Stories of Kindness from Around the World

The Top 10 Kindness Stories of 2013


--by arathi, posted Jan 1, 2014
"Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness.  Know how to give without hesitation, how to loose without regret, how to acquire without meanness." - George Sand

Thank you, KindSpring community for who you are and all that you do.  We are grateful for your presence, inspiration, and beauty that you constantly spread throughout the world, one small act of kindness at a time.  We hope that you enjoy the Top 10 Kindness Stories of 2013!  

When I Hugged a Homeless Person 

I spent most of my early adult life looking through them.  I was busy. I was working. I was raising a family and running errands. I had things to do. 

If you didn't look at them they weren't there, right?  You know, those bedraggled looking people on the corner with a sign in their hand.  I only wanted the light to turn green fast enough so that I wouldn't have to keep pretending not to see them. 

They were mostly invisible to me. I refused to see them, and that's how I wanted it. Because I just didn't have the time. 

Then, one day, as I was holding the hand of my best friend who was way too young to be dying of breast cancer... 

Saving the Planet, One Drop at a Time

"Aabid Surti is an odd character. A few years ago, the angular, bearded author was invited to meet the President of India to receive a national award for literature at a ceremony in the capital, New Delhi. He politely declined. Absorbed in writing the first draft of his new novel, he cited the reason that he did not have time. But what he has made time for every Sunday for seven years now, is going door-to-door in Mira Road, a non-descript suburb of Mumbai, with a plumber in tow, asking residents if they need their tap fixed for free!​

Girl Gets Up at 5am To Decorate Street 



As part of her personal mission to try to bring some unexpected cheer to her neighbors, UK-based Zoe Green—who goes by the moniker Pea Green Girl—got up at 5 one April morning, or what she calls “Happy Street Day”, to decorate her entire street...

Meredith's Letter from the Post Office 

Our 14-year-old dog Abbey died last month. 

The day after she passed away my 4-year-old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. 

She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. 

I told her that I thought that we could, so she dictated these words... 

It Was All My Choice  

Yesterday was my 51st birthday.  While some may wonder why I would write about me, it is because I made a choice.

I have never been a big fan of my birthday.  Hurts from the past and just not enjoying the "wisdoming" (instead of aging) process up to now, has usually left me either quiet about my birthday or just plain grumpy about it. 

But yesterday, when I woke up, my first thought was: Thank you God for letting me wake another day.  


"I Feel Good Doing This!" 

"But I feel good doing this!"

The little boy´s answer rang in my ears as I walked into the mall. He stood right outside the entrance, in the bitter spring wind, collecting donations for cancer research. Nose red, hat deep over his ears, he warmed one hand in his pocket and held a list with his other hand. I noticed he had no gloves.

I checked my purse, but had no coins. It is a principle of mine to always give money to cancer research - I have lost dear friends and family members to the disease, and want to do my little part to help find a cure.

Lessons From A Mother's Love

About eight years ago, I was a new teacher in the local women's minimum security jail, where most of the inmates are incarcerated for drug offenses.

During one of my classes, a woman was crying and in a lot of pain. Her 17-year-old daughter had been recently assaulted. She wanted to see her,  but had no way to get to the hospital 30 miles away which cares for children with no health insurance. Having a daughter the same age, I asked the superintendent if it would be possible for me to drive the woman to the hospital. I was granted permission to escort her for three hours on the following Saturday. 

An Anonymous Gift I'll Always Remember
 

 I sold a tech company for a small exit in 2010. Everyone was extremely proud of me, but no one knew the exact amount I made, but everyone assumed I did really well. In actuality, I only made just over a hundred thousand dollars... 
Never Too Late

Nearly thirty years ago, I was a high school student. I was also an alcoholic. I was using alcohol to self-medicate pain from a childhood abuser, and it wasn't working. Instead, it made me angry, obnoxious, and rude... 

Needless to say, I don't like the person I was back then. (I didn't like myself back then, either.) But with a lot of therapy and a lot of love, I have moved on and though I am financially poor, I find myself rich with the blessings and love of family and friends. I try each day to be the kindest person that I can, and to help wherever and whenever I can. 
Recently, I helped a young friend with a bake sale and raffle to benefit a middle school student who is battling brain cancer. I didn't do it for the recognition, but because it just felt like the right thing to do. I don't tell you that now for recognition, either, but because it ties into what I am about to tell you.... 

8 Things To Do Every Day That Will Make You Happier

1) Thank someone
First thing in the morning, send an email thanking or praising someone. Research shows this can brighten your day.
 

2) Spend money — on someone else
Harvard professor Michael Norton, author of Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending, explains how spending money on other people can generate more happiness than spending on yourself:

3) Give 5 hugs
People assigned to give or receive hugs 5 times a day ended up happier than the control group.

From Sonja Lyubomirsky’s very interesting book, The How of Happiness:

In a one-of-a-kind study, students at Pennsylvania State University were assigned to two groups. The first group was instructed to give or receive a minimum of five hugs per day over the course of four weeks and to record the details. The hugs had to be front-to-front (nonsexual) hugs, using both arms of both participants; however, the length and strength of hug, as well as the placement of hands, were left to their discretion. Furthermore, these students couldn’t simply hug their boyfriends or girlfriends half a dozen times; they had to aim to hug as many different individuals as possible. The second, the controls, was instructed simply to record the number of hours they read each day over the same four weeks.... 
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