Last year, sometime in December, so near Christmas, a man came into my store. I am very sorry to say that I don't remember what he looked like, or even what he bought. But he paid with a 20 or a 50, and when I returned his change to him, he took a five dollar bill from the stack and handed it back to me. He said that it was a gift for the holidays, and for me to have a very merry Christmas.
Well, I said thank you and not much else because I didn't know what to do. He left right after, and I was alone in the store. I remember reading in the handbook that if customers offer us gifts we are supposed to inform our manager, so I left the $5 and a note explaining what happened on the desk when I left that day.
I did not see the man again, but when I returned to work the next week, my boss gave me an envelope with my name on it. It had the $5 in it. He asked why I had left it for him, so I told him. But he just laughed at me and said he wasn't going to take my Christmas present!
So I've carried this $5 around since, not really wanting to spend it because I haven't had a chance to share this story yet. Now that it's out here in cyberspace for everyone to see, I guess I have five bucks to spend now. But more importantly, though he'll probably never read this, I want to thank the man again. And I want everyone, including me, to try and spread the same kindness he passed on that day.
If you have an amazing story like this one, please share it! I'd love to feature it here!