Stories of Kindness from Around the World

$100 Hero Changes a Family's Life Forever

I read an article in my local paper a while ago, and it really stuck with me.   There was a couple in my neighbourhood whose house had been badly damaged in a hail storm we had earlier in the year. I remember it well and so did my car, hailstones almost the size of baseballs. Anyway I read this article a few months after the storm that this couple didn't have insurance and they had just bought their first home, they had been saving for five years to get their home. They were a fairly young couple and unfortunately their home was badly damaged in the hail. They had most of their house damaged, not only by the hail but a tree outside their house had fallen and destroyed a a section of the house. They didn't have money to repair because all their money was going into just buying the place, and ... Read Full Story >>

4717 Reads

A Smile Card Story Hits the Airwaves

This is way cool.  I stepped into my car this morning and heard the following on the radio: "Random Acts of Kindness sure do create a ripple effect and spread smiles and love farther than we can imagine."

There was more:"We just got a call from our friend Deb in Nazareth, who told us about a grumpy crossing guard.  One day Deb decided to stop into Dunkin Donuts and get hot chocolates for each of the four crossing guards.  When she gave it to the grumpy one, she told him she really appreciates what he does for all the children out here in the cold, wet weather, day in and day out.  She then handed him a Smile Card, and he produced a smile which she would never forget.  From then on, they always said good day to one another."

Deb had gotten the Smile Cards from me and loved the stories I had told her about here on HelpOthers.  She does not have a computer, but has a receptive heart and due to the kindness of all of you and the originator(s) of this site, was able to bring the ripple of kindness and smiles full circle!

Tons of love to all of you today!

1896 Reads

Forgiveness in the Midst Of Despair

Today I showed kindness. It may seem like a simple thing, but I showed it to someone who hurt me beyond belief.  This year has been the worst of my life: I lost my mom, my job, my fiancee and soon my home. I thought this year would change my life for the better, but I was wrong. I fell in love and he asked me to marry him. We decided we would make a change and move to Baltimore to be closer to our friends. I left Philadelphia, found a home, and although I had lost my job, I took my unemployment to find a new home for us to get together and for him to move and join me at the end of June. We were to be married in September. One month before he was to move, he just cut off contact with me. For almost 7 weeks, he hasn't ... Read Full Story >>

1611 Reads

Two Metro Passes and Giggles of Glee

We were in Boston for the long holiday weekend and since we knew we would be using public transportation instead of driving, we bought a couple of seven-day metro cards thinking we would save a little bit of money instead of buying one-day passes each day. 

On our last day in town, we stepped up to a couple of young men that were just in the process of buying their own cards.  My husband handed them both of our cards and the boys just giggled.  They could not believe their good fortune as they looked at the cards and realized they had 5 more days to use the cards!  My husband thought they might have been German tourists, based on their accent when they said thank you. 

In any case, those giggles of glee were all the thanks we needed -- how wonderful to be able to share with strangers. 

1580 Reads

Love's Gentle Presence

   Some time ago a girl fell in love with me. She was, and still is, beautiful. She would look at me with such tender eyes. She would try and sit next to me and I thought that was so kind of her to do that. But I failed her. However her love affected me more than she knows. Because of her I got courage to find myself and become a better person. Because of her I felt loved and cared for in this world. And I wish to repay her one day.

1432 Reads

Broken Laundry Cart and a Ride Home

I was on my merry way when I saw this old lady trying to go back home after going to the laundromat.  She was pushing her little cart with 2 wheels on the front but it didn't budge because of a steep bump.   She pushed so hard one of the wheels came off. I stopped and got the wheel and put it back on the lady's laundry cart. I asked her that if she would like me to take her home after I finished my shopping and she replied "yes."  She was so happy. I didn't know how far she was going and my son and his girl friend were waiting for me in the car. I rushed to get my things and when I was at the register I let her know that it would not take much longer and she waited patiently for me.  When I finished  I told her I was ready ... Read Full Story >>

3602 Reads
  • Posted by angels_destiny14
  • Jun 4, 2009
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Intentions Spoke Volumes in This Cafe

   Which road is paved with good intentions? Oh, yeah. You know the one!    Well, anyway, I was in a Glasgow cafe at the weekend. Actually, I had been browsing in the shop while Julie got a table in the cafe that occupies the rear of the shop. As I walked to the table, I saw an elderly lady trying to make her way to a vacant seat. The place was busy and there wasn't a lot of space. She walked slowly and determinedly, leaning heavily on two sticks, wobbling slightly between steps.    Sometimes you can just tell, and I was sure she would much rather get there under her own steam than be helped.    So, I stood and watched. And while I watched I saw a couple, sitting nearby, halt their coffee cups inches from their lips. Without looking down, the man shoved the bag at his feet further under the ... Read Full Story >>

1365 Reads

Sharing Smiles and Cinnamons More Than Words

My husband, Jim, works in a warehouse. He works with many who can barely speak english and he doesn't speak Spanish. They share smiles more than words.

