Last week, I was reminded of why this time of year is so special.  My son and I went to donate toys for Mike & Nicole The Christmas Elves, dropped off our gifts at Metro PCS, and then grabbed food at Applebee's on Eagle Road.

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As we walked into to eat, I noticed a man at the bar.  I remember thinking it was a surprise that there was only one person at the bar that night.  We were seated, ordered, and had some great conversation about why we gave our toys and the importance of sharing with those who aren't as fortunate as we are.

It was a great conversation and great meal, and we were really having a nice time together.  At one point, our server came over and told me not to pay with the electronic payment/game device on the table.  I figured it was probably just not working right, but she explained it was for a different reason.

The man at the bar who had seen us come in, who I couldn't even describe if I had to, had noticed my kiddo and me having dinner together.  He wanted to "pay it forward" and covered our meal.  Our server was impacted by this and told me that his gift card he used covered our meal almost perfectly...with just $.03 remaining.  She got teary sharing this with us, and I felt incredibly touched that he had done this.  He mentioned to her it was good to see a father and son spending time together.

I don't know his story, I don't know exactly what prompted him to bless us that night, but it did, and it was a very cool lesson and experience to share with my son.  Especially coming from having giving to others ourselves.  Being on the receiving end was powerful.

It was such a powerful reminder of the incredibly impact kindness can make, and that's something we can all give.

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