Stories of Kindness from Around the World

A Soldier, His Wife, And Their Service

I had just entered the elevator on the third floor of the medical center after a simple check up.  As I entered I noticed an old gentleman in a wheelchair with a little old lady behind him.  I noticed his baseball cap with WWII on the front.  Most likely, a veteran of World War Two, I assumed.   Just making small talk, I said, "so, you were in the big one."  His answer stunned me.  He said, "Yes, I went overseas a strapping young newlywed and I came back in this thing,"  slapping each side of the wheelchair with his hands.  I stared at him, looked at his wife, and the magnitude of what he said to me hit me like a ton of bricks.  He married this woman, went to serve his country, was wounded and paralyzed and then returned to his wife and she stayed with him for all these years.  Overcome with ... Read Full Story >>

Seeing Real Beauty

Last weekend my family and I were in the store and as I was riding on my scooter an ederly man approached my daughter and with teary eyes said, "she is perfect."  I guess he could sense my daughter's confusion, so he pointed to me and said, "Your mom is perfect just as she is." 

I thanked him with all of my heart and as we parted I could not help but cry a little with joy.  He had made me feel good deep in my spirit.  Living with deformities is not an easy task daily, but on this day he saw me not as a disabled person, but as a child of God living this life the best I can.

I'm still deeply grateful for our encounter :)

A Little Extra Kindness At Thanksgiving

As I was getting ready to do my grocery shopping for Thanksgiving I decided to pick up an extra item or two to donate to a food bank! Our library has big barrels for collecting food--maybe yours does too (or maybe somewhere else in your town you can drop off canned goods?).  I've just filled up some bags with canned/nonperishable food items to drop off at the library and I just thought I would share this idea....it's easy to get caught up in what we "have to do" for ourselves (ie grocery shopping, drop off library books, etc.)....why not use that same time to do something for someone else too! It's a win-win situation :-) 

I also just realized that some gift cards that were given to me can be the perfect "smile card" gift to tag someone with today! Hee hee...can't wait.

Learning From A Friend

The other day I was sitting alone in my science class thinking about all my problems of the day. One of my friends then walked in, and showed me a txt message on their phone. "Plz pray 4 the missionarys that rsk thr lves 4 our Gd evryday.". It was one of those chain messages that go around, and I just said "Yep, sure" thinking that I'd pray when I was in private when I got home. 

Next thing you know, I see his head bowed, eyes closed, and he is sitting there praying for half the lesson. I reckon I have a thing or two to learn from him! He cared about the little txt chain message enough to show me and ask me to pray too. He cared enough about these people over the other side of the world risking their lives to sit praying in front of the whole class!

My First Thanksgiving

At 47 years old who would have thought I would have been wearing a "Baby's First Thanksgiving" bib? Although I didn't actually wear a bib, last year was my first "real" Thanksgiving. I came from a broken home and when I married 25 years ago, I sought to make my family everything I didn't have growing up. I'm afraid I had that "white picket fence" mentality. Every holiday needed to be picture perfect. The food, the dishes, the house decorations, even down to the cozy sweater I had purchased especially for the occasion. I was so wrapped up in how things were suppose to be, losing sight of what meant most. So many of my years wasted on being decieved. That was then this is now. Being alone now, separated from my husband, and our son serving in the military, I was blessed to have the opportunity to truly serve. A small group of friends and ... Read Full Story >>

A Little Help in the Rain

This weekend a couple of my friends and I took part in a walk supporting a diabetes charity.  It was quite cold and raining the entire time. As the walk got underway I noticed an elderly woman walking with a sweater over her head trying to find cover from the rain.  She also had with her 2 little children, her grandbabies I'm sure.  It was all she had.  I on the other hand was well prepared.  I had a rainproof coat from my husband and a poncho my friend had given me as well as an umbrella.  My heart moved me to give my umbrella to this Grandmother.  I told my friend what I planned to do and quickly made my way through the crowd to where she was.  I gently patted her on the back.  She turned around unsure of what I wanted.  I offered her my umbrella with a smile.  "Here!" ... Read Full Story >>

Gratitude for the Gift of Yoga

Recently, a yoga teacher offered a full day of free yoga classes (four classes in all).  I had the pleasure of attending one of the classes, which was wonderful.

