Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Scrapping Those Memories

One of my neighbors has MS and while I was visiting him today he complained that he was bored.  So, I went back home and collected four scrapbooks, one for his wife and each of his children. Since he was placed on disability he has the days to himself. I suggested he could make scrapbooks for his family with pictures and little notes from him.    We were both surprised by just how much he remembered about each of his children since they were born. As we talked there were tears of happiness brought about by memories he hadn't thought about in years.    Now that he has the time he's going to find all the little trinkets and pictures and place them inside each book. And if he needs some help, he knows I'm only a short walk away.    He was so excited about starting that he went into his bedroom and pulled out all ... Read Full Story >>

Visiting My Ex

I visited my ex-wife today. 

Pre-paid Adoptions

My wife and I purchase miniature candy bars and sell them at her place of employment to raise money to prepay for the adoption of a shelter animal. 

Ice Cream From "Someone"

Last week, after I finished delivering food on my weekly Meals On Wheels route, I stopped by the local ice cream shop.  Two ladies were at the counter ahead of me.    While we waited for their orders to be prepared we talked "ice cream" for a few minutes. When the server took my order I placed the cash on the counter but she said the lady ahead of me had just paid for it!    I went to thank the two ladies before starting my ice cream, and they just smiled.    After I had finished, I went back to their table to thank them again. One said, "What for?"    I said, "One of you paid for my ice cream, and I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed it."    I asked one, "Was it you?"    She smiled and said, "It was someone."     So I asked the other lady, who gave the exact same reply!    So I ... Read Full Story >>

Seeds That Blossom And Windows That Gleam

Today I received a lovely act of kindness from a seed I panted some time ago!

A Turkish Meal In Germany

 It was a Thursday in Germany. My friend and I were taking an autumn walk through the fields.  As we neared the more populated area again, a little bit off the street, I saw a handbag lying on the ground. It looked like it might have belonged to a middle-aged lady - there was no one around.   Thinking it had been stolen and thrown aside, I picked it up. Maybe there were some papers left that the owner still needed. But when I opened it the contents seemed intact and undisturbed.   The papers showed it to belong not to a middle-aged German as I first thought but to a young woman of Turkish origin. (Let's call her Lale.) She appeared to live on the other side of town.   I took the bag home, and tried to contact Lale. However, she wasn't listed in the phone book. Now what?   A prescription inside showed her doctor's address. ... Read Full Story >>

Helping Grandma See Again

A Gift of Grapes

My mother was in the hosptial for four days, due to a rather bad skin infection. During one of those days, I stopped by the farmers' market to check out the fruit they had.

It was a very small but pleasant market, and the people there were very friendly. I didn't have any money on me, but just looked around, thinking maybe I would come back another time.

The woman running the market asked if I would like anything. I replied that I was just looking, that I had no money and was visiting my mom in the hospital.

As I was leaving, the woman stopped me and gave me a big package of fresh local grapes to give to my mom.

It was such a nice gesture, and really made me smile. The grapes were so sweet, probably the sweetest grapes I've ever had. And the fact that a stranger was so kind in giving them to my mother made them that much sweeter! :)

My Friends Are My Family

I went into the hospital for surgery, but things got complicated. I ended up losing a lot of blood and staying in the hospital for longer than we expected.

A Little Statue, A Little Hope

One day, I was talking to a woman who was extremely sad.

Her granddaughter had died, and she just couldn´t come to terms with it. As I left her, I felt a huge tug in my heart to give her some hope.

So I decided to buy her a little statuette of an angel. As I offered it to her, I assured her that her granddaughter was okay, and that this little angel would take good care of everyone. I tried the best I could to give her some hope, and then I left.

Several years passed, and just last week, I came across that very same woman.

She approached me and said that she had put that little angel beside a photo of her granddaughter. I could see in her eyes, and in the way she was talking, that the little gesture had helped her find a sense of peace.

In hearing her story, I realized how important it is to never underestimate the power of something that appears simple or small. Even a smile, or word, or touch. They really do make a huge difference in someone life! 

A Rare Hug

I was on my way to an appointment, and saw the beggar standing on his corner as usual.I didn't have any money and he was talking to somebody else anyway, so I passed him by.   On my way back from the appointment I passed him on his corner again. This time he asked me for money. I told him, "Sorry, I don't have any coins on me."   He replied, "I wouldn't mind the bills!" And he laughed a little, saying he was just making fun.    I laughed too and reached out to rub his shoulder and arm. Then I turned to be on my way, busy with my thoughts.   But he called something after me. I stopped when I realised he had said, "That felt really good ... that you touched me. It happens so seldom!"   I turned, ran to him, and gave him a big hug, which made both of us smile like idiots.   He ... Read Full Story >>

On A Rainy Day with Bus #82

When I was very new to US, I needed to get a new passport. It had only been two weeks since I landed here with my husband, but I needed a new one because I had gotten an emergency passport to come in the first place. At the time, we lived in Houston,Texas. We only had one car, so my husband dropped me off at the passport office and told me to take Bus #82 to get back home. I finished my work at the passport office and boarded Bus #82. I sat in it for an hour or so, but it didn't go anywhere near my house. I even told the driver where I lived, but the street was so small that even he didn't recognize it. So he simply brought me back to the starting point again. When I got off the bus, it started raining heavily. I tried asking the ... Read Full Story >>

