Stories of Kindness from Around the World

There is Always an Opportunity for Kindness

As I was leaving the grocery store yesterday, I noticed an old man hobbling along struggling with 2 sacks of food.  It was bitterly cold (10 F).  There isn't much near the store, so I guess he must have a fair walk ahead of him.  I pulled up near him, rolled the car near him and put the window down to ask if he needed a ride.  I think he was a bit skeptical since few people go out of their way to do these sorts of things, but he did accept.  After he got settled in the car, my husband and I introduced ourselves, but he was very quiet and reluctant to give his name. During the drive, we tried to make him more comfortable with some small talk.  We chatted on about the weather, this new store opening and the like. His home was more than 2 miles away on unplowed streets, it would have ... Read Full Story >>

A Little Help for a 5 Year Old

I went on to this web site that I am part of where everyone tries to help each other.  There  was a special request made for a five-year-old year old on her birthday.  The request was for a dress, a birthday card and some bows.

I made contact with the mom, got her information and mailed out a box to the little girl. I sent a dress, bows, and a birthday card with $2.00 in the card for her. Her mom was happy. I just got the email from her and it bought a smile to my face knowing that she appreciated it.  It said: "Thank you so so so much for the card and the bows and the shirt! Savana loved them! You are a blessing! I hope you have a wonderful week ahead! Thank you again!"

Her statement made me smile. And, I am glad that she got her little ones package before the birthday this month. At times our funds run a little tight and you need some help. But, I felt good knowing that I contributed to a little one's smile on her face when she received these things from me.  This alone is special to me.

The Simple Kindness of a Four Year Old

A few weeks ago, my oldest son, Erik decided to spend the day with one of his nieces, Mia, who is 4 years old. They went out and about to several places and then decided to go downtown before heading back home. Downtown is Mia's favorite place to go!  They were walking around and browsing in store windows and taking in the sights when Mia spotted some flowers and she picked a few. After some time, Mia began to drag a bit and Erik, wanting to head back home urged her along. Passing a few homeless men sitting along the sidewalks, he would walk a bit faster to get her past them, but she held back and made him come to a complete stop. ''C'mon, Mia. You need to walk with me.''  ''Okay, Uncle Erik '', she replied ''but this man needs a flower!''  He looked on as she handed the homeless man her flower and Erik said that the man smiled a big ... Read Full Story >>

Anonymous Kindness With My Coworkers At School

Yesterday, I anonymously gifted three coworkers at the school I work at. First, I left a note for our school assistant superintendent that said, "Thank you for holding down the fort."  She has taken on the additional role of principal until one can be hired. Next, our school secretary received a note that said, "Thank you for wearing your happy face, everyday."  She does an awesome job of constantly being patient and smiling at everyone. Third, our payroll person got a note that said, "You make a difference."  Needless to say, she makes sure we all get paid, but she is also a great mom that has brought two wonderful children into this world.  I know because I have taught them both. Along with the notes, the recipients got the famous Smile Cards and small bottles of various perfumes.  I have not seen or heard the effects of these small acts of kindness.  However, ... Read Full Story >>

Brownie Cakes Help a Smile Along

Today at work, there was a misunderstanding between our boss and a friend of mine. My friend felt terrible and just wanted to go home after the confrontation.  However, she is a teacher and going home was not possible. 

When I went home for lunch, I thought about what I could do to brighten the rest of her day. Then I remember I had these Yummy Easy Brownie Cakes you make in the microwave in one minute!  I quickly put a smiley face on a sticky note and wrote, "Eat Cake and SMILE."

When I returned to work, Kelly's students were in art class and she was alone, so I went in and gave her the Easy Brownie Mix and yest, she SMILED widely and said, "Aurelia, you are so good to me!...I love you."

It felt awesome to know I was able to give her to the lift she needed :)

Smiles are contagious :) and it felt like the school had a different atmosphere when Kelly felt better.

Candy Care from the Kindness Contest

In early December, I had a fun idea. I thought it would be a good idea to provide care packages for my students who were heading into their final exams. I teach two classes at CWRU in Ohio, which is a difficult, research oriented, private school.I also teach two classes at Tri-C, a community college made up of more mature college students who worked and had families. They had their own stresses.  I found this site, HelpOthers.org and the kindness contest, and wrote in with my idea to use the $100 to provide care packages for my students.   Before I even knew if I would win the kindness contest, I spent $50 of my own cash. I used it to get the supplies for my CWRU students' care packages. I pondered this for awhile before I did it, because $50 is a lot of money to me, but it quickly became an obsession.  I decided to do it ... Read Full Story >>

Kindness with Gummy Bears and a Partner

I was on a first date with a woman at a coffee shop when I decided that I would like to reveal the side of me that carries out random acts of kindness.  I brought two pouches of gummy bear candies, and pulled out a Smile Card.  During our stimulating conversation, I invited her to be my partner in kindness – first, by looking for someone who has walked away from his seat in the café, and then swiftly and gracefully placing the gummy bear pouches and Smile Card on the person's seat. It turns out that my timing for suggesting this to her was impeccable since a person sitting nearby stood up to go to the restroom just moments after I opened the topic.  It was as if the universe was smiling upon my desire to share kindness with my date and with a stranger.  As soon as the person walked ... Read Full Story >>

A Small Gesture To Make Some Children Smile

A few years ago my family and I  decided to go to Kentucky Friced Chicken and grab a bite to eat.  In the line, in front of us, were three kids that looked to be in middle school.  I noticed they were scraping their purses and pockets to pay for their meals.  They managed to pay for it and I was glad.

