Teen's simple act of kindness changed a young mother's outlook

Nineteen-year-old Kent State University student Mackenzie Mauller ordered her coffee at the local Starbucks drive-thru. As she sometimes does, she paid for coffee for the person behind her in line, then went on about her day. 

The recipient of this small kindness was 32-year-old Nicole Clawson, a mother of two. Clawson was going through some tough times, and was at Starbucks to give herself a rare treat. The generosity of this stranger buying her coffee made her cry. 

As Clawson pulled into her neighborhood, she spotted Mauller's car parked just a few doors down from her own home. The two were neighbors! Clawson wrote a lengthy thank you note and tucked it in Mauller's mailbox.

“I felt it necessary for you to know that what you did for me was more than just a coffee,” Clawson wrote. "It was something that has turned my whole day around, put tears in my eyes and a smile on my face and I feel so grateful.”

The note went viral. 

The two met in person, and Mauller has offered to babysit for Clawson's young children sometime. Mauller says, "It has made me realize truly how much you can impact someone’s day just by being kind.”