Stories of Kindness from Around the World

A Little Bit Of Holiday Joy On The Go

During Christmas time, I took Christmas cards with me on my errands and I gave them to random people just to wish them a Merry Christmas. They were all been touched by the gesture. It felt good sharing the spirit of Christmas with people I met. I may see them again at some point but I'm not sure at all. But I enjoyed giving some happiness to someones lives on this holiday season. I also included a smile card inside.

When Kindness Doesn't Need Any Words

On 'Pay-it-Forward' Day, our family knew we wanted to pick up someones tab at the grocery store but we didn't know what we would say to them.

We took the kids and told our oldest to find someone checking out. I felt drawn to the first man I saw, we all agreed this was the one. It was a family with two small children. They had A LOT of items. Still not knowing what to say I went to the cashier when she rang their last item, gave her my card and told her we were paying.

The mother holding the baby was confused and handed  her welfare card to the cashier, her husband signaled to her to put it away. We didn't have to say anything, the couple was deaf. We hugged and cried and left the store. It was a moment we will never forget.

Making Over A Room With Love And Kindness

I wrote earlier about my gift home makeover project - Etseth and I would like to tell you about a very special family that I have recently done a makeover for! The mum of this family, was a victim of severe domestic abuse 12 years ago. After years of the being subjected to violence, she summoned enough courage to leave, she moved from England to Wales with her three children and moved into a woman’s refuge. Further down the line, she met someone, got married and they eventually had two more children.  Their two oldest have moved out so they are left with three children who are 14,11 and 9 years old. My project was to plaster the lounge/dining room. Whilst I was doing this project, their oldest daughter returned from serving in Afghanistan. Unbeknownst to the family, the daughter had spent lots of her army pay to take the family away for a 2 week holiday. As the ... Read Full Story >>

Five Boxes Bursting With Kindness

I had put together 5 different boxes and placed an advert in a local online website saying that I had a FREE box of items that I wanted to give away containing new and used items!   I also added if the replies could tell me why they were in need and then I could figure out what items would be of help!  I really thought I would have hundreds of emails but the one that stuck out the most was an elderly lady who was having a really hard time she had had a stroke, was battleing cancer, had lost her her husband and also lost her 25 year old cat ... and she might be losing her condo because she had no money!  I met her and in handing her what seemed to be just not enough ...I wanted to do more! I have yet to email her and find out if she will be home Christmas eve as she has no family and stop ... Read Full Story >>

A Boot Full of Kindness

My girlfriend and I went to a supermarket called Tesco.  It is a very big shop here in Poland, something like a Walmart for those in the states. Whilst we were there, a homeless man walked in wearing the most tattered clothes and very dirty.  He was using an old vacuum cleaner pole as a stick to carry his life's possessions.  He really was a mess and his face was as dirty as a chimney sweep's. My girlfriend was looking through some clothes and I was wandering around the shoe section, and to be honest, curiously staring as this dirty old frail man who was sizing up some shoes.  Now, anyone in their right mind would wonder, does this guy have the money to buy a new pair of shoes? Security had their eye on him, as I did. I went to find my girlfriend and told her, if that guy doesn't get a pair of shoes, we're buying him a pair.  ... Read Full Story >>

A Teenage Boy 'Starts at the Heart'

I have always tried to base my life on helping others. Sometimes I have had to do without but that’s okay. Our family, like everyone else, are having a rough go of it and I feel blessed just to be able to provide for my own kids. I know that my kids have always been kind-hearted and would do whatever they could for anyone else, but when I learned about a recent act of kindness my teenage son did for a friend, it has really touched my heart. My son was going to school every day with lunch money in his pocket but yet coming home hungry. When we asked about this, we came to find out he was sharing his money daily with a friend that was going without any lunch every day.  As rough as we have it some days we now make sure there is lunch money for two ... Read Full Story >>

An Anonymous Double Holiday Gift

I spent the evening last night shopping for presents:  not for my boyfriend or for me, not for our families or friends, but for a family that we selected to "sponsor" through our holiday angel program at work.  Usually I sponsor just one person, but this year I had the opportunity through our women's network to select a family headed up by a young single mother in my greater community.  It was hard balancing what they were asking for versus what I wanted to get them.  For example, the nine-year-old was asking for a specific doll, and I wanted to get her warm clothes and mittens.  I debated about it for a long time, and decided that I needed to just get both: toys for her to smile about, and warm clothes for her mother to smile about.  This is an anonymous giving program, but I feel like I know the family so well just ... Read Full Story >>

Everyone Deserves A Little Bit of Chocolate

Working in a big corporation, we often get holiday gift baskets containing chocolates and other trinkets from our business partners.  These baskets are usually placed in the middle of our corporate area and are eaten by everyone in the office during the next few days, the remenants eventually thrown out. 

I have made an effort to pick out a few nice chocolate bars that I would usually want to eat and brought them outside for the sercurity guards that work in the cold weather patrolling our parking lots and grounds.  It is the women and men in these roles at my firm that are just as integral as the corporate roles, but often get overlooked. I wanted to show that everyone at the company deserves a piece of the gift baskets. 

The first time that I did this, the guard looked at me in such a perplexed manner.  People are not used to random acts of kindness anymore.  I hope that we can change that, one small kind act at a time.

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 >>