Last night Jim ate a quick sandwich in his car and as he was walking back into  the warehouse from his break, he walked past a picnic table of guys sitting and chatting in Spanish. Louis was the only man he knew at the table. Jim had a small bag of cinnamon candies in his pocket that he pulled out and offered one to Louis and then he motioned to the others to help themselves too.  They were all smiles and acting like Jim offered them gold.

Jim said the best part about sharing was that later during the night a guy Jim had never seen before approached him at his machine and smiled and said "Cinnamons????"  Jim smiled and pulled the bag from his pocket.

Jim was surprised that a simple act of sharing cinnamon candies had spread through the warehouse to someone he had never even seen before.  I guess friends are easier to make than Jim thought!

1270 Reads

When Tables Turn Randomly...

A week ago I received my "smile cards" in the mail.  I was so excited to give out my first card!  I had to go to the grocery store, so I decided to give out a card there.  The plan was to let the person in line behind me at the checkout counter go in front of me - no matter how many groceries were in their cart!  I got in line and anxiously waited for someone to come up behind me.  Unfortunately, the clerk closed the line behind me so there wasn't anyone there to give it to!  I pushed my cart to the parking lot where my car was parked.  I spied a young pregnant woman unloading her groceries.   My plan then changed - after I put my bags in the car, I would offer to return her cart for her so she wouldn't have to walk far in the ... Read Full Story >>

1434 Reads

Paying it Behind At a Coffee Shop

A couple of times a month I play a game in the Starbucks drive-through lane. When I get to the cashier I pay for my coffee and the coffee of the person in the car behind me. The configuration of the drive-through makes it easy to hear the car behind me call their order into the speaker phone so I don't risk paying for a dozen caramel macchiatos and a pound of Sumatra. You may be saying that it's not technically a "game"; it's more like a "stunt". Well the game part of it comes as I try to get away from the store and into traffic before the person with the free coffee can catch up to me and get a look at me. I want to stay anonymous and leave them guessing; I think it gives them a longer lasting impression. One time it was friend of mine but ... Read Full Story >>

6243 Reads

Giving the Gift of Sight

If you are lucky enough to have health insurance and get your glasses replaced yearly, you should think about sharing your used pair with those less fortunate than yourself.  Most of us put the pair in a drawer as a "spare pair" and never end up using them and we end up with a collection of old glasses sitting around collecting dust. There are plenty of children and adults who are less fortunate than ourselves and depend on kind and giving people to donate their glasses to be repaired and cleaned up by organizations who do this around the world. Please Recycle.  My family just donated 4 pairs at a local drop off. Give the gift of sight... I C U :)

1198 Reads

Picking Up After Others -- With a Smile

   He was a neighbour and he was a few years older than me. That's about all I knew about the guy.    Now, there he was, on the strip of grass between our houses and the primary school. He had a bag and one of those "picker-upper" things, and he was collecting litter.    I was about to add "weird" to the list of things I knew about him, then I pulled myself up short. Since when did doing good equal weird? So, to make up for my lack of charity, I leaned over the fence and thanked  him for doing a good job.    "Yeah," he smiled. "I'm sure the neighbors think I'm on a Community Service order!" From that little flash of humour, I was sure I was gonna like this guy. I commented how rare - and nice -  it was to see someone doing good for no reason.    "Well," ... Read Full Story >>

1631 Reads

Choosing to Live Fully

John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, 'If I were any better, I would be twins!'  He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.  Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, "I don't get it!  You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"    He replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood, or you can choose to be in a bad mood.  I choose to be in a good mood.   Each time something bad ... Read Full Story >>

7900 Reads

High Noon For The Blues

High Noon For The Blues By Lance Landall Everything was going fine, ’till the blues rolled into town, Holsters packed with surly clouds, ready to bring a man down. Heavy boots strode ’cross my mind, pausing, intimidating, Yes, misery at the ready, success anticipating. Demons clothed in black, faces masked by shadows — halted there, Defiant and menacing, sneering too — provoking fear. Yes, the blues looking for victims had chosen to visit me, Just spoiling for a showdown — a duel, emotionally. Suddenly a voice rang out, “You ain’t got no business here, Just turn about, saddle up, and high-tail it out of here. My names Sheriff Positive, I’m in charge of this terrain, And I ain’t letting no blues, trample over this ole brain.” “Just take those mean ole clouds away, and all your ballyhoo, And never come back, ya hear, we don’t want the likes of you. Emotionally you’re draining, yes, ... Read Full Story >>

