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View Full Version : A Random Act of Kindness inspired by CA


LasciviousXXX
05-08-2011, 08:34 AM
CA is my home. Since the beginning of this great community I have been nothing but amazed by the constant generosity and good will shown by the brothers and sisters of Cigar Asylum. Everything from troop support, charity donations, PIF's, to the little everyday kind words and thoughtful bombs. I am always humbled by the kindness we show to each other and the rest of the world. Just being a part of CA has helped me to try and become a better person.

So it is with that thought in mind that I relate to you my small story from this morning. Today is Mother's Day. Unfortunately I had to work today but am still in fantastic spirits. So, in honor of Mother's Day, I decided to buy all of my female co-workers Starbucks this morning in order to say thanks to all the moms, soon-to-be moms, and women in our lives who make life better. So I collected everyone's drink order and headed down a few blocks to the local Starbucks. It wasn't very busy inside but there were a few people there to begin their morning ritual. I was standing at the end of the line with a list of 8 different drink orders in my hand for my co-workers. A woman in scrubs walks up behind me to get in line. I turn and tell her to go ahead and get in front of me since I have a bunch of orders and I'm sure she only needs a drink or two. She thanks me and gets in front of me in line. I strike up a conversation with her and tell her happy Mother's Day. She tells me that she is a nurse at one of the ER's and is just about to begin her shift. Being in public service myself, I sympathize with her having to work weekends, holidays and night shifts. She says that the hardest part of today was leaving her kids at home this morning. As she was leaving they asked her "Do you have to go? It's Mother's Day." I could tell she was feeling a bit conflicted about having to leave her kids home on what could inexplicably be called "her" day, so wanting to brighten this complete stranger's day I told her I would buy her coffee and her breakfast for her. Unexpectedly the woman broke down in tears right there in the line at Starbucks. To say I was surprised was an understatement. After myself and a Starbucks employee had calmed her down and got her seated she explained why she had reacted that way. She told me that the past month had been extremely hard on her because she's going through a rough divorce. She was going through a harsh legal battle over the custody of her children and had stretched her self a bit thin in her life. She stated that financially and emotionally it had been hard on her as she didn't have any family in the area. She had given up on people and had adopted a pessimistic and deafeatist attitude. She said she broke down crying because it was the first act of kindness that anyone had shown her in months. She didn't even realize how much she needed to know that people are inherently good. She told me that this single act had completely turned her day around and that now she was going to go to work energized, with a positive attitude. I'll tell you, it warmed my heart to hear that.

I got a bit more than I bargained for this morning but it cemented the fact that we all need a boost every now and again in our lives. I credit my CA fam for giving me mine when I needed it, and I also credit CA for inspiring me to pay it forward to another. We never know where people are in their lives or what they may be going through. Thank you CA for teaching me this lesson and inspiring me to be a better person.

Happy Mother's Day! Go out and spread some cheer and do something positive for a total stranger today :tu

icehog3
05-08-2011, 08:38 AM
That's why I love you, Brother...making a difference. Thanks for sharing, that just made my day as well, Týr.

LasciviousXXX
05-08-2011, 08:40 AM
That's why I love you, Brother...making a difference. Thanks for sharing, that just made my day as well, Týr.

:tu I'm learning from the best Tom! You and all the rest of the Asylum dwellers have helped me more than you'll ever know. And the only way for me to ever repay that is to do the same for someone else.

ahc4353
05-08-2011, 08:42 AM
Very nice Tyr.

Just reading the this brightened my day. Thank you.

Remo
05-08-2011, 08:43 AM
Nice Job Tyr and great story, every once in awhile there is some good out there. Being cynical and jaded myself most of the time (line of work) it does feel good to change someone's outlook for the good every now and then :tu

Eleven
05-08-2011, 08:47 AM
Wow. Powerful stuff there Tyr!

Thanks for sharing it.

kelmac07
05-08-2011, 08:47 AM
AWESOME...thanks for sharing Tyr!! :tu :tu

Whee
05-08-2011, 08:49 AM
Damn dust in my eye...


:tu

Ogre
05-08-2011, 08:58 AM
Thats what its all about. You helped her and she will in turn do if for someone else. Next thing you know we are all helping each other. Thanks for starting the chain.

Jbailey
05-08-2011, 09:15 AM
What a great Post Tyr. I always enjoy reading/hearing stories like that.

E.J.
05-08-2011, 09:35 AM
That just made my day & I'm not even there....

It is amazing how seemingly small acts, can change someones day/week/year/life...

I raise my home-brewed to you Týr

cort
05-08-2011, 09:49 AM
Very cool Tyr. It's amazing how far a good attitude will go not only for yourself but the way it affects others around you. Props to you brother:tu

massphatness
05-08-2011, 09:55 AM
Thanks for sharing what it's all about, Tyr. This place, Club Stogie before it, taught me what PIF was all about. And I was surprised to learn it had very little to do with cigars.

LasciviousXXX
05-08-2011, 10:00 AM
Yes! Thanks Vin, I neglected to mention the Club Stogie family. Club Stogie is where it all began for me but I couldn't be happier that we morphed and grew into Cigar Asylum.

Oh and thank you as well Vin for sharing your turn with me in the MAW/PIF. You exemplify kindness and generosity brother :tu

3SmokesaRound
05-08-2011, 10:03 AM
Great story indeed! Thanks for sharing :tu

replicant_argent
05-08-2011, 10:30 AM
You smoothed a bump in her road when she most needed it, Tyr. Well done.

