Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Inspired By The Bravery of My Boss

 My boss has cancer. He was diagnosed a few years ago; he went through treatment and chemotherapy. His cancer went into remission but returned recently. He is now currently having chemotherapy 3 times a week and fighting for his life yet a gain. I’m sharing this because never in my life have I ever seen someone so brave. Every day my boss comes to work with a smile on his face. Many times I can look at him and tell he is having a hard time but you could never tell. Every time I see him I make it a point to stop and ask, “How are you doing today?” I don’t ask as a courteous greeting, but rather out of concern. He can hear it in my voice and know what I mean so he looks back at me and tells me how he is doing. Every time I have asked, ... Read Full Story >>

Homeless Man Who Wouldn't Shoot

I watched from a distance as the homeless man bickered at those who did not leave money for him – the majority. I walked up to him and right on queue he asked me for a quarter. “I’ll give you a quarter if you tell me your story.” He laughed, “You’ll give me a quarter for my story?” I lay the quarter in front him and corrected myself – “Nah, here's the quarter but it would be nice to hear your story.” I followed his eyes to the quarter and for a brief moment I saw a glimmer of reflection. I sat down next to him and waited. “I was in the army,” he said. “Was a sniper – was supposed to shoot down the enemy from the distance.” I listened intently to his grizzly voice as he dwelled deeper into the story. He wore dirty old rags and smelled like a ... Read Full Story >>

Being Able to Rely on my Community

My mother's coworker relayed a story to us.  Due to some unfortunate circumstances she was left in the snow, far away from her cabin and friends during a trip to the mountains.  She was lucky because a man on his snow plow at 2 AM (!) found her and took her to the hospital. The hospital first pronounced her dead (she had been in the snow for quite a few hours), but miraculously, they were able to revive her. She's been in the hospital since. When she awoke from her coma, the doctor couldn't assure her sister that she would be entirely the same person as before (e.g. personality), but it seems like her sister will be okay and back to normal soon! My mother's coworker was short on money, and she's in a pinch since she needs to pay for her sister's hospital fees. She came by today to ask if my ... Read Full Story >>

Kindness Inspired By Just a Cup of Coffee

I went to the Atlantis Coffee Shop to have a cup of coffee.  I looked for a nice cookie to go with it.  When I went up to pay, the man at the till said, "The man ahead of you paid for your coffee."  So I thdecided to pay for the next person's coffee.  Then I went over to the man who had paid for my coffee and said "Thank you. You made my day."  He said, "I just like to do those kinds of things as in Pay It Forward and Random Acts of Kindness. It makes me feel good."

A cup of coffee may not seem like much but I have been telling people about this ever since.  And I have been thinking of things I can do for others ever since.

A Big Act of Kindness On Our First Day In India

On my first visit to India with my partner, Barry, we met a really nice woman on the plane who was flying from Canada to India to move back with her family in Chennai. Talking with Uma, a dentist, who had been trained in England, made the long flight from the US go by much faster. When we arrived in Chennai, we learned that our bags had somehow not made the trip with our plane. As we filled out the missing luggage forms, we couldn't help noticing the mountain of unclaimed baggage in a corner of the terminal. Would we ever see our belongings again? This was not an auspicious beginning to our 6-week trip. It was now 4 a.m. Saturday morning. The officials had told us there was no point in checking to see if our bags had arrived until Monday. What should we do next? As we stood there wondering, ... Read Full Story >>

Helping Our Mum Spread Some Sunshine

My mother, who lives on a limited income, loved the idea someone posted on Helping Others of having umbrellas available in the car to give out to folks in need.   Not long after reading the story she was driving in the rain and saw someone drenched while waiting for the bus. It reminded her of what she had read and she felt terrible not to have an umbrella to offer. 

Creative Coupon Kindness

I've always disliked throwing away the coupons that I will never use (diapers, baby wipes etc.). To me, it feels a little like throwing away money. So I decided to take those coupons to the store with me yesterday along with my wrist tape dispenser.  I would tape the coupons I wasn't using to the product in hopes that someone could use it and I wouldn't have to throw them in the trash.  

I got to the diaper aisle and taped a wipe and diaper coupon to the diaper box.  As I moved my way down the diaper aisle, I noticed a mother with her young son putting the exact wipes in her cart.  Then I watched her put the exact diapers in her cart as well.  I walked over and took the taped coupon off the other box and handed it to her along with another diaper coupon that I hadn't yet taped.  She was so surprised and happy since she had left her coupons at home that day. 

One of my coupons was $5 off a Swiffer system.  I could only image the face of the person that found that one taped to their new purchase !! 

So, from now on, I am going to be the coupon fairy and share what I get with others.  

