One of the most touching things that has ever happened to us.

[Lyric]

We got a card in the mail along with a hand-written letter that said:

Dear Rhythm, Lyric, and LyricKid,

This may come as a surprise, but please find enclosed a gift card in the amount of $100.00 for your use at Wal-Mart. You are probably wondering which friend played this gag on you, but I assure you, the gift card is real and the receipt is enclosed. You see, my husband, son and I live in Canonsburg, PA. This month, we have been blessed many times and our lives have been made better. I have always been one to believe in good karma, and the concept of "Paying it forward." In light of all the recent blessings we have received this month to help us get by in this hard economic situation, we wanted to pass on the good karma to others who may be in need of a boost, whether financial or emotional.

After asking around, my friend Jessi K******s told me about two hard-working parents who always seem to be on the edge of financial problems. She said you are working, going to school full-time, and raising a child, each of which is difficult on its own. As soon as I heard about you, I knew I wanted to make your day!

I am sorry if you don't shop at Wal-Mart, but I wanted to get a gift card from a store where you could get anything from food to clothes to toys. I only have one request. Someday, after you are finished with school and have full-time careers, you will hopefully be in a position to do for someone what we have done for you today. All we ask is that when life blesses you in the future, that you pay that blessing forward.

It really does feel good!

I know that $100 is not much in the grand scheme of things, but I hope it makes you smile and I hope it helps you.

Thanks!

No name, no signature, but there IS a return address. Should I send a letter of thanks back? Would that be appropriate? I'm not sure if the lack of a name or signature means that this person doesn't wish to be contacted, but I'd really like to tell her THANK you! I'm also humbled that our mutual friend Jessi speaks so highly of us to others. Jess is great--she's a fellow college student and a fantastic person overall, and I can't wait to hug her. This couldn't have happened at a better time, considering that LyricKid's birthday is tomorrow!

Anyway, this made me weepy, and I wanted to share some of that happiness and warmth with all of you.

:grouphug:

[Midlodemocrat]

1. Holy crap!!! That is amazing!!!!!

What a nice thing for someone to do!!

And, Happy Birthday, Lyric Kid!!!!!

[Lyric]

5. I was totally shocked.

I feel like the luckiest person in the world. We're going to use part of it for LyricKid's birthday, and then buy some dog and cat food for the animal shelter with the rest, because I happen to have a couple of $4.00-off coupons for the big bags of Iams.

Rhythm's out trying to get his cake ordered right now. He wants a "Star Wars" cake, so we're hoping that Wally World will have a "Star Wars" cake kit in stock at the bakery.

:hug:

[Midlodemocrat]

7. Aw, you're such a sweetheart.

And, I haven't forgotten the conversation we had a while back about B and the clothes. TM has been working, so I'm going to get her on it tomorrow.

She did suggest waiting until Mid August to see when the new styles come out. She's the fashionista, not me, so probably not a bad idea.

Cake idea. If they don't have a Star Wars one? Put some plastic Star Wars toys on it. He'll never know the difference.

[Lyric]

8. She just called me back.

Apparently, Wal-Mart was out of both the cake kits AND all but the most enormous Star Wars action figures. WTF? Grrr. She says that the associate is "resetting" that section, so there's almost nothing there right now. However, we called the grocery store down the road from Wal-Mart and they DO have a really nice Star Wars cake kit (Luke and Vader light-saber fighting!) so we went ahead and ordered from there. We can spare the cash now, thanks to the gift card, so it's no big deal. In the meantime, Rhythm's grabbing the rest of the stuff we'll need from Wal-Mart as we speak. Yay!

I'm so happy I could bounce all over the place! As for the other--tell TM that we said Thank You, please? And thank you yourself. :hug: :loveya:

[Midlodemocrat]

9. YAY!!! What a great day!!!!!

[Lyric]

11. Oh yes!!!

We're going to grill hot dogs for the kidlets--we expect about fifteen of them, all from our neighborhood. Mrleftyclimber is bringing over a folding card table and some extra folding chairs to go with the patio table and chairs that we already have, and he's going to be here at 4:30 pm tomorrow to take us to get the cake. Woohoo! And Rhythm is sneakily purchasing another present for LyricKid, as he helped us pick out the one that's already here at the house and we want to get him something as a surprise. This is what HE picked out:

http://www.amazon.com/Clone-Trooper-Voice-Changer-Helmet/dp/B0013TM6KY

This is what Rhythm's getting him as a surprise:

http://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Clone-Trooper-Blaster/dp/B0015R8WR0

:bounce:

[Missy Vixen]

2. Congratulations!

You deserve it!

Happy Birthday to LyricKid, too! :hug:

[BarenakedLady]

3. How nice.

Thanks for sharing such an uplifting story.

:D

[auntAgonist]

4. amazing !

It made me weepy too. Happy happpy birthday to LyricKid. What an inspiring story. I wish I could do as that woman did for you.

