This is such a cool thing that I'd like to try something similar and start a holiday cheer chain on Patch.

Send a personal holiday message to the person who commented ahead of you. So, if you see that Phil was the last person to comment, say something like "Hey, Phil. Happy Holidays!"

Since I am first, I will start this off by thanking every Patch reader and wishing you all a great holiday season.

Who's next?

Have a great holiday Tim!

Have a great holiday BadStastics!

Debra, happy holidays!

Peace and Joy, Janet Metzner

Happy Holidays Gin!

Have a WONDERFUL holiday, Kym!!

Happy Holidays Kym! Perfect timing! I was just about to step out for a cup of Holiday Cheer/Coffee! Love to hear positive news! I hope everyone gets plenty of Holiday Cheer!!

Happy Holidays Lisa! I hope you get a lot of Holiday Cheer!

From one Crofton Mom to another - Enjoy your coffee Crofton Mom and have a lovely Christmas!

Dear Crofton Mom, what a wonderful chain of good wishes! Here's my wish that you and your family have a very happy holiday!

Merry Christmas Lisa and Julia! I hope you both have a wonderful holiday with your families and warm wished for a Happy New Year!!

Merry Christmas Starbucks.

Enjoy the loot all the suckers forked over this morning under the guise of "holiday cheer."

I was number 27 this morning :) really neat idea. Puts in the holiday mood. Great idea ! Hope the chain continues unbroken all day!

Since we're in a giving mood, here are some suggestions of charities doing work locally over the holiday season. Consider giving or volunteering if you are inclined and able.

Giving Back/Linda's Legacy - http://www.homelessdrive.com/
CAP Food Pantry - http://odenton.patch.com/events/christian-assistance-program-food-pantry
Crofton Food Pantry - http://www.seaseton.org/food-pantry.html
Maryland Food Bank - MDFoodbank.org
Red Cross - Redcross.org
Sarah's House - http://www.catholiccharities-md.org/sarahs-house/

If you would like to publicize a charitable effort, feel free to post here in the comments.

Merry Christmas, Sara, and may all your Christmas dreams come true! Merry Christmas to you, too, Number9---but please don't use John Lennon as your logo. "Happy Christmas (War is Over)" should tell you that he would have liked this idea--people sharing good wishes, and caring about one another. Those "suckers" were doing something kind for someone else--why don't you try it, too? (May God send us millions of such "suckers" for Christmas.)

I agree, Carol B. Maybe Starbucks will see the generosity of it's patrons and spread the joy themselves. I am glad to be a "sucker" and hope that even buying a cup of coffee for someone can give them a smile and spread a little more good in this world.

And while we're at it, thank YOU, Tim Lemke, for all that you do to keep us informed, keep us entertained, keep us thinking and giving, and keep us civilized during the year! May Santa reward your good behavior with many more happy subscribers (and a couple of wishes come true)!

Sara,that would be nice we need some holiday cheer going on.Hope you and your family have a great holiday .

Carol,i agree we need more kindness and giving around the holidays..makes people in a better mood and happy.It puts a smile on your face ..Have a great holiday!!!!

Thank you, Nancy and Jill, My colleague came in with a cup of McDonald's coffee for me this morning, and made my day. Random acts of kindness are all we have to counteract the ugliness in this world--I hope they will continue, long after the new year has come.

Three cheers for Carol! Have a happy Friday everyone, don't let any grinchiness get you down!

Merry Christmas Jill! Hope everyone has a blessed holiday!

This is nice, but once it has gotten to the point of a "chain", can it really still be considered random acts of kindness? For one thing, you aren't really giving something up if the person in front of you paid for your drink. So Jane pays for John's drink, then John feels obligated to pay for Steve's behind him.

Wouldn't it be more true to the spirit of giving to accept the kindness given to you and choose another, later opportunity to bestow a kindness on someone when the spirit strikes you?

Personally, I don't want someone I give a coffee to feeling obligated to immediately buy the next person's drink. I want them to simply enjoy their free coffee hope it improves their day.

