Paying it forward

My wife and I purchased new patio furniture, which we badly needed because our old set was finished, and we were having friends and their families over that evening. However, when the set was brought out to our car, it was obvious that our environmentally friendly Corolla was too small to transport the furniture to our home. A total stranger saw our predicament and offered to transport the furniture to our place for us in his Ford Escape. We graciously accepted.

Manitoba and Winnipeg are known for their "help your neighbour" attitude. Nevertheless, it is heartwarming to be the recipient of a random act of kindness. I do not even know this gentleman’s name but his request as he got back into his truck was, "Just remember to pay it forward". I certainly will.

— Gavin Humphreys

Editor’s note: Recently, Gavin was on a flight from Halifax to Toronto. Inspired by the gentleman with the Ford Escape, he exchanged seats for a less comfortable location at the back of the plane to let a mother and daughter sit together. Gavin told them about the man who had helped with the patio furniture and asked them to, please, just pay it forward, too.