It was so unexpected! This morning I was late to wake up. I first  opened my eyes at 7:11 thinking, ah... good. I still have half an hour to snooze. I next opened my eyes at 8:26, about 10 minutes before I had to have my kids at school. And they weren't even dressed. So anyhow, up I fly, on go the clothes (am I heavier today?), back goes the hair and into my shoes I run. Kids, get your clothes on!! We're late!  They bolt down the stairs and goof off for awhile- I have to yell several times for them  to get a move-on. Gabriel won't stop whining that he wants to come with me when he sees me hold the van keys. I yell at him, I'll be back in ten minutes! Relax!!! Now I'm on my knees tying Peter's shoes, and out the door we go. The kids are bouncing off the walls... at least they're happy. Lucky (read: poor) Mrs. T in kindergarten. And then the van is suddenly quiet. There's rain outside and it's blue-grey everywhere. I remember that this is quintessential school weather. This is "I have an essay in my backpack and we're doing gym today and I'm tired and I hope I never see Dylan again and I can't wait till lunch so I can give Dave my note" weather. I decide to grab a coffee at Starbucks, since the coffee I poured at home was yesterday's and I didn't realize it till I had a mouthful.

So, off to Starbucks. I'm staring at the drive-thru  menu, remembering  a  joke about  Sugar-Free Soy Milk Cinnamon Dolce Latte No Whips on a favorite forum. I decide to modify my humble drink just a bit in fond remembrance, and order a tall light blend with a shot of toffee-nut and some cream. I inch forward. I check my face out in the mirror and notice a zit. I'm 30.  I inch forward some more. I'm watching the barista in the window now, and she's sooo cheerful. In a nice way. I smile. She helpfully reminds the person she's talking to that the latte doesn't come with whip so he doesn't have to say "no whip" if he doesn't want to. Then she perkily offers a "you're very welcome!" to the appreciative, newly educated patron. then it's my turn. I have a twenty in my hand and she looks at me with a bright smile and says "you're the toffee-nut!" I smile and think, well I like toffee, but I'm not a nut about it.  Tee hee.   I go to give her the cash and she smiles and says "Oh! Actually the lady in front of you paid for you already! She says have a great day...."  At which point I respond "Oh!!  Oh!" and sort of look around, snapped out of my little internal world and smiling with my heart beatinga little more qiuckly. Then the ebullient barista says "I know! Isn't that nice??"  "Yes... yeah it is... thanks :) " and I grab my coffee, which isn't a tall... I think it's a venti now. And I drive away laughing, and then I start to cry! I'm crying! If i had a friend in the seat next to me and s/he bought me a cup of coffee, I would have thanked them kindly and enjoyed my coffee. But a random person wanted another random person to have a great day, a random LADY wanted this lady to have a great day, and spent a little money on her to encourage it!  Suddenly I felt as if the chastisements, subtle and overt, that I got yesterday, were of no conequence, that my day had potential, that I was perhaps good, and that gosh darn it, I could DO it!  I instantly started thinking about all the positive things people had said about me recently, about all the things I was proud of, about all the good jobs I'd done, about how probably I AM a decent mother, and how lovely this day really is. I think I uttered "I have to start doing that" about three time out loud, referring to buying the person behind me their cup of coffee.

So. I was the receipient of a random act of kindness. I'd heard about them, but this was the most genuine example I'd had, and what an impact it made. Just a cup of coffee. I'm going to pay it forward. And I'm not going to feel even remotely apologetic that I'm embracing popular culture cliches. It feels really good and I DO believe it makes the world a better place.