Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Accidentally Perfect Timing

One of the things that make my heart sing is to put together gifts for friends, especially those who are far away. What often puts a smile on my face is the way the timing works out. 

A Knight In A Shining Taxi Cab

I'm from Ireland and while away in another county to attend a gig I had my handbag stolen! 

When You Are Not Watching

We had gone to a friend's house yesterday to make some music.

While I was in another room, some other friends with small children and instruments arrived. Unbeknownst to me, my son went outside and helped several of them unload their cars and carry things inside. Later, a few of them commented to me about how helpful he had been. (One person even said, "chivalrous"!)

Their comments caught me by surprise, because this is just how we expect each other to behave in our family. :)

So I guess my lesson here is that what children do when you are not watching is how you find out what they have learned!

Burgled At Night, Blessed In The Morning

My  husband came home today and told me a gentlemen who used to attend our church was robbed last night. Someone had broken into his home and stole his money and some other other things. 

Large McSmiles To Go

I have been itching to come up with my next "Smile card" pay-it-forward project. Well, the idea came to me today!

Subway Samaritan

This evening, I was travelling northbound on the Yonge subway in Toronto. I was a little tired, as I had just spent two hours attending the Annual General Meeting for Gallery 44, a contemporary photography center where I am a member. In this weird March that Toronto is having, where the weather feels more like July, the room at Gallery 44 was like a sauna. After the meeting, I just missed the streetcar that would take me to the Yonge subway, and ended up walking a mile to the nearest station. At 70 years old, I was tired. The subway car was crowded, and there were no seats. A young man offered me his, and, thanking him, I accepted. As I sat there, I became aware of another young man, who, from his rudimentary English, was clearly a newcomer to Toronto. He wanted to get to Jane Station, which is on the Bloor-Danforth or ... Read Full Story >>

Meeting Michael

I was sitting at my desk today, looking out the window. I saw an old homeless man crossing the street, carrying a suitcase.    I remembered the many times  I had looked on from afar, feeling sorry for the homeless but doing nothing. I do give money to homeless people when I walk by, but never really interact with them, beside a smile.    I came across this website and all your stories inspired me so much to get more involved. Sometimes we think about compassion but we push it into the deep corners of our heart because we're too busy with life, too shy, or too afraid of strangers. But all it takes is a little awakening from like-minded people like you!    I did what I never thought I could as I'm an introvert and afraid of strangers. I burst out the front door and ran after the old man. When I reached him ... Read Full Story >>

Fresh Clothes And Dignity

Through my work at a public service organization I often encountered people in dire circumstance. Like the Native American woman who staggered into our lobby.   She had obviously soiled herself, been drinking heavily, and was disorientated. Luckily, someone had told her she could probably sit in our lobby and be safe.   A colleague approached me, wondering what I was going to do about this problem and how I was going to get her out of there. I was startled by this brash attitude and all I could think was, "There, but for the grace of God, go I".     At first this inebriated woman was argumentative, swearing, and waving her arms about. So, I sat down beside her and gave her a coffee. With the warm drink in her hands she seemed to settle down some. I asked her name and where she was from. She was not from the city but from ... Read Full Story >>

Blanket Of Warmth

It's never too late to share a kindness story even when you are about to go on holiday. It begins with a hobby of mine...knitting. My nan and mum bless their hearts taught me to knit many years ago and it has always been a passion of mine making things for people and over the years I have made a few things for family and friends. I have always found it very therapeutic and relaxing. Now my biggest enjoyment of knitting is making large blankets..some square patterned and some embroidered. Over a long period of time I have managed to make about 15 and have kept them in storage but have always hoped one day I would be able to give them away free to people that needed them. A few years back I found out that Oxfam would not be able to take them off my hands for me and send ... Read Full Story >>

The Gift Of A Bathroom

They were a family of nine; the father, mother, two boys, and five girls. The father worked as kitchen cleaner at a local school and the rest of the family help supplement his income by cleaning people's yards. They were a very poor family. Then the father lost his job at the school!   He asked that I take him on to clean our yard. Realizing his situation, I offered him the job. He and his family came to our house three times a week to clean the yard.    Early one morning the father suffered a stroke and died in the hospital. The poor family had lost their main bread-winner. The oldest boy had just completed school and was getting ready to go to college. The others were just little kids.   We stepped up and did all our best to help make sure the family got their education, and provided some daily needs, like clothes, ... Read Full Story >>

The Veteran Who Wants To Make Folk Smile

Last weekend I was navigating my way through a Good-will store as I do every Saturday. I was absorbed in my own thoughts when I overheard an employee say, "Let me shake your hand to thank you for your service!"   I looked up and saw the employee, a man in his 30s, shaking the hand of an elderly man wearing a "WW II Veteran" hat. As they started talking I stood and listened in.   The veteran said he was 85 and when the employee and I expressed surprised he fished out his driver's license to prove it. This man was sharp as a tack and looked to be in great physical shape. And, boy, did he have a sense of humor!   The three of us stood there for about 15 minutes, just chatting away about the veteran's war experiences. He described the feeling he had when Germany surrendered in the war, how ... Read Full Story >>

"He Gave Us Pencils!"

