Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Lost and found in Los Angeles

I'm visiting Los Angeles for a couple of days with my boyfriend, and while we were on a hike early this morning, I found the National ID card of a French kid on the trail. There was no one around, so I figured it was best to pick it up. Being French myself, I recognized it is a big deal document which would be a real drag to lose (the equivalent of losing your Driver's License or Passport in the U.S.). As soon as we got back to our hotel, I googled the cardholder's name (which thankfully was not very common), and found a facebook account that matched his picture. I then followed a few links until I identified his dad, and sent him a direct message along with a photo of the ID card. He wrote back to me within an hour, very grateful. It was really fun playing Sherlock Holmes! The ... Read Full Story >>

2158 Reads

Kindness from a student

One of my students made me a little book yesterday. There are many cute and funny things. I love how she spelt my name phonetically "miss Hooks" when my last name is "Hawkes" The main thing is that apparently I have a sweet nature, am kind, and the best teacher ever. On the last page of the book we travel to New York "just us" she is a lovely student, very gentle, but this was still a lovely and unexpected surprise. On that note... Off to work I go!

2045 Reads

Gifted the satellite TV installer a rose

Gifted the satellite TV installer a rose from my birthday dozen.

Gave it to him in a vase with a little bow, along with a few origami peace doves.

He got the goofiest grin on his face as he smiled a thank you, holding that vase like he had never gotten a gift of a rose before :).


1990 Reads

Fast Pharmacists

Whenever I go to the pharmacy and there's more than one person waiting in line, the pharmacist comes out from the back room, asks for everyone's names, and then gets their prescriptions from the back ready to hands out so that the cashier can simply ring things up and the line moves really fast. Today I told everyone there that they are doing a wonderful job, that they work so very fast, and that they are the friendliest pharmacy in town. I left them all with a big smile on their faces :)

1939 Reads

Winter Food Drive

I stopped in at the supermarket to get a few things and there were two ladies collecting food for a winter food drive for a charity. I bought a few cans of food and two chocolate bars, which I handed to them and thanked them for spending time in their weekends collecting for those in need. They both smiled and thanked me and said it was just what they needed. Before KS I wouldn't have done that, and now I'm brave enough for personal greetings and eye contact :-)

2207 Reads

Kindness Makes a Difference

Kindness is a simple answer in a sometimes difficult and challenging world. I know that to be true. For a long time now it has been my mission to acknowledge and appreciate all people and to encourage others to do the same. When my granddaughter Skylar, was young and we’d go out, we had a contest called “Who can make the most people smile. “ And we continue it today. It makes for a wonderful glorious day. We will be walking in the supermarket and someone will be walking down the aisle with her head down. Skylar walks up to her and gives her a big smile. I watch her walk down the aisle, turn around and smile at Skylar again or perhaps smile at someone else. Kindness is a chain that pulls us all together. Anything that lifts another person is kindness. Every single act of kindness has a ripple effect. ... Read Full Story >>

5032 Reads

I Had A Dark ...

I had a dark moment earlier. The dragon that was once me, returned. I hadn't slayed her. Oh she is a fine piece of work. I don't like her at all. But I am grateful she comes out at times. She reminds me of how far I've come and who I don't want to be, ever. I was at the dentist for my eldest. An appointment which I have organized and reorganized for months. I confirmed it twice and called the day before to ensure all the paperwork would be ready for the x-rays. Then I arrived. it wasn't ready. The lady on had no idea what I was talking about and I immediately felt my blood boil. I was getting so mad. I didn't yell at her or curse but I may as well have because the way I was talking to her was not nice. My tone was so ... Read Full Story >>

2432 Reads

It's Only Food

My husband recently had surgery. Over the years I have cooked meals for people in similar circumstances and not thought a thing of it. Our neighbors came by after he had been home a day, bearing a couple of platters of food. I was overwhelmed. I hugged my neighbor and thanked her. She said "It's only food!" But in that moment, it was not only food. She fed us for 3 meals and a snack, but more importantly fed our souls. Never doubt the impact of a kind act, no matter how small. It always makes a difference.