The class was free, and yet, I felt a strong urge to say thank you.  So I sent a thank you card with twenty $1 bills and and a smile card.  It was sent anonymously with no return address and no signature in the card.  Though I'll never know for sure if it was received, I can say that it felt wonderful to do, and I have a warm feeling inside knowing that the circle of giving and gratitude lives on.

Supporting A Daughter's Kindness Mission

I wanted to share my daughter's kindness idea which came to her through her school's reading program. We had ordered some books through the school reading program and in the pack she received, there were a couple that didn't interest her.  She asked if we could send them to kids in Africa that didn't have books?  This question sparked a conversation about how we might do that and the momentum took hold.  She is going to talk to the teacher in charge of the student council to see what she can come up with.  She is excited by the idea of collecting books and sending them to developing countries for the purposes of setting up libaries in the villages or schools there so that they might benefit from the joy of reading as my daughter does.  She has been talking for a while about starting her own charity...and books happen to be a ... Read Full Story >>

Hot Chocolate And Two Equals

Last week, I went to work very early as I had a lot to do, and early mornings, before others get to work are the times I can be most productive.  I arrived at the Embarcadero station in San Francisco from the East Bay around 5:30am and as I surfaced from underground, I checked my BlackBerry and noticed the next SF Muni bus was in 10 minutes.  Instead of waiting around for 10 minutes in the cold, I felt inspired to go buy this (possibly homeless?) man in a wheelchair something from the Starbucks.  I had seen him before sitting outside in his wheelchair trying to stay warm, and quietly and politely shaking his cup gently (I've never heard him asking for change though) hoping someone will contribute some more coins. I went up to him and asked "Brother, can I bring you some hot coffee from Starbucks?"  He replied with "Hot Chocolate," immediately, ... Read Full Story >>

Inspired By "Food For Thought Jar"

I've been racking my brain trying to think of meaningful homemade gifts to give for Christmas this year.  My family has agreed that instead of buying gifts for each other and for extended family and friends, we will be donating our gift budget to a children's charity.  However, I would like to make "thank you" gifts for the adults in my life to acknowledge the holidays and thank them for their support this year (since they won't be receiving gifts from us).  Then I remembered this story from HelpOthers.org about the food for thought jar. 

What a perfect gift idea!!!  Jars come cheap or can be found around the house and recycled.  I am going to take the food for thought jar a step further here and give them as gifts with the hope that my mother and sister and friends will read the special tidbits inside and feel good every day :)  (and of course, each one will have a smile card in it.)

Thank you to Bedbug for her creativity and inventiveness and wonderful idea that I am going to recycle and reuse for my own purposes.

Two Thanksgiving Smile Cards

This is my first time posting a story on helpothers because I have not had the opportunity to use my smile cards yet, but yesterday on Thanksgiving, I had the opportunity to use them twice :) Yesterday morning was thanksgiving and my husband and I were getting ready to head to Atlanta to spend the holidays with family. I was outside packing the car when I noticed a car sitting at the corner of the lane with the flashers on. There was a line of cars behind honking and getting very aggravated but the man at the wheel was just sat there. I called out to my husband and asked him to go see if the man needed help. My husband rushed across across the busy intersection and asked the man if he was okay. The man sitting there had simply ran out of gas, and could not get intouch with anyone to help him and he didn't have a gas can. My husband called me ... Read Full Story >>

Planting A Smile Card Surprise

Today I had nothing planned for lunch so I went to the Good Will store nearby just to look around.

I remembered that I had 2 smile cards on me. I also had 2 one dollar bills in cash so I folded the dollars and paper clipped one dollar to each smile card.  I then  decided to place them inside 2 different purses.

I think it will bring a SMILE to the people or person who finds them!!  It made me smile just planting them!

Helping Generations of Children Get To School

In our town, there is a very busy inter-section which many children have to cross on their way to and from school. There is a man who stands there every morning and evening, as the children are going or coming from school, and he guides them across the road. He is not an official, and he doesn't get paid, but he has been helping children in this way everyday for many, many years.

He is such a familiar figure that even if he is not there for a single day, people are notice and enquire about him.

He must have helped generations of children.

