“One kind gesture filled my heart with comfort!”
When the driver in front of Nicole Clawson treated her to a coffee in the Starbucks drive-thru, the random act of kindness not only eased Nicole’s grieving heart, it also inspired thousands of others!
My can’t babysitter come in is today. sick, I Clawson I’m explained so sorry,” to Nicole her boss with The an Uniontown, exhausted sigh. Ohio, mom of two hated taking the day off, especially since it meant she wouldn’t get paid. But Nicole had recently used all her vacation days after she’d lost her dad. Suddenly, she felt tears welling, thinking of how terribly she missed him. And on top of her grief, Nicole had the stress of having to hire a new sitter because her dad always watched her two kids. Now, realizing there would likely be more days like
today… It’ ll probably save money if I quit my job and stay home with them, Nicole concluded. Thinking about all the sudden, big changes in her life, Nicole felt her spirit sag, so she decided to treat herself to a Starbucks coffee for a muchneeded pick-me-up. But to her surprise, Nicole got a boost even before she took the first sip. When she got to the drive-thru window, the barista said, “The lady ahead of you paid for your coffee.” Tears sprang to Nicole’s eyes as she gazed at the silver
Honda pulling away. What a nice thing to do! she smiled. And as she drove home, Nicole felt her mood brighten. She also noticed that she was still behind that same silver car. Block by block, the driver remained in front of her and finally pulled into a driveway— across the street from her own! Nicole hadn’t met those neighbors, but she wanted to thank the young woman, so she left her a thank-you note.
What you did for me was more than just a coffee. It was something that has turned my whole day around, put tears in my eyes and a smile on my face, Nicole wrote. And sharing her recent heartaches, she explained, You helped shift my perspective and see the goodness surrounding me. Later, 19-year-old Mackenzie Mauller’s dad found the note in their mailbox and asked, “Did you buy someone coffee?” “Yes,” Mackenzie said, explaining that, every so often, she treats a stranger. A couple of weeks earlier, she’d bought Mcdonald’s for an elderly couple. “It makes them smile and that makes me smile!” But reading Nicole’s thankyou, Mackenzie realized what a big difference little kindnesses can make. Moved, she posted Nicole’s note on Twitter—and it went viral, receiving thousands of likes and replies. Many shared that it had inspired them to do random acts of kindness too. She should know about this, Mackenzie thought. Nicole hadn’t signed her note but had said she lived on the block. So Mackenzie knocked on doors… until she finally found Nicole. “Wow!” Nicole marveled, when Mackenzie told her about the outpouring of love from the Twitter post. “Your sweet gesture started it all!” Today Nicole and Mackenzie are friends and Mackenzie is now a pinch-hit babysitter—and role model—for Nicole’s kids. “Life is short, and it’s important to make each other feel appreciated,” Nicole says. “Mackenzie opened my eyes to how caring and giving the younger generation can be. She filled me with hope—and that’s quite a gift for the price of a cup of coffee!”