Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Take A 'Paws' and Come Read With Sweetie

Sweetie is an aptly named canine Read-a-Loud partner who spends every other Friday of the month in the Children's Area of our local library. Earlier today, I was so fortunate to be nearby when she was partnering with a second grader who was reading a Magic Tree House mystery. Every time the child paused for Sweetie to acknowledge his good sounding out of the most challenging words, and his careful phrasing, she would softly lick his hand which was holding the book. With his mom in the background, Sweetie and the young boy shared a 10 minute partnership, and he was rewarded by Sweetie's rapt attention to his every word. Next Sweetie had an appointment with twins who took turns reading from a shared read aloud of poetry by Shel Silverstein. With each girl giggling over the words, Sweetie was seen to be smiling with her tongue lolling a bit as ... Read Full Story >>

1366 Reads

Ichi-go Ichi-e, "one time, one meeting"

I had an "ichi-go ichi-e" meeting on the subway ride home this evening with the gal sitting next to me.

We talked all the way home (a 30-minute ride!). It was like talking with an old friend and many laughs were shared. At the end, I gifted her with a peace dove and shared a touch on her arm and blessed her as I got up to leave the subway car. 

Also had an "ichi-go ichie-e" with a 93-year-old woman sitting at the table next to ours in the restaurant. She was so spirited and joyful that I leaned over and asked her what was her "secret" ,

It's so easy to make friends – all it takes is reaching out with a smile and sharing conversation. Grateful.

12.9K Reads

Three White Kittens

We had three wild newborn kittens outside our house. They grew up somewhere else but the mother cat brought them in at some point. The day came when the three kittens disappeared. We didn't  know what happened. We thought someone had liked them and taken them. However, a few days turned into a week. They were still gone. Then, we found the three kittens by pure chance, they were walking by the streets in a far area of the village very late at night. How they got here was beyond us; the village was very busy with a lot of cars in the morning. How did they get there while still being safe and still being together? We had no idea. Our guess was they had a habit of following one another. When one cat ran, the other two cats would follow. They were walking here and there, unsure of the direction but ... Read Full Story >>

1810 Reads

Joann, The Pigeon and The NextDoor App

Many in our neighborhood use the Nextdoor app. The other day, JoAnn posted that there was an injured pigeon in her yard and she didn't know what to do. I was out of town, but after reading her post I suggested she visit my neighbor, as he has pet pigeons.

Sure enough, the bird was indeed his. JoAnn returned the pigeon with a bum wing to his family. I had never met JoAnn, but upon my return, I decided to pay her a visit and offer her some homegrown tomatoes and an avocado, to which she was surprised and pleased.

Without her compassion, this pigeon would have surely died. JoAnn had a choice to make when she witnessed this pigeon limping around her porch; do nothing or take action, making a post on Nextdoor, which she had never really used before. She put her trust into humanity and it paid off. I hope that I can be more like JoAnn when the opportunity to serve spontaneously presents itself.

1089 Reads

She Found Her Bloom, In Her Seventies

Jo is a widow times three, and she counts 2017 , her tongue firmly in her cheek, as ' my golden anniversary of nursing and pursing those men, ". As of 2015, she began as a daily van driver at an elderly care facility, She has a lovely teal hue of highlights mixed into her Snow White hair. Her arms are tattooed with lovely designs celebrating her six great grands.

"GG Jo," as those who know and love her have named her, crafts beautiful lace knitted shawls and laprobes that she delivers anonymously, until now,to her "golden girls" at the Rancho Santa Fe Senior Center. Her perky voice on the Center's loudspeaker announces the "outing of the day" be it a leisurely drive to the local ice cream shop, coffeehouse, park drive or bookstore/library.

GG Jo shines a glow at Rancho Santa Fe that draws others to her. Watching her, being the recipient of her eye crinkling beautiful smile is a gift that dissipates the most crotchety gloominess. She shared today that " I may be considered a late bloomer, and I'm blooming now",

677 Reads

Smiles on the Ferry

Yesterday a few friends and I took a trip on a new "fast ferry". To introduce the new service to the public, the ferry was free for the month of July. We made the first half of the trip without incident and had lots of fun. But unfortunately when we were ready to return, we learned that the ferry had mechanical problems and would no longer be running that day.

This meant that we had to find an alternative way home. Fortunately there was another ferry we could take, but there was a charge for it. I spoke to a mother and her three children who were frantic because they did not have the money for the ferry and thus felt stranded. My friends and I gladly paid the fare for this family and bought them a treat on board.

