Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Smiling Is Infectious (a Poem)

Smiling Is Infectious
by Jez Alborough*

Smiling is infectious,
you catch it like the flu,
When someone smiled at me today,
I started smiling too.
I passed around the corner
and someone saw my grin.
When he smiled I realized
I'd passed it on to him.
I thought about that smile,
then I realized its worth.
A single smile, just like mine
could travel round the earth.
So, if you feel a smile begin,
don't leave it undetected.
Let's start an epidemic quick,
and get the world infected!

*This was formerly misattributed to Spike Mulligan. The original author is Jez Alborough.

208K Reads

Anything Helps!


I looked for a local homeless guy, Bill, today after work. I couldn't find him, but I saw a woman with a sign reading, "Anything helps."

I asked her if was ready to take a risk. She smiled and I gave her two lottery scratchers and a penny saying, "Hope you hit it big."

She smiled a big grin and thanked me. I hope they were winners.

#AprilRAOK #BeKindToOneAnother

1311 Reads

The Pied Harper Of Zzzzzzzs

I knocked on the door of a woman on the oncology floor and asked if she would enjoy some harp music. She said, "Oh yes! Come in!" As I played, she told me she was heavily medicated and that my playing was providing her with visualizations.

She told me I was a "Pied Harper" and we had a string connecting us, and that we were weaving through a crowd that eventually began to follow us. I played ever more slowly and she began to snore with Christ Child's Lullaby. It was a moment of grace for all of us.

940 Reads

An Accidental Pleasant Surprise For a Stranger

My son had OT and PT today. So we brought the office our extra magazines. I get an excess from signing up for free magazines. Then as always after his therapies if he's good he gets a treat from the vending machine.

Today he accidentally got the wrong bag of chips. So we left the bag of chips there as a surprise for the next person who goes there. Hopefully it brightens someone's day.

750 Reads

Show at School

This was a few days ago, but I went to a performance at school. I bought a ticket for whoever came up to buy their ticket next. As I was walking away, I heard the woman who was next to me say, 'that young lady just inspired me,' and I think she paid for someone else too. (=

947 Reads
  • Posted by novaphantasma0
  • May 22, 2017
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Bee Kind

BEE KIND 🐝 Sheryl dropped the heart-painted rock into my bag saying, "There's no charge for this. I want to give it you!" Her loving energy had attracted me to her display at the artisan's PopLocal party like a bee to a flower. We had a heart to heart chat about how she began painting rocks (because of the white feather symbolism shared as inspiration between her and an uncle) and how it evolved into her 'BEE KIND' mission. From her pocket she pulled a sweet little rock, painted like a bee, with the words "BEE KIND" on the back. "I paint and give these!" she shared. "They are in so many countries now, even one at the Great Wall of China!" Gave her a SMILE card and a Peace dove, and shared a little about our KindSpring.org online community and asked if I could take some photos. Look at Sheryl's smile, it just LIGHTS her ... Read Full Story >>

965 Reads

A Vet Client Overhears Receptionist in Conversation With a Struggling Elderly Lady

This doggy girl was off to the vet this morning for her annual check up and vaccinations. We are still scraping by financially, as my husband has been out of work for the last six months. As I was waiting, I heard the receptionist talking on the phone to an elderly client who's elderly dog had collapsed. She had no transport, so the vet said she would do a home visit after lunch. The lady must have been concerned about the cost because the receptionist said a home visit would cost as much as a clinic visit for her (usually it costs way more than a clinic visit, so I knew the lady must be struggling a bit) Our dog was her usual nut crazy. Dashing around so the vet couldn't examine her, sitting by the door like she had just had a torturous event, snatched the treats from the vet's hand. ... Read Full Story >>

2029 Reads

Thanks Generous Stranger!

From my friend who is traveling around Australia. We were the recipients of a Random Act of Kindness today. We went to buy two movie tickets and the cashier said that he had a surprise for us.

The person before us had paid with a voucher that was valid for 5 people, but there were only 4 in his party so he asked that the 5th be given to the next people in line, us.

That wasn't our only surprise. The second ticket cost AUS$21.50. Twice the price of a ticket at home. Thanks generous stranger!

742 Reads

Blessing From A Box

Last night a neighbor stopped me in the street and waved a piece of paper about. I have a poetry box in my front yard. People can take a poem if they like.

This one was a Celtic Blessing and she informed me that after her walk she would be reading it to her husband who is ill and can't get about much anymore. She is mostly Irish, she told me. Glad to make her smile!

1379 Reads

Little Boy Gets To Ride in Police Car To Drop of Donation

My mom, son and I planned to walk down to the Police station today with our donation. The weather was kind of chilly and there was worry of rain. However, we were just going to put my son in the stroller and go.

Mom called to make sure the officer was going to be at the police station, when he heard that we were going to be walking he offered to come pick us up in a police car! My son was really excited about being able to ride in the police car. The officer asked if he wanted to ride up front or in the back and he chose to sit in the back seat. Ever the good kid lol. He smiled the whole time.

Then we got to the police station where my son gave them some candy and got to pose for a few pictures. It was a good day and my son had a blast. He loved the special ride he got and knowing that 40 children who are having a bad day will be getting a stuffed animal that he donated. I hope everyone is having a good day! 

1577 Reads

Her eight-year-old son didn't want to leave anyone out since he knows how that feels

My eight-year-old son wanted to make goody bags for all the residents of a nearby nursing home. He didn't want to leave anyone out as he knows what it is to be left out (he has Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome, Autism, feeding tube dependent, as well as many other things so he's left out a lot).

