Never Underestimate the Kindness of Others

I've admitted my love of magazines, and my need to flush them out as often as possible. Well not so much anymore, but I used to tear out the pages of stuff that I wanted to look up on the Internet or if there was a cool birthday cake idea for the kids or just anything like that. I had this folder that I would keep the magazine clippings in. I even collected inspirational ads or pictures that I thought had cool quotes on it that would relate to training or life in general.

I used a bunch of it as well. Back when I was a teacher, I ended up teaching a wellness class to a group of other teachers that I worked with who were interested in losing weight and being healthier. Every week I came in with a new inspirational quote or picture, and a lot of them came from the magazines I would read! :)

I'm also an admitted pack-rat when it comes to things like that as well. I have this, "Well, I might could end up using or needing that one day." So, I have ALL KINDS of stuff that could be considered quite ancient! :)

Well back in 2001 I saw this advertisement:

I am not sure what it was, but I fell in LOVE with this sweatshirt! I'm not sure if you can completely read it, but it says, "Directions: Move Until Perspiration Occurs." I just thought that along with the fact that it says, "For The Long Run." was awesome. It was a big inspiration for me, so I tore out this ad from the magazine and tried to find it on the Internet. I of course had no success, so I sent Adam, the I can find anything on the Internet person, to try to locate it, and it was no where to be found. It may be crazy, but often we would look for it for at least a year, I think maybe more!

I always loved it, so as you can see, I held onto the ad!

Well a week ago, I was in physical therapy doing my shoulder exercises when I saw this woman walk in with this yellow Russell Athletic Sweatshirt. I looked at it closely only to realize... IT WAS MY SWEATSHIRT!!

I had NEVER seen it before! Of course I'm staring at this woman, and she smiles and says hello. When I finish what I'm doing, I head over and ask her where she got the sweatshirt. Her husband works for Russell Athletics and brings all kinds of stuff home to her and their family. Well, I tell her that I'm sorry for staring, and explain my love affair with the sweatshirt. Turns out it was more of a promotional thing, hence the reason we could never find it.

She kindly offers to have her husband look to see if he can locate one for me. I told her that that was very sweet, but that I did not mean to ask her or her husband to continue my LONG search :) We left it with she'll see what she could do, and that was that. I of course call Adam immediately after leaving the office and tell him that I saw the infamous sweatshirt, and we're both amazed.

Fast forward to exactly one week later. Tonight, I'm in the physical therapy office once again, and apparently she is on the same schedule as well. She came in tonight and explained to me that her husband was NOT able to locate the sweatshirt, which is what I expected considering that it is AT LEAST 8 years old!! However, she brought me her sweatshirt and gave it to me!!

I was completely amazed!! I told her that she did not need to do that. I didn't want to ask this stranger to give me her clothing! But she explained that she wasn't attached to it, and she knew how much I wanted one, and told me to take it!! I couldn't believe it. She was worried I would not want a USED sweatshirt, but of course I did not mind. I mean now it is so much more special. Not only is it the sweatshirt that I've waited 8 WHOLE YEARS to get, it is gently worn just perfectly, and I have this constant reminder of how absolutely kind other people can be.

I mean this woman literally almost gave me the shirt of her back. A woman I had never met before, all because she recognized my senseless love for it.

This magnificent sweatshirt is sooo much more than just a sweatshirt to me now. It is a treasure that I will hold onto forever!!

Pay it forward! :)

K