REPAYING KINDNESS: FAMILY SPENDS WEEK THANKING PEOPLE WHO HELP THEM THROUGHOUT THE YEAR

JACKSON -- Jason Glueck remembers the phone call from Marsha Johnston back in February.

After dropping her son at day care, Johnston's car door would not close. "I was in panic mode," she said. "After driving the three miles to work holding my door closed, I was quite shaken."

Her husband was out of town. She asked a co-worker for help. "After he so tactfully explained that he did not have time to address my personal problem, I called Jackson Tire Center."

Glueck answered the phone. After hearing Johnston's story, he explained why the door wouldn't close and how to fix it.

But Johnston wasn't convinced it would work. "I asked if they made house calls." Glueck said he would drive over and help if needed.

"Of course I was able to fix it with his instructions, but I will never forget his kindness that day," Johnston said.

Glueck, who is assistant manager at the Jackson Tire Center, never thought twice about helping Johnston that February morning. "We just try to do business that way," he said.

But his kindness made an impression on Johnston. Last week, she and her four-year-old son, Benji, delivered doughnuts to employees at the tire center to say thank you.

"Sometimes people say thank you, but not so often," Glueck said. "It makes a guy feel good, like you're doing something right."

The trip to the tire center was just one stop during the week of kindnesses for the Johnston family -- Marsha and Joe and sons Andy and Benji.

"We are just returning heartfelt gratitude to people who show kindness to our family on a regular basis," she said.

With Benji in tow, Johnston traveled through the community last week committing acts kindnesses.

On Monday, the family did some landscaping for Johnston's mother in Bollinger County.

On Tuesday, they planted a lilac bush for a neighbor. Marsha made a French silk pie for another neighbor and delivered a potted plant.

Wednesday, Marsha and Benji potted petunias for 12 homebound senior citizens. The outdoor plants will sit on doorsteps, patios and window sills.

"This meant so much to them," Marsha said. "They like a reminder of gardens and farms from years ago."

On Thursday, Marsha and Benji delivered muffins, apples and cookies to the teacher's lounge at Jackson High School.

Friday and Saturday were reserved for truly random kindnesses. "Just spur of the moment kinds of things. We'll let someone go ahead of us in line.

Johnston said the week was a pleasure for the family as well as the recipients. "We have had so much fun, especially with Benji," she said.

The four-year-old came up with an assortment of junior kindnesses himself. For example, he took chocolate pudding to his great-grandmother. He gave next the door neighbor, a father of teen-agers who always makes time for the toddler, a package of prized Hot Wheels gummy snacks.

"Sometimes we forget that we're supposed to be kind. I think we all mean to do it, but sometimes we don't take the time," she said. "We have been very fortunate that people like our mechanic are kind all the time. This was our chance to say `Hey we noticed.'"