Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Three Gifts Make Quite a Day

Chocolate Hugs to Spread the Smiles

Inspiration From my Daughter

I thought that was so sweet of her! It seems she not only reaches out to her friends these days but to her teachers and other children as well. I thought that was awesome! 

Offering a Helping Hand at Sea World

From 5-year-old Kayla:

I was in Sea World with my Dad, Nan, and Pap. The show was over and it was really crowded. I was holding my Dad's hand and then my hand slipped. I stopped because I couldn't see him anymore.

I started to cry, and a lady came up to me. She asked me my name and offered to help me find my Dad. She sat with me for an hour.

Then we saw them.

I hugged my Dad so tight! I never wanted to let go.

Dad said, "Thank you," and I did too.

I hope she knows that without her, I would have never had found my family.

More than Lunch and a Bowl of Soup

Last year I bought lunch for a guy who had scraped his pennies together for a cup of tea. He rewarded me by telling me a little about his life, how he had lost the battle with drink but how faith had turned his life around. Now, when most men his age would be enjoying their retirement, he lived in a hostel and spent his time distributing religious tracts to shops, offices and strangers in the street.   Well, yesterday Julie and I were back in the same coffee shop. Julie looked over my shoulder and saw the same man, sitting there with a solitary cup of tea, dressed as he had been the time before despite the fact that the outside temperature was sub-zero.   We finished our bowls of piping hot soup with crusty bread then I got up and walked over. Knowing he would not remember me I sat down beside ... Read Full Story >>

An Unexpected Ice-Cream Treat for a Veteran

My husband went to the hospital the other day to visit a fellow VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) member who has been diagnosed with brain cancer. He has just recently joined the VFW and tries to help any chance he gets. The gentleman he was going to visit had commented on a previous visit that the fish the hospital served wasn't good. So, my husband decided he would stop by Culvers on his way and pick up a fish dinner and a shrimp dinner for his friend and his friend's wife. While he was at the store he asked for a few plates to go with the meal, explaining why they might be needed. The Culvers employees he was talking to told my him to go to the ice cream freezer and pick out his favorite flavors to take along. It was their treat!  Besides the generosity of the employee at Culvers ... Read Full Story >>

A Christmas Manger Overflowing With Kindness

Making A Difference With M&Ms

Dessert On The House

A friend and I went to a Mexican restaurant for lunch last weekend. Since we are vegetarians we customized our order.  

The Traffic Warden's Toes

I was recently on a working trip to Mumbai. One evening I took an autorickshaw home from work. It was around 6 p.m. and there was heavy rush hour traffic. Because of this the rickshaw was traveling at a snail's pace. I was lost in my own thoughts, thinking about the day's events, when a Mumbai police traffic warden materialized as if from nowhere. He ran alongside the rickshaw and slapped the driver three times, quite violently, across his face.    I was shocked by this sudden turn of events! I asked the driver to take the rickshaw to one side of the street and stop. I asked if he was hurt and he said his eyes were sore because of the slap. Other than that, he said, he was fine.    I asked what had happened. He said that, by mistake, he had  run over the traffic wardens shoes. I told him he should ... Read Full Story >>

Best Day Of My Life

Today is the best day of my life!   I say this every day before I even get out of bed! Then I think what I am grateful for - a nice warm bed, heat in my house on this cold, wintery day, coffee, running water, a nice house, my family, my health, my kids, my hubby, his job, our town, etc. Then I get up and get on with my wonderful day!   As I drove into town I saw a lady my grandma knew walking along. I stopped and offered her a ride, which she gladly accepted. I dropped her off at her destination, less than five minutes away.   Next, I did my grocery shopping - and noticed someone waiting for a ride outside! I knew her face so I inquired if I could help. "Sure," she said. "My ride won't come for an hour and I could call and cancel when ... Read Full Story >>

Spreading Smiles With Breakfast

I recently received ten complimentary vouchers for free breakfast sandwiches at a popular fast food restaurant. 

At A London Bus Stop

One late winter's evening I was standing at a bus stop in gloomy, wet and windy London. Then I noticed a young man running as fast as he could and just behind him there was a number eight bus. 

