Make Your Week: Strangers pay for each other’s lunch, other feel-good stories

Make Your Week: Strangers pay for each other’s lunch, other feel-good stories

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SALT LAKE CITY — With overcast skies and rain in the forecast, some may be feeling the Monday blues a bit more than usual.

If you are feeling particularly tired or down, we have a boost for you. The KSL.com “Make Your Week” column features uplifting stories sent in from people outside the newsroom.

To send in the stories that have made your day better, email them in 100 words or less to fjolley@ksl.com. Photos and videos are encouraged.

Kindness at the post office

Tif C.

“I had pneumonia (and) was on antibiotics, but hurt so bad and was so tired. I went to (the) post office before Easter to pick up a package. Not one, but two people in line told me to cut in front of them. It helped me so much. Thank you, kind strangers, for letting me get back to bed sooner.”

Helping the homeless

Rusty M.

“A few months ago my daughter of 26 years of age came to me and said, "Mom, let's make care bags for the homeless." Off to the store we went. We had no idea what we were doing but to my surprise, it went together rather easy. We bought the necessities: hat, gloves, water, nutrition bar, Band-Aids, wipes, toothbrush, Q-Tips, and hand wipes. We made female, male, and female/child bags. The female bags had a little extra. We made about 80 bags (and) put them in a bin by our door and grabbed a few at a time. My daughter did the same.

“Here we are about out of bags and I can tell you, daily it makes my week. The smiles, the thank you, and the ‘God bless you’ is more than enough. Their eyes light up, never expecting anything more than what I just gave them. To top it all off I get to hear the stories my daughter shares with me when she hands out her care bags too. It has been a win-win for me. Not only did I get to help out the homeless, but it gave my daughter and I another sharing experience to swap stories of goodness. That has what made my week every day.”

Paying it forward

Justin C.

“I own a restaurant in Bountiful and have a great feel good story for you that happened today. Guy comes in and sees a couple he knows and pays for their lunch. The couple later comes up to pay and I tell them it is already paid for. The husband then says, ‘I'll pay for those two ladies there’ and points to a table that was by his. Then those two ladies come up to pay and one of them says to me, ‘I didn't even know anyone in here.’ I tell her ‘someone just wanted to do something nice for you.’

“She, in turn, pays for a table (of) four sitting behind her. The table of four comes up to pay and are floored with shock, (and) decide to buy another table’s lunch. This happens four more times to make a total of eight tables that paid it forward without any coaxing on my part and it only stopped when the last table left. The best part was seeing their reactions: smiles, tears, laughter, disbelief, and above all the happiness of doing something extremely spontaneous to brighten a stranger’s day. We have great people in our community!”

Creating beauty for the neighborhood

Kelly B.

“We have a woman in our neighborhood who is amazingly talented. She paints her front windows a few times a year to create beautiful pieces of art for the neighborhood and especially the neighborhood children to enjoy! Something beautiful to put a smile on your face! She even takes suggestions on what to paint next! I thought she deserved a little thank you or recognition for her amazing gift!”

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Faith Heaton Jolley

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