However, I took it to an extra level. While they were quietly waiting for their food, I told the cashier that I wanted  three gift cards in the increments of $5.00 each. She handed me the gift cards and I went to the children and said: "You have been blessed today and your next lunch meal is on me."   I gave them each a $5 gift card.  They were so happy and thanked me. The girl that was in the group said,  "I have to tell my mom this about this one, I really do."  I just smiled and told them to enjoy their day.

They were so happy they were bursting with joy. You can tell they appreciated a stranger showing an act of kindness that day. Even a small gesture like this can make an impact in children's lives.

An Opportunity To Teach My Son About Gifting

My sister came to visit me recently.  On our way to the airport, I picked up a lottery ticket to give to her as a fun surprise.  Imagine our surprise later when while sititng at dinner, she scratched the ticket and had won $50.  We were thrilled but my son thought she should have to give some it back.  It was funny because I had to explain that that is not how a gift works.  I think I finally got through but he talked about that winning ticket all week during her visit.

Finally the day came for her to leave us again.  She had spent a fun week volunteering time at my son's school and had seen some students in need.  Imagine my surprise when before she left, she insisted I take the ticket winnings and donate it to a new program at the school, called "Kindness in Christ".  Thankfully, we have never had to ask for help but we know families that have, and we gratefully do whatever we can to lend a hand.   This was an excellent way to show my son that it is not always the person that gets the winning tickets that wins, in this case, everybody does! 

Monday Brightened by Shipping Smile Cards

My week starts with shipping off Smile Cards.  It starts my day with a smile as I imagine these cards taking on a life of their own once they have left my mailbox...where will they go?  Who will they meet?  What wonderful stories will be shared (or not) about how they were used?  I usually don't think about the "big picture" of Smile Cards, but for some reason I am today...and I know that there are many kind acts happening out there without Smile Cards as well :-).  It warms my heart to feel that we are all connected by tiny invisible threads -- across oceans, miles, and even language...our common humanity teaches us in every culture that we are all one family.

I'm now going to go give some fresh homemade soup and zucchini bread to a few neighbors (what else to do with the Lord's bounty at this time of year?!) :-).

Ya'll have a smile-filled week!! :-)

Learning Kindness From A Neighbor

Last winter, I had tons of snow on my driveway. My mom asked me to help shovel, since dad was working. I shoveled and shoveled mounds of the white stuff, panting and sweating and silently complaining. My good neighbor saw that I was struggling, came over and helped me finish up. We chatted a few seconds. I can't remember what was said, but I suddenly felt bad for my rotten attitude. This man was pretty much a stranger helping me out without asking, and I couldn't shovel for my own family without feeling sore about it. The year passed and I didn't think much about his kindness, until yesterday. The neighbor was working on his house with a group of his buddies. It was a fairly mild day, but if you were moving about you would probably work up a bit of a sweat and a good thirst. I wrote a quick note, ran down to the ... Read Full Story >>

Accepting a Difficulty with Positivity

Yesterday I lost my money purse and most probably I was pick-pocketed. I was sad because there was good deal of money in it but I accepted the loss and also my carelessness and moved on. No point in being sad for too long. May be there was a reason for the loss.

I blessed the person who must have got hold of it and also the money. Maybe the money was an answer to his prayer.

There are times these kind of things do happen. People have lost a lot more than money. It could have been lot worse.

I can still smile and try to see the positive side of it.. !

Doing Something Out Of The Ordinary

I have just done something out of the ordinary, and it felt fantastic. 

I found myself with a couple of hours free and nothing to do so I  decided to go to a low cost supermarket and made up 3 bags of food costing about £10 each. I then proceeded to drive to a very deprived part of my town where I knocked on the three most shabby looking doors and waited.

Once the door was answered, I simply said: "I know things can be hard sometimes and we all need a little help, I hope this comes in handy." I handed over the shopping, smiled, turned around and walked away. The look on the people's faces was priceless. The food fed the people and the gesture fed my soul.

As always, "we make a living out of what we get but we make a life out of what we give!!"

 

Smile in the Lottery Ticket Line

Yesterday, I stopped at the grocery store to buy a lottery ticket. I had a problem with the machine, so the clerk came out to help me. At the same time a lady stepped in line behind me.

