Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Boys Can Cry

One of my summer students asked to talk to me at the end of the day--I'm running a research boot camp for undergrads and everyone is very motivated and hard-working.
He was feeling very down on himself and I got him to open up about his feelings--it seems that he was taught "boys don't cry" and I was able to offer space for him to let it all out (and go through a box of tissues) and express his feelings, and I was able to let him know that it is ok, he is more than enough, and he is competent and belongs here and doesn't have to compare himself to anyone else. I told him all the things I was impressed by that I had observed in him over the past week. Slowly he seemed to settle and I feel like I got through. Asked if I could give him a hug---and he said yes, so I gave him a mama bear hug and told him that he can talk to me about anything anytime. Since that day I have seen him confidently working and interacting and I feel so glad that I was able to provide that space for him. I don't think he ever had that before.

A Small Help With Someone’s Health Condition

A small help to an old daily wage labor in finding the right medicine for his gastric problem. He is suffering from gastric disease for a long period and was very upset from this problem. Today, he met me in a workplace and shared his problem. So, I suggested some natural remedies with an expert doctor.

Hope that he will recover soon from the gastric problem. Prayers for him….

Food Bank

We decided to double our monthly donation to the food bank. They are not receiving the aid they used to get from the government, and families desperately need food. I remember being a single mom, working three jobs, and still not having enough for food when one of my checks bounced, setting off a domino effect of checks bouncing and bank fees piling up. The bank refused to remove them. I had to either pay the electricity bill or pay for groceries. Our town's food bank helped out a lot that year. So this is very close to my heart.

🎶 Sharing Music

🏠 Continued Decluttering….

🎶 Donating our HUGE record collection to the Viet Nam Vets of America. They do home pick-ups 👌🏻

We both brought our own HUGE record collections to our marriage decades ago, so need to parcel them out for several pick-ups , over time, as there are so many!

Most of the LP’s are from the 1960’s & 1970’s ✌️ Was hard to give them away, but we haven’t played them in years, so……

There’s a time & a season for everything….grateful for the years of enjoyment these records brought 🙏

Laptop For Learning ! ...

Laptop for learning !

A worker's son needed a laptop to study. The boy is preparing for technical education at a government institute. He is very intelligent and hard working. His father was very anxious about the laptop. Because he didn't have enough money to buy it. When I found out about this, I visited his house and gifted my laptop to his son for study. At first, they showed some hesitation, but upon my affectionate insistence they accepted it. The son looked very happy and delighted to start learning on the laptop. He said, I will use it in the right way and carefully.

The father was also looking happy and relaxed. They thanked me.

Thanks to him and also to all of you dear friends.

A Few Small Acts

• Here are a few small acts from last week, as I get inspired by kindspringers. - Gave a box of cut jack fruits from our garden to our neighbour. Another neighbour wanted an uncut jackfruit from our garden, so I delivered one to her. I requested our gardener to take some jackfruit home for his family.
  I delivered some fresh food to our security guards for breakfast.
  At a railway station, I donated some cash to a poor girl.
  I visit our temple every week with my wife and daughter, but I realised I don't carry cash to donate. They have now enabled QR code at the hundi to donate, so I was glad I could donate last week.
  A member of our satsang lost her mom. I prayed for the departed soul and the family.

I See You

Saw a gentleman who was sitting outside the grocery store with a sign that said "I am not doing okay--and I'm really dehydrated. Could use your help"
He looked like he hasn't eaten or slept in a while and everyone was just walking past him. I went up to him and asked him what he would like to eat or drink and if I could get it for him from the store. He said he'd like a sandwich and some water. I was able to get him a nice sandwich, water, fruit, juice and some snack. Gave him the bag and was glad to see him enjoying it. Hope he felt cared for at least for a little while.

Mama Love

On a cross-country flight (5.5 hours), a mom was traveling alone with two small kids and sitting in the row in front of me. For most of the flight the little girl (maybe 2 or 3 years old) was screaming, whining and crying....and I heard the mom say to a lady in front of her (who was not being very kind to the mom)--my daughter is sick and has a stomachache....
During the entire flight, the mom did not raise her voice even once or show anything but extreme patience and compassion. I knew I could not do anything tangible for her in that moment, but I did send her positive vibes and metta prayers for the easement of her daughter's suffering. Eventually, the little girl fell asleep. When we landed, I looked at the mom and said "You are an AMAZING mother--I hope your daughter feels better soon"....the smile she gave me was priceless.

Mish Inspired Sharing

Just scheduled a pickup of all my old, well-loved LPs with Vietnam Vets of America. Thank you, Mish, both for the idea and for helping me find the organization in my area.

Letting go feels good.
♡

Friend Met With Accident

A friend and colleague was the victim of an horrific accident last week. Most of the residents of our community had heard about the accident, but the name of victim had not been released by authorities. I received a phone call from her husband the following day. He asked if I could notify several members of our group. I offered my condolences, certainly said that I would follow up on his request and offered any assistance that was in my power to provide. Today, I walked to their home with some fresh strawberries from the farmer's market. I didn't know quite what to offer, but he seemed more than grateful

Knitted Another Teddy Bear For Hospital

I knitted another teddy bear in the last few days - I've made him to go to the baby unit at a nearby hospital. I've also made a little hat for the Age UK campaign which begins in October - I'll post some pictures nearer the time. I'm about to knit one more lovie before Tuesday.

