my pay-it-forward gift

I got a small package with the line "today is your pay it forward day" in handwriting on the back. The package seemed to come from a business but it did not have a return address. The pay it forward note was written in pencil, in child-like block letters.

I waited until I had come up the elevator and entered my apartment to open the package because my hands were full. I wanted to tear that package open as soon as I pulled it out of my mailbox.

It was a bright, pretty, multi-stranded bracelet of green beads, with some gold ones. The strands came together in a magnetic clasp, and the strands kinda bubbled over a wrist, once placed on a wrist.

I have never cared to wear watches or bracelets. My being does not like having things on my wrists.  I bought a fit bit last summer and soon 'wore' it stuffed into my bra because it irritated me to have a band on a wrist.  I don't know why I am this way about things on my wrists but it is of no concern to me.

After seeing this pretty, shiny trinket which instantly represented magic, abundance, wishes granted, shine, light and happy mystery, my first thought was "I will wear this, even though it is green and I have never worn green, and even though I don't like to wear bracelets. This pretty thing arriving out of no where although I think I have remembered who offered pay-it-forward gifts to the first 10 or 20 folks who posted they wanted 'in' on their Facebook page. I think it was Diana Whitney. NB:  I am sure it was Diana Whitney, of Appreciative Inquiry renown.

In the next instant, I noted that the bracelet would only fit a child's wrist. It is a child's trinket.

I thought of a girl who lives on my floor with her single mom. I have friendly interactions with this woman and her daughter but not all that friendly. I don't know their names, nor which apartment they live in.  I don't see them often. Sometimes months will pass and I don't see the woman. I see the girl even less. But I thought "I will give it to that girl". I thought I might leave the bracelet with property management and ask them to give it to the girl. They aren't supposed to give out names or apartment numbers but I am sure they would have passed along the bracelet if I had asked.  When I gave a bike to another neighbor recently, the property manager broke the rules and told me the neighbor's apartment number before I remembered I had her email. I know this neighbor's name!

So, not having seen the mother in a few months, she came into my thoughts. A couple moments, I thought "I will hope to run into her soon and if I don't see her soon, I'll get help from property managers on Monday".

That day, yesterday, a couple hours later, I came into the building and found the woman at the elevator. I told her I had just received a gift bracelet, an anonymously mailed gift. I said 'it is a pretty trinket, bright and shiny bracelet, but it is too small for my wrist. I think it is for a child and I thought I'd give it to your daughter."

She came to my place, accepted the bracelet. And I still don't know her name.  In hindsight, I regret that I did not ask her name, tell her mine.   Sigh.

The best part of that very nice, unexpected gift bracelet:  the way I thought "I'd like to run into the woman on my floor with the young daughter" and the woman appeared. That is my takeaway gift, the power of my will capacity, the force of my being brought the woman to me so I could also pay it forward.