A Baby Girl's First Act of Kindness

We had our first child in January and were so overwhelmed by all the love and kind wishes that people from around the world shared with us and our little one.  She was showered with blessings, flowers and gifts from near and far and in some cases from people we didn't even know personally! :)  My husband's business friend had a shirt made with her name on it for the football team he supports, another lady in Ireland (who we have never even met!) had candles made with her name on them,  another friend in India had dresses made for her, our aunt knitted lovely hats and sweaters for her, friends bought her loads and loads of adorable clothes, another friend from New York had a blanket made with her name on it, another friend sent us cupcakes from a famous bakery that spelled out "Welcome Sareena," another friend gifted her ... Read Full Story >>

Two Acts of Kindness, Two Big Smiles

We've had our share of snow in Northern New York this year.

Needless to say we've been doing a lot of shoveling out!  Last week we had a pretty big storm. My son was dreading shoveling more snow. While he was out shoveling our driveway, he noticed our neighbor was stuck at the end of her driveway. She tried to drive her car through the snow that the plow pushed across her driveway.  Her husband was out of town and so my son stopped shoveling our driveway and went over to help her get her car loose. He was able to do so. She thanked him and off she went to do her chores.

My son didn't think anything of it, until a few hours later our doorbell rang and it was our neighbor with a plate of chocolate chip cookies for my son!  He was so happy...he loves homemade cookies.

Two acts of kindness .... Two Big Smiles :)

Finding My First Smile (Card) This Week

It was a Wednesday night, four days after my grandfathers birthday which he was not able to celebrate since he had died five days before. I was struggling with his death and was acting like he wasn't even gone. In addition to that, I was having a hard time because I was missing my sister who had been living with me until a month ago, before she decided to move in with her father. At first I was okay with the decision because she was a pain but soon after I missed her. This wednesday happened to be the Wednesday when I started a new job and I had been texting my sister about it. She called me a little bit before work and sounded really upset, she said she had gotten off the phone with our grandma and that I needed to call her. I had been avoiding it. I hadn't called my grandma ... Read Full Story >>

When Kindness Comes Back Around

Perhaps forty years ago Sadie left her drunk and violent husband. Needing shelter for herself and her young son she took a job as a warden in a housing project for elderly people. It meant she could live "on site" in one of the flats. Eventually, she got to know the residents. One resident, Archie, didn't have a family of his own but his nephew's wife and her kids would pop in from time to time. The nephew's wife was there to help the old guy but the kids were probably more of a nuisance than anything else. Still, they would visit and Archie would give them a few pennies for sweets whenever he could. Sadie helped care for Archie as he battled illness and it was she who called the doctor who diagnosed his terminal cancer. She remembers him fondly as a sweet old man. Time passed. Sadie's son grew up, got ... Read Full Story >>

A Circle of Kindness at the Airport

At the end of a trip home to California with my son I was in the airport and decided to send a couple of postcards thanking my family for their hospitality.  I went to the gift shop and purchased one for my brother and one for my mother. 

After I wrote them I returned to inquire about stamps.  The clerk said they didn't sell them in her store or anywhere in the airport.  A woman standing nearby with her baby in a stroller overheard the conversation and said, "I have stamps that I'd be glad to give you."  I offered to buy them from her but she insisted she didn't want anything in return.  I accepted her gift and thanked her.  I then turned back to the clerk to ask if there was a mailbox anywhere in the airport.  Again the answer was no.  But she said, "I'd be happy to mail them for you on my way home."

I returned to my seat in the waiting area and related the story of back to back acts of kindness to my son -- who had just volunteered to let someone charge her phone with his power cord...  by coincidence it was the same woman who gave me the stamps. 

Doing That Little Bit Extra To Help

I volunteer at a Thrift Store.  One day, I saw Linda, a woman who sometimes comes in to the store on the sidewalk with only sneakers on during a very cold winter day.  She has battled with breast cancer and mental illness, leaving her to live in a rooming house.    I was in my warm car, having just returned from shopping with 4 grocery bags in my trunk.  I said to myself, "This isn't right.  I was able to go shopping and keep myself warm.  Linda didn't choose to be mentallly ill or choose to have breast cancer.  I cannot go to my nice warm home without helping her."  So, I pulled my car over, said hello to Linda, and asked her if she'd be there in the next 15 minutes.  She said, "Yes."  I went home, grabbed a nice warm pair of boots and drove back to where I said I'd meet her.  She wasn't there.  ... Read Full Story >>

