Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Country Neighbors

My village is in the middle of the English countryside and remote from many of the shops we need. Consequently, I make a lot of internet purchases. 

For the past year my next door neighbor has, un-grumblingly, accepted any packages the postman has been unable to deliver to me. I once returned from a few days away to find her with a pile of parcels as high as her head! 

She has never once complained. So, I sent her a flower bouquet in thanks.

I saw her a few days afterwards and she told me how surprised and thrilled she had been to receive the bouquet. Her face was lit by the most beautiful smile - her gift to me!

1286 Reads

The Most Beautiful Gesture I've Seen At a Coffee Shop

I was in a shopping mall recently, so I decided to go and get a cup of tea. As I was making my way to the coffee shop, I noticed an older gentleman rather poorly dressed sitting on a bench nearby. I knew from first sight that he was in need of some kind of help. He had a little lunch stretched out in front of him and was wholeheartedly enjoying it. It was also rather evident that he had a problem with his right eye and probably couldn't see out of it. I then joined the line and waited to be served.  Then it happened. One of the most beautiful gestures I have ever seen in my life. There was a young man in front of me in the line who was also waiting to be served. Next thing I know the young man hands the server a twenty dollar bill ... Read Full Story >>

10.8K Reads
  • Posted by Brain D. Bailey
  • Mar 20, 2014
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3 For Today

With the aim in mind to keep to really making a change in my world and those around me ,not only for today but for the better, I set out to do 3 things today.

1.  Gave flowers to a fellow being - dropped off some lavender into the post box of somebody I didn't even know

2. Cleared some of my kitchen cupboards and donated odd usable stuff to the homeless. Dropped it off at a central point where I know they get together in the mornings. My simple note added : have a great day!

3. Send out txt messages of inspiration to people on my telephone list that I have not spoken to for a while. List done for today!
 

1251 Reads

Slow Down: Beautiful Things Ahead

Massachusetts is notoriously known for bad traffic and aggressive drivers. I am occasionally included on this list. The past few weeks I started to consciously try something new: When I feel myself beginning to get agitated, I try to slow down and will let other drivers pass me or pull out in front of me. This simple action brings me calmly back to the present moment and makes my commute enjoyable. While I am sure other drivers appreciate the courteous action, I know I am the one benefiting the most from this act of kindness.

2782 Reads

Untitled Photo

I woke up today with a lot of excitement.. I'm currently traveling and am staying at my dad's sister's place. And I travel from her place today evening, so I was sure I will get opportunities to practice kindness on my way but as soon as I woke up I decided to water her plants in the morning which her maid usually does in the afternoon after finishing all her work. Watering plants in the morning helps save water as little gets evaporated in the afternoon sun.

Then a few days ago I had sent some handmade message cards and bookmarks to a girl in Assam who saw pictures of them on my website and asked if she could buy them from me! I simply told her they are gifts made with love with no price tag and that I will send her some soon. They reached her last evening and her's was the first email in my inbox telling how she wasn't feeling too well yesterday and the cards courier just made her day! Her email is the perfect start to my kindness challenge! :)

love
ashima

1932 Reads

Green Smiles

I remember that particular Monday morning well. Having signed up for a new website dedicated to random kindness (KindSpring.org), I suddenly received an email which stated that my idea had won. My idea had... won? Wait, were they talking about my idea for 'Green Smiles'? Green Smiles had always seemed more like a wishful daydream, some sort of fantasy which was inspired by the lack of green in my neighborhood. I wanted to make the neighborhood more 'green' in the broadest sense of the word. For example, I wanted to plant pretty flowers and even herbs in the small patches near the trees. Perhaps even transform the larger and often messy plots of 'green' near the parking lots. Put up insect-hotels so that children (and adults too of course ;)) would be able to enjoy the sight of a pretty butterfly more often. Or look in wonder at at a buzzing ... Read Full Story >>

7772 Reads

Gratitude + Leveraging Networks

I sent a mail thanking a not for profit for all the work they do to protect the environment in India. I have a large network of relationships which I have been saving for a "rainy day" :-) But now I am beginning to think that its useless to collect relationships if these relationships cant be used to serve people. So keeping this in mind, I wrote positives reviews for a friend my linkedin profile so that all the people who are in my network can know about her. She has been looking at raising funds for her organization so maybe this helps in some way.

