Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Neighbours, Furniture, and Paint

Today, after finishing dinner in town, my husband and I were driving back home. As we pulled over to park, we saw a couple painting their furniture. I went inside our home, changed, and then went back out again to ask our neighbors if they needed any help. While leaving my home, I was plagued by  thoughts of embarrassment, denial, and being received and looked down on suspiciously. Nevertheless, I gathered the guts to go down and ask them anyway! Learning: Its tough to step out of your comfort zone, even to do a good deed. Initially, the woman denied. Then, the man said, "Sure", and he handed me a spray paint bottle. We rolled into some good conversations while painting. When we finished, I briefly chatted with them before leaving. In the end, I not only enjoyed helping them, but also learned about my neighbours. On the way home, I must admit, I couldn't help but ... Read Full Story >>

Opportunities Abound While Standing in Line

While I was waiting in line at the store, I noticed a sweet elderly lady next to me. She was adding up her items quietly to herself as they were being rung up by the cashier.  

Out of know where, I said "Ma'am, I will be buying your items today."

A bit taken aback, she smiled and said, "Thank you."

When I paid for them, I was filled with such a feeling of giving and thoughtfulness inside. I am the one who is thankful! :)

Welcoming The New Folks

Our neighbor just sent an e-mail to the whole block telling us about a new family from another country who are just about to move into their own apartment - their first home together in a new country! 

Stranded In Miami

Three tourists were passing by my workplace in Miami, Florida, when their car broke down.  It was Friday afternoon and I was at my second job. I work a thirteen hour day.     One  of the tourists came and knocked on the door just as I nearing the end of my shift. She asked if we could push the car to our parking lot so they could fix it.    When I finally finished for the weekend left the two girls were still there. I went across and advised them not to stay there because it was not a safe area. I also asked if I could help them with anything. They wanted to find a hotel near-by were they could stay. I asked one of the girls to come with me and I would take them to a hotel, but I was a stranger and they were afraid. "Oh, no," one of them ... Read Full Story >>

A Hug For A Non-Huggy Person

I have a co-worker whose husband is in hospital awaiting a heart transplant.  He's been sick for a long time, and lately his situation has become more delicate. My co-worker has been trying to keep it all together - working full-time, taking care of her two teenagers, and driving three hours each way to visit her husband in the hospital.   One day she snapped at something I said, but I just let it go. She obviously felt bad about it and later e-mailed me to apologize. I told her it was okay, that I know she was dealing with a lot.   A couple of hours later I passed by her office and went in to make sure she was okay. I said, "I would like to give you a hug, if you want one."     I didn't think she would because she's not a touchy-feely type of person. Surprisingly she said she would like ... Read Full Story >>

Sunglasses For Goggles

I would like to share an experience which motivated me to help people more. 

Apple Pie And Cream

Leaving the supermarket earlier today I saw an elderly man with mobility problems. He was struggling to open the boot/trunk of his car and it was starting to rain. 

An Award For The Janitor

Recently, I spent two months at a guesthousefor work purpose. One day I encountered a very unique and honest janitor at the guesthouse. Below is the e-mail I wrote to the Human Resources Department regarding the incident.       Hi HR-Person,   Can I request that you forward this to the department concerned with housekeeping?    I want to highlight one of the best experiences I have had at your organization to date. It might come as a surprise, but this experience was with one of your janitors [insert Janitor's name] (I really hope I have his name correct, please correct me if I dont have the name right.)    He was suppose to help me exchange rooms within the guesthouse. He was very sincere and dedicated to his job. After the shifting was complete I offered him a tip. His reply was what impressed me the most. He said, "No ma'am, we get paid." I mention that ... Read Full Story >>

With Nothing Left to Ask For

Last year was very successful for my husband and me. My husband had made really good progress at work, done some extra-curricular activities, and was able to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I had successfully completed one of my major milestones in my Ph.D. program, had won an award for my research, traveled to few countries abroad, and visited my family and spent a quality time with them.   What more can one ask for, right?  My husband and I agreed that because we were so blessed this year, we wanted to help someone else. I soon realized, though, that finding someone genuinely in need of help can be a very tough task. We are relatively new to the US, so our community here is not very big. I couldn't think of anyone who might need the extra help. I even emailed an American friend of mine to ask if she knew anyone. But by the ... Read Full Story >>

Doormat Surprises

Once a year, the ladies from my church bring flowers for a special service. After the service is over, they throw them away.

This year, instead of throwing the flowers away, I took them home and decided to give them to my neighbors.

My mom helped me pair each flower with a card that read "Blessings". Then we placed them on the doormat of each neighbor. We could have left our names in the cards, but I think it always feels better when a gift is given anonymously. 

As I went from door to door, I smiled, knowing that when my neighbors go to check their mail, they will be pleasantly surprised with an anonymous act of kindness!

When we finished, I felt so full of joy inside. It was such a great feeling to share flowers with my neighbors, especially since most of them are elders and rarely receive anything at all.

