Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Taking the Time

My friend recovering from breast cancer and a fractured right elbow is having difficulty in maneuvering, so I've been driving her to her doctors appointments and PT sessions. She is so grateful.

Today, I baked an apple pie (gee it's good), and brought her a colorful salad made with baked squash and potato. The look on her face was my reward. She lives in my building and that helps a lot, but I'm glad I'm able to give her these gifts of healing love.

1414 Reads

Coffee And Smiles

Today I have been tagged! I have spread kindness and given things away and bought lunches and dinners for families. Today I was the receiver of an unexpected kindness.

I have a sick dog and I woke up today to find a mess that I had to clean. Not feeling the energy to even make coffee this morning. I got into my car and drove to Dunkin Donuts.

While trying to turn into the drive thru, more and more cars got ahead of me. Not that I was in a hurry mind you but I just thought "I'm going to sit in this line! ARG!" When I reached the drive thru window a smiling lady handed me my coffee and said "The car ahead paid for your order."

Really?!! Of course at that moment I paid for the car behind me! I left feeling GREAT and SMILING. The car that was behind me in line pulled behind me in traffic. I saw through the rear view mirror that she had a big smile on her face.

It is truly amazing how one simple act of kindness can change the entire day.

3264 Reads

Kindness Contest Winnter of the Month!

I got the chance to receive $100 from Kindspring.org to complete an act of kindness to help others. I thought it would be cool to make little gift baskets for people at the woman's shelter. I thought of this idea as I remembered how joyful gift baskets are, and how those at a shelter would probably love some.

When I entered the contest, I never thought I could win it. When they sent an email informing me of my opportunity, I was shocked; I thought it was a mistake. I knew after that email that I had a lot to do in a little time.

The planning part for the baskets was perhaps the hardest thing to do. I had to figure out when and where I should hold the assembling of the gift baskets and what I would call them. I had to decide what to buy with the $100 and how to tell people about the event.

I ended up deciding to call my project, Smile Baskets, because hopefully each basket would make a person smile. The women’s baskets, were filled with  beauty products and food treats. I filled the kids baskets with toys. 
 

1138 Reads

A Purrrrrfect Morning To ...

A Purrrrrfect Morning to All of You! Last evening I washed up a bunch of old towels and blankets to take to an animal charity today.

Could not resist sending you this picture of our cats laying in the basket as the towels came out of the dryer. They had to give it their seal of approval!

Wishing you a wonderful day, weekend, and kindness to and from unexpected strangers. Spread the hugs around!

845 Reads

Gratitude and Kindness Persist

I have decided to keep going after the 21 day challenge. I think it is a great way to remind myself each day to be kind and caring with everyone  that I come in contact with. Today I was grateful. We have a friend with a terminal brain tumor and things are getting difficult for him. He is someone with a most loving and caring heart. He and his partner have been inspirations to me as they travel this journey together - so kind to each other, to others and with a willingness to share their fears, their gratitude, their dreams, their loving. I sent them a loving note today telling them that they walk in my heart with me. As I am outside at this time of year, I am reminded of the many lessons in the natural world around me - the changing seasons, the compost pile, the leaves falling, the ... Read Full Story >>

1106 Reads

Breakfast On The Go

One cold morning I went by McDonald's on the way to work to get a breakfast sandwich. I noticed two men with their backpacks standing at the front of the store. By their appearance, they didn't seem to have much other than what they carried in their backpacks.

 I ordered my breakfast sandwich and then ordered two extra. As I went around the drive-thru toward the front of the building, I asked them to come over to the car and handed them the two extra breakfast sandwiches.

I smiled and said "God bless, stay warm". They smiled in return and those smiles made my day.

 

1532 Reads
  • Posted by Goldenlilly
  • Dec 15, 2014
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Our Choice

I have not been posting for awhile. I have been following along and either doing the suggested idea or something else. My procedure in every case was to think about what I could do and then go and do it. It was always a one shot deal. I am immensely grateful to the organization and to the people who posted and who responded to my stories. Just being aware of the amount of kindness happening in the world changes your viewpoint entirely. Being on the receiving end lifted my spirits immensely. A big change  happened in me as a result of yesterday's act of kindness. As it happened, I turned up at Canadian Tire as a group of motorcyclists and old cars were gathering for the Ride for Xmas Toys. There was, as usual, a registration desk. Without thinking about it, I went over and gave a donation. That isn't the big ... Read Full Story >>

987 Reads

Dinner And Jam

I took dinner to a friend who has had a lot of illness that neither her allopathic or naturopathic doctors have been able to diagnose.

I try and visit her once a week, since she is unable to leave the house much, and give her encouragement to try making things at home that she can do when she has the energy.

She was so happy to share two jars of jam that she'd made, having finally gotten over the fear of canning. She'd only made very small batches of the jams, so I know she was sharing her love when she gave me the jam. #21KindActs

1255 Reads

Just A Twist

So, the 21-day challenge is almost over, so fast. It has made a difference for me to keep  focused on kindness.

Yes, I still have my issues, but just a shift in consciousness, a twist on choosing how to see at things, makes everything lighter and brighter.

Many thanks to those who participate here. We have kept a growing uplifting energy available to all of us by sharing our stories. And then what? I'll keep coming back here to read your stories and telling you some of my own. The blessings already are.

949 Reads

So Grateful!

Day 21 - Gratitude Journal - the three things I am most grateful for right now - a warm robe, caffeine, and my cozy pets.