I had two dollars left in the machine, so in that moment I decided to do something nice. I printed out my ticket, then got an instant ticket. I turned around, held the instant ticket in my had and said to the woman behind me,  "This is for you."  

The woman looked shocked and said, "What?" I didn't give up. I said, " This is for you." She finally took the ticket and (because the ticket was a holiday ticket), I wished her "Happy holidays!"  I turned around and quickly walked away, beaming with joy.

I felt so happy for doing something for someone else. I just wish I had a Smile Card with me.

Cherishing Time With My Dad

My dad turned 92 yesterday so we spent the whole day together. I went to mass at 7 am, as always, but the rest of the day we enjoyed time together.

We ate out at Hat Creek hamburgers since we both love hamburgers. It's just a great place and the staff are so friendly and enjoy us coming there at least once a week.

We watched John Wayne movies and we love his movies a lot.  We have a collection that keeps growing over time.

I live with my dad and we help each other enjoy life. He has many stories to share about the good old days and i never get bored hearing them over and over again. It's a blessing to help with chores and errands for both of us. He is the last one alive in his generation and that makes him sad sometimes but we have many memories to cherish about the family that is gone, especially my dear mother.

I feel blessed with every day I have with my dad at this age. So many adults are in nursing homes at this age. I am trying my best to avoid that.  He can still get around and can do stuff on his own. I help more than in the past but let him do whatever he can to be independent.

A Litte Extra Gratitude at Dairy Queen

As I was standing in line for my secret weekend indulgence, a medium dairy queen cone. I watched the two teens behind the counter working frantically to get through the long line of hungry customers. Usually there are one or two customers but today, to my surprise, there were more than ten. So many, in fact, that I wondered if it was worth the wait. There was a tip jar in the middle of the counter and though most orders were for three or more concoctions no one was leaving a tip. The order before mine was a big one! Eight "Blizzards," all sizes, flavors, etc, to go. The gal worked efficiently, cheerfully filling the orders and delivering them with a smile and a "Have a nice day!" Then came my tiny order. "I would like a medium cone." The gal smiled and said, "Is that all?"  "Yep", was my reply. I had handed her a twenty ... Read Full Story >>

Everyone Understands A Little Bit of Love

Today I was walking on a side street near my campus to move my car and I saw an older Asian woman hauling two large trash bags of cans. She was searching in people's recycling bins to fill her bags. It was an empty street and she seemed in her own world. I went up to her and asked if I could help her with the bags. I pantomimed that they seemed so heavy and asked, through gestures, whether she needed help taking them somewhere.  She just smiled a toothless grin as I smiled at her and she muttered something and waved me on. I walked to my car, sat there and watched her going from recycling bin to recycling bin and I thought about how it didn't seem to faze her at all. I did not have any food or drink in my car, but something just moved me to give ... Read Full Story >>

Just A Simple Minute Of Silence

I'm currently at a conference in Atlanta.  The first night ended with two hours of what they called 'speed networking' - eight minutes to have a conversation with someone before a bell rings and you move on to the next person.  

I know! It's something that only a business-type could come up with!

So I come into this situation and when the first bell rings you feel the tension straight away. The noise in the hall is deafening. I look to the person sitting across from me and say, "I have a humble suggestion. How would you feel about starting this with a minute of silence?"

After a long day at the conference everyone is tired but after ten of these 'speed networking' sessions and ten minutes of silent contemplation I feel quite fresh and have ten people I feel I connected with and gave the gift of a minute's rest to.

Sometimes the most efficient way to go is to do what is seemingly least efficient - just sit there!

It Is In Giving That You Get

It was one of those unexpected moments of generosity that just takes your breath away - I called up my favorite sandwich shop, ordered two veggie hoagies, and arranged to pick them up in ten minutes. Parking places are hard to find around there so my wife dropped me off, saying she would pick me up again in a few minutes.  I walk in and mention my order. "Ah yes! Here you go. That'll be $14.87," the burly man behind the counter said.  I gave him the cash and he handed me my change. As I picked up the napkins he handed me a giant empty glass. "Here you go," he said. "That's for your drink."  I took it, not really sure why he had given it to me. "Um, I actually didn't order a drink," I said and tried to hand him the glass back.  "Oh, I know. Go ahead, help yourself to a ... Read Full Story >>

Pay-It-Forward New Year Resolution

2010 is finally over, so why not make the resolution to pay-it-foward? Some one very near and dear to me is very inspired after watching the movie 'Pay-it-Foward', and we both want to make it a goal to spread the seeds of loving kindness in 2011. It would be most appretiated if you join us, and follow the ripples :) If you're reading this let this be your new years resolution! To do one kind act to three people, and have those three people do one kind act to another three people...and have it have a chain reaction. If we can do this in enough sequences we can cover the city. 3x3=9x3=27x3=81 (That's only three sequences). 14 sequences equals approx 14,348,907 people...that's a little more than Manhattan! So it's simple, do one kind thing to three people, and lets make a change! :) Kindness will always endure and we both share the same morals of ... Read Full Story >>