Stories of Kindness from Around the World

A Surprise For My Coworkers

As a surprise for my coworkers, I bought 2 dozen red heart helium balloons and tied 10 of them to my team’s desks at work. 

The rest of the balloons were tied onto random desks with a smile card attached to the balloon ribbon.  When they come in to work on Monday, they will be surprised! 

All those balloons are a cheery sight!

A Five Year Old's Wisdom

My five year old daugher's teacher recently took a leave of absence to address her health issues.  Before she left, my daughter painted a picture for her which I am told, is now being kept by her bedside.  The picture has clouds and flowers.  She told her teacher that God was in the picture and when asked "where?" , she pointed to a few lines.  She said that God is everywhere.  He is watching over you.   It brought a tear to her teacher's eyes but gave her hope that everything would be fine. 

On a Mission to Create Smiles

The other day, I went to the Wendys near my house where I usually like to go. There is a girl that always works the register but never smiles and is always serious everytime I go. That day, I was on a mission to make her smile. When I noticed it was her at the Register again: I said "Hello, How are you?" She said "May I take your order?" I said " Hello, How are you?" (and made eye contact with her).  Then she looked at me and said with a Smile "I am fine and how may I help you today?" I said to her "Thank You!" Then I placed my order. Sometimes, I throw the Representatives for a loop when I call in to pay my bills by asking them "How are you doing?" I am adamant about getting an answer.  People working in customer service jobs could use a smile ... Read Full Story >>

Trading Tokens and Enjoying a Longer Wait

I was in Cambridge a couple of months ago and wanted to mail some inspiring books to this wonderful person I have known for a long time. I have had the privilege of volunteering with her and learning from her infectious enthusiasm. So the books were a gift to her to read and pass along in a pay-it-forward mode. 

The queue in the post office was rather long, and I had picked a token for my turn,  number 29, and was sitting in a vacant seat. I saw this elderly lady walk in sometime later and pick a token, which was number 55. I knew that she would have a wait of at least an hour, while my token was due to be called in another 5-10 minutes. So I walked to where she was sitting and asked her if she would like to exchange tokens with me as she would then have a shorter wait. She gave me the most beautiful smile, exchanged her token with mine and thanked me in the softest voice I have heard.

The additional one hour wait I had was definitely worth it !!!! 

Thank You Dad !

Smiles,
Ramya . . .

Chain Reaction

Today,before getting on the bus, I gave my last smile card of the last set I had to one of the kids that rides the public bus with me every day.  

While we were up there he sat far away from me but I still got to see that he gave it to the person sitting right next to him.

When that one person got out of the bus, I was looking out of the window and saw her/him give it to their significant other that was picking them up from the bus stop. They smiled and hugged.

made me smile(:

Mom To Others

A Small Gesture Meant a Great Deal

This is just a short story but it really brought home to me how very small acts of kindness and even courtesy have bigger effects than we realise.

I have a bad back which flares up from time to time. Yesterday I was out walking while carrying shopping bags and my keys. My keys slipped from my hand and fell to the ground. The problem was that because of my back I couldn't bend down to get them. I was just thinking of how to get around this when two teenage girls came up beside me.  Without even speaking to me, one of the girls just reached down, picked up my keys, handed them to me and went on her way.

While it was a small gesture and she couldn't have known that I was in too much pain to bend down, it meant a great deal to me at that moment.

Love In A Time Of Pain

Helping a Friend

 A friend can not give herself a pedicure any longer and her husband can't do it because he is losing his eye sight.  So once a month I go to their home and give her a pedicure and fix a light meal.

A Charity Shop Pram

  A few weeks ago an anonymous Smile Groups friend gifted me £100 to do good deeds with. Since then I have used the money in the U.K. and the U.S. It has helped family and strangers, and generally raised a lot of smiles.   They have warmed my heart, but none so much as the gift I was able to give just an hour ago.   I was in a charity (goodwill) shop looking at the second hand books. It just so happened that the book shelves were next to the toy section.   After a few minutes I became aware of a group of women standing behind me. They were poorly dressed and spoke in what sounded like an eastern European language.   As they looked through the clothes rails a little girl, about three years old, came over to the toy section. Imediately her attention was caught by a toy pram.   What is it about little girls ... Read Full Story >>

