Stories of Kindness from Around the World

De-stressing The School Break

  My kids had been on holiday from school for almost two weeks and it was getting a bit much for me. (If you are a parent you will understand!) I was getting a little impatient with them and I don't like being like that. So, I decided I needed a pick-me-up and the best way I've found to feel happier is to do random acts of kindness!   While I was grabbing some last minute dinner items at the store I picked up a candy bar and asked the cashier what her favorite candy bar was. She thought I just couldn't decide what to get and named one she liked. I picked up one of those and bought it with the rest of my groceries.    After I had paid and was ready to leave I gave her the one she picked out and wished her a good day.   The other candy bar I gave ... Read Full Story >>

1634 Reads

Re-gifting Can Be Great

Every year the company my husband works for gives us a twenty dollar gift card to a local grocery store for the holidays. Every year we use this card to buy a portion of our holiday meal. A couple years back I was managing a department for Home Depot where I had a man named Thom working part-time. He would drive fifty miles to work for us and he also had a full time job.   Thom was fun to watch in action as he would walk the customer though everything they needed for their project, and then take them to the cashier.   On one occasion were discussing Christmas and what we do for our main meal. Thom said that he worked two jobs because of medical debt and money was tight for his family. There would be very little extra cash available for Christmas.  He said that throughout the year they focused on saving a few dollars here and ... Read Full Story >>

1862 Reads

100 Acts Of First Grade Kindness

I teach first-grade children and the 100th day of our school year is approaching soon. This is a big math day with lots of activities centered around 100.     Last year I connected the 100th day to kindness and I have just kicked off the same project today with my current class.    We had been talking about Martin Luther King Jr and his dreams of peace and kindness. His birthday was approaching so we talked about acts of kindness we could do at home or in school, then I challenged the children to do 100 random acts of kindness from Doctor King's birthday until our 100th day of school.     The children were so excited to get started. Today was the official day to begin.   We finished the day with 10 acts of kindness recorded. Parents emailed with comments about how great the project idea was and shared how their child helped a new ... Read Full Story >>

5952 Reads

How Dirty Shoes Bloom Roses

This past Sunday, I was in a generous mood. I am not always like that, but it started when I went to the roadside shoe repairer. I asked him to polish my shoes, and he told me it would cost twenty rupees. When he finished polishing, I was moved to offer him 30 rupees. That's when he caught me off guard. Smilingly, he accepted only twenty rupees and lightly told me that he was content. He would not take anything extra. I was pleasantly surprised by his attitude, and also learned such a big lesson. In a world where most people try to grab as much as they can, his simplicity came across like a breath of fresh air. With the 10 rupees that the shoe polisher refused, I went and bought roses from the roadside flower seller. She happened to be a old lady. (If you are familiar with India, you will often ... Read Full Story >>

2150 Reads

Lost But Now Found

Saturday evening, my husband and I went to dinner at a local restaurant. As we sat there eating and sharing conversation, I watched an elderly woman stop at the opening into our area and gaze around the room. I wondered if she might be looking for the ladies room when suddenly she turned and walked in that direction.  A few moments later she walked past the same area heading to the far side of the restaurant. I thought, she must have found the restroom and now be headed back to join her party. After a couple more minutes, she appeared in the same spot… but this time, she turned and walked past our table.  I looked over at my husband and said, “She must be lost." I got up and caught up with her as she entered the bar area and touched her lightly on the shoulder.  “Ma’am, are you having trouble finding who you are dining ... Read Full Story >>

1801 Reads

Planting The Seed Of Generosity

The story is about my four year old son. I had saved some of his baby clothes because of the memories and emotions attached to them. They were still in very good condition. 

Yesterday I decided to give these precious possession away for some needy child. But, as soon as I started the task, my son objected. Even he was attached to them! 
 
It occurred to me that this was a wonderful opportunity to plant the seeds of generosity in his little mind. It took a lot of explaining but, finally, he was convinced. 
 
Normally I would simply have filled a plastic bag with clothes and dumped it in the donation box. But this time my son and I were a team! We washed all the clothes, folded them together and put them in a nice bag. It felt different - better different! 
 
The next day he asked me, "When are we going to give your clothes to a friend?" 
 
I think he really has the right idea now, and he's excited to be a part of it! 
 

1866 Reads

Knitting A Friendship

 
I belong to a knit and crochet group at my church and I'm always surprised at what people can do with a skein of yarn.      
 
Recently we have added a few new members and I had noticed that one of the ladies, who does such beautiful work, always carried her yarn projects in a small paper shopping bag.
 
