Written by Guest Contributor, Anthony Juliano | July 10, 2025
Looking back, for much of my childhood, I wasn’t very happy. In hindsight, I understand why now. I was taking much more than I was giving. If it wasn’t competing with my siblings for snacks in the pantry or arguing over who had what toy, I was too concerned about how many gifts I would get for my birthday or Christmas. I hadn’t yet discovered the joy of giving; I was simply too focused on “getting.” In my 20s, things finally started to change for the good.
Working as a restaurant bouncer, I saw firsthand how much it could ruin a server’s day if they gave great service but were stiffed on a tip. That planted a seed in my mind, and from that moment on, I began to “tip and run.” I would visit a restaurant and decide that no matter what, I would give an unusually high tip—50%, 70%, or even 100% of the bill. Sometimes I’d even double down by paying the entire bill when eating out with friends, while also leaving a 100% tip for the server. I made sure to leave the tip discreetly and then vanish before the server could react. My hope was that when they saw it, they’d have a big smile on their face, and since I was already gone, they’d share and spread their happiness with coworkers, paying it forward.
This simple act of generosity gave rise to other ideas as well. When we had more tollway booths before I-PASS took over, I enjoyed paying for the car behind me at the booth and then heading on the expressway before they realized what had happened. My thinking was the same, that a random act of kindness, no matter how small, could inspire others to pay it forward in their lives.
I carried these ideas inside me and felt fully alive doing random acts of kindness. I was even inspired to write a book about it. I wanted the book to offer a behind-the-scenes look at contrasting how kindness (generous acts) can change a person’s day for the better and how chaos (selfish acts) can have the opposite effect. I put off writing the book for about twenty years before finally finishing it earlier this year. I dedicated it to my brother-in-law, who passed away just two days before Christmas due to health complications from diabetes. In keeping with the book’s message, I decided to give 100% of the proceeds from sales to my sister to help her pay off her debts from medical bills that incurred during my brother-in-law’s health journey.
Why share all of this, you may wonder? There are two reasons. First, in my journey of generosity, I have experienced the joy of giving firsthand. I can truly relate to Paul’s words about being a “cheerful giver” in 2 Corinthians 9:7. Second, one lesson I’ve learned is that when we give what we can, when we can, it will always be enough. It doesn’t matter if it’s paying someone’s toll, leaving a large tip, or funding a hospital wing —when we give with joy and a cheerful heart, it honors the Lord. I encourage you to spread random acts of kindness to others in your life as well and experience the joy that comes with giving!
Bio:
Anthony Juliano was born and raised in Elgin, Illinois, and then lived most of his life in Crystal Lake with his family before moving to Palatine, where he currently resides. He enjoys staying active, eating healthy, writing, sunsets, nature and giving through random acts of kindness. He is a self-published author, and his book, Random Acts, is available on Amazon under the pen name “Wild Card,” which was an effort to not draw attention to himself.
