Random acts of kindness continue

This is my second entry into this Vocal contest because the benefits of giving and receiving have continued since my first story. I hope by the time the contest ends, I will have more news of good deeds to share. On December 10, I ordered a gift for my oldest son online and it was guaranteed to be delivered by the 21st. Imagine my surprise when on December 19 my money was back in my bank account without any type of notice. I did not receive an email or text telling me the product was out of stock but I assumed this to be the case. I went online trying to purchase the gift somewhere else but found it was too late to have it shipped before the holiday.

My youngest son suggested another item but it was $10 more and I was on a tight budget. I decided to go with the season of giving and believed that my sacrifice would be rewarded and it was, twice. That very evening I went to pick up two personal pan pizza’s from a local Pizza Hut and the employee who was to ring up the order said "Merry Christmas Ms. Preston" and handed me my food for free." The cost was $10.00 and I was elated at how this worked out. In addition, on that same day, I received a $10 tip from a Vocal story Christmas Time is here fun facts.

In the spirit of giving, I used the money to purchase a 4 ft. Christmas tree, but it was not for me. I had decided this year not to put up the big 7 foot tree because it was too much time and effort and instead bought a 2 ft. tabletop artificial tree. My children and grandchildren had been dropping subtle hints about a bigger tree and I determined to stand my ground. I changed my mind, however, and decided to give my family what would make the happy and decorated the 4 ft. tree and set it on the family room table, next to a poinsettia. I then decorated the entire room just for my loved ones and it felt really good.

On December 22, I was advised about the After Pay Ap where you can shop now and pay later. The next day I found two stores in my area that accepted After Pay and went shopping. My firstborn was with me so I told him to pick out a few items as extra Christmas gifts. While shopping I found a hoodie that my youngest son wanted but it was not on sale. I decided to get it anyway because after all Christmas comes but once a year. I got to the checkout counter when my purchases were rung up, they were $80.00 less than what I had calculated. The salesperson smiled at me and said, "Merry Christmas, you really got some bargains today".

After I got to the car, I looked at my receipt and realized that the salesperson had kindly given me a discount because none of the items I bought were on sale. That was a wonderful thing to do in the spirit of the holiday. I reached out to a relative I had not spoken to in a while to wish him a happy birthday on the 23rd and my family purchased him a few birthday gifts which really made his day. My son went to visit his best friend's mother for the holiday and she sent me a plate of food, including dessert which was very thoughtful.

I received a coupon worth $6.00 in CVS and used half of it to purchase Christmas cookies that were marked half off. I put them in a gift bag then told my son to look under the Christmas tree because he had another gift and he was simply overjoyed to find his favorite holiday cookies. Because of this challenge I have been mindful to do good deeds. I have been letting other drivers go in front of me and saying thank you when someone lets me out. I have also been allowing pedestrians to cross the street even when they are not at a crosswalk. I have been holding doors open for people I see coming behind me, even when it takes them a while to get there. I believe it is important to have an attitude of doing something for others more so than having others to do something for me.