Think, I believe that was the point. Spread the kindness. You don't need to buy someone something but all those in the coffee buying chain had someone do something nice for them. Maybe they will continue to be kind throughput their day and do more acts of kindness. My goal is to do at least 26 random Acts of Kindness to remember the Sandy Hook victims, but why stop there. Simple things can brighten someone's day as well. Go welcome the troops home this weekend, help a mother struggling with her kids and groceries load her car, hold the door open for someone, let the person behind you in line go ahead of you. The list goes on and on.

And number9dream - hope YOU have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

I love to see people spreading kindness and good cheer this time of year. Happy holidays, folks. I'm off to buy someone a coffee.

MERRY CHRISTMAS JENNI !! HOPE YOU AND YOURS WILL HAVE A BLESSED CHRISTMAS AND A VERY HEALTHY AND HAPPY NEW YEAR ! JOANIE

We wish everyone in our community of Crofton and surrounding areas a MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

Happy Holidays Joan & Robert Hamilton! And kudos to Tim Lemke for trying to spread a little holiday cheer in the comments section of Patch! He's one of the hardest working Patch editors around and truly cares about his community.

i drove into Starbucks driveway, on the first day off I've had in a long time, with my 10 year old son in the car at the Waugh Chapel Starbucks at about 7:00 this morning. My son and I had been watching Christmas movies all week and as I thought about the tragedy in Connecticut, I felt very blessed to have this day, with my son. We decided to splurge. He got breakfast at McDonalds, I got a gingerbread latte. When I paid my bill, my son questioned me, $5.00 for a cup of coffee, kind of extravagant. No, my child, I would not pay $5.00 for a cup of coffee. But, these gingerbread lattes make me feel good inside....maybe it's the cinnamon...maybe its the whip cream in my low fat latte...don't know...but I had heard about random acts of kindness, was a recipient of a paid toll several years ago...So, as I paid for my 5.00 cup of goodness, I told my son to "watch this." His jaw dropped when I paid for the person behind me. I explained to him that sometimes when you feel good it's nice to pass it along. We can argue about gun control, the economy, doing more for others...but in some way, I thought, maybe if someone would have done something nice...well...a week ago, instead of something tragic...it would be a better holiday for a lot of families. Simplistic, I know. idealistic, perhaps. but Lennon was a dreamer, too. Happy holidays, number9dream. And, thank you to the person who paid my toll 20 years ago. I've never forgotten.

I was number 125! So awesome

What a wonderful way of "paying it forward"... I hope we can continue the "acts of kindness" going forward.. I am proud to say I am the mother-in-law of #125... Love you Steph !!!!

As Jill pointed out, there is no need to "pay it forward" in kind. Tell someone her Christmas pin is pretty--let that car into the lane, signaling ahead of you, or trying to pull out of the parking lot into traffic--tell somebody's kid to stay close to Mummy or Daddy, when he or she gets restless in a crowded airport terminal or train station--and if you see someone without a smile, give him or her one of yours. It's not that hard, guys--and the extra benefit is that when you do a good deed, YOU reap the benefits (physically and mentally) for a day or two, too. Look at the scientific studies on what acts of kindness do to your brain . . .

Everybody join in the corporate marketing!

http://theshot.coffeeratings.com/2007/12/starbucks-pass-the-chum/

Merry Christmas/Happy Chanukah/Joyful Kwanzaa to you, Swag, too. Your alternative suggestions for spreading holiday kindness are most welcome. What will you be doing to help your fellow man, or lighten his or her load, this season?

@swag

No comment.

I promised to not be cynical anymore.

I prefer to pay it forward at Wawa. The coffee is cheaper and tastes better & since you're sticking your $5 in front of the person in front of you, they don't have a chance to feel obligated for anything.

It has been a tradition in our family to pay for the car behind us on the Bay Bridge while on our way to Ocean City, MD. We have a rule, we can never look to see the recipient's reaction. This would mean we reap the benefits. A person did catch up with us once, waving and screaming at us with excitement. He said: "How cool, I'm going to do this from now on too." It made for a happy memory, for all of us!

Now that's the spirit, Cathie! You helped--performed an act of kindness--as I did--because you wanted to. It's not about reward--though my point was that from time to time, you will encounter people who don't have the decency to appreciate it. That shouldn't stop you, though. Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Carol B. May The Lord bless you and your family today and the entire year!!!

Merry Christmas, Lynne. I hope you are your family had a wonderful holiday.