Two weeks later, her mom passed, and that turned out to be the last Mother's Day she spent with her mom, and she hadn't seen her mom that delighted in a long while over anything! I'm so glad I brought that cookie! It was a blessing in sooooooo many ways! For all three of us!
Sharon, I have been silently having fun with Doug's betting pool on my 20,000th post. Hubby asked me today if I was posting just to run up the numbers, and I told him no, I was only posting when I had something to add.
This story was so touching, it made me cry.
So silly as this may sound, I dedicate this, my 20,000th post, to you and to your unselfish efforts, on behalf of all moms everywhere! 
All of these stories are truly amazing.
I was walking into our local grocery store and noticed two men sitting down by the entrance feeding their two dogs rice. I assume it was from the Chinese restaurant next door. I will not say they were homeless but maybe "travelers" as they had big knapsacks, bedrolls etc. Their dogs were tied with ropes.
One of the men looked up at me and smiled and said hello.
When I came out of the store I went up to them and gave them 2 collars, 2 leashes and 20 pounds of dog food.
The men both got up and gave me a hug and said nobody had ever been so kind to them before. All of our eyes were full with tears. I told them I could see that they loved their dogs and that made them good people in my book. I also gave them $10.00.
My eyes still fill up when I think about how grateful and thankful they were.
I am a firm believer in paying it forward and also know that one does not forget simple acts of kindness.
THANKS INDYBEBI!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A post in my honor! From you nonetheless! And such a significant one at that! Thanks so much. I cry too when I think of that story. It truly is one of the best blessings I've had in my life - that I know of that is! Thanks again!
WOW! What an awesome thread!! They are all amazing stories!!! I am one of those "this is nothing compared to the others" but I have been hearing about people paying for the car behind them in the drive thru for some time now. I usually don't think about it until I am gone or I don't have the extra money when I do think about it. Wed. we were out running some errands and I stopped at a drive thru. I thought "I can do this today!!" So I go up to the window (was nervous not sure why?? maybe afriad I would offend??) Ask the guy at the window how much the order was behind me and said........ $1.06!!!! I was a little sad! BUt he said "WOW! that is awesome!!" He was a young kid but "got" it and even said "pay it forward!" My own kids were saying "why did you do that mom???" So I explained to them so hopefully they will grow up understanding and maybe someday they will do what some of you all have done!! Thanks for starting this wonderful topic!!
This is such a beautiful thread! It is encouraging to read about what others are doing to make the world a better place. It truly is up to us to change our world for the better. One of my favorite verses in the Bible is James 4:17 Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins. I drill this into my kids heads. My kids are now teens or almost teens and it is fun to watch them look ways to help people.
It is hard to think of things to write here, because I so don't want to brag. Many families have received meals from us when someone is ill or has a new baby. Many cakes have been given. Gifts sent to kids in hospital. Cards of encouragement sent. When I read the story about Soccermom making a cake for a child in college I had tears in my eyes. I made my kids read it and one of them said "that's neat mom, it sounds like something you would do."
I'll tell one story from 2 summers ago. Every summer my family attends a gaming convention http://www.originsgamefair.com/. My favorite part of the convention is volunteering. I was working in the area where event tickets were being sold and a women came running up totally distraught. She had driven all night to get her child to the convention to play in the national championships. His event was supposed to start in 5 minutes and when she got to the right place she was told he needed an event ticket. She was sent to the end of the line of 50 people. I heard what was going on and called her to the front of the line to process her ticket. The kid was on time to his event.
Blessings,
Marla
I would like to share something that another CCr did for me not once, but twice...
A friend of a friend had a VERY sick daughter, she had a rare form of cancer, and died at the age of three this past new years eve... the little sister was turning two in February, and I had offered to make the cake... Well, wouldn't you know, the cake was for the same weekend we were moving to our new house and I couldn't do it... So I called a fellow CC member, Ski, who I had split cake supplies with a couple of times to see if I could hire her for the cake. As soon as I asked her (remember we barely knew each other, and she certainly didn't know this family) she offered to do the cake for free! Oh, and what a cake it was! It certainly made this little girl happy when she needed it most...
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1323871
Then, as if that wasn't enough, right before my combined birthday party for two of my sons this past May I broke my elbow... Well my soon to be 3 year old had his heart set on a B.O.B. cake (monsters vs aliens) and there was no way that was gonna happen... So, yet again, this awesome lady that I don't know too well comes to the rescue... She packs up all her cake stuff and comes to my house to help me... I had the cakes baked, but she did the rest... We had so many problems she ended up taking it home and bringing it back for the party! What an awesome lady she is!! Thanks Ski!!
