Stories of Kindness from Around the World

What do Angels Look Like?

What do angels look like? Like the little old lady who returned your wallet yesterday. Like the taxi driver who told you that your eyes light up the world, when you smile. Like the small child who showed you the wonder in simple things. Like the poor man who offered to share his lunch with you. Like the rich man who showed you it really is all possible, if only you believe. Like the stranger who just happened to come along, when you had lost your way. Like the friend who touched your heart, when you didn't think you had one left to touch. Angels come in all sizes and shapes, All ages and skin types. Some with freckles, some with dimples, some with wrinkles, some without. They come disguised as friends, enemies, teachers, students, lovers and fools. They don't take life too seriously, They travel light. They leave no forwarding address, They ask for nothing in return. They wear sneakers with gossamer wings, They get a deal on dry cleaning. They are hard to ... Read Full Story >>

2762 Reads

Get Well Basket for a Friend

My husband told me that a friend of ours was not feeling well, so I packed a "get well basket" with croissants and strawberry jam, tea ( a certain tea called Love :) ), and a bar of chocolate and went to visit her in the morning. She was really down and hadn't eaten properly for the last 3 days.

So, I went home cooked some food and took it to her for the rest of the day. I would like to have helped her more but she thought I was already doing too much ( I didn't think so ). I hope she finds the strength to look for more help. I will be here if she needs me whenever she needs me.

 

1923 Reads

Unleashing Ripples of Kindness in a Smile-Covered Prius

We live in challenging times. Fear and frustration seep into our soul, infecting our passion, our productivity, and the people around us. Our joy is diminished, our light is dimmed. We repress our compassion for others and soon our behavior changes as we become less patient, less generous, less kind. Good people share fewer smiles, words, and favors which causes other good people to experience fewer smiles, words, and favors. And on it goes. The good news: even though we live in a world where frustrating and scary things happen, we also live in a world where one person can improve your day with a single act of kindness. A colleague’s thoughtful comment, a neighbor’s quick favor, or even a passerby’s warm smile can jolt you from your busy day and remind you, oh yeah, life is good. You realize that this Thing you’re worried about isn’t so awful after all, ... Read Full Story >>

5230 Reads

The Challenges of Travelling with Children

For my birthday, Julie booked a coach trip to Liverpool. It's where I went to college thirty years ago and I hadn't been back since. We had a great time!   Watching the passengers embark on the coach as we got ready to head to Liverpool, I was a little dismayed to see a couple get on with two boys, both under five. We were gonna be on the coach for four hours. Would they act up? Or be sick? Or would it just be too boring for them?  It turned out they were great!  No doubt about it. Travelling like that with two lively little boys would take both parents full attention. And they did seem to work well together. In the hotel (a hotel that was once the pride of the city, now a bit dowdy, but still spectacular!) the parents got through the meals by working as a tag-team and never leaving ... Read Full Story >>

4436 Reads

A Good Deed With My 7 Year-Old

This weekend I took my 7 year-old shopping for some new pajamas. We ended up at one of those big box stores. As we were walking in, I noticed a man putting his toddler into their car.  They were parked pretty far away from a cart carrel and had an empty cart standing next to the car.

I took the cart, letting him know I'd return it for him so he didn't have to leave his car with his toddler in it. My 7 year -old looked up at me and said, "That was really nice."

It wasn't a big thing I did, but I hope it can help him to know his mom and encourage him to look around for small good deeds and take action to make this world a kinder place.

1461 Reads
  • Posted by allison.house
  • Apr 13, 2009
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Patient Appreciation Day

When you share your excitement about something, it can make a chain reaction that spreads joy to others. 

I ordered my first smile cards after sharing this site with my employees at our Chiropractic Office.  We were planning a Patient Appreciation Day which was schemed around Valentines Day.   We always passed out carnations to everyone who came through our doors, along with the men to give to someone they cared for.  This time though we tied on a smile card with colored ribbon.  The response was so great and the number of smiles that left our office that day was remarkable.

What is really remarkable is how many of those smile cards got passed on.   I have had more stories to tell since then that are even more incredible but I will share those on another day.  I know I will keep this going for as long as my journey on earth allows.      

