. I said "No, I gave mine to the girl before me." She said, "Here, I'll give you the discount anyway."
WHAT A MORNING!!
"THE GOOD YOU DO COMES BACK TO YOU" - This is the quote that I put in my high school yearbook and it repeats in my mind regularly. I just looked up the origin of it and have copied what I found below, if you have the time/interest to read it.
RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS - shall we each try to make this a daily theme?
JOAN
Good And Evil
Every morning a woman baked Chapati, an Indian flatbread, for members of her family and an extra one for a hungry passerby. She would always place the extra Chapati on the windowsill, for whosoever needed to eat it.
She noticed a hunchback came every day and took the extra Chapati. Instead of expressing gratitude, he would muttered the following words as he went on his way: "The evil you do remains with you. The good you do, comes back to you!"
This went on day after day after day. The woman felt very irritated. "Not a word of gratitude," she said to herself. "Every day this hunchback utters this jingle! What does he mean? "
One day, exasperated, she decided to do away with him. "I shall get rid of this hunchback," she said.
And what did she do? She added poison to the Chapati she prepared for him!
As she was about to place it on the windowsill, her hands trembled. "What is this I am doing?" she said. Immediately, she threw his Chapati into the fire, prepared another one and put it on the sill.
As usual, the hunchback came, picked up the Chapati and muttered the words: "The evil you do, remains with you. The good you do, comes back to you!"
The hunchback proceeded on his way, blissfully unaware of the war raging in the mind of the woman.
Every day, as the woman placed the Chapati on the windowsill, she offered a prayer for her son who had gone to a distant place to seek his fortune. For many months she had no news of him and she always prayed for his safe return.
That evening, there was a knock on the door. As she opened it, she was surprised to find her son standing in the doorway. He had grown thin and lean. His garments were tattered and torn. He was hungry, starved and weak.
Looking at his mother he said, "Mom, it's a miracle I'm here. While I was but a mile away, I was so famished that I collapsed. I would have died, but just then an old hunchback passed by. I begged him for a morsel of food and he was kind enough to give me a whole Chapati."
"When he gave it to me, he said, 'This is what I eat every day. Today, I shall give it to you, for your need is greater than mine!'"
As the mother heard those words, her face turned pale. She leaned against the door for support. She remembered the poisoned Chapati that she had made that morning. Had she not burnt it in the fire, it would have been eaten by her own son and he would have lost his life!
It was then that she realized the significance of the words: "The evil you do remains with you. The good you do, comes back to you!"
Moral of the story: Do good and don't ever stop doing good, even if it's not appreciated at that time.
