Stories of Kindness from Around the World

An Extra Special Restaurant Surprise

I recently had the chance to have a meal with some close friends who don't live in my city.  The choice of restaurant was a pretty fancy one known for triple digit bills.  We had a wonderful time together at the restaurant and approaching the end of the meal, I excused myself.  I silently headed towards the waiter and asked him to charge the meal to my credit card, but to also not tell anyone that I did it.  I signed for the meal and and quickly went back to my seat, no one the wiser for my trip. When it came time for the check, the waiter came by and told me and my fellow diners that the meal had already been paid for by an unknown person!  They couldn't believe it and demanded to know who did it, but the waiter assured them he didn't know :)  The response on ... Read Full Story >>

Three Carts in Three Minutes

One way I try to make kindness part of my regular practice is when grocery shopping. I make a point to return the shopping carts left in the parking lot. Yesterday while at a Trader Joe's store in the Bay Area (I'm on vacation from Seattle this week), I returned three such carts.

This particular store had both street parking and a parking lot, and the street parking was quite a distance from the cart return. Carts had been left on the sidewalk, partially blocking the path for walkers and at risk for rolling into the street. Very quickly, I returned them to the cart return by the front door of the store. It took all of about three minutes.

Gratitude For Finding A Recipient of Our Intended Act of Kindness

My wife and I took an unscripted vacation to Carmel. On the way, we stopped at a Chinese restaurant for dinner. The food was great, but there was too much of it. We decided to get it packed and find a homeless person to give it to. After dinner, my wife went into World Market which was in the same mall, while I walked around scouting for homeless people. Walking up and down, I couldn't spot a single homeless person. Then, I prayed that a hungry person may receive the food in my hand. As my mind calmed down, it occurred to me that the folks at the check-out counter might appreciate a dinner. I went in and asked my wife to check if the person at the counter was hungry. Then, I walked away. I saw her talking but not asking me to come over to give the food. So I ... Read Full Story >>

Creating Ripples with My College Housemates

An impromptu reunion with seven of my college housemates arose, and I wanted to connect with them on a deeper level beyond conversation and smiles. 

I thought, "What could I give to them?", racked my brain, but could not come up with anything.  Then I read monkeyinpajama's "Moving Creates An Opportunity To Start Giving" entry and thought to give away possessions of mine that I acquired over the course of my life. 

I ended up giving each of my friends a smile card and a unique item, which brightened the atmosphere and brought an extra level of happiness and excitement to our dinner table.  The items I gave them included 20-year-old football playing cards, a transformer toy, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle figurine of Donatello, a pocket tape reel of jokes, a magic trick, a muscular action hero, and a Samuel Adams top hat. 

I think that this was a nice way to begin new chains of kindness ripples in a short period of time.

My Experiment with Free Hug Friday

My scheduled day of kindness this week is tomorrow (yes, I’m still doing it each week, just haven’t written about them all!) but I was not sure what I would do. While catching up on some of the stories here today, I decided I will make it Free Hug Friday!  My catch phrase tomorrow any time I see someone a little down or frustrated is to say to them “Looks like someone could use a hug!” and then let them have it! I’ll certainly have to be a little careful so I don’t scare some of the people inmy office. Most of them think I am a little off anyway, so they will just add this to the list of strange things they’ve seen me do. I have noticed how much a touch or hug can mean to people, even if they don’t realize it at the time so I’m going ... Read Full Story >>

An Anonymous Lunch Gift to Show Appreciation

We go to eat at a buffet a couple times a month. Buffets (at least the ones we go to) are usually fairly inexpensive so the bill is always easy on the wallet. Whenever I go to a certain buffet, there are always soldiers from the Army base in our town.

I will search for a table of two or three, and let the cashier know I will be paying for the soldiers meal as well. But I always insist that the soldiers not know who paid for their bill.

It is an honor to buy these soldiers lunch, it is the least I can do for all they do for their country. And seeing the smiles it brings, letting them know they are apreciated, makes it more than worth the cost of thier meal...