When I got home, I went through my closet and found a brand new bag that would be perfect to store projects in, with lots of pockets for needles. I filled it with yarn from my stash and crochet project cards, then placed everything inside along with a Smile card.
 
I waited for her to arrive at the next meeting and, sure enough, she arrived carrying her paper shopping bag. I went over quietly and handed her the new bag saying that I found it in my closet and thought of her. She was so happy and kept saying, "But it's not my birthday!" 
 
I was glad I was able to see her reaction since normally when I tag someone I don't get to see the look on their face. It was a good moment for both of us!
 

1312 Reads

By Mom's Bedside

I've had the opportunity to serve my mother a lot recently, and I wanted to share, in hopes that others can be inspired. A couple days ago, my mom had to undergo surgery to remove a tumor. The tumor was near her parotid gland, which, unfortunately, is right on her face. With all the love I could muster, I stayed with her for the several hours of the surgery, and then continued to stay by her bedside for the next two days, as she recovered in the hospital. She seemed in good spirits, despite the occasional aches and pains from the surgery. I really tried to keep her company. I watched TV with her in her hospital room, we talked lightly about funny memories, and I did everything I could to put a smile on her face. =) After the doctor said it was okay for her to return home, I took her ... Read Full Story >>

2337 Reads

Flames of Gratitude

The other day, my husband and I found out that his co-worker's house caught on fire and suffered major damages. 

We wanted to reach out and support their family, but debated whether or not we could afford to donate to the collection. 

Then it occurred to me that, even though I don't have enough to pay our bills this week, these people don't have clothes to send their daughter to school the next day!!

With gratitude for all that we have, we donated $50 to the family, and will find a way to make due for the coming week.

2762 Reads

What Makes a Grumpy Bus Driver Laugh?

I often take the bus for my daily commutes, and one of the drivers on the route to my house isn't known to be very nice. In fact, not many people like him at all. It doesn't take much for him to turn up his nose, or to ignore members of the community who are stranded when he drives by. That didn't bother me, though.  I decided that, no matter what his mood is on a given day, I would continue to greet and smile at him. Unconditionally.  Now, after awhile of doing this, I've noticed that his overall demeanor towards me has changed.  He not only smiles at me, but he cracks jokes, too!  One time, I fell asleep on his bus, and when I woke, I said, jokingly, "Why didn't you wake me? You know where I live!" We both laughed hard, and since then it has been an on-going joke ... Read Full Story >>

4982 Reads

Stuck in Line, Stuck with a Smile

Today, I stopped at the store to return a couple of things.   Sure enough, I ended up in line behind an older woman who was questioning all the pricing on her purchases and moving rather slowly. I made up my mind to think compassionately; to be patient and wait with a smile on my face. The older woman glanced at me and acknowledged that it must be heavy to keep holding all my items while waiting for her to finish checking out. I told her I was young enough to hold them all, and that I needed the exercise anyway. She commented that she was too old for exercise, but needed it. Then she turned to me and said, "I just lost my husband on the 20th." He had died of cancer, just two weeks after the doctor had told him he had about six weeks to live. She explained that they were both diagnosed ... Read Full Story >>

2036 Reads

Parking Lot Samaritan

After running errands with my daughter one day, I walked back to the car reminiscing with her about the nice people we'd had the pleasure to interact with. As I pulled my car keys from my coat pocket, my daughter pointed out, "Something just flew under the car."  Remembering that I had placed my debit card and ID in my pocket so I could access them easily in the checkout line, I knew exactly what had flown under our car. I crouched down to see them. My debit card and ID were wedged behind my tire, almost out of sight. Another woman in the parking lot saw my struggle, walked over to me, and asked if she could help. Without even waiting for me to answer, she said, "I see them!" Then, she got down on her knees and fished my cards from behind the tire of my car. As she handed them to me ... Read Full Story >>

8878 Reads

Just Be There

Once, many years ago, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was eventually scheduled for a mastectomy.

On the morning of her surgery, I attended a college class in which the husband of a good friend was also a student. On most mornings, we would say "hello" to one another and that was about it. He would sit with his guy friends, and I usually sat alone.

When he entered class that morning, he came and sat next to me. He never mentioned my mom, never talked about the situation at all. He just sat next to me and chatted a bit.

That was the day I learned that, sometimes, the kindest act is just to be there. I always remember his gesture as one of the most touching acts of kindness I've ever received. 

