Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Coffee on the Wall

I sat with my friend in a well-known coffee shop in a neighboring town of Venice, the city of lights and water. As we enjoyed our coffee, a man entered and sat on an empty table beside us. He called the waiter and placed his order saying, Two cups of coffee, one of them there on the wall. We heard this order with rather interest and observed that he was served with one cup of coffee but he paid for two. As soon as he left, the waiter pasted a piece of paper on the wall saying A Cup of Coffee. While we were still there, two other men entered and ordered three cups of coffee, two on the table and one on the wall. They had two cups of coffee but paid for three and left. This time also, the waiter did the same; he pasted a piece of paper on ... Read Full Story >>

Love Beats Hate On The City Bus

I take the city bus everywhere. Today on my way home I had a very interesting experience that showed me what being kind is all about. At a bus stop a group of people got on. You could tell by the way they talked and acted that they had some cognitive deficiencies. The bus was pretty full and there weren't many seats available. One of the group who had just boarded, a young woman, walked down the aisle towards an empty seat. Just as she got there the lady sitting beside it moved over and said, "This seat is taken."   She then started muttering rude comments and talking about "retards." She was being very loud about it and this poor young woman just stood there and took it.   Just then a teenage boy stood up at the back of the bus. He said, "Ma'am, I don't know about you, but where I come ... Read Full Story >>

Eggs-cellent Little Gifts

Facing My Fear For A Friend

Curbside Assistance

A neighbor who lives just down the block from me-- someone I have seen outdoors only once-- left her trash can out on the curb for over a day.  

I saw it while walking my dogs, so when I was finished with my dogs, I walked back to her house to put the trash cans up by her house.  I did it without any feeling of anger-- I just thought maybe she was overwhelmed with her responsibilities or not feeling well.

Before I made it up the carport with the trash can, though, she came out of the house, gushing about how sweet I was to do that.  We chatted a bit. Then she gave me a big hug, many sweet words, and I left feeling like I had a new friend. 

That was fun!

Quiet Dignity at a Truck Stop

A few years ago, I had a long commute to get home from work. One morning I was on my way home and was very tired after working a 12 hour night shift. I stopped at a local restaurant to have breakfast. It was really a truck stop and I was the only customer. Right after I placed my order I saw a man come in. He was carrying a small backpack and looked like he had seen better times. He reached in his pocket and pulled out some change. He asked the waitress if 38 cents was enough to buy a cup of coffee. She looked at his hand and said, "Of course. Have a seat." (Coffee was 50 cents a cup at the time.) It really struck me how she had tried to preserve his pride and how he had not asked for any charity. Shortly before my food came. I ... Read Full Story >>

All Those Missing Plates

Every year I used to say that I would help serve food at a homeless shelter and every year family responsibilities got in the way. I had my children, my husband and elderly father to consider. Then, about five years ago, my son mentioned a friend who had no where to go on Christmas Day. So, he came to share dinner with us.   The next year my son asked if I could cook an extra meal for someone. He took the meal on a plate round to that person after our family meal.   The following year the request was, "Could you plate up a bit of everything?" And off he went.   Last year it was a recovering alcoholic who had no family who had a roast dinner on a plate.   This year I moved to a different part of the country. So, there was just myself, my husband and my son around the table.    "It feels strange." I ... Read Full Story >>

Suckered? I Don't Think So!

One morning a week I volunteer as cashier at a Habitat for Humanity Restore. 

Service Area Sweets

This past holiday season, I drove with my parents to Boston to visit my distant cousin. On my way way back home, we stopped at service area for food. As we were stopped there, there was this old lady who was busy cleaning all the tables and chairs as people leaving, making sure everything is neat and clean. I just thought of gifting her with five dollars and a chocolate in my pocket. I wrote on a paper napkin: "Thank you and Merry Xmas." I wanted to leave it there for her but decided to walk up to her and give her. She asked me, "Is it a gift? Only then will I take it." I nodded, "Yes," and smiled at her. "Thank you," she replied, and I left to buy some stuff from the store inside. On my way back to car, the woman stopped me. "I make a lot of cookies and candies on ... Read Full Story >>

Better Than A Dollar

I was sitting in a friend's car, waiting as he used the restroom outside a McDonald's restaurant. 