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1370628
I've made several post in this thread about how amazng everyone is. Cake Central is full of awesome people I didn't want to brag about what I've been doing over the past year and a half but I'd like to share. My story pales in comparison to the ones I have read so far but I'd still like to share it with you all. About about a year and a half a go I baked some cookies but I didn't have anyone to give them to because both my mother and I were watching our weight. I looked in the phone book and picked a charity servicing the elderly. Since that time, I've tried to bake for them at least once a month. Now that I am not working, I bake for them bi-monthly. The facilitator tells me how special it makes the patrons feel receiving home baked goods. Just knowing that my baking is brightening someone's day gives me the warm and fuzzies. I've decided that no matter where I go in this life, I am going to continue to give back in some way, shape, or form. Not to get something back....but I simply like the feeling that giving gives.
What beautiful stories! When DH was in the Air Force one thing I made sure to do was to invite single airmen, especially the newbies that were away from home for the first time, over for holidays so they could have a home cooked family meal. DH would also randomly bring home "the new guy" it seemed at least once a month! The guys would be so grateful for "real food". Now that we're out and back home, I try to send in baked goodies w/ DH into work to share. 
What I really want to share is when we were in the AF and DH was deployed. We lived in base housing, and my oldest which was 3 then, has autism which made it impossible to take him to stores. He couldn't tolerate "public", so I couldn't even go to the grocery. I would stockpile before DH left and hope it would last. My wonderful neighbors would pick up milk etc for me to help out. One time, DH was extended and couldn't be home as planned, and my one neighbor came over and babysat for 2 HOURS so I could replenish my supplies. That was so huge a deal because DS screamed the entire time! I was never more grateful! I hated leaving knowing my ds was upset, but boy did I need those 2hrs away from my house... never had I loved grocery shopping like that day!!
My SIL left my brother and their two kids and practically vanished off the face of the earth. My brother started associating with some very wild women. Well, he was about to move one in particular into the home with him and his two kids. My niece called my daughter and said if her dad moved that drunk in with them that she was going to run away.My husband spoke to my brother at work the next day and asked if my niece could come stay with us.
That stay turned into 6 years. She moved in at the age of 13.(A very impressionable age, where she could have easily went down the wrong road with out love and guidance)We never said bad things about her parents,because we knew how much she loved them. We saw her through all of high school and she took college classes while in high school also. Parents never gave us a dime to help. She graduated college and married a very nice young man. My husband was so proud to walk her down the aisle. She now has a beautiful little girl and has a job as a secretary for a probate judge.
Holy cow! This is awesome.
This is a wee bit long...A friend of mine is an aspiring actor and asked people in a random email to submit a letter nominating him for an award. I decided to write a letter for him and I must say it was a great letter and he was very thankful. Fast forward three months...
I was driving to work on a major highway and it had lightly snowed the night before. The lady in front of me stopped short and I just barely scratched her bumper but bounced off and skid on the grass median for 200 feet hitting the guard rail and then bouncing off of a stopped van. I was a shaken mess screaming and shaking in my car when the officers arrived on the scene. I could hardly tell them my name and they would not let me move in case I was injured so one of the troopers went into my glove box to get my information and found my card case (I keep peoples business cards) and he recognizes the business card of my aspiring actor friend and tried to calm me down by talking to me about him. I get rushed to the ER and an officer is talking to my dad basically telling him I caused a major accident, closed the highway during rush hour traffic so call my insurance because it might be a biggy, great!
I get discharged later that morning and get a call from my aspiring actor friend. He talked to the officer that was writing the report and told him to go easy on me if possible. (I could have gotten reckless driving etc.- I was not under the influence or anything but I started the major backup). Well, I was not issued any tickets or summons and everything in damage just went through my insurance. No one ended up being hurt, just vehicle damage and I did not get any moving violations. The way I see it is I did something nice for my friend and he gave it back months later. Pay it forward! It really works!
the local country radio station here does random acts of kindness once a week. Sometimes it's free gas, sometimes it's free breakfast, sometimes it's free tickets. All they ask in return is that the recipient pay it forward by doing another random act of kindness
This is such a great thread, so many great stories of so many great people.
I have a couple of such stories.