Keeping The Kindness Going

I wanted to post an update since my last story of giving out 5 boxes of new and used items to 5 families in need (by placing an add in our local classified section) and then on Christmas eve, taking 6 fully loaded turkey dinners to people on our downtown streets! We recently found out a about a family that had lost their home to fire just before Christmas.  My mother is selling her house and hads lots of things she doesn't need.  She had them come by to get as many items of furniture as they needed, and I (having two girls with more toys than they need) put a box together for the little girl and boy (I had a few things from when I had a little guy in my care last year).  My mom told me the little girl was so happy fwith a stuffed bunny that we had put in ... Read Full Story >>

A Young Boy's Lesson in Kindness

By James David Mancini February 2011 I remember as a young boy I was living in a poor suburban neighborhood as a foster child.  Lost in the system of child services and forced to spend lots of time alone.  I would often wander the different neighborhoods on my own and offer to help rake a yard, mow a lawn, or wash some walls in exchange for some pocket money just to buy some school clothes or candy.  I will never forget this one time I knocked on the door of this elderly woman and asked if she needed her leaves raked in the yard. She asked why I was not in school and I showed her my torn pants and the soles of my shoes, which were worn and no longer keeping my feet warm and protected. She allowed me to work in the yard for pretty much that entire day, feeding ... Read Full Story >>

Fruit And Friendship Make My Day

There is a pregnant woman that works in the building adjacent to mine. I started work here a few months ago and every morning I would see her taking a nice walk. Then one day I greeted her and asked about her baby. She was very kind and smiled a lot.

On our first meeting she said she was having trouble picking a name so we brainstormed together and came up with some ideas.

Our chats became regular whenever she was on her walk and on the days that she did not show I would go by her office to see about her and the baby. I noticed that when ever she went on her walk she had a bottle of water; she told me that she got hungry a lot. So I started bringing some fruit to work with me and every time I saw her I gave her one.

We have now been friends for a few weeks and I still bring her a fruit every morning during her walk. The satisfaction it gives me to see her gratefully smile at me makes my day! Funny how a piece of fruit given in kindness can transform my whole day.

The baby is due in two months and she is as excited as can be. And I couldn’t be happier to have a new friend in my life. I look forward to meeting her little angle too.

Cookies And Tea With An Extra Helping of Kindness

  I had just finished my shopping and was crossing the busy street when I saw an elderly man walking in my direction. He was leaning on a walking frame and I felt that he might need a little assistance crossing the street. So, I walked up to him and volunteered my help.    It seemed that my hunch was right. He wasn't aiming for the proper crossing place, he was keen on crossing the street from where he was to get to the bus stop on the other side.   I stepped out and waved my hand for the drivers to take notice of the man and slow down a little.   He got safely to the other side. But, somehow, I felt I could do more than just help him cross the street. So, I reassured him he was at the right stop, then I ran back across the road to get him some tea ... Read Full Story >>

A Beautiful Act of Pay-It-Forward

I truly believe in the power of paying it forward and I have always gotten enjoyment and fulfilment from it. Last year, I was waiting at the traffic lights on my way to work, when my car was rammed from behind. After pulling over, a flustered young man admitted his fault and proceed to apologise and explain why he had not been ‘in the moment’ whilst driving. He told me that he had just been evicted and that his insurance had just run out. I could feel his genuine stress, and as he gave me his details and promised to find a way to pay for it, I tried to comfort him and told him to not worry too much; we will work it out and to please have a great day. When I got to work, my work colleagues hounded me to get a quote quickly and were appalled that I had not collected ... Read Full Story >>

Sharing My Birthday By Giving

On the night of my birthday, I went with my mom to the nearest durg store to buy  vitamins. Even though it was my birthday, I was feeling blue and a bit lonesome. Maybe I missed my dad who had passed away four years ago.  I just wanted him to be beside me that day. On my way to the drug store, I was crying. Once I arrived there, I cleaned my cheek up from the tears and tried to smile when I ordered the vitamin my mom wanted to buy. While I was waiting, I looked around the building and my eyes caught a glimpse of a beggar next to the door. She was with her kid, a cute little boy. They were siiting on the street and I realized it was cold yet that kid just wore an old T-shirt. I felt sorry for them. When I paid for ... Read Full Story >>

Hot Burritos Warm My Heart

  The company I work for actually pay my public transportation costs on a yearly basis.  Because of this I travel to work every day on the MAX train which goes through the downtown area of the city, so I get to see homeless men, women and sometimes children sleeping in doorways along the way.    My heart just aches for these people and I knew I couldn't keep looking away - but I didn't know what I could do that would make any difference.     'Well,' I thought, 'I can cook!'  So I started making piping hot burritos and giving them out!   My income is not great and I can't afford to do it every day but most weeks I will pass out about two dozen burritos. The men and women are so appreciative and always say "Thank you" or "God bless you." And their words do bless me!   And now there is a co-worker ... Read Full Story >>