After a long shift, all I wanted was pizza and rest. But outside Salerno’s, I noticed an older man struggling with a cane while people rushed past. I asked if he needed help. He nodded silently. I helped him inside. The hostess knew him—“Mr. Benning”—and when he invited me to join him for pizza, I agreed, unsure why.

Over dinner, he shared a story: his son, who believed in “paying it forward,” had died helping a stranger. Mr. Benning carried on his son’s legacy through small acts of kindness—like inviting me to dinner. When we parted, he handed me a gift card and told me to “pay it forward.” I hesitated, but accepted. The next day, I called my dad for the first time in a while. That conversation, though simple, reminded me how much I missed him.

Weeks later, I stopped by Salerno’s again. Mr. Benning wasn’t there, but I helped an older woman with her groceries—his friend, Margaret. She said he always talked about how kind strangers could be.

Inspired, I began doing small good deeds—fixing a tire, buying coffee, calling my dad more often. Then one day, a letter came from Mr. Benning:

“Instead of being like my son, you reminded me of his kindness. Spread the light. The world needs more.”

Helping him changed something in me. It reminded me that compassion connects us, often in the smallest, most unexpected ways.

Pay it forward.