Random Acts of Kindness?

Today, while out eating with my family, I had the waitress come over to our table and place $40 in front of me, stating the person that gave this wished to remain anonymous. The thoughts going through my head started rushing through. Who gave this? Do I know them? What is it for? Why was it given to me? Did we look like we needed it? Just thought after thought rushing through. This happened moments after we ordered.

I took a quick look around and recognized no one. As our family continued talking, the thoughts continued. I still had no answer. After our meal had come to an end we headed out to pick something up. And while the wife was getting it, I sat in the car. A good hour after the event had taken place I was still pondering why, I pulled out my phone and started searching the internet. At that moment a thought came, was this just a random act of selecting a person and giving money, an act of kindness? 

This day and age there are very few times I have seen someone randomly do something kind for someone else. You can barely get a thank you from most for holding a door open. It is no wonder why this wasn't at the top of my list of questions. During my internet search I came across a post of someone that does give out what they called "toonies" which I believe was $2 to random strangers. And not only did they keep track of some stats they shared their findings. They went on to mention that 35 was the magic number where recipients became suspicious. People under 35 would graciously accept with a "Thanks" striking up a conversation or even saying "Awesome!". And children had the best reaction for him. In case you wanted to read the article. If you truly know me, you know I didn't read the article in its entirety, I simply skimmed it. So I may have missed some vital info or misconstrued it completely.

However, this made me think more about it, was it a generation, age, or experience thing that made me weary of accepting something for nothing. Has the experience of nothing is ever free played into my cautiousness or was it the lack of kindness this day and age?

I know some personal experience and feelings come in to play. For example the donations that some take up for someone in need, I have never quite got this. Depending on the situation and how well I trust the source or know the person has a great factor on my want to help, but should it. I have always considered myself to be a Golden Rule kind of person and maybe this goes both ways. I consider myself a private person, my issues and problems are my own, not for someone else to know. So is this a do unto others feeling? Personally I can't think of a time I was in a situation that I would truly need it. And I would definitely feel uneasy that someone would know about an issue that they deemed necessary to collect for and would then want to give me something for nothing. Of all the times something hard has happened, in the end I have gotten through it knowing that "It will get better!"

I do know that my age and experiences have taught me that I will most likely never know the reason for this and I should graciously accept it and believe what I want. And with the lack of kindness I am choosing to believe that it was a random act, one that I intend to pay forward.