Free Hugs in Paris

It is said that we need four hugs a day, just to maintain our sanity. Many of us are not meeting our quota. I didn't think that was right. So I began to share and organize Free Hugs Around the World. Free Hugs make people smile and feel good. Hugs release endorphins. Through these free hugs, I've noticed that people often share deep details of their lives.  We are desperate to connect to each other.  My most powerful hug ever, was from a severely autistic boy in Paris. He saw us hugging and asked his mom what we were doing. To our relief, she did not say we were crazy. Instead, she explained that we were hugging people and it was very kind. They left. A few moments later, that boy came running towards me, leaped into my arms, hugged me tight, and looked me right in the eyes. Then I saw his mother.  She was crying. I gently set ... Read Full Story >>

Pizza and a Giggle

It's been unseasonably hot here in Colorado.

Today I called for a lunch time pizza delivery only to get a frantic call from the manager. She was alone, the driver and others did not show up for work.

I laughed, and asked her to breathe. I told her I was not going to hang up until I heard her laugh. She giggled a "thank you".

Later, I ordered again for dinner delivery. The driver showed up, her face flushed from the heat. She was gasping for air. Her car windows were down, so I assumed she did not have air conditioning.

I joked about the heat, but she hardly cracked.

"You will have to get a pen," she told me, "My last customer stole mine."

I got a pen and again tried to get her to smile. She still would not budge.

I took a $20 tip out from my wallet and told her to keep the pen. She saw the tip, her eyes, weary, softened and finally, she smiled.

At last, she agreed with my earlier comment: "Yes, it is a glorious day."

Pizza and a giggle - it doesn't get better than that!

Little Trail of Notes

I just found and joined this website yesterday. I was too excited to wait for my Smile Cards to arrive in the mail, so I decided to kick-start my "Random Acts of Kindness" today. For my first act, I decorated 10 half-pieces of paper and wrote inspirational messages on them, like: "You are amazing, so have a great day." Then, today, I left them in places for people to find. This morning, I helped my mom babysit my niece. When we took her to her t-ball practice, I left a note in the bathroom by the sinks for people to see. Next, my mom and I had a doctor's appointment. (I am sixteen years old, so I have no way to get around without my mom since I can't drive yet.) At the clinic, I left a note taped in the elevator, and another in the bathroom. Then, I put a note inside a ... Read Full Story >>

At a Bus Stop with Popcorn

I was living in São Paulo, Brazil. It is a HUGE city, with more people living in it than in my whole country (Hungary, which has a population of 10 million). We rented a flat in a gated community, but there was a favela (shanty town) quite near. For several months I didn't have a car, so three times a week, I used public transportation to go to the city centre. During these trips, I would ride with the people who took the same bus from the favela to go to work. When I got on the bus, all the seats were already taken. But when people saw that my bag was heavy (full of books), they offered to hold it in their lap, to make me feel lighter standing. At first, I was shocked. Then I realized that these people had absolutely no intention to steal from me: they only wanted to ... Read Full Story >>

A Companion On The Way Home

I was walking back home last night and noticed that the lady walking ahead of me looked nervous. She kept looking over her shoulder. 

Passport To Europe

Someone I work with was asked to go to Europe to sing with her church choir! 

A Boy's First Watch

I had gone to my bank (in Nigeria) to withdraw some money and was given a beautiful, blue, customized watch as a free gift.    As I left there, I thought to myself that I didn't need the watch. I was already wearing one! I thought that there were people who needed that watch more than me, people who had never worn one before.    My sister came around and I handed her the watch to give any of the boys who go around begging with their physically-disabled parents. My sister's hostel is very close to where they usually stay.    A few days later one of the boys, about 14 years old, came around my sister's lecture hall with his blind mother to beg for money as usual. My sister then walked up to him and asked him if he had a watch. He said, "No." And my sister gave the watch to him. She ... Read Full Story >>

The Mumbai Bus Conductor

I use to travel from one crowded part of Mumbai city to another bus in the peak travel hours.  During the forty-five minute journey I couldn't help but notice the conductor doing his job. I saw that he was very diligent and dedicated to his work. After a few days of regular travel on his bus we started sharing smiles. Its very strange to have any interactions with conductors in Mumbai local buses apart from the transaction of buying a travel ticket.  But, something about his way of working always intrigued me.    The more I observed him the more I felt I could learn from him; how he did this seemingly boring job so gracefully. I observed how he controlled annoying passengers on super-crowded buses, young naughty kids traveling on half ticket, and cheats who didn't want to buy tickets.    On the last day of my journeys on this bus I wrote him ... Read Full Story >>

Volunteers In Medicine

I recently moved to another state and no longer have health insurance. 

Love Without Words

A few weeks ago I was blessed to spend four days with some of the kindest people I have ever seen. It was an amazing experience on so many levels and I am a kinder person for having my life touched by them all. One of the great things I noticed with them was the power of some non-verbal techniques is sharing love and compassion. So much love was shared through warm hugs, deep gazes and attentive listening. It was a great reminder for me that those small kindnesses can be powerful and make a huge difference to others, many times more than anything I could say. So now that I am back in the real world I have been trying harder to incorporate those non-verbal kindnesses in my life. I can see it making a difference wherever I try them out. I have been hugging a little more and can see that it ... Read Full Story >>