A few years back I worked in purchasing for a national resturant chain. One day a lady called wanting to purchase some of our kid cups ( the design went with some kid party she was sponsoring). Well we did not do that sort of thing from our office so I called the vendor and had him send her the cups she wanted. Well a few weeks later I got the nicest e-mail from her it told the story of the man walking along the shore throwing starfish back into the water, when someone told him he can't possibly make a difference. I can make a difference to this one. She said I made a difference to her that day. It made my day.
My DH and I live in an older neighborhood filled with, you guessed it, older neighbors. My DH often mows the yards of our 2 older neighbors during the summer months, which in TX can get HOT. Well one day after several of these times for a sick neighbor, one of our other N came over on his rider and mowed our yard. It was a nice thing to do.
Continue to pay it forward. It rocks the world.
Mel,
I work for a worldwide christian organisation. About 6 months ago, the minister came to me and told me the tale of a lady that she meet through work that had lived with the love of her life for the last 25 years without ever getting married.
The man was diagnosed with cancer and only given literally weeks to live and their one desire was to marry and he would not have time to do it. (In Australia you generally have to give 30 days notice to marry.)
Not a problem, I said. I contacted the Attorney generals dept, got special dispensation organised. This was on Monday.
The Minister went back and told the couple. The lady went in the next day to pick up the licence to get married. My boss the minister, told me that she was going to marry them in 2 days time, on the Thursday. That morning I rocked up at the Ministers house with a small wedding cake and bouquet of flowers (they were doing it really tough financially).
The Minister married them, on the Thursday and presented them with the wedding cake, for which they cried. I went back to work on Monday to find out that he had passed away on the Sunday.
I will never forget that couple or the love that went into making that cake, for complete strangers.
I work for a worldwide christian organisation. About 6 months ago, the minister came to me and told me the tale of a lady that she meet through work that had lived with the love of her life for the last 25 years without ever getting married.
The man was diagnosed with cancer and only given literally weeks to live and their one desire was to marry and he would not have time to do it. (In Australia you generally have to give 30 days notice to marry.)
Not a problem, I said. I contacted the Attorney generals dept, got special dispensation organised. This was on Monday.
The Minister went back and told the couple. The lady went in the next day to pick up the licence to get married. My boss the minister, told me that she was going to marry them in 2 days time, on the Thursday. That morning I rocked up at the Ministers house with a small wedding cake and bouquet of flowers (they were doing it really tough financially).
The Minister married them, on the Thursday and presented them with the wedding cake, for which they cried. I went back to work on Monday to find out that he had passed away on the Sunday.
I will never forget that couple or the love that went into making that cake, for complete strangers.
WOW....that gave me chills.
This post is beautiful. It's humbling to see all these acts of kindness.
My parents instilled in me to "pay it foward" a long long time ago. It warms my heart to see that so many people do it to. I truly believe that all you do comes back to you!
We are teaching our kids the same ideas and they are doing great. (It's a work in progress and we love it).
When ever we have a large party at our house we ask our friends to bring something to share with the Food Shelf and with the rest of us. With the economy the way it is, it's inspiring that people seem to give more these days than they did a few years back.
We do this for birthday's too since our first was born.
Our local food shelf now has these little cards you can get to add to the birthday card indicating you made a donation in their name. Our kids think it's great and we know someone will get the help they need. The kids get to pick the card a recent favorite: A picture of corn that says: "This is no corny gift!"
More and more people are starting to ask for donations instead of gifts. It's great because so many kids around our area have so much more than they need. We have made a deal with our kids. Grand-parents will give you a gift and friends give you a donation. This works great they get the one gift they really really want or save their money to get it. Their friends give a donation and everyone get to feel good about it and there is less toys coming in the house!
A beautiful week to all. Keep on paying it foward!
I was on the receiving end of this kindness. I found out that I had to have my gall bladder out this summer. My SIL and 14 yr. old neice volunteered to fly down from PA to FL to help my husband and me with the kids. It helped a LOT to know our 3 young kids were fine at home with their aunt and cousin and that my husband could be with me when I needed him. I sure married into a great family!
What a wonderful group of people you all are. I am inspired!
I absolutely love this thread! I have been trying to decide if I want to pursue decorating officially or just as a hobby. I also need some consistent practice in order to get better. At the same time, I had heard that a friend who has been battling cancer for quite a while now was having financial difficulty because of her treatments. She is an absolutely wonderful person and I wanted to help them out so badly but couldn't think of what to do. I decided that I would do "Cupcakes for a Cause." For 4 weeks I sold cupcakes and sent blast e-mails out to our community. We sold 66 dozen cupcakes and boy did I get some practice!!! I donated everything after expenses which means that she will get around $750 (still tallying as this just ended yesterday)! I even have a pile of orders that came out of it, so I guess that answered whether or not I would do it officially! I can't wait to deliver the check!