Stop, Look And Listen

The Messenger Of Encouragement

A Sweet, Loving Nephew

I have a seven year old nephew who is one of the most loving, kind, thoughtful, caring, and sharing little boys, to be so young.  He wanted to be pen pals with one of my sisters and me and correspond back and forth with us.  We've been doing this for a couple months now, and I just got a letter from him the other day, which brought tears to my eyes.  He told me that I'm his pal and he loves me so much, he can hardly breathe!  I was so taken aback by his comment because I was just so astounded that such a young boy would even think of something like that.  It surely did make my day, and I made sure that I answered his letter right away.  Receiving his sweet letters always brings a smile to my face and makes me miss him so much, since we live about 500 miles from each other.  I just love this "Li'l Man"!!!

Saving Someone a Few Steps

After parking my car at the supermarket or discount store, I look around to see if anyone, especially an elderly person or mother with small children, has almost finished emptying their shopping cart. 

Then I ask them if they would like for me to take their cart into the store with me so that they won't have to walk it to the cart-return area. 

Guess what?  I have never been turned down, and have always been thanked for doing so. 

Trusting in the Force of Kindness

I printed flyers that said “May you have a wonderful day!  This is a random act of kindness.”  They had hearts on them and a nice pattern (very feel-good).  I put them under the wipers on some cars. When the deed was done, I started wondering if people would toss them on the ground and then I would be contributing to littering.  Or, I thought they might throw them away and not recycle them.  Because my intentions are pure (or that is what I strive for), it bothers me more that the repercussions of my deeds might not be completely without adverse results.  I think I need to meditate a bit more and just chillax, as the kids say.  I need to trust in the force of kindness. “Drop-and-runs” are anonymous by nature.  But, I like to think about how people react when they receive the kindness.  I imagine today, people will notice ... Read Full Story >>

The Gift of Service for My School Newspaper

Everytime I give, I seem to forget about my own problems, and happen to find happiness in giving too. While I was at school, I was contemplating on what I was going to give as part of my daily giving challenge, seeing that I didn't have anything planned. I was roaming through the hallway when I was done for the day, but I don't leave until my yellow bus comes, so until then, I stay in school, either staying in the library or volunteering. I happened to stroll into the cafeteria when I saw one of the deans in the Student Organization ("SO") Office behind the cafeteria, who happens to be a nice friend of mine outside of teaching ;)  Students come to the SO to work on school activities, like arranging the prom, photography, yearbook, etc -- all that fun stuff!  She knew that I  was free for the rest of ... Read Full Story >>

Good Luck Stones

On New year's day in China, I went to town to book my daughter's birthday party and stopped at the council (they have a lovely coffee shop) for a coffee.

The view was lovely and the weather was just perfect a cold winter day but with a lovely blue sky and the sun shining that was warm and almost a promise of Spring.

On my way out I left 2 stones with the words "good luck" written on them and some smile cards for people to find. I hope they will put a smile on the face of the person who finds them.

Sharing Coupons During the Holiday Season

My husband and I often buy Christmas gifts for the residents at a children's home.

One day, we were at the mall buying gifts for the children. We were having problems with the size listed for one older boy.

My husband asked another customer about the size required. The lady said her son wore the same size. She directed us to the appropriate rack of clothes.

Then, she asked, "Do you have a coupon?" We replied, "No."  She gave us a 20% off coupon. What a nice gesture!

Later, in another store, I also offered an extra coupon for another shopper.

I was spreading this "instant kindness" idea around to others.  

Remembering Richard

I hadn't really given much thought to the fact that I was going to see him.  After all, my agenda that day had been to take our social worker to see him and introduce her to staff since we had not had a patient there in a while.  I planned my trip more around introducing her to other professionals in the community and less about the visit. The building is a rather old nursing facility on an Indian Reservation in Northwest Montana.  Nothing has really been updated there for some time.  I can clearly remember everything about that place; the resident cat in the hallway; vivid images of staff in my mind; silent as they passed us in the hall; the smells of food from the kitchen mixed with the scent of urine and Pine Sol filled the air.  I've been there many times, but that day was different.   The wide ... Read Full Story >>