1394 Reads

Planting Seeds

I've learned that when you truly open your heart and try to connect with others, people will often surprise you. A few of us decided to make some sandwiches today and share them with the homeless around our neighborhood. And this is how we met Michael. Unlike your typical homeless person, Michael started a community garden on a small patch of land on the sidewalk of busy intersection. He was thrilled to show us the beans, tomatoes, bell peppers, and sunflowers that anyone is welcome to take! He said it has sprung up with the help of others who've given him seeds, plants, and soil but mostly because of the kindness of others. Michael, who can often be found playing with his dog named Red-dawg at a nearby park, has a lot to teach. Living on the streets isn't easy but he has really learned to do the most with what little he has. Planting little seeds wherever he can find the space, and watering them. :-)

3153 Reads

Helping Out In A Phone Call

As a customer rep for a financial account of one of US' supermarket, its a daily shift of hundred phone calls regarding their prepaid debit cards. Calls that are sometimes degrading, calls that make you cringe at how the caller speaks and calls that are just purely racist. what make it different is how my mindset is. Everyday I wake up and declare myself as a helper of my callers. I go beyond our protocols in dealing with my customers. Though phone interaction is only limited to 4 minutes 45 seconds, i strive to make it as meaningful and as uplifting for someone in need. One of my callers is panicking on how she made the wrong insurance payment that will lead to his son in college not receiving any pay outs thereby leaving him without any food for a week or two. The mom said she can live going over ... Read Full Story >>

3075 Reads

Welcoming a Newcomer to a Group

I have been a part of a group activity for about 5 weeks now. Last night, one of the group members brought his young girlfriend to it. She was feeling shy initially, being the new comer to the group. I welcomed her and said a few things to make her feel comfortable, encouraging her to tell me about herself as I told her a few things about myself. Soon, she was more at ease and instead of being nervous, was opening up to the fun we were having. At the end of the activity, as I left the meeting, he called out my name and gave me a spontaneous hug, for the very first time. I don't know what prompted it, but I was happy for it, and immediately wanted to adopt him as my son ! Kindness breeds and is often returned back multiplied.

1335 Reads

Spread Love Everywhere You Go

Dear friends, I hope that all is well. One of the things I know is that it is human nature to want things. We all want more money, better homes, better cars, and better relationships and so on. So what is the secret to getting all that we want? I have been looking for that answer for a while and if you have it I pray you will share. Here is what I would like to share, I started tithing last year and I made the minimum amount based on my income. This past Sunday as I reflected in all that is going well in my life I realized that I was not giving back at the rate to which I am being given. This made me think of life in general and how we want so much from life but we are willing to give so little. We often agonize about ... Read Full Story >>

5644 Reads
  • Posted by hasifanajjemba@yahoo.com
  • Mar 11, 2014
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Bearing gifts

I have a 65 year old friend who loves teddy bears - she feels they are part of her family and they give her great joy. Not being a teddy bear person myself, (cute, but I don't 'get' the fascination) I bought, arranged and covertly delivered a basket full of teddy bears and a sympathy note to my friend whose adult niece lost her 2-year battle with cancer. She said the new bears joined her others and they were 'having a party' . She said they brought comfort, put a smile on her face and made her day a little happier. My lesson was that I don't have to buy into someone else's passion or belief in order to to cheer them up.

