Back in December, the inspiring Speaker/Author/Coach/Consultant Tom Justin wrote in his blog about a simple act of kindness that made all the difference in an otherwise stressful day. The key here: He was the giver, not the recipient. Reading it has inspired me to share two similar experiences.

Both happened at a local thrift store, where I both donate and buy. It's the ultimate in recycling — I give the many clothes my four kids constantly are outgrowing, then shop there a bit to replace their play clothes, grab some work clothes for my mason husband and snag some unique goodies for myself. Who benefits? The organization. The environment. My family. My outlook.

Incident #1

One afternoon, as I lingered over a very cool chair considering its possibilities, I overheard a conversation between a salesperson and a woman with at least four kids in tow:

"I'd like to buy these four pairs of socks. Could you possibly consider cutting the price?" the woman said.

"No, I'm sorry, we can't adjust prices...we have a 'no haggle' policy," was the reply.

The woman sighed and said to her kids, "I'm sorry, I just don't have enough to get these today. Maybe next time."

An older girl with the woman whispered, "But mom, their socks all have holes in them..."

The woman shook her head and said she'd come back later.

I looked at them all -- not very different from me. Lots of kids, a mom just trying to make ends meet. If construction were to dry up any more than it has in this town, or if I were to hit a dry spell with my work, I might not have money for socks, either. And here I was, looking at a chair I didn't need. I had $20 in my pocket.

I walked over and discreetly stuffed it into the woman's hand. She looked at me, mouth open. "I bought a coat here last week and there was a 20-dollar bill in the pocket. Maybe somebody upstairs wanted you to have it. Grab the socks before someone else does — they're a good bargain!" It was a white lie, but I didn't want to do anything to embarrass her. She thanked me, bought the socks, and in so doing, did me the best favor anyone had in a very long time. My husband was laid off at the time, but the woman, in her gracious acceptance, made me feel rich in spirit.

Incident #2

When my youngest child finally passed the age of carseats, changing tables and sundry other baby-raising paraphernalia, I bundled up those things to which I hadn't attached too much sentimental value and headed off to the thrift store. I stopped in the bakery next door first, where I got chatting with the very young cashier. She was quite obviously pregnant. "An unexpected blessing, you could say. I wish my parents felt the same, but I was stupid. And now my boyfriend and I have a baby to raise, but we'll be okay," she said. She was on her way over to the thrift store on break, so she walked out with me. We chatted about due dates, labor and all the other things Women Who Have Become Mothers gab about. I asked her about the baby's room. It turned out that she needed all the things I was going to donate that day. I asked her to pull her car up next to mine, opened my trunk and offered her my stash.

She burst into tears. "How did this happen? How did you know?"

I didn't, of course.

What these two incidents have in common is the way they happened. I was in a place that exists to meet needs coming and going. An opportunity presented itself both times. And I happened to be listening. I wonder how often the universe presents these delicious chances to feel so good? Yeah, yeah, I did it to help. I'd love to say I did this stuff because it's just the right thing to do, yadda yadda. But let's be human and honest here. There's something else: I like feeling useful and generous, and I admit it. Why is that so bad? So I felt like Mother Teresa for a few minutes — it's okay. She'd think that was grand.

The best part was, as Tom mentions in his blog, the feeling reverberates. One kind act begets another and another. It wasn't like I handed over everything I owned; neither gesture hurt in any way. But the feeling it produced changed my outlook. After all, I remember both these women, and that was at least five years ago. Unexpected, unplanned giving — those small "random acts of kindness" — is addictive.

I have an elderly neighbor on a fixed income who, I'm certain, gives something to someone every single day she breathes. And she speaks nothing of it, ever. Even our neighborhood's squirrels, chipmunks, birds, rabbits and dogs benefit from her soft light. She is awake and aware of opportunities, and she acts on them whenever possible.

When the news tells of a cynical world full of corruption and greed that's rewarded with bailouts and tax breaks, turn the tv off and then listen. Really listen. See what you can do, right there in the moment. I promise: You will always feel better if you can give something, anything, to anyone — and I don't mean money, necessarily. It could be just a few spare minutes with a child. Or maybe you tell the checkout lady that, gee, she should wear pink all the time because it lights up her face. Or maybe you pick up something a stranger drops. Little courtesies are the hors d'oeuvres of life, and you can serve them up anywhere.  Let the universe use you for good whenever you're able. And if someone tells you you're a sap or an idealist, or calls you "naive," just know that you, in all your secret selfishness, feel better than they do.