Saturday, June 28, 2025 • Daily Features
"Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end."
— Scott Adams

I Thought My Wages Would Be Docked but the Customer I’d Overpaid Returned

 I Thought My Wages Would Be Docked but the Customer I’d Overpaid Returned
On Christmas Eve, 1977, as a teller at a bank, Penny Muir mistakenly gave a customer an extra $20. At the end of the day, she realized the shortage, and that it would come out of her pay. It was a lot of money for her at the time that she intended to spend on the holidays. Just as she was about to leave for the day, somebody knocked on the window. Cautiously, she opened the door. A stranger handed her $20 explaining she had given it to him in error. His action continues to impact her life in many ways even after fifty years. “It wasn’t just the money, it was the fact that he had gone to such effort to make sure that I wasn’t out of pocket, when it was entirely my fault anyway.”

Be the Change

Recall an act of honesty or integrity, or even a small gesture of kindness in your life. What were the ripple effects?

Get Daily Inspiration

For 29 years, we've delivered hand-selected stories that spark creativity and kindness. Join 139,488 subscribers on this journey.

Subscribe Free