Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Even Gandhi Leaps Up To Dance!

Here is a photo of Gandhi dancing! It surprised me when I first saw it recently. It fits in with my current meditation. Today have been reflecting on these words of the legendary teacher and philosopher Jiddhu Krishnamurti: "You must understand the whole of life, not just one part of it. That is why you must read, that is why you must look at the skies, that is why you must sing and dance, and write poems, and suffer, and understand, for that is life." The word "dance" struck me the most, as we have been speaking here lately about taking LEAPS into the unknown (thank you, KS member Mish!) and that word also brought dancing to mind. I recalled seeing this photo on Pinterest awhile ago and looked it up, because Mahatma Gandhi is a man after the heart of KS, known for his great seriousness of purpose in life, a ... Read Full Story >>

1575 Reads

Lost Tourists Set Back On Right Path

They didn't know they were lost.

I was waiting at the bus stop for my bus yesterday, and I noticed a man and a woman who looked like they might need help with directions.

I approached them, and asked if they needed any help. She indicated that she thought they were okay and knew which bus they needed, which was 7 bus. She told me the street they were trying to get to. It turns out that they were headed in the wrong direction. I told them to cross the street to catch the right bus on the other corner.

Whew! Glad I took a few moments to help them.

1240 Reads

Gone Fishing!

Saturday I was getting my hair done and as I was paying which included a tip, I spotted a Bass Pro Shop gift card in my purse I had won a few months ago. I handed it to my stylist and said I bet your husband likes to fish and handed her the gift card.

I said give this to him. She was thrilled as they had a new baby and she was only working 2 days a week. Yesterday on Social Media I saw that they were in the mountains with their 6 year boy fishing. I just smiled.

746 Reads

Words Of Comfort At A Sad Time

I spoke with a coworker of mine today, and she told me some sad news. Her beloved dog is not in good health, and to spare the dog any further suffering, she is going to put the dog to sleep.

I knew that it was very painful for her to go through this loss, so I gave her a card with a note to tell her how sorry I was for her to lose her beloved dog and also thanked her for her help at work. I included a gift card for the 711 convenience store, so she could get herself a coffee and a treat.

I hope my words provide some comfort to her at this time of sadness. It is never easy to say goodbye to a beloved pet.

 

1277 Reads

Proud Moment Witnessing Shy Daughter's Kindness

Today at the store my 16 yo daughter, who is very shy and has high anxiety, noticed that an elderly woman had trouble inserting her coin into the shopping cart. My daughter watched for a moment and then asked the woman if she'd like to take the cart that already had a coin in it and which my daughter was returning.
I'm so happy that she's getting brave enough to offer help to strangers!

1943 Reads

The Life Memoir Of My Father

Over Thanksgiving we had asked my dad if he would write a memoir (just for us) about his childhood in the village and his journey to the U.S. in the 1950s and his life in a new country. He has spent the last 4 months working on it, and when I went home last weekend to surprise my mom for her birthday, along with my brother. I was thrilled to find out that he had written about 100 pages already. (And it's not done yet).  One of the highlights of my trip (besides just spending time together) was getting to read what he has written so far. It was so profound and moving to read and I got to tell him how much I appreciated it. The reason I'm sharing this is because I think it's a great idea to ask an elderly person to share about their life in writing---it ... Read Full Story >>

1529 Reads

Pay It Forward

Yesterday I assisted a young leader in our company prepare for an interview. Made me realize and appreciate all those that have mentored me, coached me and supported me in my career. Paying it forward is such a great feeling and so very kind.

831 Reads

A Small Give, But Great Joy

Went to the Botanical Gardens yesterday and was sitting outside in that glorious Fall sunshine. We were having lunch and noticed this very old gentleman sitting on a chair in the full sun. I went over to ask him if he needed anything. "No I am fine just waiting for my daughter to come back from her walk" He was still there thirty minutes later so I just grabbed a small little table put it near him and handed him a glass of water. He must have been hot. He was really thankful.