An Evening Tea With Senior Citizenss

An Evening Tea with Senior Citizens! It was a great pleasure for me to had an evening tea with our senior citizens. As the guests arrived, they were welcomed warmly with smiles and greetings. The atmosphere was cozy, with soft music playing in the background and the aroma of freshly brewed tea filling the air. Senior citizens settled comfortably, and soon conversations began to flow as naturally as the tea being poured. The highlight of the evening was the storytelling session. Many seniors shared cherished memories from their youth — tales of resilience, humor, and wisdom that captivated everyone present. Younger participants listened with admiration, realizing how much history and experience lived within these voices. Between sips of tea and bites of traditional snacks, interactive activities added joy to the evening. A poetry recital brought gentle applause, while a sing-along created moments of shared delight. The room echoed with laughter, proving that age is ... Read Full Story >>

I Was Gifted Some Yarn

I was gifted some yarn from another resident a couple of weeks ago. In amongst the yarn I discovered a chunky one and I began to knit a scarf for a friend who turns 70 in a couple of weeks. Here's a picture of the finished scarf. I made the teddy too and I've donated it to the local hospital for a child who doesn't have any toys.

Mutual Inspirations

Today, I mentored a young person that was holding an inspiring sign near the vegetarian health food store when I stopped to encourage with loving kindness & appreciate the gentle soul I noticed. I offered to bring a cold water on my way out from grocery shopping. I understood some hidden suffering and the truth of this person's desires, based on what I read on the back of the inspirational sign which revealed a different side to this person's story. With loved ones historically on a similar path, my nurturing self went into a vibrant heart space of Love, understanding the truth of the situation, one human to another, & to some degree, what my younger self could relate similarly. We exchanged 1st names & I received permission to photograph the sign , & I mentioned this KindSpring group, giving the website link. It was Kirk's choice to have his face included. ... Read Full Story >>

Kindness For Friends And Strangers

Highlighted an offering that a friend is giving to help her spread the word.
Cheered and encouraged a bunch of young kids biking up a hilly area where I was hiking (they were in a summer camp)--they were so sweet and determined
Visited two friends who were feeling down
Had a longer conversation with an elderly woman who I sometimes see at the library--learned more about her life
Had a shorter but sweet conversation with a stranger about a book! 
Picked up a back-support cushion for an older person who dropped it in a cafe
Shared nature photos and sounds from my hike with a friend who appreciates it
 

Kindness Amidst Travels

I've been traveling a lot lately, both inside and outside of the country, and I've made a point to switch from English to Spanish when I learn the other person is a native Spanish speaker. It helps me practice the language and maintain my fluency, but it also breaks the language barrier and helps people feel comfortable and happy. Flew into Florida a day early so I could meet up with my Ukrainian friends. I brought them a fresh baked loaf of bread -- they brought one of theirs for me so we did a bread swap! -- and a bouquet of sunflowers for the three of them (the national flower of Ukraine), including N's mom who is visiting from Kyiv. We had tea, sat outside in the Florida sunshine, and I practiced my Ukrainian while N practiced her English :) Bought lunch for one of the doctors I train with. We ... Read Full Story >>

The Fragrant Gardenia

Yesterday while volunteering at the soup kitchen, an older gentleman (whom I often have conversations with while serving him coffee) surprised me with a beautiful gardenia flower from his garden. He gently put it into a cup of water and I smiled and thanked him many times. The smell of the gardenia is so fragrant and beautiful...for the next two hours, every person who came to my coffee station was given the gift of stopping for a moment to inhale its fragrance as I lifted it up to them to smell. I would tell them--while I'm making your coffee, please smell this! And you could just see their face light up with the inhalation of this heavenly scent. The kids were very curious too and enjoyed seeing and smelling the flower in a cup :-) Another young man who came, said to me--wow that guy gave the flower to the ... Read Full Story >>

Considerations For Others

There was an older woman sitting under the shade of an umbrella in the hot sun outside our local grocery store. She had lots of bags etc. and seemed to be just sitting there in between parking spaces. I went to speak to her and asked if she needed water or something cold to drink and she perked up and said she would love a cold drink. I went back into the store and got some cold water, juices etc. for her. When I came back I talked to her for a little while to find out if she had a place to stay and she told me she was just charging her device there but has a room to rent. She said someone gave her the umbrella to keep her in the shade and that she was doing just fine--and the reason she was sitting in that spot was because she did not want to take up a parking space! We exchanged names and if I see her again I'll talk to her and see if she needs anything. The reason I'm sharing this is because I was just blown away by her consideration for her others--not wanting to occupy a parking space and to just squeeze in between where she sits not disturbing anyone else.

Patient And Kind Response Can Change Other’s Attitude

Yesterday, while filling my reusable cup with yerba mate at the locally-owned health food store, I gently asked for the space I needed in the cozy prep area. The person responded they were distracted, or something, & I replied with kind patient intention to show understanding. As I was finishing up with preparing my tea, I complimented the person's top which appealed to me with uplifting beauty. Their prior lower expressions seemed to lift along their face and I heard words of gratitude, in response, and something to the effect of, "I needed that." I understood from their reply that it was one of their favorites for similar reason, especially with whatever they were going through inside, then. This was affirming to me just how valuable giving a compliment is to someone, and a good reminder for me to give them more often, as well as to be a little more mindful ... Read Full Story >>

Travel 'armed' With Kindness

I've been away a few days, working in a couple of cities in the south of England. It was a great opportunity to meet new people, explore, learn and certainly spread a little kindness. Always 'armed' with kind cards and treats...I left plenty everywhere I went. It always makes me sooo happy to do so :-)