Compassionate Cakes for the Community

I entered the monthly Kindness contest, answering the question, "What would you do with $100 to help your community?" I said that I would buy 100 cake mixes and bake 100 cakes and deliver them to 100 different blocks in my community, encouraging the recipients to share their cakes with their neighbors! I wanted to deliver not only food for their bellies, but food for their souls! I wanted to show the love that I had for my community and encourage others to talk with or meet their neighbors! I named the idea, "Compassionate Cakes". To my surprise, my idea was chosen and a $100 check was sent to me to do my project! Now, I had to get to work. I bought the cake mixes and made "tags" telling the recipients about the project and encouraging them to visit the website, www.helpothers.org. I added a "tag" to each cake delivered. ... Read Full Story >>

Helping Amputees With Smile Cards

I lost my foot about two years ago and it was a terrible feeling.  When it happened, some people tried to come and talk to me about it and help me.  I now talk to others who have missing legs or arms and try to help them get thought it. I give out smile cards and it puts a smile on their face.

I have now a group of about 10 people that get together and have lunch and talk.                                       

Making A Difference With A Simpe Acknowledgement

I had been having a miserable day. It was one of those days when I felt like like the world was against me. It was grey and raining and getting dark. I was going to the bank to put some money in. I shuffled in, wet and tired, the bank was practically empty. The fact there was no liveleness or ques (suprisingly) made me feel even more depressed.

I walked up to the counter that was free. There was a middle aged women, with grey cropped hair, dressed in a purple jumper. She said hi to me. "I want to put £10 in". I mumbled back. Then I waited, just wanting to go home 'You must be a Zoey then' she said. I was shocked and looked back at her. She smiled and nodded towards the computer "it says". When I left she said " have a nice day sweety". I came out and couldn't stop thinking about her. The fact that someone had been cheerful and acknowleged me made tears come to my eyes. 

You never know the power of your words and what they might do for someone.

Band-Aid Smiles

This idea is so simple, and I've been doing it for SO many years that I never even gavea thought to posting it here before.

I carry "children's bandages" - you know those fancy printed or brightly colored ones that kids love - in my purse, tucked into an old, small plastic "raincap holder". Over the years, I have seen quite a few parents dealing with a crying child who has fallen and scraped a knee. I immediately reach into my purse and bring out one of those bandages, hand it to the parent and move on. Of course, it won't always make the scrape feel better, but it does usually ease the crying of the child and tension of the parent. I ALWAYS get a smile.

Smile Card Magic In The Sky

I was at Karma Kitchen, a gift economy project, when a volunteer asked if anyone could use some free drink coupons for a particular airline.  I enthusiastically accepted, knowing that even though I don't usually drink, I could use those free drink coupons to "tag" someone with a smilecard.  I loved the idea of "tagging" someone with a smilecard and a free drink coupon on an airplane! Fast forward a month or two later, when my girlfriend and I were on a flight to Las Vegas as the first stop of a trip to the Grand Canyon.  I had several drink coupons and smilecards ready, and it was just a matter of figuring out the "Who" and the "How" of tagging someone on an airplane, while still trying to stay completely anonymous. As luck would have it, we had an awesome, amazing, hilarious flight attendant, who was very, very funny (he really could have been ... Read Full Story >>

A Rainy Afternoon Brightened With Little Acts of Kindness

If you are on the lookout, you can almost always find an opportunity for kindness.  I filled my afternoon with small gestures today, they didn't take much time or effort, but I hope they made a small difference to the people who received them. I was out and about because I had to do a few errands this afternoon.  My first stop was the supermarket.  I wanted to buy some croissants with chocolate on them for my daughter Rita.  I also decided to get  a few plain ones for my husband, my mum and me. Armed with the croissants, I went on to my second stop - a local charity bookshop.  I wanted to see if they had any books on Unicorns, since Rita loves them (and, I have to admit, so do I).  While I was there, I struck up a conversation with the lady at the counter during which she commented on the smell ... Read Full Story >>

An Unexpected Blessing

I traveled two hours in the rain to be with my high school friend for her 50th birthday.  I had a wonderful time.  I stopped for gas on the way home, and after paying, I was walking back to my car and something caught my eye on the ground near a mud puddle.  I bent down and picked it up.  It was a $10 bill – soaking wet, but nevertheless, it was money :).  It may not sound like a lot, but it was a true gift for me.  Money has been tight for a while, and I almost chose not to attend the birthday party.  However, my desire to be with my friend overcame my inhibitions, and this spontaneous money paid for the gas required to travel back and forth.

Unexpected blessings are always welcome!  I followed my heart and it “paid” off.  I encourage you to do the same.  :0)