The friend I was with didn't know how to handle what I did. But that didn't stop me offering two delightful ladies at the next table, some of our lovely cookies that we were not going to eat. They loved it.

My friend still said nothing. But I just smiled and continued our conversation. Some people don't think to do these things until they see others doing them. I hope there will be a ripple.

1298 Reads

Bikers Grateful, Not Scary to Woman That Spoke Up

Last night I followed some motor bikers on the interstate and the rear lights of one were rather dim and I barely saw him. So when we all pulled into the same gas station I approached the group and told them which bike in their formation had dim lights so that he wouldn't ride in the rear and could stay safe. 

I considered whether I should approach them for quite a while, then I figured what the heck, I need to get over my anxiety, they are just normal people no matter what I was taught to believe, and this is a well lit and highly frequented gas station, I'm safe!

They thanked me for letting them know.

1041 Reads

The Kindness Of My Parents

Every week my Dad sends out to us "kids" an email called, "Theme of the week". This week's theme was about the importance of earning an honest living and doing so with kindness and compassion in mind.

Every job on Earth can be done with kindness and compassion in mind! Even my Mom and Dad who are now 80 and retired continue to do their jobs as "Mom and Dad" with kindness and compassion in mind. It's so kind of them to continue to help keep us all on the right track! I am very grateful for them both!

1517 Reads

A Lady And An Orchid

It was my ex husband's mother's birthday today, she was 88 years of age. I called to see her and brought her a beautiful orchid which she loved. I also sent her a birthday card, they don't seem to make birthday cards from ex daughter's in law. Lol I wrote "To a very special lady on your birthday. You have always been like a mother to me. Love Rose-Marie x" She loved the card. I arrived at 11.30 am and stayed until about 4.30 pm,  I didn't want her to be on her own on this special day. I also offered to take her to the nursing home to see grandad but she'd just visited the night before and was happy not to go. As I was leaving my daughter Lauren and her boyfriend Frankie arrived. Lauren got me to stay for Bucks Fizz (a British pop band's music album) and birthday ... Read Full Story >>

1187 Reads

Could Giving Heal The Giver?

Had the most curious thing happen yesterday, and am almost hesitant about sharing as it might sound odd! When I awoke Thursday morning I was full of a cold! Sinuses ached something painful, nose stuffed up, eyes streaming continuously, stomach ache, intestinal distress, aches all over and headache! I am about to travel so was less than thrilled with catching a summer cold at this point, but I tried not to worry too much about it and rest-up a bit more, pottering about, packing up and tidying. Around 11 am I decided it was unfair of my dear poodle pal to be waiting until my husband came home for lunch to go out again for a an outdoor "business trip", at the least, so I went downstairs and took her out to the little park close to my house. There I saw a shape of a person in a tatty black sleeping ... Read Full Story >>

1902 Reads

The Best Bouquet For A Young Mother

Chose the best bouquet at the stand near the checkout and added it to our groceries. Looking around, I noticed a young mom, with purple tinged hair, helping her partner load their purchases from the cart into their reusable bags. Her son, about 4, was the very one that had earlier been running down the aisles, plastic play binoculars bouncing about his neck. She had "caught" him and gently chided him to walk, by holding his hand and talking softly. The toddler girl, in her daddy's arms, had the sweetest smile and curly white-blonde hair. Handing the mom the bouquet, along with a Smile card and origami Peace dove, I asked, "Would you please accept these flowers as an early Mother's Day gift?" Oh, her face lit up and she smiled so! We left the store about the same time and her partner stopped and turned, making sure to thank us too. Grateful for all the young mothers ... Read Full Story >>

1036 Reads

The Cook's Drum

Over the years, I've rebuilt multiple djembe hand drums by purchasing rough mahogany shells and completely reworking them into playable artwork. There's just something about the tactile nature of a hand drum that draws me, along with beautifully oil-finished wood and of course lots of knot work! One day, I brought a drum shell down to the galley prior to taking it on deck to sand. The cook, a lovely woman in her late 70's and still going strong, started asking me questions about it. I've known her for about 10 years now, having first met her when she injured her ankle and had to be helped off the boat she was working on. I picked her up with a smaller vessel, brought her to the small boat harbor, and then practically carried her to her hotel room because she couldn't walk. When I brought the drum shell down, I had been ... Read Full Story >>

1172 Reads

She Nearly Passed This Butterfly on the Road, But Changed Her Mind

Dear KindSpring world, I don't know how many of you are aware of the magic you do. By sharing kindness stories you not only inspire us but also nourish the seeds of harmony and love, connect our souls with self, with others, and with nature.

