Stories of Kindness from Around the World

A Haven of Hope

Today we gave a monthly contribution to Sister Lucy at Maher Ashram.  One day, when Sister Lucy was a young girl, she went to Delhi for the first time and saw people living on the street. She cried and asked her parents why they were there. "Why is no one helping them?" Her parents tried to explain but the complexities were too difficult as they would be for anyone, let alone a child.  The little girl decided that, someday, she would do everything in her power to help. At 18 she joined a religious order but they didn't do outreach work. It took five more years to find the funds to build one home. Sister Lucy had nothing when she started except her faith, but her faith never wavered. Every time she saw someone sleeping on the street, she brought them to her house until it was full. Then she got the funds ... Read Full Story >>

Good Saturday

Today I made gluten free chocolate cookies for a few people with gluten allergy
I'm also making a poster for peaceful protest against the war in Ukraine. I spread the word about the vigil and will be going to it tomorrow.

Other acts of kindness include:

• Calling someone who is going through difficulties and tried to provide her with resources and connections to others
• Making big pot of soup to give away
• Sharing food with a neighbor
• Giving away oranges from our tree
• Volunteering at the soup kitchen and afterwards gave away my snack (banana and tangerine) to an older man who was hanging out outside. He was so surprised and it made me so happy!

Day #1 Of Kindness Challenge

Over the past several weeks 15 colleagues came together and decided they wanted to do a 21-Day Kindness Challenge. Instead of online, they preferred journalling and then meeting once a week. I did encourage them to post on KS, so we'll see if there are any newbies:). I distributed Kindness journals yesterday, as today is the first day of the challenge.
For my pay-it-forward, I wanted to make a meal for a dear soul who is going through her own journey with cancer. She has family over today, though, celebrating her brother's birthday so I've decided the kind thing to do for her would be to wait for another day. Instead, I made a couple of batches of peanut butter (speaking of which, if you'd like a jar, please pm me with your address...I'd gladly offer you one as a gift). I'm going to take some out with me and see where they land. I am also working a loaf of vegan milk bread for a friend of (my) wife's.

Kind Thoughts Even for Trash 🙏

Each time I put out the packaging materials, cartons and newspapers, I see to it that I fold and tuck them neatly in bags wherever possible because they served a purpose and they will continue to do so. Why trash recklessly? Even trash is a profession, a major one, both within the precincts of the body and the mind and without, isn't it? So I don't take this critical function lightly. I enjoy adding dignity to trash.

I resumed the chore of giving out incense by handing out a white cedar box to my delivery boy. He was surprised and asked 'is it for me?' I said 'yes' with a 😊 He was not expecting it but I was planning to give this box of incenses to him for a few days. The boy has releived the elderly caterer of the job of delivering.

I handed out one more box to the delivery man from the restaurant who brings me food to on days when the caterer does not visit. One Mr John always takes my orders. The second box is for him 😋

🇺🇦 Ukraine Shoutout

I emailed this to our public radio station today in response to radio host daily shout outs. He read it on air 👍

Subject: SHOUT OUT

For all people helping in the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine & the brave Ukranian people who remain to help there🇺🇦🙏. May peace prevail 🕊

Mish in Brooklyn
Family from Ukraine originally

An Abundance of Banana to Share

We are lucky to have a fruitful banana tree in our home. It has been giving us a signal for some time to harvest the fruit.  We decided not to wait any longer and harvested the fruit and the stem which were tasty. 

It was with great pleasure that we were able to distribute the fruit to about ten families in our community, to our house helpers and to my wider circle of friends. It was a privilege to watch our banana tree grow step by step and eventually give forth a generous harvest of bananas. The tree was kind and it is a wonderful feeling to pass its generosity to those around us.

           

An Ordeal Made Better by the Kindness of Nurses

Yesterday was my last day of 6 weeks of daily transfusion of antibiotics at the hospital 'out patient' clinic. I gave quote cards and a dozen bagels and cream cheese to the marvelous nurses there.
Their thoughtfulness, humor and kindness got me through a process that I didn't understand well and it helped tremendously. I thanked them all and gave hugs.

Transplanting Plants On The Roadside

Often while on my morning walk along a country lane, I notice the spaces where fallen trees have left only their stumps with very little growing there now. It seems such a shame to me that there's little there now for the birds and bees.
A couple of days ago, I found a large bank of snowdrops growing over the mound of an underground oil tank by an abandoned house. So taking advantage of the soft ground after a recent snow melt, I dug up a bagful, then transplanted them along the roadside verge, putting a small clump beside the old stumps and in many other places along the way. Although they're a bit late to establish for this year, I'm sure they look very bright and pretty for years to come and will be a source of early food for the pollinators who visit them. Next step dear Universe, could you please find me some hawthorns, brambles and rose hips that need new homes. Happy bees!

🙏🌍🙏 May Peace Prevail

🕊🇺🇦🕊. In response to a plea for help (below) from Doctors Without Borders that came in my email today, we are making a donation today….. “The drastic escalation of conflict in Ukraine has led Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to make the painful decision to halt our normal medical activities in the country. Immediately before the escalation, we were in contact with several hospitals in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions to provide training in emergency medicine and surgical preparedness, and yesterday our team provided one mass casualty kit, with supplies for treating traumatic injuries, to a hospital in Mariupol. As hostilities continue, assuring people’s access to health care and medicines will be critical. MSF teams respond to urgent medical needs around the world . MSF teams in Belarus and Russia stand ready to provide humanitarian assistance where needed. We are looking to send teams to neighboring countries to be ready on stand-by, either ... Read Full Story >>

🤗 Hugs

Walking to our car, after another visit to the apartment that my husband and I have been furbishing for my soon to relocate to the area sister, we were enthusiastically greeted by a toddler.