 

908 Reads

Love and Cookies

I had the sweetest phone call from my brother this week. I had sent him homemade cookies for his birthday. His call, a few days later, he told me he had had a bad day. He had intended to put the cookies in the freezer and take them out one or two at a time. But on this bad day he ate most of them.

He had a favor to ask. Would I bake him some more cookies? My heart melted, and of course! I am baking cookies, and adding a bonus batch! His favorites: Oatmeal chocolate chip, Cowboy cookies- made with Wheaties cereal and coconut, and bonus batch of Molasses cookies. I love my brother!

821 Reads

Still Smiling

During the wait time for the balloon launch, I felt a strong nudge to walk up to the rock building shelter near the top of Pageant Hill. (Husband stayed in his lawn chair, wishing for more coffee -- it was 5:30 am after all!) And there, I met Rudy, his wife Beth and their rescue dog Noah -- the reasons for that Divine nudge. Originally from Germany, but since retiring from the military,  they are full-time RV'ers. As the sun rose, our connection grew, with me viewing a video of their first grandchild (able to see every day via skyping to Germany), promising to email them my recipe for naan (done!) and exchanging their contact info card for a Peace dove and a Smile card. Rudy and Beth's philosophy of "Travel as much as you can. As far as you can. As long as you can. Life's not meant to be lived in ... Read Full Story >>

914 Reads

My Street Is Your Street

I am determined to clean up my street and also some empty plots in my street of things thrown on them. Sometimes people wonder why I do. In India people do not think twice before dumping things on vacant plots. Please say a prayer for me and the residents of my street. Hope to share about many things including this one.

839 Reads

Engaging The Crew

I have discovered upon taking my first command of my tugboat that I am more a servant to the crew now than ever. I've always been on the lookout for ways to help them in whatever they might need, now more actively so and with much more influence than as first officer. I wanted to share a leadership technique that has literally produced wonders in the past, a technique that I now apply to the entire crew. Our discussions tend to get rather personal because we spend half our lives on the boat. A crew of 6 living in close proximity for half of the year becomes your family away from home. In these discussions, I am listening and observing carefully to find out what they are passionate about. Then I engage them in their interest, encouraging them to take it to an artistic level. The results of this can be ... Read Full Story >>

836 Reads

Timely Donations for the Right Woman

My friend donated a whole lot of baby things and maternity clothes to me for the women I help at Job No 1. They were beautiful designer labeled tops and jeans. I unpacked them at work, and hung them on hangers and folded the jeans and put them on the shelves.

Today the most beautiful young pregnant woman came in. She only had a t-shirt on and yoga pants. She looked so cold and is due to give birth in a week or so. I got busy. She ended up shyly trying on a few things, then with some encouragement tried a few more things on. She went home with two big bags of warm clothing most of which was from my friend that she had donated.

I hang my thick winter jacket up in the office, and I saw her looking at it. I know! I gave last year's really nice winter jacket away to a homeless lady, so I really wanted not to give this one away too. BUT Providence stepped in, and there was another winter jacket more her size and she took that.

Our next visitor was a mother with twins. Perfect, my co-worker and I had one each to cuddle!

1298 Reads

Sister Supports

Tonight, I did more to help out my sister whose trailer just burned down. I chatted with her, listening intently, giving encouragement throughout the day. This seemed to help her. Knowing she contacted lots of places, to no avail, to get housing help, I checked around for her online. I emailed the Fire Department in Seminole, OK, expressing gratitude for their courage and doing their best, while also requesting resources they could refer me to for her sake. Since she is in between jobs, and struggling with the search right now, I looked online again,  and found some local possibilities with her experience that I recall. Then, I emailed her with what I found. I searched on Facebook for as many digital photos of her and her kids, as I could round up, so far. I found 25. Im in the process of adding them to an online storage account for her to keep ... Read Full Story >>

1709 Reads

Missing Motorcycle Key

This morning, me and my friends and some other students were helping in setting up our gymnasium for an incoming activity. While placing the tables on their assigned places, I found a key that looked like it belonged to a motorcycle owner near the trash can.

I, with the help of some friends, figured that we should give it to the guard near the gates. Turns out, it was his and was actually searching for it! 

1115 Reads
  • Posted by chloego24cg
  • Aug 18, 2017
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A Good Lesson

We were sitting at the table with a friend tonight and in the course of talking about homeless people, he let slip that he once was nearly homeless. For whatever reason, I just kept talking.