1534 Reads

Dry Cleaner Excitement

I went to pick up my dry clean and paid for my bill. Then, I kindly said, I wanted to pay for someone else’s bill as an act of kindness today. The lady said you what? I repeated myself. Keep in mind she had a smile on her face and she was saying that is so nice of you to do. I started to tell her about Helpothers.org and showed her the Smile card. She just starts beaming with smiles. She said is this money from the website? I said no, the website gives us a place to share our stories and ideas with other people. She asked if this was a religious site. I said it’s a site for anyone that wishes to share acts of kindness with people all around the world. She said should I pick someone I know? I said that would be fine because I do not know them. She ... Read Full Story >>

6907 Reads

It's A Small World After All

I received in my inbox an order confirmation for a phone cover to be shipped to NYC. Funny, because I live in San Francisco and I didn't order a phone cover. I texted the number that was on the email and introduced myself. Turns out, we have the exact same name and very similar email addresses! I forwarded the email to her invited her out to SF so we could meet.

1189 Reads
  • Posted by pianokristina
  • Mar 6, 2014
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Caring Through Chemo

I gave my friend, who doesn't drive, a ride to work this morning. 

She has stage 3 breast cancer and I have been giving her rides to work while she is undergoing treatment. I also give her rides to appointments and go with her to chemo once a week. 

I am not working at present because of my own medical problems. So, not only does this help her, it helps me too by giving me a reason to get up and do something every day!

993 Reads

Innter Transformation And Some Balloon Moments!

My friend/new found kindness buddy and I were walking down a familiar street near our university and we stopped by an ATM to withdraw some money. We were in the queue when we noticed a young girl helping a blind girl on her way home, by holding her and not letting her come in contact with any danger. My friend H and I felt we needed to thank her for the immense act of kindness that she was doing. So, we decided to make a balloon animal for her to express our gratitude. We created a balloon giraffe and handed it over to her when she stopped by a pharmacy next to the ATM and told her that we were touched by what she was doing to help someone else who is disabled. A connection emerged so strong out of this interaction that we had that she wanted to join us ... Read Full Story >>

4266 Reads

Let Them Know They Are Special

Too often, I think that small things in our everyday lives get taken for granted. When a long-lost friend calls to say a random hello, it can definitely make your day. Knowing that people care and do nice things for your family when you're living far away... they probably have no idea how much that means to you. Or, what about the child you used to nanny for that checks-in once in a while to keep you posted on how they are doing, even though they are full-grown adults now? These are all things that give me something to look forward to, and make a huge difference in my day, but all of a sudden feared that they had no idea how much those things meant to me, so wanted to do a "random act of kindness" to make them realize. I slightly changed my original idea, of being a two-step process, ... Read Full Story >>

3233 Reads
  • Posted by SuperBlessed
  • Mar 3, 2014
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RV For Free

A fire completely destroyed my mobile home last year, just four months after I had paid it off!  I had, wrongly, assumed the insurance was still good until the end of the year and so had to rebuild with what little I had saved. I knew what I had in the bank would not be enough so I began to rent out my RV (recreational vehicle) as a way to help ends meet.  One woman who had reserved a week in the RV called and told me she just found out from her doctor that she had cancer and that her husband thought they probably should not be spending unnecessarily right now but saving for doctor bills. He felt that they should cancel the trip.  I could hear the disappointment in her voice as she told me how she had thought the trip was just what she and her family needed. Then she ... Read Full Story >>

2326 Reads
  • Posted by iwantmorecake
  • Mar 2, 2014
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Cleaning The River

I live in a beautiful village. An ancient, but small, river slowly winds its way through the heart of the village.

Visitors come from all over England to enjoy our village and the neighboring countryside. But, lately, people have been tossing their rubbish into the river, leaving it looking sad and neglected. 

So, I found my longest pair of gum-boots, a pair of elbow-length rubber gloves, a hefty rubbish sack, and waded down into the river. I cleaned out all the plastic bottles, potato-crisp packets, broken beer bottles, takeaway cartons, and all the plastic I could find.

My refuse sack was filled, the river was cleared, and I got to enjoyed my home town from a whole new perspective!

3571 Reads

Helping A Friend

I offered to print a few documents for a friend since the person who normally helped with that was out of town. 

It was especially nice to be able to make this offer since we have been having some misunderstandings lately. 

The gesture was appreciated, which brought a smile to my face - and, I think, to my friend's face too!

1886 Reads




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