1398 Reads

A gardener who is blooming with kindness

My Aunty has Alzheimers, and we have not long brought her home from England, where she lived for many years, to N.Ireland, so that we can see her all the time and help her. Her house is going up for sale and due to her illness it needed some TLC to look its best for going on the market. The estate agent just called me to say that the gardener hired to tidy up the grass and hedges a little was touched by the neighbours reports on how much pride my Aunt has taken in her garden, how beautiful it had been, and the story of my Mummy travelling over every month to see her sister, the awful effects of alzheimers, the reason for the house sale, that he wanted to offer some support and did a lot of extra work on the gardens, far above and beyond what was asked ... Read Full Story >>

1197 Reads

Traveling in a public bus

It was a really hectic day for me. I had to go to preparation classes and me and my friends hadn't eaten since morning breakfast. I went to the library and read for some time. It was really late and I had to head home from my classes. I got on the public bus. I knew I had chosen a long route so I turned on some music to listen to. At one bus stop, several people were getting on the bus, just then one person dressed in rags entered.

He held some piece of paper in his hand and was asking for some donation. I was not having a great day and I didn't care at first thinking I am not some kind of a job holder and something like this.

But you know somewhere in my heart, my feelings kept echoing to take a step and give a helping hand. I did give donation even though it was a small amount. Who knows maybe someday that small thing can make a big difference. I felt happy for that person.

1229 Reads

Replacement CD

My friend's car was stolen and he was really upset about it. Especially as all the CDs he owned were in the car. Just a few hours earlier I'd been in the car with him and he'd been playing a new CD, so I decided to buy him a replacement for that CD. I know it's not much consolation but at least he'll have some music to listen to at home.

1389 Reads

Wigs For Kids

Hi everybody -I would really like to share with you all something I did last month that made me feel so good inside. So I had a lot of hair, pretty much at my waist and I loved it and my friends loved it. They were all saying how nice and thick it was, and how good it was for doing different hairstyles on and how lucky I was to have such long hair. But, (haha there's always a but) it was heavy and was always getting in the way. I'd put my dishes in the dishwasher and my hair would fall over my shoulders and land in last nights dinner. Or if I put the car window down it would attempt to fly out the window, and don't even get me started about wearing sticky lipgloss on a windy day. :) Anyway, I wanted to get a fair amount cut off, because ... Read Full Story >>

1373 Reads

From The Maryville Daily .kindness from children

From the Maryville Daily Forum - Two local girls recently decided to forgo receiving presents for their birthday from their friends, and instead gave to those in need. “I don’t want anyone to be hungry,” Mattie Dimmitt said. Mattie is the daughter of Travis and Elizabeth Dimmitt and celebrated her 6th birthday earlier this month. For her birthday, she wanted to do something for other children. “We were talking about Mattie’s birthday cake and she said that she wanted a big birthday cake so no one was hungry at her party,” Elizabeth said. “She didn’t want anyone to be hungry at all and she got big tears in her eye and asked if we could donate food for people.” For her party, Mattie’s friends arrived with gifts, but the packages weren’t filled with toys, instead cans and boxes of food. Once her party was over, Mattie, with some help, took the donations of food ... Read Full Story >>

1591 Reads

Sharing beauty

I gave away about 20 pairs of my earrings and hairclips to our housekeeping lady so that her college going daughter can use them (n flaunt them too) (they were in very good condition). She was very happy n told me that now her daughter wears a new one daily :))

691 Reads

Smile Stone

I left one of my engraved 'smile' stones with a note and a smile card. A couple walking their dog picked it up and read the note. As I was walking off, I heard them say "this is really kind, we should do this too."' Small ripples in the pond. Just saying....

