Camping and Kindnesses

The past couple of weeks at work have been so stressful that on a scale of 1 to 10 it was tapping out at oh, maybe 15!  This will likely continue through October so I have lots to look forward to. (snicker)  I attempt to be a very positive focussed person but sometimes this gets hard in the face of hostile emails and deadlines that push the boundaries of realistic productivity to new levels.  For some time it even looked like I was going to miss out on the first few days of our Labor Day camping vacation.  To be sure, I have camped for several long weekends with the kids.  But this campout is special because my wife is with us and this is the first time since last Labor Day that we have vacationed as a family unit.  But a series of random acts of kindness turned things around.

First, my boss called me at home on Wednesday night and said if I could wrap up the most key things Thursday morning, I was free to leave.  Consider it done!! (grin)

On my way driving up the turnpike I stopped at a toll plaza to pay, only to find out that the car in front of me paid my toll in an act of kindness.  I was stunned by the kindness of a stranger and paid it forward at the next toll.

Last night the kids and I were walking down to the beach.  There is a large beach front amusement park as well.  I wasn't really planning on going there as it is very pricey.  But someone leaving a grocery store we walked past on the way had 3 vouchers for free admission that their kids had not used and offered them to us.  Can you say extremely cool!!!!!  We stayed at the park till nearly 8:30 while they rode the rides and watched dusk descend on the ocean from the top of a ferris wheel.

Such a run of generosity is truly a blessing and a reminder that the world is really a good place and there are far more nice people in the world than not.