Saturday, December 29, 2012

Christmas Karma.....



A few days before Christmas, I popped into a Tim Horton's to grab a coffee to go. I had spent most of the morning shopping and needed the sustenance before continuing on.
People were smiling, chatting together while waiting in line. The air was alive with anticipation of the holiday and everyone seemed to be in a good mood.

Red and green and gold draped the cashes, the displays, the windows behind which tempting doughnuts sparkled with decadent sugar.
Employees were cheerfully calling out "Happy Holidays" to one and all, their red floppy hats with white trim making them look like Santa's helpers.

The line, which had been moving briskly before suddenly slowed down. I looked towards the cash to see what  the problem was.  A woman seemed to be having trouble with her debit card.
"It worked at Zellers a few minutes ago!'  She was starting to get embarrassed. Feet shuffled behind me.    I waited a few minutes to see if the problem would resolve.
It didn't.

I looked away and then looked back.  No change.  She was still trying to get that card to work so she could pay for her order.  I looked at the screen to see what she owed.  $3.38.  Hmmm.
Boldly I stepped forward waving 2 toonies at the cashier.
"I'll get this and have a Merry Christmas." I smiled at the flustered woman.
"Oh, thank you," said the woman, her face turning red, "that's very nice of you but they said they'd pay for it if my card doesn't work."
The cashier looked at me and nodded.

"No, no, it's o.k., it's on me." I said grandly thrusting my toonies in the cashier's face. I wanted to be the good guy.  I wanted to give to a stranger in a random act of kindness (and speed things up so I could have my coffee). But nobody wanted my money.
The cashier just smiled.
The woman continued to fiddle with her card.  And I started feeling like an idiot.
"Oh," I said pocketing my toonies and stepping back in line.

Just then the card worked.  The lady paid her bill, thanked me again and left. The cashier smiled and asked for my order.
"Medium coffee to go."
I stepped aside to wait for my coffee.  One of the servers handed me an extra-large, extra-hot coffee! Wow! No way could I drink all that, but I smiled and thanked her anyway.  Perhaps that was their way of acknowledging my gesture of wanting to help.

"Would you like a free breakfast sandwich?" called out one of the servers. He was busily preparing food, but must have overheard our conversation at the cash.
What the heck?  What's going on? I thought to myself.  Oh well, just go with it.
"Sure."
"Bacon or sausage?"
"Bacon please."
"Biscuit or English muffin."
"Biscuit." Thank you very much.

I walked out of the restaurant feeling good. Somehow good karma was swirling around the coffee shop that morning and it felt wonderful.
I got into my car and pulled the door closed.  After depositing the oversized coffee in the beverage holder, I carefully unwrapped the breakfast sandwich.
It was sausage on an English muffin - not what I had ordered.
Laughing, I took a few bites and started the car.

David, I think this was your idea of a joke.
David always ordered sausage on an English muffin. And in the later years of his illness, I would bring an extra-large coffee home for us to share.

Merry Christmas, Sweetie.

23 comments:

Jackie said...

Ahhh...so many "wonderfuls" going on here in this post that I don't know where to start. So, I'll just say, "Love the love that was shared today...among those that were at Tim Hortons and between you and David."
Hugs a bunch to you, my friend.
Jackie

Hilary said...

Oh Wendy, how I love this story. Of course it was your David. Just like it was him with the pen in the grass, that day. What a beautiful Christmas gift he gave you.

Not to diminish your own kindness and that that of the Timmie's staff, of course. The spirit of the season was with everyone, that day. But especially with you and David.

Wishing you a wonderful New Year, dear Wendy. :)

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Oh what a neat post... Made me cry... I could almost feel David smiling down on you and your good gesture... So he would have wanted sausage on an English muffin --and you got bacon on a biscuit????? How funny... Love this story.. You are AWESOME, Wendy.... Happy New Year to you.
Hugs,
Betsy

Celia said...

Lovely, David's little Christmas gift. Such an outpouring of feeling by everyone involved, thanks for the warm feelings it gave me.

Rose said...

