Stories of Kindness from Around the World

💦 A Wild Anniversary 🌹

“All hands to the front! Bring your mops!” called a voice over the store’s loudspeaker. The rain had quickly become torrential. The hail ferociously intensified, but fortunately stayed pea-sized. I was marooned inside the grocery store with a growing crowd of shoppers, while MisterM had taken our vehicle for shelter under the credit union’s drive-thru. Anxiously watching out the front window, we exchanged storm stories, snapped photos of the hail/rain creek growing deeper and faster, called loved ones on our phones. 🌹 I had just given the last of our anniversary roses (43 this year) to an elderly woman, masked, and riding an electric shopping cart. . Her eyes lit up as she tenderly accepted the rose, “My Gerald and me, we’d been married 62 years, before he passed away.” That’s the beauty of giving out the roses. With each one, we are gifted with a wish for a happy anniversary and are often privy to how long ... Read Full Story >>

63 Reads

Stress relief at supermarket

Panic buying during COVID19 lead to much increased stress and abuse of grocery store staff.

I made thank you cards and deliberately targeted different staff members to give them these cards every time I went to the store. To see stress on the face visually disappear was the least and a common result I received.

Once the staff member was so overcome that she abandoned her post and chased me the length of the shopping center/mall when she read the card, just to say thank you.

 

84 Reads

A Random Day for Random Acts of Kindness

It started out as an ordinary day. I met a homeless person on my way to work and decided to give him my lunch. It felt like nothing much to me, a random act of kindness, but his smile of thanks said it all! I then took a box of chocolates to the chap who works at the bike shop below my office as he had lent me his bike one day. He wasn't expecting it and was overjoyed to receive a kindness unexpectedly. I realized that I was actually being kind to myself, to my own soul, because the more I gave, the better I felt and the more I wanted to do. It's true....the more you give, the more you get. Truly Blessed! ... Read Full Story >>

151 Reads
  • Posted by shilpipillai
  • Jul 1, 2020
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Another Visit From My Homeless Friend Carlos

My homeless friend Carlos came by my business again yesterday. He saw my son bring a large cart of stuff into our shop and asked if we needed help unloading it. I told him no, but that I did have a small job for him if he was interested.

He very much was and he did what I had asked him. I paid him a little bit more than we had discussed because he was very thorough and did a great job. He wanted to decline, saying that it was more than we agreed to, so he didn't want to take it. I told him he earned it and did more than I had asked, which I appreciated very much. He smiled and reluctantly accepted.


We talk a bit whenever he stops by. Each time I get to know a little more about my new friend and he about me. He is a nice man, just down on his luck.

I can't even imagine the struggles he faces and I can only hope that the few moments of kindness we share whenever he stops by help make his day a little brighter. I know it does for me!

128 Reads

Farewell Party With Random Acts Of Kindness!

Last Wednesday (17th of June) was the last day of my latest job, based in Belfort (in East of France). Since then, I came back to Paris, where I'll start a new job soon, in another company. Due to the sanitary conditions, the building where I worked was still locked and I obtained a special authorization to spend few hours to pack my stuff. It was strange to enter in the building for the first time since the beginning of the lockdown, three months ago. The desks and other stuff were left in place as if people would come back the day after. Still, nobody had entered the building in 3 months! The ambience was cold, like an abandoned place after a zombie invasion. Nevertheless, it gave me plenty of time alone to do some last random acts of kindness before leaving the company. I was excited like a kid on a playground. In ... Read Full Story >>

479 Reads

Gifts to my mother in law

I love surprising people with love!

It was my mother in laws birthday yesterday. And as she was working all day and as we weren't able to visit her in the evening. I decided to surprise her with balloons and all her gifts waiting on her doorstep.



My mother in law LOVES gifts so rather than just buy the one I tend to buy lots of little ones. That way she feels super spoiled.
 

128 Reads

Magic moments in big little things


Happiness is ... the big little things - like a simple walk on a beach with your favorite person who then unexpectedly spots a heart-shaped piece of amber lying in the sand (moments after *ahem* a teensy-weensy tiff)...



Those are the real magic moments which stay in your heart to be forever treasured.
 

102 Reads

Heart Transplant Recipient Spreads Kindness During Covid.

My 6 year old daughter is a heart transplant recipient. In April 2020, she caught the kindness bug! She started doing acts of kindness for others.
She purchased and gave away supplies and lunch for kids and staff at the Ashtabula YMCA, and purchased flowers, goodie bags, and lunch for the staff of a nursing home, all during the Covid 19 crisis. I am so proud of her!

She can be found on Facebook Rayven's Acts of Kindness.
 

190 Reads
  • Posted by rayvensactsofkin
  • Jun 25, 2020
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Timely Help

Massive gratitude to my neighbor, who lent a hand with his stronger -than- ours tractor when we needed to move a caravan up a forest track at short notice. He is a wonderful man.

The task was over within half an hour of my partner asking for help. First, he cleared a path and came back the next morning to do the tow.
My latest office space may not be luxury, but there's not everyone can boast of having a bed and view!
 

