There is a book bearing that title by Catherine Ryan Hyde that was also made into an interesting movie. Paying it forward is the opposite of paying it back. Paying it back is a common social custom. If someone gives us a gift of any sort, we often feel a sense of indebtedness and responsibility to give that person something in return.

" G R A T I T U D E  I S
T H E  H E A R T ' S
M E M O R Y."
French Proverb









" I F  Y O U  S T O P  T O
B E  K I N D ,  Y O U  M U S T
S W E R V E  O F T E N
F R O M  Y O U R  P A T H."
Mary Webb










" G O O D  A C T I O N S
E N N O B L E  U S ,
A N D  W E  A R E  T H E
C H I L D R E N  O F  O U R
O W N  G O O D  D E E D S."
Miquel De Cervantes

A gift is actually a gift only if given without expectation of something in return. It is "bestowed voluntarily and without compensation" (The American Heritage Dictionary). A gift comes with no strings attached, others than those used to wrap it.

And a gift does not have to be wrapped. It can be any act of kindness and caring that carries no expectations. We often exchange gifts with people we care about as an expression of that caring, particularly during the holiday season.

How can we give in return in a way that is not out of a sense of indebtedness to the gift giver? We can pay it forward. That means that we can express our gratitude with an act of kindness and caring towards the next person we meet who is in need.

We can give them "an unexpected gift at an unexpected time" (Sean Connery in 'Finding Forester') that will spread or extend the original act or gift of kindness to another person. It becomes a gift that keeps on giving. The sense of indebtedness that person may feel can be paid forward to yet another person in need.

Paying it forward is a value that may decrease acts of human insensitivity. I read a letter to the editor written by a woman after her car broke down on a busy street. By her count, two hundred motorists passed by her without stopping to help and many shouted or made crude gestures at her. I suspect that most of those people spent Christmas opening gifts.

It is the New Year, 2004. If we were fortunate, we had a very nice Christmas with family and friends and were the recipients of fine gifts. As we look forward to the New Year, we can think about all that we have and all we have received and how we might also pay it forward in the New Year.