Stories of Kindness from Around the World

A Little Kindness Comes Back A Dinner

About a month ago, an anonymous patron at Chili's paid for my parent's dinner and asked for no favor in return. My parents had gone to dinner to discuss the stress of the recent month. Both were visibly upset during their conversation. This person simply approached the table and offered his hand and reassuring words.  After he left, they asked the waitress for the bill and she replied that the man they had just come to our table had already taken care of it.    Prior to this lovely event at Chilis, is the story of my dad's experience at Social Security. Last week, since my Dad recently quit his job, he had gone to the social security office to file for benefits.  A woman came into the waiting room of the office but went no farther.  She was confused and seemed lost. Looking around she seem to get more confused. My dad approached her and tried to ... Read Full Story >>

Even Difficult Times Can Be Kind Times

Good sense might have suggested I stay in today.  There was snow on the ground and we really don't have any money to be spending right now. But, there were a couple of things I needed, so I gathered what cash I had together and hopped on to the bus to the next town (hoping it wouldn't slip off the road on an icy patch.) Once in town one of the first thing I saw was a brass band! They had taken over an empty shop and were setting up to perform in the window. I didn't get to hear a toot out of them, but I did see they were "busking" for donations. The money raised would buy gifts for local needy children. A I slipped a note into the collection bucket the woman holding it finished a sentence to another man with the words, "... even the bad times are ... Read Full Story >>

Simple Loving Kindness Wherever You Are

  A good friend came to visit yesterday and really helped me appreciate a lot of things we take for granted.   She is French and lived here in the U.K. for several years. But recently, because of work commitments, she moved to a third country. She said it was such a culture shock and she cried for the first six weeks she was there.    What upset her was the lack of personal freedom and the lack of almost any expression of humanity in the government organisations. The people always felt they were being watched and the only way to get decent food and equipment was by taking part in a frightening black market economy.   But! Even in the midst of such darkness it is still possible to find some beautiful people; like her landlady, who visited her every day, helped with the three children - and even cooked for her! And the Head Teacher ... Read Full Story >>

Pay-It-Forward Toll On A Rainy Night

It was a very wet, rainy night, and I had forgotten my Fastrak (electronic toll payment transmitter) at home.  Since I had to stop and pay by cash, I thought, "What a great night to tag someone with a Smile Card and pay their toll for them!"

I handed double the toll fare to the attendant and told him that this was for my car and the one behind me, and then I said, "Can you do me a big favor and give the people behind me this card?"  I gave him the Smile Card, which he looked at curiously, and then I went on my way into the rainy night, without watching my rearview mirror to see who was behind me.

Fun!

Paying-It-Forward In "The Chain Of Life"

In June 2009 the New Jersey Star-Ledger ran a series called "The Chain of Life" about kidney donation chains. These are enabled by one non-related donor giving a kidney to a recipient whose donor (usually a relative) was not compatible. That non-compatible donor then donates to someone else in the same position and thus four or six people could receive new kidneys.  I decided I could do that. I contacted the National Kidney Registry and started a six month process that ended with my donating a kidney to a doctor who had been on home dialysis for two years. I didn't know his identity until several months later when we had a very meaningful and emotional introduction. His wife donated her kidney, the same day as our surgery, to someone else, whose donor donated theirs to someone else on the other side of the country! The surgery lasted two hours; I was ... Read Full Story >>

The Pizza Girl With A Big Smile

  At one of my local pizzerias, there is an employee, a young lady probably in her 20s, who I believe has some mental challenges. Her job is carrying a sign advertising pizza, trying to bring in business. She has worked there for at least two years in all kinds of crazy weather. Not only does she walk up and down the sidewalk on a very busy street waving as people drive by, she is literally dancing non-stop and waving her sign during her entire shift. I have seen people laughing and yelling at her but she always has a smile on her face, and she is usually giggling too. I ran into her once in the mall parking lot as she was getting off the bus and she was so full of excitement talking about her first day at college and yes, she was giggling. I seriously have never seen anyone ... Read Full Story >>

A Double Dose of Compassion at the Grocery Store

I was getting out of my car at my local supermarket one night and a woman with a backpack approached me asking for money.  I offered to buy her a sandwhich and she told me that she had a partner as well.  I said I would buy him a sandwich too. On the way into the store she told me she was an alcoholic and I offered a suggestion about an nearby AA meeting.  She said she had been clean and sober for years but then had an injury in which she she was put on pain relievers and then turned back to alcohol.  I was compassionate and told her to return to AA if she could - she would find support there.  She thanked me and seemed very grateful then looked straight at me and said she didn't need anything to eat, she just needed a dollar for a beer and understood that I ... Read Full Story >>

Don't Judge A Book By The 'Eyes'

I was eating at a local restaurant, and an old man, probably in his 80's was staring at me. At first, I was uncomfortable and thought only negative things about him. But then I decided to go and talk to him. I went near him and asked him if he needs some help, to which he smiled and said,"I was just waiting for someone...and I thought that person might be you."

