An Amazing Feeling

The thing I have trouble with the most in doing random acts of kindness, is giving things directly to strangers.  I'd much rather do it anonymously as I'm afraid of their reaction or even afraid of offending.  Today, for example, I wanted to find someone who looked down on their luck and give them a grocery store gift card donated to me by my wonderful Father-in-law, who is an extremely generous man by nature.  He purchased the cards to help raise money to send a relative to a dance competition and then turned around and gave ME the cards to give to others : )   So I wanted to make sure that the cards went to someone in need of food.  I thought about going to the core neighbourhood in our City and just driving until I saw someone who I thought might need it, but then thought better of that idea.  It could be taken the wrong way and offend that person and I would have felt extremely awkward anyway.

I drove to the closest recycling centre to our house and went up to the women who cashes in your stub after your bottles are counted, and asked if she could help me.  Being familiar with many of her customers, I thought she might know some of the people and their backgrounds.  Handing her the card, I asked if she could give it to someone she knows, that comes in regularly to get money for bottles, that really needs the card.  We talked a bit and I explained further what my intent was.  She nodded in understanding and said a very warm thank you.

The sun just shone a little brighter today as I drove home.  What an amazing feeling it is to give.