Just got back from taking my mom out to eat and get my dad some takeout.

Went to my favorite restaurant (Greek food! yummy!) My mom and I ate, and we ordered my dad his takeout. The waitress said she was going to go total up our check and come back. When she came back tho, she told us that the guy at the next table (looked like some sort of big family gathering) had paid for our dinner tonight.

We talked to the guy and he said that something was telling him to buy dinner for a stranger today. He said that his dinner tonight was paid for by another person at his table and he felt like he had to pay something so he bought ours for us.

What is really weird about this, is that this morning, when I took my mom and dad out to breakfast at my mom's favorite breakfast place, there was a soldier in his BDU's with his family there. The waitress at that restaurant is a friend of mine, and she told us that a stranger had bought the soldier and his family their lunch today, and my friend the waitress wanted to see what the soldier would do when he found out.

So I was watching that soldier this morning when he found out. He turned around with a huge grin on his face and was trying to figure out who bought their lunch for him. (the woman had paid and left before he was finished) I thought that smile was one of the coolest things I've seen in a really really long time. Well...now I know what that smile felt like because I cant stop smiling.

and of course now, I have to pass it on...it's like a game of tag! Tomorrow is Veteran's Day, I need to see if I can find a soldier, former or current (or even just a regular civilian) and buy them lunch. (I'm not military, but my mom is former Army and my dad is USAF Retired, so I'm hoping I can find a current soldier so that I can pass it on, and also thank the soldier for protecting us)

The guy who bought our dinner (who is also former military), after thanking him profusely...I told him what I saw this morning with that soldier, and that now I knew what that smile felt like. (by the way, it feels really really good!) Because no one has ever done that for me or my family before. I told him that now I have to pass it on.

Cant wait to go out to eat again so I can pass that on.

Wonderful story Erin.

It's called "Play it Forward"

Thanks for sharing Erin. I always try to "play it forward".. There really are some good ppl left in this world.

I'm happy for you that someone made a difference in your day! We had it happen to us a couple of times when DH was in uniform. When DH has to travel he tries to buy the meal of traveling military members he encounters. Often, someone has already beaten him to it!!

A local radio station has a program they call Be the Drive Thru Difference... the goal is to make the day of someone behind you in line at your fav drive thru joint.

What a wonderful story Erin, and I'm sure my smile was equal to that of the first soldier when I read it.

I can't wait to hear the next chapter. I'm hoping that the recipients don't know that their meal was paid by you, but I do hope you're watching from afar to see the smile your gesture brings. Please get back to us when you pass it along.

When I worked at McD's (1989-1996) there were a few times that I'd be working the drive thru cash window and someone would pull up to the window to pay for their order, and then they'd say they wanted to pay for the car behind them. So, I've been the go-between for something like this a few times, but never was a recipient of it before. Kind of cool to be on the receiving end.

I'm still smiling tonight, actually giggling a little about it when we got home with my dad's takeout food for him and told him about it. My mom was having a blast about it...she thought it was so neat to have someone do that for her. My dad, the party pooper, was kind of suspicious about it. Had to tell him to not be so suspicious and eat his food the guy paid for.

My dad isnt keen on the idea of us finding someone else to pay for (cheapskate!) so my mom and I might do it the next time we're out by ourselves without my dad.

Now I want to buy someone's meal.

I'm hungry, I'm going to go see if my mom wants to go out for breakfast/lunch.

A nice reminder that what something special and unexpected happens, we can't always "pay it back", but we can ALWAYS "pay it forward".