How hard is it to accept the generosity of others?  Is it easier to be the one giving the generosity than receiving it?  Do I give with or without expectations of others?  Do I receive with or without feeling an inclination to balance the scales?  These are the questions that I came to contemplate in lieu of a couple of interesting experiences that I encountered today.

Ever since we started the kindness-inspired Pay It Forward Friday initiative, I had yet to have the first-hand experience of interacting with the person, who received my pay it forward gift.  Since I had been arriving at the coffee shop after the morning rush, no one was ever in line behind me.  To accommodate for this, I would simply ask the barista to put the next person’s coffee on my account (or if I was not at my usual coffee shop, I left $5 with the cashier and asked them to put it towards the next person’s purchase).  Today when I walked into the coffee shop, I noticed that someone was in line ahead of me, who had not yet paid for their purchase.  …

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