1143 Reads

Helping Out At Toys For Tots

Yesterday, a group of us from work volunteered at the USMC Toys for Tots warehouse. For anyone not familiar with what they do, they collect toys for children who may not otherwise get anything for Christmas. We went to the facility to help out for a day. It was an amazing experience. I learned the history of how it all started. The marines there were so very nice to everyone. We stocked the shelves full of toys that had been donated or purchased. Families would come in and were allowed to pick one toy, a book and two stocking stuffers for each of their children. There was a daycare area for anyone who brought their kids, so that they would not see their parents getting toys. The large bag that we put their items in was not see-through, so they could sneak their gifts home without the kids knowing. I decided before ... Read Full Story >>

1500 Reads

The Sock Ministry

David the homeless man started to cry.   In order for the ER doctor to examine him, he needed to get undressed. With some coaxing, he undressed, explaining that removing his layers of Michigan winter clothing made him feel vulnerable.    He hesitated when I assisted him in taking off his socks, and once they were removed, I knew why. The socks were smelly, wet, and had not been changed in months. David also had a severe case of trench foot.   With soap and a pan of warm water I washed David's feet, recalling in my mind the biblical meaning of washing another feet. It was then I got the idea to start a Sock Ministry. Christmas was coming, and we encouraged people who received socks (again) for Christmas, to donate them to the Emergency Room. Within a few weeks we had hundreds of pairs of new socks. Word spread throughout the homeless population, and ... Read Full Story >>

5713 Reads
  • Posted by stephanie_pennin
  • Sep 16, 2013
  • Comments (18)
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Always Remember To Listen

  After three months of working weekends I had my first full weekend off work and a beautiful sunny day to spend how I wanted.     I found myself awake early and decided to wander down-town, have breakfast, catch a bus to the markets, go to the beach, and just genearally relax.   I made it to the bus stop at about 8.30am and was waiting with another passenger who was dressed for business when an elderly women slowly wandered up to the bus stop. She was dressed a little eccentrically and peering around happily.     "Hello. How are you today?" she asked.    I glanced at the business man waiting at the stop thinking she may know him but found him looking at me, obviously thinking the same thing.   "I am fine thanks," I said, half turning to her while trying to see the number on the bus that was approaching. "How are you?"   "I am fine. It's ... Read Full Story >>

10.1K Reads

Mission Of Mercy At The Bingo

As a  retired person I go to Bingo a couple times a week. 

One Sunday afternoon I noticed an elderly woman at my table who seemed quite nervous. I asked her if she was all right and she said she was scared because she had left home without taking her medicine. She had tried to get in touch with her family, to get one of them to come and collect her but no one was answering. 

I offered to give her a ride home so she could take take her medication. Her face just lit up. 

I took her home and, she took her medication, then I brought her back to the Bingo. She offered me money for gas and was surprised when I refused. It just made me feel good to know she was all right. Just seeing her enjoying her day out was enough to make me smile all day!

1353 Reads

Near The Horizon

While I was jogging one morning, I saw my friend’s father sitting alone on the roadside bench.  He was exactly opposite to the way that I was jogging, so I had to cross the road to wish him a good morning. As I approached him, he was very delighted to see me, and his warm smile made me sit next to him.   He said it was nice of me to come and chat with him.   Then he remarked, "At this stage of my life, it feels very lonely here. Anybody sharing a few heartfelt moments mean a lot to me."   This line hit me hard and I wondered: What could be that little thing that I can do to make his life different? I knew he was a painter, so I started to inquire into his latest painting experiences.  Painting is a passionate topic for him, and he started speaking loads on ... Read Full Story >>

3321 Reads

Smile Cards Make The Headlines

A year ago, I felt like I just needed to do something nice for someone. So, I picked up the ten Smile cards that someone (I'm not sure who) had sent me. I gave them out, along with a rose each, to my friends at my school.

A couple of weeks later I saw a copy of my school newspaper. There was an article in it about smile cards! My friends passed the Smile cards on and half the school had received gifts of kindness. 
 
I cut out the page from the newspaper and taped it on the wall of my bedroom. It has been on my wall ever since and it still makes me smile!
 

1909 Reads

The Bill I Didn't Have To Pay

I don't usually check my shopping receipts but last week I checked a receipt I was given for some clothes I bought for my daughter. I noticed that even though it said £10.49 my card had only been charged £00.49. 

So, I went back to the shop and told the lady she needed to charge me another £10 because she hadn't put the whole amount through when she charged my card. 

She said she could not believe I had come back to correct the mistake. 

I just smiled and gave her a Smile card. 

1298 Reads




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