It really is true

I would like to relate a true story. I had a wake up call this morning that proved to me that what you send out into the universe really does come back to you.

First I am going back several years to a time when I was having lunch with a friend at what was then the 4 B's restaurant in Grants, NM. We had no idea that it would be torn down a few weeks after our visit.Our waiter was a very nice guy who was down on his luck and had reached the point of giving up. His wife was sick and he didn't know how he was going to handle his bills. I had just come from the bank and had in my possession quite a bit of money. Something told me I needed  to restore his faith in his community so I had my friend write the young man a note wishing him well and inserted $100 in an envelope as a tip. People all over Grants probably heard his verbal reaction when he saw what I had given him. He rushed to the door as we were leaving and gave us both a genuine hug.

The next part of this story happened several years later when I had the Writing Camp for kids. I had helped a friend edit a manuscript for a wonderful children's book that she was about to publish.It was something I wanted to do because she is a very talented writer and the book had an important message about bullying. I did not ask for nor did I expect to be compensated for my effort. After the book was published she sent me a check for yes, you guessed it, $100. Since then I have always felt that I really didn't deserve it.

The wake up call happened this morning. I had arranged with this same friend to look over my latest manuscript that is about to be offered on Amazon.com. Even though I have read it over several times I know it is possible to overlook typos. I had printed out a copy of the book and took it to the post office to mail to her. I kept thinking that the clerk looked very familiar and I asked if she had ever worked anyplace else in Grants. She replied, " I worked at 4B's for 25 years".  That's where I knew her from!

On my way home my mind went back to that time years ago and that $100 I put in the envelope to help a stranger. I couldn't help smiling and I hope you do too.