Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Grabbing the Opportunity Before it Passed

I came across HelpOthers one afternoon at work and I left my office that day filled with inspiration, wondering how I could make a difference in someone's life, even if only for a moment.  I'm in a period of transition moving to a new home as a single parent with three children, finances are tight, my mom is fighting ovarian cancer, my sister has been laid off, my ex-husband is out of work.  Life is less than rosy for me right now and I was eager for an opportunity, quite honestly just to feel better about life and make someone else feel better.  I was eager to give. As I left the parking lot, I made my way down the street towards my home.  It was an especially hot day even at this late hour of the afternoon.  I stopped at an intersection and idly watched a young woman make her way through ... Read Full Story >>

A Kind Act Keeps Giving Long After

Today I was going through a bunch of stuff and came across some things I received from my HelpOthers friends in London. It has been nearly a year since I was the recipient of their kindness.

I read through all the cards that were sent and smiled at their sincere kindness. I could never have imagined how much the kind people here have made a difference in my life.

It got me thinking today as I re-lived receiving their kindness. Never underestimate the power of a small act of kindness. You never know how many times it will continue to spread smiles, even long after it was received!

I smile today and am forever grateful for every one of you here. I have made some great friends, been touched by numerous acts of kindness and ultimately have become a better person because so many of you take the time to care and make a difference.

It makes all the difference and is something I am treasuring greatly today!

Keep up the great work in any way you can!

Setting An Example For My Grandchilren - In The Rain

I was on my way to pick up two of my grand-daughters and take them to church.  On the way, I stopped by the shops to pick up a few things. I told my other grand-daughter Michelle (who was already in the car) that we might get wet. She was all for it, with a grin plastered on her face just from the thought of it. We ran from the car to the shop, screaming as the giant cold drops soaked us to the skin. I almost ran straight into a little old lady holding onto her walker. She had three bags of groceries tied onto the handle of the walker. She didn't mind that we were in such a rush, she just smiled at our silliness! We went into the store, bought the things we needed and prepared ourselves for another shower. That's when I noticed the lady was still there, waiting for the rain ... Read Full Story >>

School Friends Step-Up The Generosity

My friend and I had an assignment for one of our classes to do a random act of kindness and write and essay about the experience. We were inspired to take  the assignment even farther and turned it in to a kindness project to recognise people who serve our community. We scoped out a number of places where people serve the community in our town.  Then we baked (and baked) for 6 hours: cookies, cakes, cupcakes, pies, and brownies.  When we were done baking, we began dropping them off.  We went to two fire-stations, a hospital, the post office, the police department, and we even chased down some bus drivers for three blocks :) Everyone's reactions were just amazing. The bus drivers hugged us and were on the verge of tears. Everybody was so thankful when it was us thanking them for what they do.  Policemen and women, doctors, nurses, bus drivers, firefighters - these are the people who ... Read Full Story >>

Reaching Out to a New Friend in Starbucks

I'm a single mom looking for a job. One morning I had grabbed my favorite spot at a local Starbucks and was going through the newspaper when I noticed a man in ragged clothing looking really unkept. I felt led to speak to this man and so I did. I learned that he was homeless and just wandered from place to place. Starbucks was nice enough to allow him to come in from the cold or the heat depending on the day. I also learned that he used to be an architect, but as we spoke I saw more and more that he wasn't at the fullest of mental capabilities, which made me even more upset that he didn't have a place to go. I sat with this man for a very long time in Starbucks calling different clinics, hospitals, shelters, police departments. He even gave me a beat up business card of a gentleman saying that was his ... Read Full Story >>

The Baby Birds in our Backyard

We have lived in this house in Arizona for a few years now. We have several pets including two cats and a dog.  In our backyard there is a pool and two huge trees that are taller than the house.   The first spring we were here we noticed what was to become a yearly phenomenon. There is a period of several weeks where baby birds end up in our backyard.  Most of the time they are strong and healthy and just need a few days to learn to fly.  If left in peace their moms come down and feed them until they fly away.  At first we had some close calls as the cats and dog thought these little birds were toys.  We quickly learned that our backyard is no place for bigger animals during this precious time. So, every spring our dog and cats take a break from the backyard.  We ... Read Full Story >>

New Glasses and Well Wishes

An old man I knew fell down in front of my house.  He was okay but he had smashed his glasses.  I knew he was living off a pension and had limited resources so I told him I would like to get his glasses fixed for him.

