My friend flew in from Florida to help me out after surgery. I didn't ask her, she just came. To me it wasn't a small act of kindness ---it was huge!

Many many years ago when I was a brand new teacher, a veteran teacher gave me teaching advice. At the end of our talk she went to her filing cabinets and gave me one copy of all the tests, worksheets etc., she had created in her many years of teaching. I was totally amazed and did not know how to thank her. Her response was " no need to thank me, but pay it forward. Help another new teacher in the future, just as I helped you."

I have never forgotten this and I have paid forward many times, and always told the recipients how I learned about the concept of paying forward.

Years ago when I was first married, my husband company closed down. He was in between jobs so money was tight. I finally landed a better job, and was so excited about working in New York. We were renting a house at the time. My landlord found out about my new job and called me to tell me that we did not have to pay rent for the month, and told me to use the rent money to buy myself some new cloths for my new job. When I thanked him, he also told me to pay it forward one day. And I am proud to say I have.

I told someone something that I had only ever shared with counselors, it was something that happened to me and I thought she would just walk away if I told her. Afterwards she looked at me and said 'Now do you think I think anything less of you' and I said 'I don't know' so she said 'I love you as much now as I did when I came in'

I never forgot that and we are still really good friends today and I've never forgotten that and I too have paid it forward, she was probably the first person I had trusted in years.

Through my many years I have experienced, quite joyfully, much kindness from others. I cannot pin one down, because each one meant something very special to me. I will say that many came after I had lost a loved one. I just know that I have met some very generous & kind people in my lifetime and they have no idea how much they influenced my life with some small or large act of kindness.