On my way home today, I listened to All Things Considered on NPR and heard about a story that had a direct connection to my recent blog post, The Gift Giving Conundrum. There seems to be a mystery gift giver who has caught the attention of some people in the gift giving business. In the “People and Places” segment, host Michelle Norris talked with Megan Spears, who’s with the Salvation Army in Lee County, Florida, about an anonymous gift they received.

It turns out that for three years running, a Liberty Eagle coin that’s worth about $1000 was left in a Lee County Salvation Army kettle. As in the previous years, it was accompanied by a note that said “In Memory of Mimi.” It was not signed and no one from the Salvation Army knows who’s behind the show of generosity. A random act of kindness. Giving without the expectation of anything in return. Not a novel idea but certainly a good one.

So, how do the folks at the Lee County Salvation Army feel about this? Here’s what Ms. Spears had to say:

“There’s such a good heart inside this person to continue to do something for so long and I don’t think there’s any more to say than thank you so very much, and just to tell them how appreciative we are…thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

So moved by the gesture was Ms. Spears that she offered up a gift of her own…a hug.