2687 Reads

Approve Of Yourself

A special dedication from the heart to my dearest friends: “A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.”  Instead of asking what other people think about you, or if your best friend approves of your choices, or whether your mom and dad are happy with your life decisions, did you ever ask the question, if you approve of yourself? If you don’t approve of yourself, your thoughts, your ideas, or your actions and are whole-heartedly relying on the support and validation from a steady supply of well-wishers, then you may end up walking around the majority of your days with a feeling of inadequacy, a discomfort, or perhaps a look on your face that suggests you are just not good enough. Let's take ourselves further down this path and see what happens on the dark side. Say, you do make some headway in life (despite the negative language you may be speaking with yourself), and accomplish some lofty challenges. You may start to feel that you were successful by chance, or ... Read Full Story >>

1773 Reads

Radical Kindness on the Battlefield

[This is a true story, written by Murray Polner and Stefan Merken in Peace, Justice, and Jews (1968).] During the spring of 1921, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Muhammed Amin el-Husseini, instigated an organized pogrom  against the Jewish population in Palestine. When a group of Arabs threatened to attack Jewish homes between Jaffa and Tel Aviv, Jewish defenders went forth to meet them. An exchange of fire ensued, which threatened to escalate into full-scale warfare. In the middle of escalating violence, a remarkable man Rabbi Ben Zion Uziel intervened.  He donned his Rabbinic robes and turban and went straight onto the battlefield. He asked the Jewish fighters to hold their fire and proceeded alone toward the Arab positions, calling out to them to also hold their fire. Surprise, the sheikh in command of the Arabs instructed his men to stop firing in order to hear what the rabbi had to say. ... Read Full Story >>

4209 Reads

Sowing Seeds of Joy on a Supermarket Adventure

Grocery shopping has never been my favorite activity, but  yesterday's trip was different. I decided, before I even left the house, to make this a RAOK "event".

I was determined to sow seeds of kindness in as many areas as I could. Smiling and acknowledging the gentleman who brings the carts in from outside; assisting a mother and baby with her cart; quietly reminding myself, "slow down and take your time" (as I am a notorious rush shopper:-); and giving people the right of way in the aisles -- these small acts don't seem like much, but when your attitude is to make people happy - even on the smallest level - there are such benefits.

Letting shoppers with smaller baskets ahead; making sure to place the divider for the person behind me; and making pleasant, positive and encouraging conversation with the cashier all contribute to sowing seeds of joy.  You can create a mini garden of joy and contentment  that extends beyond yourself.  

Attitudes are so contagious and what a gift to be able to spread a happy one!

4020 Reads

Small Stories of Small Kindnesses

Acts of kindness and generosity come in many different forms: Giving food to a hungry stranger, donating one's time to aid homeless people or helping a fellow tenant make the rent. But it's their ability to touch us and stick in our memories that makes sometimes even small gestures a powerful and lasting force in our lives. A couple years ago, NPR invited listeners to share stories about "good deeds" they had witnessed or heard about.   The original audio program highlighted some of the stories, but there were many more that couldn't be fit into the short time slot.  Below are some of those gems: After the Storm Beverly Jordan witnessed an extraordinary act of generosity after Hurricane Andrew slammed into South Florida in 1992, leaving a wide path of destruction in its path. Jordan, a nurse, volunteered to go door to door in Miami delivering emergency relief. Her relief van pulled up to ... Read Full Story >>

8409 Reads

Six Writer Friends Step In

When writer Elizabeth Aleshire was hospitalized after suffering a heart attack last summer, she fully expected to recover and complete her book, 101 Ways You Can Help: How To Offer Comfort and Support To Those Who Are Grieving. But that was not to be.  A second heart attack dimmed the prospect of recovery, and Ms. Aleshire expired at the age of 59 with a third of her book unwritten. While still in the hospital, Ms. Aleshire received daily visits from six writer-friends, all of whom had met over the years at the International Women's Writing Guild's annual “Remember the Magic” summer conference at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, where Ms. Aleshire had taught in each of the past 25 years. When it became clear that Ms. Aleshire would not recover, the six writer-friends offered to complete her manuscript posthumously. Permission was granted by both the author and her publisher, Sourcebooks, ... Read Full Story >>

1391 Reads

You Can...

You Can ======= If you can't feed a billion people, then feed just one. If you can't hire twenty million unemployed, then hire just one. If you can't support an army, then pray for one soldier. If you can't cure disease, then visit one person in the hospital. One smile provides healing. If you can't save the world, then improve your community; and if you can't improve your community, then help your next-door neighbor. We can't save the world, but we can save those within hugging distance. Don't give up. Don't become overwhelmed. We are responsible only for the people in our breathing space. Charity begins with the next person you see. Charity begins with just you and just me. If everyone on earth felt this way, what kind of planet would it be? ~A MountainWings Original   by A Lisa Lindsey, Cincinnati, OH ... Read Full Story >>