The three things I am most grateful for regarding this 21 day challenge - I loved applying mindfulness to kindness and expanding my repertoire of kind acts, I loved learning that most of my challenges with the way things are come from my own resistance and taking steps to release some of the resistance, I loved feeding people - literally and spiritually.

Thank you KindSpring!

872 Reads

A New Brightness

We wanted to surprise my son today, so while he was at work, my husband and I worked on building a small shelter for his entryway.It's a place that often gets snow filled in the winter.

It turned out to be much harder than we had imagined - with many angles and difficult cuts to have everything fit correctly. As the rain poured down, our frustration grew.  

I remembered the idea of putting love into what we do  - then the work becomes a prayer - energetically, it makes such a difference! I reminded my husband about this idea and we both shifted from being frustrated to focusing on doing something challenging with loving kindness. 

 The mood shifted even though the rain continued to pout down on us.  The project was now filled with a new brightness.  Things did not get easier - we just focused on putting love into each challenge we came up against. I think it will eventually be a beautiful shelter.

1116 Reads

From the Hand of a Child

A child walked around the temple with a gardenia flower, bringing it to the nose of each devotee so each could  enjoy the fragrance of it. It was a simple and beautiful experience.

I brought a flower home and have it on my kitchen counter. All day, as I walk past it, I reconnected with that lovely feeling of sitting in the temple and having the surprise gift brought to me so beautifully.
Thank the earth and the flower and the child for making this possible.

837 Reads

A Road Less Traveled

I am a lawyer. I like to think I work for the good, and thus, I only represent individuals. In particular, my clients have been women facing work-place discrimination and sex harassment, people who have developed long-term disabilities, whose insurance carriers refuse to pay the contracted-for benefits, and senior citizens who are victims of elder abuse.

It's easy to get lost in the stress and want to go home at the end of the day to other, more pleasant, things. It is also easy to feel discouraged by the unethical tactics that some defense counsel use.

Today I decided to volunteer my time to a local organization assisting boys and girls who have been bullied by their peers. If I can make a difference in the life of just one child, I'll give my time. Those years are so important to an individual's self-esteem and success later on.

Today I made a promise to myself that when I simply want to go home at the end of the day, I will remember that there are many youngsters with potential that might need  a little bit of encouragement..

797 Reads

A Surprise Ride Home

Yesterday I gave my co-worker a ride home even though his apartment is completely out of the way for me.

It takes him over an hour to take the public transportation home but only 10 minutes if I drive him. I try to do this when we leave work around the same time or when I don't have anywhere to be after work.

1155 Reads

Flower-Bomb

I bought dozens of flower bulbs this evening - tomorrow I will be flower-bombing my mother's gardens while she is away. I told her I would help get her gardens ready for the fall/ winter and I will.

I think the best part is that she won't know until the spring rolls around and things begin to grow and bloom. I love a little mischief mixed in.

1002 Reads

Some Things Can't Wait

 I was working and under a very tight deadline today. Skype rang and it was one of my dearest friends, who is quite ill.

I was tempted not to answer because my work needed to get done. Do you know the feeling?

I picked up anyway and we had a lovely chat. I even got up the courage to speak to her about her illness and my fears related to it. When we hung up,  she knew that  I love her, miss her and can't wait to see her again. Good call, it was so worth my time!

1029 Reads

Smile Cards at the Farmers Market

Handing out SMILE cards at the Farmers Market was a big success. It was a fun way to engage people in talking about things that mattered. I linked the idea to building community spirit and reducing fear of one another in general. As I spoke with people, they usually responded with a moment of perplexity, but then caught on to what I was getting at, and it was wonderful to hear responses. Many people told me of their on-going acts of kindness and their interest in passing along the card. Some expressed worries over the state of the world, and agreed we need more love and kindness to start environmental, social, economic, and individual healing. The biggest change probably happened in me, however, as I had four hours of putting myself "out there" for the ideas of love, kindness and sharing, and that meant I needed to do some serious listening, and modeling ... Read Full Story >>

1975 Reads

Cherishing the Moments

Yesterday I went to visit my parents. My dad is ill and I cherish every moment I get to spend with him.

My mom seemed a bit stressed about an event she was planning coming up on Friday- I offered to do all the grocery shopping and planning for the event for her and she was pleasantly surprised.

My parents have given me so much, it's nice to be able to do something (even if it is small!) for them.

1577 Reads

Practicing Inconvenient Generosity

  Buddha thought one's generosity was not true generosity if it was convenient. (Jesus certainly practiced the same lesson). After meditating on this,  I reviewed my annual giving, and ruled it convenient.  Around this time, I met a single mother who'd lost custody of her two kids and was homeless.  I decided to take her into my small house, and I did so for five months, helping her find an attorney and a counselor and some general support. The five months she stayed with me were indeed a challenging, rewarding, very inconvenient, humbling, taxing and spiritually enlivening experience. I can't pretend any more that "they" - the homeless, mentally challenged, downtrodden, addicted, or however "different" are fundamentally different from me as a human being. There are a lot of homeless folks in my town. There but for the grace of God go we all.  Everyone, I learned anew, faces pretty much all the same ... Read Full Story >>

1707 Reads

Off To The Gym

My neighbor across the street has been wanting to trim down a bit and was contemplating joining the gym I go to. I offered to take her there to try it out.

She  postponed three times, then finally she agreed to go. I drove us there and introduced her to the staff and showed her around the facilities. She loved the workout and hopes to join soon.

I'm glad I finally pushed her in trying the gym out. She was so thankful for my time!!

1576 Reads




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