I smiled back and asked him to join me. He did, but he didn't take up my offer to share my food with him. In about 5 minutes, the guy he was looking for arrived. At that moment, the old man had the best smile in the world. He thanked me and left.

Isn't it amazing that we often judge someone not by heart but by the eyes???

A Simple Hug In The Cracker Aisle

  Some places just seem to be “hot spots” for little acts of kindness – like my neighbourhood grocery store! I had only stopped in to buy a few items and I wasn’t in any particular hurry. That’s when I spotted the little old lady. She looked hesitant and walked ever so slowly down the aisle. She debated long and hard over a box of crackers before dropping it into her basket with a sigh. She looked up at me, with sorrow etched on her face, and I couldn’t help but give her a friendly, encouraging smile. “I’m really not used to shopping,” she explained. “My husband usually does all that.” “Is he ill?” I asked. Perhaps seeing something in my face that told her she could trust me, she explained that her husband had died only a week before. I sympathised and told her I had some understanding of the situation because my father was ... Read Full Story >>

Two Fish And A Little Bit of Hope

On Veteran’s day I went fishing at the local pier. I meet some really nice people one of whom was a very troubled young man. He obviously needed someone to talk to. I could tell he was going through tough times. He was a single young father of three recently divorced. As he was telling me his story he stepped up on the rail and we both heard a splash in the water. When we looked we saw a plastic box had been knocked into the water. We laughed as we watched the box float over towards him.   The young man said one day he wanted to be like me. I asked him “why?” and he pointed to my tackle box. I told him it was full of things I had collected from yard sales, flea markets and clearance racks over the years. I said that it's best to start getting it together ... Read Full Story >>

Choosing to Share

I wanted to post this for my students who I am very proud of.

My students who come from countries where Thanksgiving is not celebrated, have created their own Thanksgiving tradition. The week before the holiday is the week of the food drive for a local food bank.

They are generous with their donations even though many of them work at minium wage jobs; they choose to share what they have with others.

A Bus-Load of Appreciation

The shuttle bus service I take to the airport is famously bad at customer service, but they are the only option for lots of travelers. I was sitting on the bus one day feeling disappointed by their shoddy service when a young soldier got on. He was in full uniform with his duffle bag across his shoulder and a ticket in his hand. But, guess what? The driver wouldn't accept his ticket!   Apparently it was "the wrong format." It was probably a military issue travel pass but because the driver didn't recognise it or it hadn't been made out properly he was not going to let the soldier travel. The soldier did not have any cash and, unbelievably, the shuttle company (via radio) would not authorize a voucher.     I was sitting pretty near the back but I could hear what was going on and I had heard enough. I stomped down to the ... Read Full Story >>

A Kindness Box In The Classroom

I am a special education teacher in a primary school.  I try to teach the children about kindness and reward random acts of kindness in my classroom. 

When a student does something to help another peer out of the goodnes of their heart, I will acknowledge it and let them go in to my kindness box to pull out a little surpise.  The students get excited when someone is recognized for being kind and they congratulate that child for caring enought to help someone else. 

It is amazing how children in my classroom are always well behaved and have a caring nature from just being kind.

A Spontaneous Gesture

One day when I was walking towards my office in the morning rush hour, I saw an old and very poor lady sitting near the gate of my building. I guess she was begging for money.

So many strangers were moving around her, I saw that they were all ignoring her plight - busy in their own daily routine.  I don't know what it was, but something moved me to reach out to her.  I took out my lunch box and water bottle and gave it to her without giving it a second thought.

She was so surprised and happy.  A tear ran down one of her eyes.  It made me feel so good to help her a little bit and it reminded me that sometimes it takes very little to make someone smile and feel a bit more secure.  