1545 Reads

Returning Unconditional Love

I was thinking the other day, I had been very short tempered with my lovely partner, who didn't deserve it, just because I was stressed about something at work.  I stomped about the house and eventually flounced out saying I was going to the library, without a backward glance or asking if there was anything I could pick up for my loved one. I suddenly realised that I had spent all day with virtual strangers (I am a Work Based Tutor and visit different companies daily ) to whom I had been polite, courteous, 'smiley' and generally a jovial person. I did not mention my work worries and nobody guessed I was feeling particularly stressed and unhappy  but, I managed to hurt the one person who deserved it least, the person who would have given me a hug and let me have a moan.  On my way back from the library I began to feel guilty ... Read Full Story >>

5204 Reads

The Loving Easter Bunnies

Yesterday, my daughter and I had decided to play the role of Easter Bunny! We hopped from door to door in our neighborhood delivering rainbow-colored handmade cards accompanied by miniature baskets of assorted jellybeans. We then thought of bringing Easter blessings to the local Senior Nursing Home community and thumped off there. As we rang the doorbell of the home and came over with our collection of cards and baskets, a few seniors scurried over in the lobby to greet us. They were like little kids. They patiently stood in a line beside us, asking us what were the different jellybean flavors and if they could keep the basket. My daughter and I chuckled together and as we handed our sweet treats to the first petite and smiling grandmother who came up to us and gripped our hands tightly and proceeded to hug us, suddenly a huge line appeared behind her of  grandmas, grandpas, great aunts, and uncles, whose faces lit up with smiles.  In addition to the positive responses we received from ... Read Full Story >>

2266 Reads

Real People Who Love, Live and Inspire

I have received so many comments, karma bucks, well-wishes, hugs, gifts from a couple corners of the world, prayers, e-mails, letters, e-cards and notes and I want to say I am truly blessed.

All of you here are so important to me, whether you have been here for quite some time or have recently joined this wonderful group of real people who love, live and inspire!

Right now is a time in my life when I need you more than you may ever know.  I mean it, right now, right this very minute.  I have learned so much from all of you about how life changes from moment to moment and how life is all about attitude and it does and it is. 

1717 Reads

Keeping Hope Alive For Our Favorite Professor

A professor I have worked pretty closely with has been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. It has been devastating for his family and heartbreaking for his students. What made him extraordinary was not only that he was a phenomenal rising star. He had only recently collected the highest honours for young researchers at the White House. We truly admired him for his inspiring personality - as someone put it, "He always has a smile and a kind word for everyone." It is very hard to find someone who is exceptionally intelligent and also a wonderful , humble human being. My professor's family of four (beautiful, sweet children all under ten) and lovely,generous-spirited wife (who is expecting the fifth), along with their deep spiritual faith has been a continual source of joy for him. All this made us, his students, even more shocked and heartbroken when we found out his cancer was terminal ... Read Full Story >>

5052 Reads

A Positively Charged Attitude

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me, is more important than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearances, talents, or skill.  It will make or break a company, a church, and a home. The remarkable thing is that we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past . We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life breaks down to the following percentage: 10% is what happens to you and 90% of life is how you react to it. We are in charge of our Attitudes."   -Charles Swindoll                                             May today find each of ... Read Full Story >>

2244 Reads

Getting Out What We Put Into The World

Since I have come to any kind of spiritual maturity I have believed we get out of this world what we put into it (... and then some!) Usually, the rewards are indirect and sometimes hard to recognise, but every once in a while what you give comes back to you there and then! A couple of days back my step-son, Josh, was preparing for a big event. Children from his primary school were going for their first trial day at the secondary school, so they would know what to expect when they started after the summer holidays. A big day for an eleven year old lad! I was in the middle of some stuff when I noticed him searching in a clay pot where we keep pens and pencils. In primary school they use pencils, but secondary kids get to write with pens. And Josh was looking for a pen. He came out with ... Read Full Story >>

5531 Reads

Saving a Stranger From a Ticket

Today I was on my way to the dry cleaners , I was putting coins in the parking meter when I noticed the car in front of me was out of time.  Knowing the parking police around here I just popped a nickle in there and gave him a couple of minutes.

1468 Reads

Sharing Smile Cards With a Faraway Friend

My best friend in Norway told me about the HelpOthers.org website and Smile Cards. After reading some of the stories I promptly ordered some. When I talked to her later on and told her I would be receiving a batch of Smile Cards in the mail soon, she said she'd asked for some, too, but that there was no shipping to her country yet. She obviously had been a little disappointed, so I sent her half of mine when they arrived in the mail. I am sure she will be excited to start using them in Norway, and that there soon will be some stories from there.

1645 Reads