A Small (or Tall) Gesture Can Get You into the Holiday Spirit

You may think buying a stranger a cup of coffee is a small gesture compared to the many good deeds and philanthropic efforts we're likely to read about during the holidays. But a little gesture can be quite powerful! One woman proved it today sparking a chain of goodwill that spread holiday cheer for miles at a Pennsylvania Starbucks drive-through.

After placing her order the woman told the clerk that she’d also like to pay for the gentleman in the car behind her. In return, all she asked was for him to do something nice for someone else.

Well, the gentleman in car #2 decided to pay for the car behind him. Car #3 paid for car #4 and so on and so on culminating in a 2-hour chain that reached over 100 cars! The Starbucks employees were overwhelmed by this burst of generosity no doubt making their workday much more pleasant along with all those folks who drove up to the window and paid it forward.

There are those who may argue that an expensive cup of coffee is not the best way to do good. Perhaps it would have been better if each individual had donated the money to charity. What they may not realize is that one small, seemingly insignificant act of generosity can flower in many wonderful and unexpected ways. This gesture brought many smiles to many faces. It also reminded every one of those folks in those 100 cars how great it feels to give to others and to do something nice especially during the holiday season.

This small act of kindness and generosity will no doubt make each and everyone it touched think about how else they can spread generosity and kindness to others this holiday season. In fact, we think it could spark giving on a Grande level!

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http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3982483&affil=wabc