A spontaneous gift I once gave to a relative stranger turned out to be an incredible gift to myself. It was New Year's eve in the D.C. suburbs, two or three years ago. I had stopped at the little neighborhood wine/beer/lotto ticket store to pick up a bottle of wine to take to a neighborhood party. It's a store I went to fairly regularly, and I always talked to the owner, but never knew her name. The business obviously was struggling, and her partner never pulled his weight, leaving her to run things alone. That New Year's Eve, she looked absolutely exhausted, and was working that busy night all by herself. When I asked her how she was, she looked like she was on the edge of tears and said how tired she was. It was about 9:00; she had been working since 10:00 in the morning and had not had a break or a meal. I decided that what she needed most right then was a hot meal and some feeling that somebody cared how she felt. I walked out of the store and into the Mexican restaurant next door, and ordered a big meal for carryout. Brought it over to the wine store owner, who burst into tears. She didn't speak much English, but came around the counter and gave me a big hug and said "Thank you, thank you. I will remember this always." I thought I was doing something for her, but that hug and that connection with a relative stranger was a great gift to me. I had walked into the store feeling whiney and sorry for myself that I was spending another New Year's Eve as a single person going to a party full of couples. I left that store feeling connected in all the ways that count--by the strong threads of empathy and compassion and gratitude--and knowing the big difference that simple gifts can make.