By Michael Avery
A memory often returns this time of year to remind me how one kind thought can change a life. Remarkably, the universe put me in a position where I was able to pay it forward many times over.
I remember standing in front of a carnival tent where rows of stuffed teddy bears were hanging from a wire above me. I was five years old at the time. In the center area of the square carnival tent, pop bottles were positioned side by side in wooden boxes.