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Pay It Forward

I had written off Chivalry, assuming it was dead, because I have had the door left to slam in my face while having two kids in tow at various places...the library, the store, etc.  Each time I was left standing trying to open a door while holding a baby, a diaper bag, and keeping track of a 4 year old I promised myself that I would raise Gentlemen.  Gentlemen, in case you've forgotten what one was, are the kind of men that hold doors open for ladies.  They let ladies walk in front, they pick things up when you drop them, they take their hats off to eat dinner. Raising gentlemen is a work in progress so we are doing just that...working towards progress.  Just as I had lost all hope and thought perhaps my boys would be the only gentlemen on earth someday, I was surprised in these past couple weeks by random acts of kindness and I've seen seen the kind of gentlemen I hope my boys grow up to be.

I was grocery shopping at Target last week...major shopping, not just picking up a couple things.  Thankfully Target is the one store left in the area that still sacks your groceries.  What used to be commonplace is a luxury these days.  Anyway, I am appreciative just to have my groceries sacked but I was blown away when the checker said, "You look like you have your hands full. Let me get you help with these groceries." So the checker called over a cart attendant to take my groceries out to my car and load them into the trunk for me.  It was a life changing event since I always feel chaotic as I load up two kids and the groceries while being hypervigilent about not locking my keys in the car on a hot day.  I have since found out that Target will gladly offer this service if you just ask.  You better believe I'll be asking. :)

Yesterday I took the boys to see World War II Bomber planes, specifically a B-24 and a B-17 (more on that later).  While I was walking in with a baby, a diaper bag, and an Aiden I was getting ready to pay the entrance fee.  As I stepped up to pay the man waved me through and said, "There is no need for you to pay.  You clearly have your hands full." I was blown away by his generosity since the entrance fee wasn't a measly couple dollars but somewhere in the $25 dollar range. I thanked him profusely and over and over.  Today I'm still feeling overwhelmed by his thoughtfulness.

And then today as I was sacking a couple things at the store, which was a piece of cake this time around since I only had Sage with me, a fellow grocery shopper came up to me and said, "You look like you have your hands full.  I know all about that.  Let me sack these for you." The man was such a gentleman and genuinely nice.

As I think back on these three events I'm wondering what I look like to others when I'm out and about with the boys since ALL THREE TIMES the comment was, "You look like you have your hands full." HAHA!  Nonetheless, I am certainly thankful for thoughtfulness and gentlemen like behavior.  These gentlemen have made me feel blessed. I can be in such a zone focusing on my boys and the task at hand when I'm out and about, but I'm going to try and notice others around me since it is clearly my turn to pay it forward. Don't ya think?

Comments

WOW! What a week of generosity and it's only Tuesday. Don't you wish everyone was always that way to one another. Thanks for the reminder on how important it is to "pay it forward" to others.

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