On Halloween, someone hit my car in a hit and run and as I walked towards my (fully paid off car) I squinted in the sunlight and thought that’s odd, I don’t remember that dent or those white marks and as I got closer I realized someone has hit my car and I started to get really angry as I approached.

Then I noticed a white piece of paper on my driver side door which pointed to my windshield where someone had scrawled a note that said, I hit your car, I am so sorry, here is my insurance information and my phone number please call me so we can figure out the next steps. I was mollified by this while remarking to myself on the irony of the car being paid off and NOW it gets hit. I was thinking about it and saying you know, it’s not a whole lot of damage and I have been there before about 7 years ago and when the person reported the accident my insurance went up by a very large amount and it was just a small dent and life has been very good to me lately (see that paid off car!!!) so I decided to let it go.

I called her and talked to her and let her know that I wasn’t going to pursue it. She was so relieved and thanked me profusely, she also insisted that I let her buy me lunch (we work in the same building) which she is doing today. So a situation that could have been negative has now turned positive. I think that is a story and a message worth sharing.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating you not report people in an accident where major damage and bodily harm are done, life is life and sometimes horrible things happen but I think that in a case like this one, you can afford to let some things go. I am all the happier for it and wanted to encourage you to find a way to “Pay it Forward” today.

Think About it….