Please understand that I’m not talking about Magick here, but about something bright and hopeful, as opposed to vicious cycle. If you can give me a better word for it besides “Pay it forward” cycle, I’ll gladly take it.

Some stranger began a cycle like this with us when we were traveling recently. We had driven for most of the day, were tired, and were doing the drive-through thing at Custer’s for a meal. When we drove around to pay for it, the young woman at the window, with nary a smile on her face, told us morosely that someone had already paid for our meal.

This kind of thing doesn’t happen to us, but apparently it happened to the woman at the window all the time and she was tired of it. At any rate, we were touched and thrilled. It just so happened that the woman in the SUV ahead of us who had paid for our meal had been stuck waiting ahead of us, so even though it wasn’t likely her plan, we were able to drive forward and thank her and promise to pay it forward. I never understood why the woman at the window seemed so unhappy about it–that’s a mystery for a book someday, I think. If you have any thoughts about that, I’d love to hear them.

Since we had promised our benefactress to bless someone else as she had blessed us, we were on our way back home, and had stopped for breakfast. A couple about our age slid into a booth not far from us, and Mel wanted to pay for their meal. So we told the server what we wanted to do, but stealthily. Now THIS lady really got into the spirit of the thing, and was thrilled.

The trick is to pay and escape without anyone knowing who did the deed. Our server understood this, and she was the one who got to break the news to the recipient. She was so excited when we left, and it felt good, even though we were only passing along what someone else had already done for us.

So…since we are nearing a very much longed-for New Year, and since this is actually something most people can do–as opposed to resolutions that, for me, at least, are never quite followed–I challenge anyone who wants to play, to simply begin a cycle of blessing that you can afford. If you can afford someone else’s meal, go for it! If you can only afford an ice cream cone, pay for that, or for someone’s coffee.

It’s hard to know what someone behind you in line will order, but for instance, our neighbor has shoveled our sidewalk and drive, so he didn’t have to guess. He just did it. Of course, the fun comes when the recipient doesn’t know who paid, who shoveled, who sent along the blessing.

Giving anonymously has long been a fun thing for me to do. It might be something you would enjoy. Try it and see!