Anyone can "PIF"

My Story

Years ago when the movie came out, my mother was so impressed by it that she took all of her adult children and their spouses to the movie. Afterwards she gave each of us a heart shaped button and asked us to pay it forward.  At that time, things were tight for us financially but I really wanted to do something.  It didn't happen for awhile, but a few months later, my husband and I decided it was time to do something.  It was just before Christmas.  We weren't sure what we were going to do, but we wrote a letter explaining that our actions were a pay it forward, based upon the movie and the actions of my mother.  We made several copies of the letter and I kept them with me.  It was Christmas Eve and we were sitting at Village Inn having some hot chocolate and watching the families come in out of the cold after finishing their last minute shopping or other activities. We decided it was a good night to 'pay it forward' so my husband went and purchased some gift cards form the resturant, while I pulled out 4 of the letters that we had written. Then we sat there and watched the families and selected 4 families.  On our way out of the resturant, we quietly walked up to these families and said a quick Merry Christmas while leaving our small gift on their table and then walked out.  That was 7 years ago, and each Christmas Eve since then, we go back to the same restaurant and have our hot chocolate and pay it forward.  Some years have easier then others. There have been hard financial years, some times, it is trying to get there before the end of the day as we get busy, but it is something that I consider one of my best Christmas gifts each year.  I still have my heart shaped button my mother gave me all those years ago and try to make this something I do throughout the year, not just Christmas.  I think the only hard part of this is not being able to see the expressions on the f aces of the people as they read this letter, but my hope is that now that I have a daughter, I will be able to see it in her face as I teach her to pay it forward.

Thank you again for all that you have done.

Marci Sample