Checkout lane kindness
My budget was tight, so tight that I was counting pennies just to eat. At the grocery store I counted and added and checked my math three times to be sure I had enough on my card to buy the next few days' meals. At checkout, I swiped my card. Rejected. Swiped it again. Rejected. I had no cash, so with a helpless apology to the checker, I left. There was a bench right outside the store's door, and I collapsed on it. After a couple minutes, a woman approached me. She asked if I was gonna be okay. I managed to smile and said yeah. And then she took me back into the store and handed me my bags. She'd paid for them, helped out a stranger in distress. I walked home in a fog of shock, relief, and gratitude. I was and am humbled and grateful to that stranger. And I always try to pay it forward 'cause you never know how a tiny (to you) action could affect someone.