A Real Act of Kindness from a Teenager

The majority teenagers spend their spring break hanging out by the beach, sleeping in, watching television, or just relaxing at home. I am 16 years old and I am a juniour in high school.  I spent my spring break in Acuña, Mexico, heling a family. I went with to Acuña with 7 other teenagers for 6 days to make a difference in someone else's life.  In America, in many ways we are so much luckier than the people of Mexico.   When I was down there, I helped build a house for a family. The family that we were building the house for  were just a little older than us. The husband was 20 years old, the wife was 19, and their daughter was 3 years old. Getting to provide this family, who had been living in their car and moving from one house to another, paying rent, a house, was life changing. At the end of the week, we ... Read Full Story >>

A Pay-it-Forward Breakfast Treat

We were out to breakfast one morning and when we went to pay our bill, our waitress said that the man across the isle had paid it!!  Wow!!

We talked with him and asked him why he paid our bill. He said he was feeling a little low and whenever he felt like that, he'd try to do something nice for someone else! What a great pick-me up!

Well, we have paid it forward. We go out to breakfast fairly often and when the timing is right and when we feel moved, we pay someone else's bill. People are amazed and thankful.

We usually say to them, just pay it forward.

Sunshine Smiles in the Rain

Today it is 39 degrees and supposed to be raining. It would have been the perfect day for me to act upon my Kindness Idea.   I was the lucky winner of the December Kindness Idea's Contest on Helpothers.org - where they give you $100 to carry out your kindness idea.   My idea was to purchase umbrellas for shelter on a rainy day and small towels to wife your face and hopefully bring a little smile into your day and hand them out to folks who find themselves caught out in the weather unprepared.    Once I received the check for $100 I ran right out and purchased umbrellas and towels. I laundered the towels and wrapped them around the umbrellas and banded them with a smile card.  I placed them them in plastic bags to protect them from moisture, dirt and grime! Then I waited on the rain!!!  Lately we’ve had plenty snow…but no rain. Yesterday the rains came! Where were the ... Read Full Story >>

The Math of Kindness

We live in the San Francisco Bay Area and there are several bridges with tolls. Over the years and whenever we've felt moved to do so, we've paid the toll of the person behind us.

Sometimes the person catches us to us and waves. Sometimes they don't acknowledge it. No matter what they do, it is always worth it. Positive energy for little expense.

We are really giving to ourselves when we give to others because we are all one. All is one. 1 + 1 = 1. New math.

Warm Blessings on a Cold Day

I went grocery shopping on Saturday.  It was a very rainy, windy and cold day.  When I came out of the store my friend told me to wait under the covered awning and he would run and get the truck.  While I was standing there waiting, a man came out of the store and came up to me.  He looked inot my eyes and asked if he could give me a blessing. I try to be nice to everyone without being too naive and I knew my friend would be there in a minute or so, so I said "yes".   The man took hold of my cold hands in his and let me tell you, he had the warmest hands I can ever remember.  He started his blessing for my family and me all the while staring straight into my eyes.  Even his brown eyes felt warm.  I felt such a sense of serenity come over my body from this peaceful, ... Read Full Story >>

Ripples From A Smile Card Gesture

I went into a local cafe for breakfast one quiet morning with a friend of mine.  I grabbed a smile card as I left my car, not knowing quite what I was going to do with it.  During the meal, I noticed a woman sat by herself, absorbed in a book,  at the table next to us.  I walked over to the waitress, asked how much the woman's check was, and handed her the money and a smile card with the instructions to give the woman the card, with the paid check, but to make sure not to tell her who had done this. When the woman left, the waitress came to the table and told me that the woman was shocked and very happy, said she really needed someone to do this for her, and couldn't wait to pass it on.  But what really touched me was that the waitress said the owner of the cafe had ... Read Full Story >>

The Joy in a Simple Cappuccino

I have been wanting to use one of my Smile Cards for a while now. 

In the past I have sometimes bought cold drinks for the guys selling newspapers on the street corners or for the homeless handicapped people on the corners.  Well, a few days ago, I decided I would buy a Cappuccino and giving it to one of the newspaper vendors.

This morning (it was a little chilly) I bought two cappuccinos, one for me and one for one of the guys.  Being kind of cold the guys were not out at first.  I drove around looking out on my way to work but didn't find anyone so I kept driving past my work until I finally found a guy just starting to sell his papers. 

