We were a poor family. My mom had made a point of saving up enough once to take my sister and I to the zoo and museum. We had a great day, even ate out.

Then, on the way to the bus stop heading home, she realized she'd overspent & didn't have enough to pay for all three of us to get there. We were looking at a 6 mile walk, and it had just started snowing.

We duck into a small Chinese restaurant & ask if we can use the phone (mom was going to ask someone for a ride). The owner asks us why we needed the phone and after mom explains, he not only gave us the money we needed to get on the bus, but also sent us home with enough food to feed 6 people.

My mom told him we'd try to pay him back one day, but he asked we pay it forward instead.

It was the first random act of kindness that I'd ever received & sticks with me 30 years later.

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