334 Reads

She Calls Me Father

I did not remember her, but recently a young woman’s email note surprised me and brought tears of joy. Her email began, “We met in a subway train in Queens, New York...” Fate had seated us next to each other. She wrote that she had been sad and depressed. She did not want to talk or face a genuine smile from someone like me. Life meant nothing to her at that moment. Her sad feelings did not stop me. I continued to talk to her about hope, faith and love. I gave her quote cards that she put in her bag. At home she was shocked to find the words on the quote cards resonated with her present situation. She became very happy and forgot the dark side of her life. Her grateful heart wanted to see me again to thank me about the kindness she received. She felt that God had sent me to help her feel better. This ... Read Full Story >>

886 Reads

Switch Letters In Silent To Spell Listen

"You just need to be a flea against injustice. Enough committed fleas biting strategically can make even the biggest dog uncomfortable and transform even the biggest nation." Marian Wright Edelman I am a committed flea. When I feel that my small actions could never be enough, I remember that we are all connected, that ripple effects extend well beyond the actual action, and that not taking action, is in itself, an action with consequences. Even amidst  quarantine,       my small actions can be taken. I can send emails, make phone calls, write letters, talk to friends, donate to causes addressing injustice, read and learn more about the history of injustice in my own country and around the world, practice mindfulness and loving kindness, smile at neighbors, and be aware of how I am in this world. I can be grateful for all of my privileges and understand that they allow me to ... Read Full Story >>

213 Reads

The Gift of Healing Music

My teacher of sound healing is sick with stage 4 cancer and has gone to Mexico for healing. People put up a Go Fund Me for her. I have been unemployed but I managed to come up with a little to send. Fortunately there are others who are giving a lot more. She gave me so much...I wish I could do more.

This is a photo of the planetary tuning fork system she taught me, called Acutoncis. I went through the program 16 years ago. She also taught me how to incorporate singing bowls and bells and gongs. She is a gifted teacher.

I would go so far as to say that learning this form of specific sound healing set me on my eventual journey to learn to play the harp, specifically for healing.
 

140 Reads

Lunch With A New Friend

I was walking into one of my favorite lunch spots today when a homeless man asked me if I would get him a sandwich. I told him sure and asked what he would like. I went inside and ordered both of our lunches. He came in and sat at a table while we waited. The woman behind the counter looked at him funny, perhaps thinking he shouldn't be in there. I walked back over and sat and talked with him so she knew he was a paying customer. He is a Native American man from Flagstaff, about 2 hours away by car. He is down in Phoenix because he had to go to the hospital. We had a nice conversation about some of the challenges he has faced as well as all of the craziness going on in the world these days. He was happy it was cool inside of the restaurant. When ... Read Full Story >>

358 Reads

Ice cream Sunny Day!

Fun sharing ice pops today with our neighbors. I ordered extra Chloe’s ice pops on our weekly grocery delivery so I could share them. Blueberry, Pomegranate, Strawberry  & Chocolate Dipped Banana .

It was a hot sunny day and everyone was out in their yards so it was easy to share. We all had a “licking good” time 😊
 

230 Reads

Heartwarming Gratitude From a Student

I gave a refugee student of mine some tips on how to get into her dream apprenticeship and also polish up on her language skills so she can hopefully get a good exam grade next summer. She was about to go to a university in Syria and now she is sitting in a class with kids about 5 years younger than her and has been learning a completely new language over the last 3 years. Her class teacher agreed that she should get a grade higher for her O-levels though she still has to learn a lot in her "new language". So, I told her that she'll get a C and not a D and she had tears in her eyes and was so grateful and flabbergasted. And also shared that I motivate her. I told her that I had 2 educators that gave me a chance, and one day it'll be ... Read Full Story >>

509 Reads

Part Of The Chain

MisterM and I volunteered to be a part of the human “chain” unloading food from a special delivery flatbed truck to inside our community Food Bank.

Up the stairs, either in pantry 1 or 2....it took every one of the 30 volunteers to get the boxes inside before the storm hit.

A total of 6000 lbs of food was donated by Church of the Latter Day Saints!

That’s a whole lotta food! And every pound was carried by each of us — links in the chain of human kindness to help those in need.

So very grateful for our supportive community, all those invisible hands that grew and processed the food, and the beautiful bounty of Mother Earth 

371 Reads

Cookies for the local DJ

One of the things I did in April was to make a batch of cookies for my local radio DJ's. A couple weeks ago one of them had a birthday so I called to wish her a happy birthday.

The other DJ told me that the birthday-DJ hadn't realized that I had delivered only one plate of the goodies and took them ALL home accidentally.

I told him I'd make him another batch and deliver them to his home since he lives 2 minutes walking distance from my house. Yesterday I surprised him leaving them for him and his wife.

#AprilRAOK
 

206 Reads

Contributing Towards MN Needs

As many of you know, Minnesota, my home state, is under tremendous challenges. A  police officer murdered an unarmed and not resisting Black man. If you have seen the video you can see that this act was a murderous act. Minneapolis, it’s twin city of St. Paul and other communities across the state (also affecting other states) are experiencing  violence by rioters that have infiltrated groups of peaceful protesters. There is not much I can contribute right now so I have felt pretty helpless just watching the news and hearing from distressed friends that live close to the epicenter of the violence. Yesterday I found a way to help just a bit. There are food needs so I put together two bags of non perishable food to donate today. Many individuals and families have been have been doubly impacted by Covid19 and now the consequences of this brutal murder. Please keep MN ... Read Full Story >>

518 Reads

Doorstep Surprises

 I just thought I'd share...my mom and I have received a ton of random gifts left on our doorstep by friends and family during our shelter-in-place. It is so amazing and inspiring the way people come together and how the best in all comes out during during challenging times.

And, speaking as an American, getting Percy Pigs is a truly special gift.  Seriously, though, these people are awesome and it really lifts me up on my bad days to remember that. Other things we got that aren't in this pic are a box of chocolates, another flower, and a tin of cookies. 
 

246 Reads

Wanna Cuddle? Take One!


Someone in my town spotted this on a walk. Such a great idea for those who are crafty and can knit!!!

Inspires me to perhaps offer a little box of something else. Something I can create, purchase or offer?

Knitting and crafty type things aren't my best skill...yet
 

207 Reads




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