I stopped to buy a paper and give him his cappuccino.  I wish you could have seen his surprise and joy at receiving the cappuccino.  His smile was so big and really blessed me and I hope I blessed him on this chilly morning.

Gifting a Portable Care Package

Yesterday, I chopped hundreds of tomatoes to contribute to a massive, free vegetarian feast that took place today in a park.  As I departed my home to attend the feast, something felt a bit off.  I did not feel right leaving solely with the intention to receive.  Though I had worked many hours to prepare the food, I felt a strong compulsion to continue giving.  So I decided to make a gift out of some leftover vegetarian curry that I had cooked.  I filled a container with the curry and placed it in a plastic bag with a fork and napkin, creating a portable care package. As I went through my day traveling to and from the festival, I kept a watchful eye out for someone who was sincerely hungry (the "sincerely" part is not always easy with many people begging for drug money).  On my way home, I saw a ... Read Full Story >>

Three Strangers Come Together to Help

It was a busy and stressful day at work. I decided that I had done what I could do and it was time to face the hour-long commute to the East Bay. It was stop-and-go as usual when I finally braved through the Bay Bridge traffic and reached the Powell Street exit ten minutes from my home in Berkeley.  About to exit the freeway, I noticed a large black pick-up truck parked a bit abruptly to the right shoulder. A small Hispanic woman got out of the driver seat and opened the back door. I could barely see her through the tinted windows but something didn’t seem right. Just as I pulled over behind her and got out of the car, she came running towards me -- screaming. As the tiredness of the day slipped away rather quickly, I tried to remain calm and inquire what the situation was and walked ... Read Full Story >>

An Example in Kindness From a Sister

I don’t have to travel far to find someone whom I greatly admire as a fountain of compassion and kindness.  She's the kind of person who would give someone the shirt off her back or the car that she drives.  My sister, Cindy, actually did give away her family van (a second car) to a young man who was struggling financially and needed transportation to get to his job.  That’s just one of the generous acts that has caught my eye and softened my heart.  She also helps countless families with food and clothing donations. During the Christmas holidays, she and her family of daughters and grandkids pile in the car for a giving extravaganza. Over the years, many homeless people have benefitted from a pair of gloves, a hot meal and more as Cindy and her clan make stops along their goodwill route.   It's really amazing. There are many, many acts of generosity that ... Read Full Story >>

No Words Necessary (A Photo Story)

This is the kind of stuff that helps renew ones faith in the human race. ... Read Full Story >>

'Being the Change' through Card Art

Gandhi once said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”  One day I was contemplating this quote and wondering what I could do to make a positive impact on other people’s lives.  I wanted to make a difference because so many people have impacted me that I wished to give back to them and the community.  Since I am a junior in high school, kids and youth who face difficult situations from poverty to homelessness have inspired me to help improve their lives. I have always enjoyed painting, and have been doing so for five years.  But what could I do with my creative skills to change the world?  I decided I needed to take it to the next step and copy and size my paintings to a card.  I then participated in an autumn craft festival selling my handmade and painted cards.  There was still ... Read Full Story >>

The Power of a Simple Smile

I work in a pharmacy, on the main cash, full time. I love it, it's the perfect job for where I am in life, I feel like I'm learning so much from people. I always tell everyone who I serve to "have a great day" as they leave, and I always add a smile. A few weeks ago a lady was in the pharmacy.  She wallked by me close to the end of the night, looking concentrated, but calm. I told her to have a great day, and as usual, smiled at her.  To my surprise, she broke down in tears. I don't know why she was crying, but it was pretty obvious that she must have been having a horrible day. She quickly said:  "Thank you, that means more right now then you can imagine." And managed a smile, even though she was still crying. I wanted to go over and hug ... Read Full Story >>

An Opportunity to Help a Blind Person

I was sitting in the local bus station with some friends when I saw a blind man tapping his walking stick to make his way through.  He was struggling because he bumped into many people who did not accommodate his disability.  I could tell he was having a rough time, so I asked where he was going.  He replied that he wanted to get to the end of the bus station.  Desiring to make his trip more smooth, I told him to link his arm with mine, and I led him to the end of the station.  Doing this made me feel so much better, made my day, and I hope made his day as well :)