2215 Reads

Transforming a Bill Into a Gift of Gratitude

I got my bills for the month and you know what that usually feels like.  I just first looked at them sitting on my counter and pretended they didn't exist. I left them sealed in the envelope, untouched and abandoned. Yet, I still mentally kept track of when they most likely were due, so I didn't incur a late fee and compound the problem. Today was the day I decided to pay my therapy bill since I was going to see my therapist. Instead of quickly scribbling down the check amount after analyzing the itemized break down of his billing rates to make sure there were no financial errors, I rushed out of my open front door into change.  While I still was in a hurry to make it to my 6:00pm appointment in downtown Palo Alto, I was hurrying to reach something new… Inspired by the spirit of those Karma Kitchen cooks, ... Read Full Story >>

3469 Reads

The Amazing Rescue of a Mouse

A few years ago as I was walking round the park, I threw some rubbish in a waste bin.  As I thre it in, I saw something move.  I looked in a saw a little mouse.  It was trapped. I tried to encourage it into a paper bag so I could lift it out of the bin, but it would not have it. 

I went home and told my husband.  We got a shoe box and went back to the park.  We put the shoe box in the bin and the mouse climbed into it.  We lifted it out and let it run free into the bushes.

It is surprising how good we felt inside just for that little act.

1507 Reads

Making Friends in a New Country

One day I went to meet my friend inside of Victoria Station in London.  When we went outside, two guys came to us and they asked, “Where are you from?”  My friend asked them, "Where are you from?", but but they did not understand the English.  My friend said, “We are from Afghanistan.” They were very excited because we could speak their language. They straight away started to talk in Farsi with us. They asked us for some help because they had just arrived in England. They first of all asked for a phone to make a call, so my friend gave him the phone. One of the boy's called his friend, but his friend did not answer. He was very upset about that. My friend said to me, “Remember Iranian, people hate Afghan people and Afghan people hate Iranian too."   After my friend said that to me I replied, “Not everyone is ... Read Full Story >>

1562 Reads
  • Posted by alikhan2008
  • May 28, 2009
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Little Presents to Take Friends a Long Way

I thought I would have a go at doing an anonymous random act of kindness. My friends have been miserable a lot lately because we are doing all our end of year tests at school so I thought they could do with some cheering up.

I went home after school that night and made them pretty little cards that tells them how wonderful I think each of them are. The next day when they weren't looking I slipped them into thier school bags and when they found them they were really pleased. This made them so happy that I went home to make little letters to tell them to enjoy thier little cards which I will slip them tomorrow. I have also made them more little cards that have poems on them about that person which I will give them on Friday.

My little presents have made such an impact that everyone is a lot happier and being a lot more positive about school. (I haven't yet quite worked out when I am going to stop giving them things and tell them it is me!)

1461 Reads

Grocery Store Commotion Turns Into Kindness

"Some people!" snorted a man standing behind me in the long line at the grocery store. "You would think the manager would pay attention and open another line," said a woman. I looked to the front of the line to see what the hold up was and saw a well dressed, young woman, trying to get the machine to accept her credit card. No matter how many times she swiped it, the machine kept rejecting it. "It's one of them welfare card things. Damn people need to get a job like everyone else," said the man standing behind me. The young woman turned around to see who had made the comment. 'It was me,' he said, pointing to himself. The young lady's face began to change expression. Almost in tears, she dropped the welfare card onto the counter and quickly walked out of the store. Everyone in the checkout line ... Read Full Story >>

9233 Reads

The Promise Proclamation

While we often tell others we love, such as our family, friends, and relatives, those comforting thoughts to warm up their hearts inside, we forget that this gift of friendship and affection we give to others is something we can give ourselves too. Remind yourself that as you help others, you are also allowed to help yourself along the way. Here's a gift to give yourself as you get started. Make the following promise proclamations to yourself today: 1. I will become friends with myself and realize that it is a  worthwile friendship just as are the friendsips I have with others.   2. I will look for sunshine in everything, so optimism becomes my reality not an elusive dream. 3.I will create thoughts of the best in mind, give my best to meet my goals, and expect only the best results, so that the best is manifested in my life.  4. I will understand ... Read Full Story >>

2085 Reads