He told me if I go to a certain optometrist they'll do it free if I mentioned his name. I took the glasses there, mentioned his name, and they said "yeah, we know him" and then charged me $80 to fix them.

I never told him they charged me, I just passed on his new glasses and my well wishes.

Creating a Smile at a Difficult Time

I met a lady a few weeks ago whose husband had recently passed away. She told me she was lonely and dealing with immense grief. She expressed that she was struggling with doing things around the house that she was not physically able to do.

I like doing yard work, so I called her up and asked if I could come by, as I wanted to mow her yard for her.  After two hours I finished and she was so thrilled to see a well groomed yard and tearfully she thanked me and said she just could not believe someone would work in the hot sun to help someone just like that.

I expressed how much pleasure it gave me to do this for her.  She was like a new person full of smiles and joy.  What a blessing it was for me. 

A Gift-It-Forward Birthday Present

I recently went to a meditation session.  At the end of the visit our host told us the following Monday was his birthday. He asked if, as a gift to him, we would do something kind for someone else on that day.  I thought that was an awesome birthday idea!  The following Monday, I saw my neighbor, a new mother, in the yard with her baby. I went outside to say 'hello'.  In the course of the conversation, she told me, not in a complaining way but just as a matter of circumstance, about the sleeplessness and the challenges to get anything done with a baby in tow.  I remembered my meditation host's request and said, "Hey! Why don't I watch your baby for an hour. I'll just hang out with him here in the back yard and you go in and take an hour to yourself."  She was so surprised she almost cried.  "Are you ... Read Full Story >>

Grocery Shopping With A Little Extra

Whenever I shop I keep my eyes open for specials. Growing up, our meals and other purchases were planned around the sale adverts and sale shopping has become second nature.

You'll frequently find my cart contains a few "extra" items I've found. One week it may be a half dozen tubes of tooth paste, the next a few bottles of shampoo, jars of peanut butter or cans of spaghetti sauce. There is usually something on sale. 

All these items are then periodically packed up and donated to our local Soup Kitchen, Salvation Army or a food drive at my workplace. 

It adds just a few dollars to my bill, but is worth much more to those who need it.

Kindness Ripples At The Drive-Thru

I was in the drive-thru today and when I reached up to pay for my lunch the person in front of me had already paid for it and left me a  Smile Card!

I then passed the card on to someone else paying for their lunch and she passed it on as well!

That's the way it works - at least three people cheered up by a single unexpected act of kindness!

Kindness Ripples Spread Through Arby's

As I stood in a busy lunch line at Arby's I was becoming increasingly worried I would be late getting back to the office. A grandmother and her grandson were keeping the only available cashier busy. The woman had difficulty with all the choices and, after finally placing the order, became very flustered trying to find her cash or her credit card.  While this was going on, the cashier had the most gentle and benevolent expression on his face, never once making the woman feel under pressure. His mood transformed my own. I caught his eye and quietly indicated I would pay for the order. He understood and took care of it without embarrassing the woman. Then when I eventually placed my order he paid for my lunch!  As I stood aside waiting for my order two other customers spoke to me about what had happened and said they would also "pay it forward" as a ... Read Full Story >>

Helping A Little, Healing A Little

During one of the toughest weeks of my life (my father in law and my cousin had died and a colleague had committed suicide) I had the chance to experience surprising grace. I was in my office, in between teaching classes when a young man came by. He was obviously very distraught and close to tears. He was an older student and always appeared like a tough guy, never showing emotion. He had told me earlier, that he was dealing with some difficult family issues. He was a caregiver for his younger sister who was very ill. This day he came in sat down and just sobbed and sobbed until I thought he would burst. He gasped for air, wailed and sobbed some more while I sat and patted his back.  I listened while he told me how he had been up all night in the hospital with his sister and that's why he couldn't take ... Read Full Story >>

Sunday Lunch For Three

On Sunday morning I packed two lunches for my husband and I to have after church. We planned to stop by his office after the services and have our lunch there. He had to leave before me so we arranged to meet at his office afterwards.

When I arrived at his office, to my surprise, I found there was only one lunch pack and I wondered if he had already finished the other one. But he told me he had given the other lunch to a street boy.

Unkind thoughts flashed across my mind. 'He knew this was the only food I had brought! I don't have money to spend for another lunch! What was he thinking?"

