Last week,my son was eating a late dinner by himself at a Mexican restaurant in Vancouver. He took advantage of the time to call my husband and me to let us know how he was doing. As a freshman at Clark College, he was open with us about his challenges of being in a new place and a new student. Conversation included being homesick, missing friends, and challenges of school.
When he went to the cash register to pay for his meal, the waiter told him that his meal had been paid by a woman who had just left the restaurant. Rushing out to the parking lot, our son found the woman and thanked her. She said, “My husband and I like to ‘pay it forward’ once in awhile.” She ended the brief encounter with a big hug.
This is our way to pay her kindness forward. I hope this message reaches the woman that made Vancouver seem like a caring community.
–Christine Frei, Lewiston, Idaho