The Wayside Chapel

It was a hot afternoon and I was waiting for a bus. The bus stop was unusually quite that day. There was an elderly man, a middle aged lady and, of course, me.  The mongrels that are usually seen lazing on the footpath were also missing. I noticed they had taken refuge from the heat under nearby parked cars. A lone mynah bird hopped on the road.    I saw an old lady approaching the bus stop. It was a day of superlatives. First the sultry afternoon (the hottest in a long time), then the eerie silence (the quietest silence ever) and now this old lady (the oldest I have probably ever seen).    Bent and slouched she walked with the aid of a stick. As she approached the bus stop I took a closer look. Her face was all wrinkles. But one could tell that she'd had chubby cheeks long ago. She was tired, ... Read Full Story >>

A Perfectly-Timed Car Tag

My husband and I had won a certificate for the use of a new car for a weekend. We just did not get around to using it, though. 

Today, we were at a meeting and out of the blue, my husband said we should offer it to this wonderful lady who does so much for the community.  When we stopped her and offered her the certificate, she was absolutely shocked and delighted.

She pulled us over to talk to her husband.  They are planning to go away to the mountains this weekend, but her car has bald tires. They did not know if it would survive the drive.  She told us she hadn't been sure if they should take the trip, and then we appeared. Not only did she get new tires, she got a new car, even if it is just for a few days!

It is absolutely amazing to me how this worked out with such good timing!

Grocery Cart Chauffeur

Today, at the grocery store, I passed a very pregnant young lady. She was slowly pushing a shopping cart into the store. She looked miserable and in pain as she walked. It appeared as if she was going to have her baby at any moment. Obviously, there was not much I could do to help, except empathize in understanding how my wife felt during her pregnancies. As I was leaving the store with my groceries, I saw her again. But this time, she was riding on one of those motorized sitting grocery carts. She was also leaving the store, and going all the way to her car, which was pretty far out into the parking lot. I stopped at my car and watched her ride all the way to her car to load it with the few groceries she had. I sat there and thought: She is going to ride ... Read Full Story >>

Unexpected Ride to the Longboard Shop

The other day, I was in the check-out line at Home Depot. Ahead of me was a young man in his early twenties.  He had purchased a 10 gallon bucket of paint and some foam panels.  The part that caught my eye was that he was on a skateboard. I watched him leave the store assessing his transportation situation.  It would be a bit tricky to skateboard carrying a heavy bucket of paint and awkward panels. After I paid and left the store, I saw him sitting on the curb.  Initially, I walked right past him, but then I decided to go back. I asked where he was going and, since it was only a few blocks out of my way, I offered to drive him.   I think he was reticent at first, wondering: Why would I do this? Then, he seemed to decide it was okay, as he then jumped up, grabbed ... Read Full Story >>

Lesson from the Check-Out Line

A little part of me thought about going to another checkout line. This one had the shortest queue, there was only one guy in it, but he was in a wheelchair and there seemed to be some complications going on. Well, I stamped on that little part, and we stepped in behind him. At first, he seemed to be having difficulty getting his groceries onto the conveyor belt. But after a while, I realized that what he was actually doing was separating it into two lots. Still, getting the stuff up there was no easy task in itself. I offered to help, but he and the checkout lady had it under control. He asked Julie if she would mind putting his empty basket away. Then he reached for his wallet which was in a pouch on one side of his chair. The way he was positioned and the fact he only had ... Read Full Story >>

A Powerful Tool

One of my next-door neighbors is a sweet and frail-looking grandmotherly 92-year-old Polish lady who lives with three cats. She is a Holocaust survivor (and with due respect does not talk about that traumatic time), and has a daughter and grand-daughter who visit her every week.  She oftentimes brings us cherry tomatoes, comes over for chai, loves mangoes, and is in general a very sweet person. A few months ago, my friend and I drove down to LA to attend a dear friend's wedding, and came back home to the Bay Area the next evening.  As I was unpacking my clothes in my room, I heard a persistent, frantic knock on the door.  It was 10:30pm, and I wasn't sure who it could be.  I went downstairs and looked through the peephole, and saw that it was our sweet next-door neighbor. I quickly opened the door, and she seemed really distressed and kept ... Read Full Story >>

Holiday Shopping, and Giving!

When I was in my twenties, I would go to the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store with my friend during the holidays.

It is a store with a restaurant, so we would eat dinner, and then shop for a gift for the waitress.  After the meal, we would give her an ornament and thank her for serving us.

It was a joy to give the gift, and, of course, we still left a tip, but we wanted to see that it would add a blessing to her day.

A Motherly Connection

The other day, I was at the library. It happened to be closing early that day, and just before it closed, a mother walked in with her child. She hadn't realized that the library was closing early, and was very disappointed. She told me that she had taken a bus with her son, and it had taken them a very long time to get to the library. The little boy was downcast as well. I suggested that she take her son to the mall, which was maybe a mile from the library. Then I drove away. Once I exited the parking lot, though, I found her walking slowly with her son towards the mall. It was not the safest place to pull over, because of heavy traffic and I had a car full of people, but I just couldn't resist the urge to give this lady and her son a ride! So I pulled ... Read Full Story >>