I used to pass through a small school of 65 kids from Grade 1 to Grade 5. I always thought I should do something to make these kids happy. 

Man in the Rain

One rainy night I was driving along a lonely highway. Ahead of me,  I saw a man, shoulders hunched, walking rapidly along the side of the road. It was pouring rain and I slowed down to avoid splashing him as I went by.  He misunderstood, thought I was offering a ride, and ran towards my car. He was very tall, had a full beard, and he scared me. I stepped on the gas pedal to leave quickly, and I saw the look of total dispair in his eyes.   Suddenly, all fear was gone and I backed up and unlocked my car door, praying this was not the biggest mistake in my life but somehow knowing it would be okay.   The man was a plumber. His truck had got stuck in the mud. He had been walking for miles. No one would pick him up and his wife was in the hospital in labor ... Read Full Story >>

Soap And Oil

Just yesterday I ordered 60 bathing soaps, 60 washing soaps, and 6 litres of Coconut oil. They are gifts for 30 poor boys and 30 poor girls who live in the nearby boarding school.

A Reason To Celebrate

Numbly, I left my husband, Marty, at the hospital where I had been visiting two of my children and headed for the grocery store. Since it was eleven p.m., I drove to the only store I knew was open twenty-four hours a day. I turned my car motor off and rested my head against the seat. What a day, I thought to myself. With two of my young children in the hospital, and a third waiting at Grandma’s, I was truly spread thin. Today I had actually passed the infant CPR exam required before I could take eight-week-old Joel home from the hospital. Would I remember how to perform CPR in a moment of crisis? A cold chill ran down my spine as I debated my answer. Exhausted, I reached for my grocery list that resembled more of a scientific equation than the food for the week. For the past several days, ... Read Full Story >>

A Beautiful Stray

My personality has always been geared towards animals. I love everything about them, from their healing qualities, to their rambunctious nature. I feel like animals are to be revered and respected, never abused. Today, this belief really showed! I went out for a simple stroll to my library, when I spotted a dog! The dog looked like a rust colored German Shepard, and I, being an animal lover, approached it. I noticed it had a collar, but no leash, and no one was even around it! I tried asking multiple people around the dog if it belonged to them, but everyone said no. I felt so bad, and didn't know what to do. She was so friendly and sweet that I felt guilty about just leaving her there. Then, what do you know? She starts following me! I couldn't help but giggle at that, seeing how she must have bonded with me. I ... Read Full Story >>

A Few Seconds to Catch a Train

My route to the grocery store runs parallel to the train tracks.  One day, on my way to the store, a train was at the station.  As I glanced down the street, I noticed a man running towards it. 

From where he was, I could tell that he was too far away to make the train, even if he was running.  So I stopped and offered him a ride. 

We only interacted for a few seconds, but his grateful face made my day!

Drawn To The Warmth

Factoring in the wind chill, I knew the temperature was below zero. The bitter cold cut through my Californian sensibilities, as well as my enthusiasm as a tourist, so I ducked through the nearest door for warmth... and found myself in Washington, D.C.'s Union Station. I settled onto one of the public benches with a steaming cup of coffee -- waiting for feeling to return to my fingers and toes -- and relaxed to engage in some serious people-watching. Several tables of diners spilled out into the great hall from the upscale American Restaurant, and heavenly aromas tempted me to consider an early dinner. I observed a man seated nearby and, from the longing in his eyes, realized that he, too, noticed the tantalizing food. His gaunt body, wind-chapped hands and tattered clothes nearly shouted, "Homeless, homeless!" I wondered how long it had been since he had eaten. Half expecting him to approach me ... Read Full Story >>

How Guardian Angels Must Feel

I was leaving a store at the same time as a gentleman in a wheel-chair.

Kindness Blooms at the Airport

Last weekend at the airport, I had some extra time before going through security to catch my flight. While wondering what to do, I decided it was the perfect time and place to look for an anonymous act of kindness to do! One of the magazine stands outside security had flowers for sale. I told the clerk that I'd like to buy flowers for someone else, and she could decide who to give them to. She looked a little confused, so I suggested perhaps she could give them to someone who looked like they could use some cheering up, and then hand them the smile card with the flowers. At first, the clerk responded, That's weird." (Or maybe, "That's crazy," I can't remember which.) But then, I explained a little more about smile cards and the concept of doing something kind for a complete stranger, and she brightened up. "I'll never know how it turns out," I said, "but you will have the opportunity ... Read Full Story >>