Thank you for sharing these amazing stories, they are truly humbling. There is no greater gift than that of humility!
God Bless!
Wow, it was meant I found this thread today.
Act of kindness bestowed to me.
I'm a single mom of a 6 year old. For over a year I saved to buy myself a new digital camera, which "my son" bought me for Christmas this past year.
I work full time and that takes care of our basic needs, but not too many extra's. I decorate cake to pay for my son's tuition in Tae Kwon Do. For the past two months I've been saving and making extra baked goods so that my son could attend a tournament in Peoria, IL. This tournment would require registration fee, gas, and one night of hotel (Motel 8, was the cheapest I could find). Thanks to sales right up until I left last Friday I was able to take my son to the tournament.
To make a long story short, we accidentally left my new camera outisde of my car in the parking lot of the tournament. I was just sick, not at losing the camera (even though it stung, but camera's are replacable), but I was just upset at not having the pictures from the tournament.
Not more then 1/2 hour ago, I called the lady that ran the tournament, and asked if by chance a camera was turned in, and she said yes one had been, and it happens to be my camera. She is going to send the camera to my son's Tae Kwon Do school.
Talk about a blessing.
I don't remember who posted that they had a girl who was going through a hard time come over and help decorate her cake, but it inspired me to do something for my friend's daughter whose birthday is this Saturday. My friend got divorced about a year and a half ago and her ex husband, to say the least, is not a nice guy. Like I said this little girl's birthday is Saturday and her dad is getting remarried the next day. My friend was so worried he would totally forget his own daughter's birthday (he tends to favor their son and ignore his daughters and with the wedding the next day...) and she would be heartbroken. She had already told her mom she wants a My Little Pony birthday. So I told her to come to CC with her daughter and search the gallery for My Little Pony cakes and let her design whatever she wants. I'll get everything I need and probably bake the cakes but then she'll come over to decorate it. So thank you CCers for keeping me inspired!
My family and I send care packages to our troops monthly to Iraq and Afganistan. We send emails to each member(70) for special requests. Normally we do not get responses ,but one day we received one back for sports equipment, because they had nothing to do on their off hours to occupy their minds off the results of war. As a result, we sent them over $450.00 worth of sporting equipment that included: footballs, basketballs and basketball hoop, vollyballs, batminton sets, darts, hackysack balls, horseshoes, racketball, books, movies, etc. along with their monthly brownies and other treats. On the day the care package was received by the troops, I received 65 emails thanking me as it had made their day. 
My family and I send care packages to our troops monthly to Iraq and Afganistan. We send emails to each member(70) for special requests. Normally we do not get responses ,but one day we received one back for sports equipment, because they had nothing to do on their off hours to occupy their minds off the results of war. As a result, we sent them over $450.00 worth of sporting equipment that included: footballs, basketballs and basketball hoop, vollyballs, batminton sets, darts, hackysack balls, horseshoes, racketball, books, movies, etc. along with their monthly brownies and other treats. On the day the care package was received by the troops, I received 65 emails thanking me as it had made their day.
That is so awesome!!
Two years ago I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. For six months following this diagnosis the ladies in my church cooked the evening meal for my family Monday through Friday. They made sure we were taken care of through surgery, chemo, and recovery. They were such a blessing!
This same group (I was able to help this time) made blankets for 50 small children in a Bulgarian orphanage. We mailed them to a missionary there and they delivered to the orphanage. My daughter was able to visit the following year and meet the children, who were so thrilled to have something of their very own. We have pictures of the little ones receiving their blankets.
Also, my extended family has a Christmas celebration each year. All of my siblings and their families get together and have a great time. We began a tradition of collecting food and money for a needy family in honor of our parents. Each year our little ones are so excited to be able to give to others. A couple of years ago I happened to have a cookie mix bag which had a cookie cutter attached - I included this in the box. A single mother with 5 children was the recipient. Her youngest son has medical problems and he was so excited. When he saw that cookie mix he told his mom that they couldn't bake it until Christmas Eve because he had never been able to make cookies for Santa and now he could. We placed the food in a box wrapped like a Christmas package and they even saved the empty box and placed it under their tree.
We are so blessed and enjoy sharing those blessings.
4Gran
Here's a fun pay it forward I've participated in several times and it never ceases to delight.
OK....Christmas is coming up.
and that means -- the WORK party -- with OH NO -- a gift exchange (secret or not)
ARGH!