Oh, what a wonderful story, Wendy! I experienced my own random act of kindness story the other day when I took my grandkids to see a movie. We went for a burger afterwards, and when I went to pay the bill, the server told me it had already been paid. I didn't know anyone in the restaurant and looked us all over to see if we looked poor, but no, we looked pretty presentable:) I don't know why the stranger picked us, and I could have certainly paid the bill, but it left me with such a good feeling that I vowed to "pay it forward" myself. It was a lesson for my grandkids, too, knowing that there is still kindness in this world.

In your case, Wendy, I suspect, too, that this was more than a case of Christmas kindness--it's lovely that David's spirit is still up to clever tricks to remind you that he is always with you. So sweet!

Maggie May said...

I think spreading a little love and acts of kindness makes you into a person who will gather in the same.
Have a Happy New Year.
Maggie x

Nuts in May

Ruchi Jain said...

Happy new year..god bless U.

TexWisGirl said...

hi - i came over from hilary's to congratulation you on your post of the week. truly touching about the message from your sweetie. bless you!

OmaLindasOldeBaggsandStuftShirts said...

Came to congratulate you on being chosen for POTW, and am so glad I did. What a powerful love story all the way around. Seasons blessings to you. Oma Linda

ellen abbott said...

I love this! Yes, your David was very much present.

Naturegirl said...

Aw Wendy kindness is what brings peace and love to our world and we get it back twofold! Things happen for a reason and "the reason" is why things happen.
If you think about what I just said there was a divine intervention meant to happen so you could have that "special closeness" to David!
Wishing you a Happy healthy New Year filled with kindness directed your way!
Love and light Anna xo

Hilary said...

You tried, and that is what mattered. Nice story.

Unknown said...

Hi Wendy: Thanks so much for visiting my site via Hilary! I was very moved by your story here and wish you the very best of everything in 2013!

Michael

Shammickite said...

A terrific Christmas story.... and I hope you enjoyed that sausage on an english muffin, in spite of the fact that you ordered something quite different.... just David's idea of a Christmas joke, no doubt! Thank you for alerting me to the fact that Hilary gave me a POTW, and she gave you one too! Marvellous!
Happy 2013 to you and your family.

JeanMac said...

So touching, Wendy.

Tabor said...

Congrats on your well-deserved POTW.

Heidrun Khokhar, KleinsteMotte said...

Even before I got near the end I knew David was there. It just seemed so like what is real to anyone who gets it.
I was smiling as I thought about you and David. Thank you for helping me making me fee that karma:)

Grammy said...

Wow! At the end of reading, I could not help but giggle, then a few teas wished to flow. Emotion and joy. so glad to hear you are doing fine. I love your writing and really miss you. Hugs to you and Happy new year. :)

Jackie said...

Wendy...dropping back by to let you know that I'm thinking of you.
You are a wonderful writer.
Blessings to you as this new year continues to progress.
Hugs, my friend...
Jackie

Beth Niquette said...

Well...your story made me cry. ((hugs)) Thank you. I lost my Dad just before Thanksgiving, and my own darling is recovering from cancer surgery--praises--the doc thinks he got it all and so far so good.

Anyhow--I loved your story--your writing touched me. You are an amazing writer. ((hugs))

Have a happy New Year, my dear--may God fill your life with more blessing and joy than you know what to do with.

ShySongbird said...

Dear Wendy, I just popped over to apologise for not wishing you a Happy Christmas and to say I hope you have a very Happy and Healthy New Year....I'm so pleased I did, this is such a touching story and brought tears to my eyes and I'm sure your beloved David smiled when you got his preferred sausage and muffin rather than what you had asked for :-)

I also enjoyed all the loving photos you put on your Christmas post, so very apt for such a wonderful time of year. Have a wonderful 2013 Wendy, sending warm hugs :-)

Grayquill said...

What a fun post! I say go buy a lottery ticket but be sure to buy the guy ahead of you one and the guy behind you one. I would like only 10% for my free suggestion - I know that was big of me.

denverdoc said...

Ooh, got goosebumps here. After a long busy time with no blog visits, to arrive (way after the fact) to read this post with yet another David story. I love it. Hope all is well with you. xoxo