Paying it forward

I'm going to make the assumption that anyone reading this has heard the term "paying it forward." I've heard it most often connected with paying for the next person's coffee in the drive thru (google that and you'll get an explanation on economics - fascinating).

Here is a pay it forward on a much larger scale. Recently, my sister-in-law's car was hit while it was parked on the street outside her daughter's home. The young woman who hit the car was new to the neighborhood and clearly in distress about the accident. Ronnie told her not to worry - no need to call the insurance company yet, they would figure it out together. Ronnie drives a white, souped up Camaro. It's her dream car. The woman had hit the front panel on the driver's side and pushed it in enough to cause the door to be inaccessible. Ronnie went off and had the car repaired. The next time she was visiting her daughter she knocked on the woman's door, explained what she had done and wished her a Merry Christmas. What is it the kids say? No harm, no foul. Ronnie's explanation? "I'm not rolling in money but it was an expense I could afford to cover at this time."

But it's more than that. As it turns out, many years ago Ronnie's daughter opened her car door and lost her grip. The door banged into and dented their neighbor's Cadillac. Ronnie and Ashlee went and knocked on the door to let the woman know what had happened. Her response? "Don't worry about it - it's only a car." Ronnie says, "I've never forgotten that. This was my turn to share that lesson."

LIFE IS RANDOM LOVE IS NOTTM