I then realized what he had said and opened up a conversation about when this happened. I was so cranky with myself for not listening to what he had been saying, that I made a point of now letting him talk.

I need to listen more and be in the moment. I made up for it by really listening and being empathetic to that time in his life. We all ended up having a really good connecting conversation. A good lesson and I am so glad I caught myself out and made up for my slighting of his words. Never stop learning.

707 Reads

Street Cleaner

This morning I received a wonderful surprise. As I was walking down my street, an elderly neighbor recognized me as the person who cleans our street and vacant plots used as dumping grounds. He appreciated my work and also handed me some money. His gesture made my day and it was an heartwarming act. It meant so much to me and he filled my heart with joy. I love such tiny meetings.

Have a pleasant week ahead of you. Be kind to yourself. Please walk a few blocks, look at the blue sky, and say a blessing for the person who cleans your street. 

1076 Reads

Sisters Dressing Up

I had a bit of a dress rehearsal in my bedroom as I tried on all my new outfits for the Emirates. My sister Berni and her daughter Linsey joined me. Nothing would do but Berni had to try this outfit on; she sat in it while I tried on all other combinations of dresses jackets, skirts, cardigans and blazers, trust me, that was a long time!

She liked this outfit so much I wasn't sure it was gonna make it into my suitcase. She even answered the door in it and was out in the street in it!

Did I mention her extreme generosity, support and love? No, I don't think I did. 98% of what I am bringing with me was purchased by her! This includes sun lotions, underwear, a medical kit, no stone was left unturned. I think she thinks she is my mother. 

It was fun dressing up like 2 little girls, a memory I will cherish when I am in the Emirates. When I wear this outfit I will be sure to send a photo to her. I am blessed to have such a loving and supportive sister.

778 Reads

Persistent Doves

"So, you interested in all this stuff?" I asked the young man sitting beside me under the shade tent, as we waited for the shuttle bus to the Sanford Lab Underground Research Facility hoistroom tour. "Oh, yeah," he grinned. "I'm going to the School of Mines science camp tomorrow for a week too." Found out he was a junior in high school and lived on the other side of the state. And he wants to be a physicist when he grows up. His mom and aunt sat down and we all had a nice chat about how interesting the neutrino research facility was in the process of becoming. We spoke a few more times during the tour and the young man was even interviewed at random to appear on the labs online page. There just seemed something so special about him. The way he held himself tall and straight, the way he looked everyone right in ... Read Full Story >>

1245 Reads

Anything Helps!

Went to the 99 Cent Store a week or so ago and stocked up a grocery bag with snacks, water and toiletries. Kept it in my car, until a couple days ago when I saw a guy on a freeway off ramp, holding a sign "Anything Helps".

I asked if my bag would help him, and he graciously said it would. Time to head back to the 99 Cent Store and make another bag.

#AprilRAOK #BeKindToONeAnother

1826 Reads

The Gift of Playing the Harp

The hospital's surgical floor gave me 4 rooms wanting harp music in my two-hour time slot. The first was a man possibly leaving that day. His wife was with him and while they very much enjoyed the music, they didn't ever seem to grasp the concept of therapeutic music and kept wondering why I wouldn't go play in the lobby for lots of people. "Because I play for people like you!" I said. They still didn't get it and the wife said it made her sleepy, which I said was a good thing, but she didn't care to be relaxing too much. The second room was a chatty and fairly loopy 92-year-old man and his exasperated son. His son was grateful I was able to "soothe the savage beast" for a little while. The nurse who came in did not want to leave, she said. Next came a quiet little woman who thought ... Read Full Story >>

1678 Reads

Kindness Received

I wanted to share the wonderful kindness I have received in the last couple of days. The leader of our choir wanted to do something good for us all and to say goodbye to one member who returns to Germany next week. So he and his wife invited us all to a barbecue at their house. As we don't have transport, the Salvation Army majors picked us up and brought us home. It was a wonderful evening and I so enjoyed it.

This morning my husband and I went shopping. There was a sign about extra loyalty points on some products. I bought three of them but the points weren't on my receipt. I checked at the customer service desk and she promised to put them on. In the process I discovered I hadn’t been charged for the item but because it had gone through they didn't want the money. So I have put it in the bag for the food bank.

868 Reads
  • Posted by Helenconnell2
  • Aug 14, 2017
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