14holestogie
05-08-2011, 10:37 AM
Great story and an awesome gesture, Tyr. :tu

bobarian
05-08-2011, 10:38 AM
Tyr, Thanks for sharing such a wonderful and heartwarming story. It really goes to show how we can spread the spirit from this wonderful place. :tu

mariogolbee
05-08-2011, 10:44 AM
And now her tears are shared. Thanks for sharing this story along with a little piece of yourself.

racerX
05-08-2011, 12:08 PM
Thanks for the eye opener.

jwintosh
05-08-2011, 12:42 PM
great story!! share the share brother!!

Blindjimme
05-08-2011, 01:24 PM
Purely, simply beautiful.

CigarNut
05-08-2011, 01:51 PM
Very cool Týr! I think our CA fam has more people that care than most other places -- thanks for setting a great example for us all to learn from!

G G
05-08-2011, 01:56 PM
Thanks for reminding me Tyr. For we never know even the smallest things we do (not that yours was small) can make a huge difference in someone's life.

LasciviousXXX
05-08-2011, 02:20 PM
I agree with you Greg. See for me, what I did was relatively small. I just bought a woman a cup of coffee and a sandwich on Mother's Day. Not a big deal at all. But to her, it was the act that made the difference.

I know I often times get wrapped up in my own life and issues and forget that other people are struggling as well. The smallest act can really turn things around. I've thought about that woman often throughout today. I'm hoping that she got to work and passed that positive attitude on to someone else, perhaps a patient. And just think, it all started right here on CA. With all of you setting the example for me :tu

68TriShield
05-08-2011, 02:35 PM
Good job Brother.

Big_Ern
05-08-2011, 03:09 PM
great story!!

Adriftpanda
05-08-2011, 04:52 PM
Awesome story, and great gesture by you, Tyr.

G G
05-08-2011, 08:23 PM
I agree with you Greg. See for me, what I did was relatively small. I just bought a woman a cup of coffee and a sandwich on Mother's Day. Not a big deal at all. But to her, it was the act that made the difference.

I know I often times get wrapped up in my own life and issues and forget that other people are struggling as well. The smallest act can really turn things around. I've thought about that woman often throughout today. I'm hoping that she got to work and passed that positive attitude on to someone else, perhaps a patient. And just think, it all started right here on CA. With all of you setting the example for me :tu
Exactly right brother. I have read account where people had already decided to kill themselves on a certain day and something like you did, or a smile or simply someone saying hello to them made them turn around and not do it. We never know like you said such a tiny thing to us really is what someone needs at the exact moment they needed it.

KidRock
05-08-2011, 08:41 PM
That's why I love you, Brother...making a difference. Thanks for sharing, that just made my day as well, Týr.

:)

Thank you.

Bill86
05-08-2011, 08:41 PM
It really is the little things in life. That and of course the obvious gesture of kindness to a complete stranger.

Well done Týr. :tu

jesseboston81
05-08-2011, 09:41 PM
That was a great story, Tyr; it sounds like you really made that woman's day/week/month. Thank you for sharing.

CoreyD
05-09-2011, 04:38 AM
Beautiful. I love hearing about these stories and seeing the love.

DBall
05-09-2011, 05:19 AM
That's absolutely awesome, Tyr!

Coach Deg
05-09-2011, 05:30 AM
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!!!!

blugill
05-09-2011, 05:36 AM
Great story!
Kudos on getting out of your own head and life for a minute and looking around at others! It's difficult to be aware of other lives from time to time and you made a big difference in her life!

Christiel49
05-09-2011, 06:57 AM
Thanks for sharing! Very touching. It is most often the little things that make the biggest differences in our lives. I am sure she had a great day and PIF!

King James
05-09-2011, 07:34 AM
Thanks for the story brother. Random acts of kindness can go a long way, like you experienced :tu

Starscream
05-09-2011, 08:29 AM
Keep up the good work Tyr. Kindness is contagious, and that is a good thing!:tu


I hope that this story can inspire us to do more in our own communities and neighborhoods. You never know who needs a pick up every now and again.

poker
05-09-2011, 09:03 AM
Awesome story brother. Sometimes the smallest things we do can impact another in the biggest way. Theres a reason the both of you were there and things happened the way that it did. You were exactly where she needed you to be at that time, and your kindness was exactly what she needed to feel at that time. Coincidence? I think not.

Mugen910
05-09-2011, 09:07 AM
You freakin' rock brother!!!

shilala
05-09-2011, 09:54 AM
Awesome story brother. Sometimes the smallest things we do can impact another in the biggest way. Theres a reason the both of you were there and things happened the way that it did. You were exactly where she needed you to be at that time, and your kindness was exactly what she needed to feel at that time. Coincidence? I think not.
Amen, brother. :tu
The Good is always there if we'll only pick up our heads to see it. That's really hard to do when we've got our noses to the grindstone.

Thanks for sharing the story with us, Tyr. Thanks a lot more for sharing some love with that lady. Amazing how so many people got so much happy out of one small act of kindness. Well, not amazing, really. It'd only be amazing if it worked one out of a million times, but it works every time.

LasciviousXXX
05-09-2011, 09:57 AM
.... but it works every time.

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o278/LasciviousXXX/sexpanther1.jpg



Just to add a bit of humor to the thread :tu

Wanger
05-09-2011, 11:03 AM
Classy move. Not much else to say, but very classy. :)

T.G
05-09-2011, 11:46 AM
Well done and great story Tyr.

IBQTEE1
05-09-2011, 11:54 AM
That is a very cool story. Thank you for sharing.

TBone
05-09-2011, 01:33 PM
Reading this put things in perspective for me as well, I don't bomb because I want things in return CA has inspired me to spread the joy. I PIF because CA took care of me when I was down and needed a hand so I do it for the warm fuzzy I get back when I see someone say that the package brighten their day. This is all I ever needed. Thanks for sharing.