I held my hand out and stopped the bus. The guy was still running, so I proceeded to walk slowly towards the bus. I put my right foot on the step to keep the door open and, finally, the young man reached the bus stop! 

He Made My Day - The Old-Fashioned Way

While stopping for gas one morning I was checking and filling my transmission fluid when a frail elderly man came up to me and took over. 

A Warm Gift Left In His Basket

It was early on a cold December morning. I was making a quick trip to the post office, and along the way, I saw a man riding his bicycle through the dirty, heavy slush, left over from last night's snowfall.

He was dressed in a tattered, old black coat. A knit beanie cap covered his head. As he parked his bike on the sidewalk and went inside (to warm up, I assumed), I noticed that his hands were bare.

While he was out of sight, I reached to my back seat and grabbed a pair of thick leather gloves that belonged to one of my boys. Then, quickly, I ran to his bicycle and placed them in the basket that he had tied with twine to his handlebars. I hurried back to the warmth of my car and waited. Even though I had been in a hurry, I couldn't leave without seeing that he got them. About twenty minutes passed.

I watched as he returned to his bike, picked up the gloves, looked around for a moment. Then, he put them on and slowly rode away. 

Feeding Two Teens From The Dollar Menu

I picked my daughter up from school today. She was hungry and asked if we could stop at McDonald's so she could have a quick bite to eat. I said I didn't have much money, but she could order from the dollar menu.    As we pulled up to the drive-thru window. A young man, about 16-18 years old, approached my car. He had a sad story about his mom being hospital and him having no money or food.    I asked him, "What is it you want? Food?" He said he didn't care, anything would be good.     So, I told him to go ahead of me and wait, that I would order something and bring it to him.   My daughter asked, "Mom, do you believe him?" I said, "I don't know if he's telling the truth or not, but I know he must be hungry or he wouldn't be begging at McDonald's."    So I ... Read Full Story >>

A Warm Embrace And Presence

It was a usual day at the hospital. I was running around doing what I needed to get done for my patients. Then I stopped in my tracks because I could feel my cell phone vibrating in my pocket. I almost always keep my phone on. In the event of an emergency my family and friends can that way get in touch with me. It was an emergency. There was a death in my family. I couldn't move. I couldn't think. I was excused early from work that day, but came home to an empty apartment and didn't know what to do next. I cried. I didn't know if I wanted to be alone or phone my close friend. I didn't know if I should have bothered my friend. Death is a sensitive subject for some people. Different people handle it in different ways.  What does one say? What does one do? After deliberating for a ... Read Full Story >>

Coffee Shop Kindness - With Extra Ripples

The other day I was in a popular coffee shop. I got my order and looked around the crowded cafe for a table to sit at.  I asked a woman sitting at a large table if the seat in front of her was available. She said, "No. I'm waiting for a few people." 'Okay,' I thought. 'Fair enough.'   I went on to the next person, a young man who had his coat covering the chair opposite him. I asked if the seat was available and he happily lifted his coat from the chair. I sat there, sharing his table, eating my sandwich and drinking my tea. Then I noticed another young lady walk up to the woman I had talked to. I watched her looking around for any other available seats.    Next to me was another young lady on her phone with an available spot but no chair. I looked around some more ... Read Full Story >>

Pennies For A Loving Cause

I am collecting pennies at work for a co-worker. He doesn't know I'm doing this. 

Kindness Cookies From A Conference

I'm attending a conference at a hotel this week. The hotel provides a continental breakfast as well as an afternoon snack selection.  When our session ended today I noticed there were still some cookies left. Knowing that the way home would take me through an area where there are homeless people I was inspired to pack up some of the extra cookies in napkins and take them with me to give away.     Granted, cookies are not the healthiest food but they are an indulgence I imagine few homeless people get to enjoy. And these cookies were really good!   I gave two to a homeless gentlemen, left two neatly wrapped on top of a container in another public place where I often see homeless people, and have two more with me to give away on the way back in tomorrow.   It's an idea you might consider if you happen to be staying at a ... Read Full Story >>