---
the twist --
go right ahead ---- do the exchange with this one rule:
the gift has to be for the recipient as if they were still a small child (say 4-6 year old -- decide based on where toys will go)
after everyone has opened, oohh-ahhhed and laughed a riot, all the gifts are donated.
so far have done Toys for Tots, a local hospital specializing in "extreme" pediatric cases -- this one can often be handled through Ronald McDonald houses and similar family support groups, a shelter (abused women and their children).
It does help to determine in advance where the gifts will go to help guide what is bought.
---
this is getting embarrassing ... an old grown man shouldn't be 
ing! but this thread is just so touching!
OK....Christmas is coming up....... and that means -- the WORK party -- with OH NO -- a gift exchange (secret or not) ..... ARGH!
Ahhhh! The part of corporate america's workplace that I DON'T miss! HATED the office Christmas Gift Exchange! My last couple of years, I opted out of it. They were turning it into a freakin' JOB more than a fun holiday activity. And the cost was getting too up there. I told one person who was organizing it, "I don't spend that much money on my only granddaughter, and I LOVE her!!" 
But before you think I"m a big 'ole Scrooge ..... we have a rule in our household that we are not allowed to walk past a Salvation Army bucket without putting something in it. And in this day of debit cards, it's getting harder to remember to have cash available. But it's a rule! My married daughter has even taught my grandchildren the tradition!
Back to your regularly scheduled program!
I have spent the last three days reading thru this thread ... often thru tear-drenched eyes. So many touching and inspiring stories.
Althought I can't immediately recall a 'big' instance, I have often done little random acts of kindness. I'll take the shopping cart back for an elderly person or someone with a small child, offer my 'rented' cart (insert quarter for the cart) for free, give someone the pennies they are short at the checkout, things like that.
My DS's teacher last year was wonderful - but only on mat leave replacement. I so want her to be my DD's teacher next year. When I told her this on the last day of school, she asked me to write a letter to the principal, who decides who gets hired for replacements each year. I wrote a wonderful letter (if I do say so myself) right after school was over. Haven't heard from her all summer, but I'm hoping it worked for her. (And she's getting married in November and I might be doing her cake. Nothing confirmed yet, as I'm just starting so not really booked, and she's waiting to confirm a venue.)
But here's my biggest story -- Last Christmas, I felt my funds were going to be short - too short to buy all 12 of my friends gifts. So, I decided to go to the Oxfam website and donated a mosquito net and a chicken to a family in a third world country. Then, for my gift presentation, I had typed up a couple of notes that I had the kids read out. "In lieu of Christmas gifts, this year we gave a mosquito net to a small child so they could sleep safe." "In lieu of Christmas gifts, this year we gave a family a chicken, so they could eat and earn money to live." My BFFs loved it! I think we'll do this every year.
Our church does a toy/gift giveaway for the needy area children at Christmas. Each child receives a bag of stuff animals, puzzle, books, doll, and 2 wrapped gifts, maybe a bicycle or riding toy,etc. They get a good amount. (new and used items). Anyway, we got a call from the Red Cross to fix boxes for 2 children. When the mother came and saw what we had for her, she broke down and just sobbed. She and her children had just gotton out of an abusive relationshipwith what they had on their backs! When she told me while I was helping her put the boxes in the car, I told her to come back in the building for a minute. We hurriedly tried to find anything else we had to give her clothing wise (my Mom & I knit scarves and match them up with new sweatshirts and hats and gloves for the tween and teen girls) and other toys. We had a Christmas tree and ornaments that went with her and a gift card for Wal Mart. She went around and hugged each and everyone of the workers and thanked us for giving her children a Christmas. Believe me, there was not a dry eye in the place. Even the men had tears. And that is why we do what we do.
When I was 21 years old, I planned a trip to Europe because I had finished college. I was waiting at the Toronto airport for the flight to London, England and there was an old lady who started talking to me and asking very basic questions like "where do we wait for the plane", "what do I do with this? (her boarding pass), etc. She obviously needed some help so I sat with her and waited with her and chatted, answered her questions.
A loudspeaker announced that our flight was full and anyone who would be willing to stay overnight and take the morning flight would receive a free ticket for a roundtrip flight anywhere in the world. I was sooooo tempted! Then I looked over at the little old lady who seemed as innocent as a child and I just couldn't do it. I stayed with her through the whole flight, sitting with her and answering her questions, talking to the stewardess for her, etc.
I truly believe God has blessed me for that sacrifice I made.
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