The Kindness Of A Stranger

One day early last week, I had a really difficult day.  I can't really pinpoint any one thing that made it hard, it was just a convergence of various stresses!  By the end of the afternoon, I had really had enough and while my daughter had an appointment, I popped into the the nearest Starbucks for a cup of hot chocolate.  As I stood in line, irritated because there was a line, (I mean really, at 5.15pm? A line??) the young man in front of me began to chat about the cold weather we were having.  He was about the age of my son and wearing a gorgeous bright orange down jacket.  As I was thinking, how sweet it was of him to take the time to  have a conversation with the grumpy woman in line behind him, we finally reached the counter.  I checked my emails on my phone as he ordered and then I heard him say to the barista that he would like to pay for whatever drink I was getting.  It was an act of random kindness and it made my day.  He'll never know how much that one kindness meant.  It made me pause in my dark mood and think, how can I pass that on?  

Thank you, kind stranger.