Thank You For Doing The Most Important Job

I was heading to my writing group yesterday. Standing at the bus stop I decided to run back for a book to read on the journey. (Something I don't normally do.) While waiting for the bus, I flicked through the pages and found my place. Because it was an old book I didn't want to "dog-ear" the pages, so I searched in my pockets for something to use as a bookmark. All I had was a couple of ten pound notes, so I carefully folded one of them and slipped it between the pages. Sitting on the bus I took the book out and was about to read but and I was distracted a young woman behind me who was speaking on her cell phone. She was talking to her brother. She wanted to know where he was, why he wasn't where he was supposed to be, why he had lied to their mother again and ... Read Full Story >>

Christmas Gifts Of Kindness

by Doran Roggio It was the Christmas of 1973. I had just given birth to a baby girl a month earlier. Poverty was a way of life. I was on my own with two children, my infant daughter and a seven year old son. My daughter’s father was not around and I had little help from family. When my infant daughter was three weeks old, I fell asleep during a night feeding. Laying on the edge of the bed I dozed off, my arm relaxed and my tiny daughter slipped onto the floor. Her persistent screams frightened me and I thought it best to take her to the emergency room to make sure there were no injuries. Having no car or money, I called the local police department for a ride to the hospital. The officers were extremely kind and showed concern as I communicated the incident, over my infant’s persistent crying. Reaching ... Read Full Story >>

The Kindness I See In The World

Kindness is a simple answer in a sometimes difficult and challenging world. I know that to be true. For a long time now it has been my mission to acknowledge and appreciate all people and to encourage others to do the same. When my 7 year old grand-daughter, Skylar, and I go out, we have a contest called “Who can make the most people smile. “ It makes for a wonderful glorious day. We will be walking in the supermarket and someone will be walking down the aisle with her head down. Skylar walks up to her and gives her a big smile. I watch her walk down the aisle, turn around and smile at Skylar again or perhaps smile at someone else. Kindness is a chain that pulls us all together. Anything that lifts another person is kindness. Every single act of kindness has a ripple effect.    In 2002, my dad had a series of strokes and other illness. At that ... Read Full Story >>

The Kindness In A Simple Hello

I was having lunch with my teacher and one of her friends who used to teach at the university.  My teacher asked her friend if she would consider coming back to the university but her friend said she enjoyed teaching at the university she works at now because the students are much friendlier, more respectful towards the teachers and work harder. 

She gave an example from a time she was in a mall, she said one of her students spotted her from the other end and ran over just to say hello.  She said how much she was moved by that simple gesture.   She said at this campus students sometimes wouldn't even say 'hello' or acknowledge her when walking right past her.

At this point, my teacher told me how much my friendliness towards her means to her.  She said I always brought a smile on my face whenever I met her and was always warm when I greeted her.  It was nice to hear how much such ay simple act of kindness made my teacher happy without me even knowing it.

Spreading A Little Extra Valentine's Day Love

There are 2 coffee shops in my town that have an upstairs sitting area perfect to leave my Smile Cards. I went to the first one hoping that it would be empty, but unfortunately it was not. So, instead, I gathered my courage and decided to I leave my cards and smile cards on the table where you find the sugar and the milk. I just placed a piece of paper saying "Please take one. Happy Valentine's day!"  and about 25 cards saying "May all your days be filled with love" and around the same amount of Smile Cards. I prefer to do these things when no one is looking rather than when there are people around. But I had paid a fortune for that coffee just to drop my cards so I could not leave without completing my mission. The second coffee shop was a lot easier because there was no ... Read Full Story >>

Extendeding The Hand of Friendship

The last few weeks I took on a more difficult kindness task that I thought I would try. The idea was from a card that I pulled from my smile deck and also inspired by a few posts here. I decided to reach out to a few people I had not talked to in years.

One was a relative who I had lost touch with 25 years ago. She was very happy I reached out. The other 2 were friends I had not talked to in nearly 10 years. Both were great friends that we just lost touch with each other. It was great to talk to them both.

With one of them, I reached out at a great time for him. He expressed his appreciation of my friendship and said some very kind things to me about our past. As many of you know I believe that everything happens for a reason so I believe it was not necessarily an accident we reconnected. I am glad our friendship mattered to him and also glad he sees it as a big positive we got in contact again.

It has reminded me that it is good to be the one to take the initiative to be kind and reach out. Even if it seems difficult at the moment, in the end it offers wonderful rewards!