Facebook Pays it Forward

I heard a wonderful holiday season story this morning. Our niece, Lindsey, attends University of Washington in Seattle. Her family lives in the greater Los Angeles area. If you've been paying attention to weather this past week, you probably know where this is heading.

Seattle has been buried in snow and ice for several days. Flights have been cancelled and weary travelers were stranded at the airport for days. Lindsey had a plane ticket for a flight to LA that was scheduled to depart Seattle early yesterday morning. She just knew that if she could get to the airport, she would be able to fly home as planned.

Unfortunately getting to the airport turned out to be virtually impossible. She tried friends but most of them were already out of town spending the week with family. She called dozens of shuttle services and taxi companies and not one would commit to taking her. She tried renting a car, but no cars were available. Finally, she posted her plight on her Facebook page.

Enter "Chad," an "acquaintance" Lindsey had met at the wedding of a mutual friend. He is one of Lindsey's hundreds of Facebook "friends" and lives north of Seattle near Lynnwood. Chad read her plea and stepped in to save the day. He agreed to leave his wife and infant in the icy darkness and drive down to Seattle, pick up someone he barely knows at four in the morning and take her to the airport. All he asked was that Lindsey "pay it forward."

The drive from Lindsey's apartment to the airport took only 20 minutes. She thanked Chad, checked her bag and boarded the flight which took off "almost" on time. Today she is here in Southern California with her family, thanks to Chad and his family who allowed him to do a not-so-small favor for someone who needed help.

I'm in awe of stories like this one - stories of people like Chad. I've been watching them every day for a week on Good Morning America and shedding the requisite tears. Today I get to experience one very close to home and it makes me want to get out there and do something similar. Thank you, Chad, and I too will pay it forward. And finally, thank you Facebook for connecting people in ways that are not just frivolous an fun, but virtuous and vital as well.