So he wanted to make sure we did something for everyone. We live on a fixed income so we had to do some bargain shopping but, we made up 150 bags for them. We also included some fake roses for the nurses. I am so proud of my son.
 

1454 Reads

Magic at The Cafe

I met a beautiful soul yesterday. I went to work with my computer to a local cafe so that I could have a naughty treat; It was lemon drizzle this time :-) and also be among people, sometimes when you work from home all day this is in itself a treat. And the magic of connection sometimes happens; a smile, a kind good morning, someone offering you the newspaper, a short conversation with the staff, a peace dove sneaking in with the bill lots of possibilities for love and kindness. Well, magic did happen. I heard a man who was speaking with difficulty and very loud. I noticed he could not do so clearly and he had some kind of impairment. As it often happens people looked at him-or avoid doing so-and then-as if embarrassed or afraid-looked down. In these cases I try to do the opposite. I imagined a person ... Read Full Story >>

1408 Reads

Serving The Park

Went to the neighborhood park for early morning walk with a friend but noticed litter everywhere. It wasn't at all a pleasant site and dangerous for the birds and cats . So, in all kindness , we got down to clean our beautiful space.

Meanwhile, the gentleman in charge arrived and together we made it green and sparkly..
Next Saturday, we intend to do the same and invite everyone there for some community service/ 'seva' and fun.

948 Reads

Seventh Graders Hold Bake Sales For Their Friend

Colby has Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva. His social and school relationships are increasingly limited to those times when he is well enough to join his classmates in the 7th-grade classroom, using a stander that he has outgrown. Born addicted to opiates, he has a wonderful foster family that has cared lovingly for him his entire life.

The 34 students in his Positive Psychology class recently held ten days of bake sales during a myriad of after school activities, manned each day by a different team of 3-4 students along with Mrs. Mc Bryant, their devoted instructor.

Through their efforts, $1,950 dollars have so far been raised, enough for a suitably larger stander for Colby to use when he comes to the school site. Friends "standing up for Colby", a living lesson in kindness.

1637 Reads

Paying it Forward at a Starbucks Drive Thru, Started a Big Kindness Ripple

I have a fun habit of paying for the car behind me whenever I go to Starbucks. My husband was in the hospital so I was going nightly! The barista told me that when I paid for the person behind me the night before that the next 11 cars paid it forward!

679 Reads

Life is Better When We Smile

Miles of Smiles! Was able to share many smiles today on the subway, at the medical center, the restaurant and on the bus. My smile muscles really got a good workout! But the best part was the open-hearted sharing that a few of my smiles and friendly banter elicited in three gals that work at the medical center. It felt like a "contact-high"! By the time we returned home my face hurt (a good hurt) from smiling and all my origami peace doves were gifted away. I want to share a comment that KS member Kmbhai called in on the day Mindy & I were guest speakers on an Awakin Call a few years ago: "I think a smile is the most precious thing on earth and we can't buy it from anywhere. Most people have lots of problems in their lives, so they have forgotten to smile. But KindSpring gives them an opportunity to ... Read Full Story >>

1117 Reads

Love Is Like A Car Battery

I was parking at a hiking trail that I frequent when a man in the car next to mine leaned out and started to ask me for help. It turned out that his battery was low and no one would help jump start his car! I asked him if he had cables, which he did, and in less than 5 minutes I gave him a jump start and his car started with no problem. He thanked me and asked "how much do I owe you" and I looked at him in disbelief and said "not a thing!" He said "You won't believe it but I've been sitting here for so long and I asked at least three people to help me and no one would do it". That made me really sad. I was thinking that perhaps because of how he looks, his ethnicity, or whatever, people might think he was going ... Read Full Story >>

2317 Reads

Sometimes Kindness Is Hard

Our 16 year old dog with dementia hasn't been doing well recently so we took him to the vet today. It turns out that he also has a tumor in his chest. I was candid with the vet and asked how to tell if he still has quality life. The vet pretty much agreed that he doesn't really seem to have a good quality of life anymore.

We'll give him a few days to see if the new meds will perk him up for a bit longer, but either way it'll be time to say goodbye soon.

Sometimes kindness is doing the hardest thing.
I cried all the way there but was relieved on the way home because I now know what to do.

984 Reads

Master Chef Mystery Box

My best friend has three children, and the older two have sports practice and ballet after school. Last week she asked if I wouldn't mind popping in and turning the oven on for her and putting her dinner in the oven. I live about a 10 min drive away and have her house keys, so I said that was fine. I just got to her house and she phoned in a panic, she said that she forgot to get the dinner out of the freezer that she had planned, so did I mind finding something else for dinner, as it would be well after dinner time before she got home and the kids would be very hungry.

Lol!! I opened the fridge and freezer and it was a bit like a Master Chef Mystery Box. I think I put together a passable dinner - considering I'm vegan and don't often cook meat. I peeled and chopped some veges and put those in the oven too. When it was cooked I turned the oven off and went home to cook my own dinner.

My friend was very grateful, and so were her hungry children. She said that she trusted me to cook allergy aware food.

973 Reads

Changing Our Habitat For Habitat For Humanity

It was a day to focus the spring cleaning. We decided to give and donate to Habitat for Humanity to help people in our community settle in new homes. We decided to give half of almost everything in the kitchen, office, living room, tools and bedrooms.

We felt so good knowing it would really help some other families and we also feel so much lighter already with fewer objects around us. The kids got a big kick out of this too and got very excited to be helping box out things and clean.

720 Reads




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