Kindness Can Be Surprising

I've been wanting to write about this article for a long time. It is a short KMBC Kansas City news story about a generous customer, in this case an unassuming family, who left a $400 tip for a waitress they overhead having school-related financial troubles.

I can't begin to say how proud it makes me to know that there are good people out there, everywhere. They don't have to be in certain areas of the country, they don't have to look a certain way, and they don't have to have loads of extra money to throw around. I realize that it is not always about money as kindness and generosity can come in many forms. This is the best example of helping someone in need and asking nothing for it in return.

The waitress was having trouble paying for her school textbooks and was explaining the issue to her co-worker. The customer overheard the conversation and without any prompt, left a $400 tip when leaving the restaurant. Marlena Hayes thought the tip was a mistake at first but realized, and confirmed with a kind note from the customer, that the tip was for her textbooks.

This simple act of kindness and generosity, almost in a pay-it-forward fashion, is something we should all try to do as often as possible. If we continually take and never give, the system will eventually fail. Our society would fail. America was built on give and take. We must continue to do so. I realize giving a random $400 to those in need is not always possible for most of us, but there are other ways to give back and each of them count.

In these tough economic times the social and moral fabric of our nation is stressed. It is now, more than ever, that giving back and having great compassion are essential. It is truly amazing what the littlest things can do when done as a group and being aware enough to do those things when needed is the most important skill one can have.

- Mitch G