He ran to my husband, made a happy delighted squeal and hugged my husband’s legs, because that’s as far as he could reach.

Then, the toddler ran to me, with that funny well bundled against the cold gait. I squatted down and hugged him back, saying, “Thank you! You give the bestest hugs!”

We talked briefly with his parents, who were loading their car to move back to Tennessee to be near family.

Sorry to see them leave, just as we met. We wished them a safe journey and all the best.

We so needed those HUGS!

Spontaneous and full of joy, beyond value.

Grateful. 🤗

Sunday Afternoon

I visited a neighbour and gave a hair treatment to two girls hair and made them smart and ready for school tomorrow.
Mu neighbor was so happy; she said she couldn't have afforded the salon money for both the girls. I couldn't have found a better way to spend my Sunday afternoon.

We All Need People Who Care

We had a lovely break for 10 days, just getting away from home and work while visiting good old friends and family in another city. 

I bought them some small, but thoughtful gifts and they were so grateful. In turn, they surprised us as well with tokens of kindness.

We all need people in our lives who care about us. And we all need to reach out to others to show that we care too.

Three Special Offerings

Three people in my husband's work lost sisters to illness or accident in the last four years. So every year in their memory we donate to a young woman's enterprise here in the USA in each of their memories. Today's donation was to a young woman (and her husband) who run a duck bowling alley. I have no idea what that is but it looks like fun, and no ducks are actually harmed:).  Every year for Valentine's Day I get to give -- this is our gift to each other. So grateful. This year we gave to Maher. We do every month but this month was extra, and I'm so glad we could. Sister Lucy's work is oceans-deep in love. They just celebrated 25 years. Now they have over 30 homes to help women and children on the street. All from one woman's dream. I adore this beautiful woman/saint. She makes ... Read Full Story >>

Books & Tea

📚 🫖 I put two books and a few teabags in a shopping bag, with a Smile Card, and left it in a neighbor’s mailbox this afternoon. She’s a book-lover & enjoys tea 👌🏻

The books are new…I just finished reading them and told her to pass them on. 📚

Perfect moments

I would like to tell you about the kindnesses I have received from others - people I don't know and had not never met before:

The lady who drove up with her 2 little kids to give out blankets and snack bags to the homeless at a moment I needed it the most.
The homeless guys who gave me the blankets they received from the lady because they had jackets and I didn't.
A lady called Renee who gave me a ride in her beautiful shiny red car when I couldn't walk another step.

Please ask the universe to find a way I can pay them back, and of course I'll always pay it forward

Paying It Forward With Something For Free Postage

I took all the items I'd accumulated to Open House this morning. Before I went, I ordered some new wash bags for putting delicate items in the washing machine. I was very close to free postage when I saw they made cupcake cases and that was just enough to take me over the limit for free delivery - so I ordered some. I don't make cupcakes but I know they will be appreciated by Angela who serves tea and coffee and makes sandwiches at Open House. I'm really glad I found them as there wasn't anything suitable for the food bank.

Shelves For Teachers

I work at a title one elementary school. The staff restrooms were drab and lacked a place for teachers to set things down in order to use the restroom. Early on,I overheard teachers talking about skipping an opportunity to use the restroom because there was no place to set things down. I sprang into action and purchased small bookshelves for each staff restroom, assembled and placed them without anyone knowing it was me. I also added paintings I had done to beautify those space. I received not when I noticed teachers were using the shelves!!

Perfecting The Journey 🚙 ...

During times of stress and uncertainty, the beauty of laughter and normalcy are gifts of immeasurable value. They refuel our spirits with glimpses of what is truly important and remind us that all will be well. The hotel we have been staying at during our emergency layover in Kansas has been our port in the storm, providing refuge as we gather resources - mainly a newly purchased pre- owned vehicle, for the next leg of our journey home. The housekeeping crew of about four Hispanic ladies have been especially inspirational. Just by being happy at their work and enjoying each other’s company and camaraderie, they have given me hope and a smile when I didn’t think I had any left in me. In appreciation, I wrote them a special note, along with a few Peace Doves and cash to share a treat together, and left them on the desk in our room. Finding our way ... Read Full Story >>

Handing Out Valentine Cards

I never did share  my  experience giving away valentine cards. I had made about 20 large cards and 10 small tiny ones. I made the envelopes on those as well. I was going to sell them but decided to give them away. My first person. A coworker and I went to drop off a work vehicle at car dealership for warranty work. An elderly lady was walking across to her vehicle. I walked up and said happy valentine's day and handed her the tiny card. She looked at me puzzled. She asked, this is for me? I said yes, I make valentine's day cards and hand them out. She asked, do you work here? I said no, I'm here, blah blah. She had the sweetest irish accent. She started to cry. She said "no one ever does these kind of nice things anymore". I said "well, they happen today."  After work I was ... Read Full Story >>

Sharing Peace Doves With Nurses

I gave out peace doves, quote cards, pamphlet about doves and smile cards to the nurses in outpatient care. They spend two hours everyday giving me my infusion of antibiotics. Several came into my room looking all aglow and thanked me.