Stories of Kindness from Around the World

I find that gifting food to others can sometimes be a challenging deed to accomplish.  Last night, I encountered two Asian women collecting bottles from recycling bins in the road, so I asked whether they were hungry and wanted some food.  They hardly responded, and one merely looked at me with a puzzled look on her face.  I assume that they either did not understand English or simply had no desire to receive food.

A similar interaction happened this past weekend when I was seeking to give away some pears that I received as gifts (which of course I washed before giving away).  As I rode my bike under a highway overpass, I noticed a homeless woman sitting in the dark, empty space below the highway.  I turned my bike around and rode up beside her.  She appeared to be dirty, had a bin likely filled with possessions, and was fidgeting lethargically with a water bottle as I got off my bicycle to approach her.  Before even asking if she was hungry, I said "hello" and "excuse me" to get her attention.  I received no response, and even after repeating these words in a louder tone, she gave me no response.  This was very surprising and frustrating, and though I had the idea of coming closer into her personal space to get her attention (in order to benefit her), I decided that it was better to leave the situation alone and simply walk away.  Nevertheless, I pressed on to connect the pear with someone who needed it.

Later that evening, I ventured into the city for entertainment and brought the pear to infuse some kindness into my fun.  I found a homeless person sleeping on the sidewalk and left the pear next to him with a Smile Card.  The next day, I did the same thing with another pear for a different sleeping homeless person.  Even though I did not have a personal connection with the recipient of these food items, I felt mild satisfaction knowing that my positive intention was left with a couple other people.  However, I ideally like to gift food to others when I can consciously connect with the recipients in the moment of giving.

Nevertheless, the kindness must continue!  I welcome hearing comments, ideas, and suggestions.  Have any of you encountered a similar type of challenge?