Smiles in Your Mailbox

This past holiday season, I sent out holiday cards to strangers all around the United States. I've sent out fifty so far, and am still going strong. Every day, for the past 30 days or so I filled out 1-3 cards with meaningful thoughts and words to lift the spirit. The holidays can be so stressful, and, in my experience, it can be a time when people feel at the end of their ropes and hopeless. So I wanted to let them know that someone out there cares. As I crafted the cards, I sometimes wrote about my own struggles, and how I overcame them. Other times, I wrote down inspirational quotes and kind, thoughtful words. Though the content of my cards varied, in every envelope, I enclosed another stamped envelope, to encourage the reader to send out a kindness note of their own. :) It felt so good to plant well-wishes in ... Read Full Story >>

The Old Man In Our Shop

I work some weekends at a small but busy shop to help my partner, and every weekend an elderly gentleman comes in. He has a cup of tea with us and chats about his day and his family. One day he got up to leave and stumbled (he walks with a stick as he has bad arthritis in his knees.) I don't know how he managed to save himself from hitting the floor but, thankfully, he did.   I took his hand, made him sit with me for a while and then, when he was ready, I offered to walk him home.    "No need," he said. "It's raining."   "There's every need," I replied. "I wouldn't sleep tonight not knowing you got home safe."   As we walked we chatted, my arm linked through his. It seems his family were far from home, his wife died some twenty years earlier. He said he still missed her.   So I walked him to ... Read Full Story >>

Not A "Self-Help" Book But A "Help Others" Book

I just recently got my book published!  

A Heartfelt Way to End the Year

There is a family in our neighborhood that moved here from Sri Lanka. Their daughter goes to the same school as my children so we see her at the bus stop often. They have had a tough time since they came to America. They had some medical bills last week that made Christmas gifts not possible.

I told my wife that we needed to help her. We got the family a gift card and two toys for each of her two children. When my wife called her mom and told her what we were going to do, she wanted to help too. She bought a few gifts for each child as well.

We took over the gifts, some cookies and wrapping paper for the gifts. The woman was so happy and excited that the kids would have some things to open for Christmas. We couldn't be happier ourselves that we had spread a few smiles.

Some friends and I are doing 10 kind acts for the last 10 days of the year starting today. I thought this was a great way to start it off! It was six years ago today that I joined HelpOthers. It has changed my life in the BEST way, causing me to do more things like this than I ever have! Day one down, nine to go! :)

MSS

Spreading Small, Anonymous Gifts

Knowing the holidays are hard for some people we decided to take three of our smile cards and wrap a $5 bill around each. We hid one next to a pack of diapers in a grocery store, one in the toy aisle of Walmart and one next to a bible at Walmart. We also let the kids pick out toys for a Christmas toy drive. The kids had fun helping place the money around the store and I'm glad they are learning to pass it on. :)

The Hobbling Homeless Man

I was shopping in town when I saw a man aged about 30 hobbling down the road. He didn't have any possessions with him but I guessed he was homeless and that he seemed to have pain in his leg.  I watched him for a few minutes but was unable to help that day.   All that evening I thought about him and wondered about his life and his story. Going to bed I decided that if our paths crossed again I would help him.   I saw him the very next day! He stopped and asked a young woman in front of me for some cash. She looked surprised and not very happy to be stopped. She gave him a few coins.   I carried on walking behind and saw him drop the money into a charity box.   I quickly went to the cash machine to get some money whilst trying to watch where he went.   With cash ... Read Full Story >>

"What is Your Wish List?"

I currently work as the internal human resources manager for a large home improvement store. One of our core values is to give back to the community, and to make an emotional connection with our customers. One afternoon, a lady stopped by my store and dropped off a letter.  It was a very busy week for me so I did not get to the letter until a few days later. When I finally did, I noticed that it was from a nearby day care center. The director had written that they were low on funds, but needed certain things for the day care. I ran her letter by my store manager, and he agreed to a meeting with the day care director. When we arrived at the center, the director gave us a tour. The facility was really in bad shape. The walls needed to be repainted, the ceiling tiles needed to ... Read Full Story >>

A 5 AM Thank-You Note

Sometimes, I need to arrive at work early in the morning, around 6 AM, which means I have to leave my house around 5 AM (yes, it is quite difficult to wake up at 4 AM :)). Luckily, our work arranges for a cab driver to pick up employees from their respective homes before 5:30 AM. But since we don't have one consistent cab making the rounds every morning, the drivers often are not familiar with the employees' addresses. They end up having to roam around early in the morning to pick up close to fifteen people. During my (not so often) early morning commute to office, I have been watching an employee who seems to come to the office early on a regular basis. He also generally gets picked up first by the drivers. Since he usually travels at the same time, he happens to know the addresses of most ... Read Full Story >>

RAKs For The Victims

How to Lighten Up a Laundromat

I recently needed some quarters, so I went to the laundromat to exchange my $10 bill for change. The environment there seemed a little tense-- no one was smiling and everyone kept to themselves. I didn't need to do laundry, and I could feel people looking at me as I waited for my quarters to come out, clinking one at a time.

I quietly placed my quarters in my wallet, and started to walk toward the door. Then I stopped for a moment.

I opened my wallet back up, and looked at the washier unit in front of me. It read: $2.00 per load.

I could feel eyes watching me cautiously, curious of what I was doing. 

I took $2 in quarters out of my wallet and placed them neatly on one of the washers. Then I smiled, walked out, and drove away.

I hope that someone who needs it will pick it up and use it. :) 

And for the people who saw what I did, may they see that it was just a gesture of kindness to someone I will never see or meet or know. It was simply to show that we can leave an act of kindness wherever we may go. As small and simple that act may be.