If she put a return address I think I would send a thankyou with a note saying I'd pay it forward when I can. (that's what 'I' would do.

:hug:

I'm glad you shared :)

:hug:
aA
kesha

[Lyric]

6. Oh, we definitely will.

I hope she doesn't mind us writing back to her. It was such a generous and thoughtful thing to do, the least we can do is to send a Thank You card. As for paying it forward--we believe firmly in that idea. We need help often enough that we never pass up an opportunity to help others when we have the means--we surely know how it feels, ya know?

:hug:

[auntAgonist]

15. The two of you ...

are awesome good people. I know awesome good people when I see 'em.


:)

:hug:


kesha

[MadMaddie]

22. What a wonderful gift! I always believe a simple thank-you

makes a persons day too. Writing her back and thanking her is a good thing to day.

I hope you have a great birthday party!!

[Inchworm]

10. That's awesome!

I'd save the address and add to "Happy Holiday" card list. A few years down the road send flowers and a thank you.

I love cool stories! :*

:woohoo:

:hug:

[Lyric]

12. Oooooh, flowers! What a fantastic idea!

THANK you! I'll definitely remember that!

:hug:

[bigwillq]

13. That's awesome!

:bounce:

[siligut]

14. Thank you for sharing such a heartwarming story.

And it happened to you, which is so wonderful. I don’t know about sending a thank you note. Including a return address is a safety measure. However, if it were me, I would acknowledge the gift and tell them what it meant to have received it when you did. Just don’t include their name even if you know it. Also, that big hug to Jess will get back to them. Again, :woohoo:

[Dystopian]

16. Beautiful!

This made me weepy, too....How wonderful!
I'm so thankful I clicked ...
Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful story.
It reminded me of this...
The Pay it Forward video....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwHcS-XoYbc
I'm so happy for your family!:hug:






peace~

[Left Is Write]

17. That made me cry.

:hug:

[Shine]

18. Totally cool.

Love it. :thumbsup:

In my heart I believe most people are good. Glad you got to have this uplifting experience and validation of that truth.

:toast: Happy b'day to LyricKid!

[latebloomer]

19. The kindness of strangers

is a wonderful thing.

Happy birthday, LyricKid!!!

:party: :party: :party:

[Brigid]

20. And people laugh at me for believing in miracles.

Love this story. :)

[Brigid]

21. And people laugh at me for believing in miracles.

Love this story. :)

[TZ]

23. That's wonderful.

I like inchworm's suggestion of a holiday card...it's so nice these days to here something so positive.:)

[OhioChick]

24. That was so nice....

Thanks for sharing. :)

[KamaAina]

25. Dear Lyric, kidlet, and what's-her-face,

:P

One of these fine days, I shall return the favor -- but to someplace slightly less evil, such as "Tar-zhay". In the meantime, enjoy the somewhat tainted bounty for all it's worth! (the woman who does my place when I travel shops there, too...)

Oh, and don't spend it all on cheese! :P

[Gormy Cuss]

26. That's a really sweet gesture.

Both Jessi and the anonymous donors deserve your thanks for the good deed. Hope that Lyric kid has a great birthday!
:hug:

[Kali]

27. oh thank you for sharing that!

:toast:

[Vidar]

28. Very cool Thanks for posting it.

[miss_american_pie]

29. Write the letter

:hug:

:toast:

[crim son]

30. You have made my day with your story!

There are good people out there, lots of them. I'm happy for you guys!

[Forkboy]

31. Now THAT is awesome.

There was a story a year or so ago about a Dunkin Donuts where one customer in the morning decided to pay for the coffee for the next car in line. It ended up going on all day from one car to the next. So you don't even have to be well off to pay it forward. Even if it's just 10 or 20 bucks to help a buddy make it a couple days until their payday.

And Happy B-Day to LyricKid!!! :bounce:

Thanks for the story, and you have a cool friend in Jessi. :thumbsup:

[cwydro]

32. That is really a nice thing to hear.

:)

[ThomCat]

33. That is wonderful!

:hug:

How few people ever do anything that generous just because they can? That is really sweet. :)

[LostinVA]

34. I can't believe you're going shopping at Wal-Mart!?

I'm teasing you.

That's fantastic, and very, very nice of them. I don't see anything wrong with sending them a "thank you."

Good timing, too, because of Lyrickid's birthday.

[NuttyFluffers]

35. that's beautiful! (send the thank you note)

:hug:

even if it was an accident to leave the return address, it is best to offer a thank you note. sure you can go through the effort to match the address to a name, etc. but that sort of dispels the spirit of the gift. let it be and just express your thanks honestly and openly. just leave a little post script saying that you found their address by the return address on the envelope (they might have made a mistake, they might have not noticed it, there could have been miscommunication between partners who made the letter and who mailed it, or maybe they wanted to remain relatively anonymous. the reasons don't matter at some point). let them feel a sense of anonymity they seek.