I asked him why and he just said, "I saw a someone like me sitting, looking helpless as if someone shot him in the leg. He had watery eyes as if he was crying. I asked him if he had eaten anything and he said, "No." What else could I do? I gave him one of the food packs."

I was really touched by his reply and, amazingly, I discovered I wasn't really so hungry after all. 

Things Aren't Always What They Seem

Last week I was in the store getting my weekly groceries. As I shopped I noticed one couple in particular. Our paths seemed to cross in a few aisles. Once, my cart got in their way and the woman was surprisingly annoyed. As I walked on through the store I couldn't help but wonder why she had been so upset with me. That same couple ended up ahead of me in the check-out queue. I could tell they were adding up the price of their groceries very carefully. They kept checking to see if they had gone over their price limit, which was quite low for a couple with a small baby. Once they had got to their limit and had to return some of the groceries I realized it probably wasn't me the woman was upset with. Buying groceries for her family on such a strict budget was probably stressing her out.  I ran out to ... Read Full Story >>

Making Someone Smile by Sewing A Smile

While I was visiting my daughter's mother-in-law, she showed me some lovely dolls she was making.

The dolls were beautifully sewn together but she said she was having a terrible time drawing on the faces.

When I arrived home I decided to email her to let her know how much I appreciated her hospitality. I also added that I would love to help by embroidering the doll's faces, if that was okay with her.

She was delighted with the offer of help and I got the impression she was relieved to not have to struggle with that part of the dollmaking any longer.

I haven't embroidered in a few years - old eyes and arthritis has limited my crafting of late. But I know I'll enjoy doing this simple deed, all the more so because I know I'm lifting the burden from a friend.

Such little things can bring such great happiness.

A Little First-Aid Kindness

A little while back I was in town waiting to cross a road. That's when I noticed the old lady standing next to me.  As I looked at her I saw that she had cut her leg. 

While we waited for the lights to change I asked if she was okay. She told me she had fallen over just a few yards away.  I reached out my arm to help her and we crossed the road together. 

Her leg was still bleeding so I suggested that she needed a sticking plaster (band-aid.)  

I was just about to offer to go and get her some when, reaching into my pocket for my purse, I found that I already had one in my pocket!  Its funny because I never usually carried plasters.  But now I always do, just in case!

Paying-Forward Our Blessings From Around The World

There is a saying in India - "Jab bhagawaan dheta hai to chhapad phad ke dheta hai." Roughly translated it means, "When blessings come, they come in a downpour." This is how I have been feeling since I have been the recipient of a series of tags - from multiple sources. First, I received an envelope with a beautiful hand-drawn image and inspiring message. Then another envelope, with a whole bunch of smile stickers. A day ago it was this huge box containing some cute stuffed dolls, plastic smile coins and smile balls and yet another inspiring note. And today it was yet another box from across the pond with a lovely photo frame and a wonderful note. Not only have these gifts cheered me, my husband has also been having a great time opening them and being amazed at the thoughts behind them. He still has not been able to wipe the ... Read Full Story >>

Remembering A Special Smile

This happened several years ago. but it has stuck with me so I wanted to share it. Every day on my way to work I would buy a newspaper from an elderly gentleman on the corner of the street. He would ALWAYS smile and say, "Good morning."  His smile always made my day. Most of the people who sell these papers are homeless or poor and they do it to make a few bucks. One day Charlie wasn't there! Someone else was in his place! This other guy told me Charlie was in the veterans hospital. It bothered me all day long. All I could think about was Charlie being alone in the hospital. I never knew he was a veteran who had served our country. I just knew his smile always made my day. I asked a girlfriend if she would go with me to visit him and she agreed. When I showed up in ... Read Full Story >>

Two Little Kindness Moments

The first moment came when I was in the local dollar store. There was an older woman in front of me just wrapping up her purchases. When she came to pay for them she discovered that she was seventeen cents short. Before I could even offer to help the young cashier gave her a big smile. She said, "Oh, don't worry about it,"' and sent the woman on her way. As I came up she said, "It's only a few cents. I can't make a big deal out of it." I responded, "Here's the seventeen cents. You did a really nice thing. This way your cash won't be short."   The second moment came when I was walking along with my young son in a big, busy mall. We passed a young man whose arms and face were covered in tattoos. He wore raggedy clothes and sat on the sidewalk with a sign that said "Homeless - Hungry ... Read Full Story >>