1093 Reads

Intentional Kindness - Giving life a chance

Thursday I dropped the kids off at school and was on my way to the San Isidro feria. On a curve, I passed what looked to be a dead Hawk in the middle of my lane. I swerved to go around it.I glanced back in my rear view mirror and I thought I saw it move. I pulled over and turned around. He was alive! I stopped the car went over to him and picked him up and held him in my arms. I took him quickly back to my car so we would both be out of harms way.Sitting with him in the car and spoke calmly to him. He was beautiful, more than beautiful majestic. I had an animal in my arms that had never had contact with a human being before let alone in one's car. His eyes were brilliant orange. He seemed in shock but not ... Read Full Story >>

2017 Reads
  • Posted by livingadelicious
  • Aug 17, 2015
  • Comments (16)
  • Share Story

Take this umbrella, she said...

A decade ago, we were recent transplants from India & living in two separate cities. My husband, here in Pittsburgh while I was in a small town NJ.

Anyone who has lived in Pittsburgh knows that it canrain in summer more than many other places. Being a newbie, he didn't. One day as he left the clinic building to walk to hospital about four blocks away, a thunderstorm rolled & it started to pour down. He had no umbrella, so started to walk briskly & noticed a car pull over.
A woman bending over from driver's seat reached out with an umbrella in her hand. When he refused to take, she said, "one day someone gave me this umbrella when I was getting drenched. Take it from me today & give it to someone else tomorrow ". That woman made me fall in love with this city & it's kind people. Sometimes, it takes very little....

 

2495 Reads

Helping another person to see her beauty

Isn't her hair pretty!

I took this photo of the back of Wendy's head earlier today when I visited my elderly friend in her home.

It wasn't until after I took the photo and left that I reflected on it and who I have become. You see I took this photo because Wendy is a large lady in a wheelchair with limited mobility. I had told her how much I loved her hair and wanted her to see it too. I knew she wouldn't have been able without the help or double mirror from someone.

The old me never would have done this. I'm not sure if she would have even complimented her. But this new me. I'm loving her. And I love this place for helping me become her.

Thank you all for inspiring me daily



974 Reads

Miles of Smiles

"Right on. This is my kind of protest," he says while going past me. I hadn't thought of it way before. But perhaps it is a protest for lack of smiles in the world. About 15 of us gathered earlier today to create poster boards that we would proudly hold up on busy street intersections of San Francisco. The posters would say simple things like "smile" or "smile anyways" or "spare a smile?" or "smile, it's free". We weren't doing this as a part of any organization but rather as friends and well-meaning citizens of the world. After our morning creative sessions, we split up into teams of four and spread over various intersections on San Francisco's Van Ness Road. My team was at the Lombard intersection, one of the busiest. For the first couple minutes, there's always that awkward question mark on your face -- "I am making a fool of myself?" ... Read Full Story >>

77.7K Reads

Jaw dropper!

Tonight two friends and I were out to dinner at a sushi restaurant one town over from ours. We were enjoying each others company, laughing, and catching up from the week we hadn't seen each other.

We had finished our dinner and were waiting for the waitress to bring over our bill so we could pay. It seemed to be taking longer than normal, but we didn't mind.

All of the sudden, our waitress came over to us and handed us this smile card. She then told us a random man paid for our entire bill as a random act of kindness. We were speechless and our jaws dropped. This random act of kindness made our entire week and inspired us to go do random acts of kindness we should be doing on a weekly basis.

There are good people in the world, we just have to open our eyes to them. If you receive this card, pass on the act of kindness. You never know how big you can impact someone else's life by doing a small act, be the good in the world.

4710 Reads




Submit your own
story of Kindness

Search by keyword

Tags

Subscribe to the Kindness Newsletter

143K subscribers

About Us

KindSpring is a place to practice small acts of kindness. For over a decade the KindSpring user community has focused on inner transformation, while collectively changing the world with generosity, gratitude, and trust. The site is 100% volunteer-run and totally non-commercial. It is a shared labor of love.

Other servicespace Projects Include

KindSpring.org is a project of ServiceSpace. BY-NC-ND 4.0