Today as I was crossing the road in the middle of it, was a butterfly. I thought it was dead and passed it through but my soul shivered imagining it being crashed by a car so I stepped back, took it on a piece of paper blown by the wind my way (was'nt it a coincidence?!) and let it slide in a green zone on a flower.

To my surprise, discovered it was alive, flapped its wings a few times, like "a thank you note" and oh, my happiness grown so heavy, a few tons in only one second! So, dear friends, if my soul was not to be filled with so many inspiring stories of kindness read here, maybe I would have never get back to save that little butterfly.

Thank you! May the magic of kindness keep spreading! Grateful thanks, dear KindSpring!

1397 Reads

A Young Boy's Uncommon Selfless Birthday Wish

One of my fellow nurses here had a birthday party for her son this weekend.

He invited his entire class! He decided that he didn't want any gifts but wanted his guests to bring a donation for the Canadian Cancer society!

He just turned 10 year of age. Bravo to him! Together they raised $170. I'm sure the children enjoyed the party and felt great about their contribution to charity!

1214 Reads

A 'Pay it Forward' at a Lemonade Stand


Earlier today  we did a Pay It Forward on our block. Two little girls set up a cupcake/cookie/lemonade table (all made by them!) in front of their house.  They were donating 50% of the profits to a charity.  

We bought a few cookies and left money and a Smile Card and told them we wanted to pay for the next person who stopped by and explained about Pay It Forward and Smile Cards. They were reading the card as we walked away.

985 Reads

A Co-worker Pays It Forward

Yesterday I was sooo frustrated!

I was leaving work (needed to get my daughter to the doctor), and a car was illegally parked behind me, blocking my exit. I couldn't believe someone would leave their car liked that.

I went to the office to have the receptionist make an announcement to whoever the owner was in order to move their car.

As I waited upset, a coworker offered me her car so I could take my daughter to the doctor. What a selfless act!

It eased the frustration right away just by her offering.

#AprilRAOK #BeKindToOneAnother

656 Reads

Passing it on

After a day out with my son (at the beautiful beaches in the photo) I headed to the airport and realized that my phone battery was very low. No point having an electronic boarding pass if my phone won't turn on! A lady came along and she also had the same problem, so loaned my larger plug so she could plug her phone in on the other outlet.

While I was waiting for my phone to charge, I played with a cute little toddler, it was a fairly mindless game but her mother thanked me for keeping her occupied while waiting to board the plane.

The landing was surprisingly smooth (after the first one was so rocky) but the woman in the seat opposite me starting to vomit. I didn't have a spare sick bag, but someone else did. She was trying to wipe her face with the bag, so I hunted in my already crammed packed bag for some tissues and gave her the tissues and some wipes. She thanked me several times.

I'm home now, but missing my family terribly. Goodbyes are so hard.

708 Reads

An Experience in Being That Someone That She Really Needed

More clothes to the second hand shop and then going to Residential care. I cleaned out one of the ladies closets at the nursing home, as she cannot physically do it. We take family for granted and only realize that when you don't have anyone, no one does the little, special things that are needed. Like getting rid of clothes, books and other stuff that some of these people don't need or want them anymore. I had a good time doing this and the lady loved it. Sad that some of it was years old and not appropriate anymore. My point really is that friends and family look after a lot of the little things these people need attention to. Those without any family or friends, don't seem to get this help. I then bought her three of those warm long sleeved light thermal tops to keep her warm. I am not supposed to ... Read Full Story >>

1342 Reads




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