Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Doing the Dishes for a Kind Friend

I had been hunting for opportunities to be kind recently and I came across the perfect opportunity last weekend.

A bunch of us went up to a friend's house for the weekend. He lives by a lake and its lovely.  He was extremely kind to us :-). He always manages to make me smile and has done countless kind deeds including picking up and dropping random people from the airport in his broken down car! It is rare to see such a lovely, pure person.

It was mid afternoon and no one had woken up yet.  My friend had left to school to complete some errands. This was my chance to pay it forward!

His dishwasher was overflowing with dishes that had been there a long time. I knew he didn't like it that way,  but he had commented the previous day that he hadn't had much time lately with a lot of deadlines coming up.

Within the hour I had washed all the dishes, dried them and cleaned up the counter.

He was really happy when he got back and I was left actually feeling happy about doing the dishes!

Thoughts on the Magic of Helping Others

Something magical happens when you put your focus on helping someone else. All your own worries, fears, concerns and doubts seem to disappear. By forgetting yourself you discover the best you can be too. In sincerely seeking to give value, you bring great value into your own life and the life of others. Give, not because it looks good or even because it feels good. Give, because it fulfills your deepest purpose and brings you completely to life.   Seize the opportunities to be of value and to be of service too. Live and act beyond yourself, and it opens your eyes to whole new realms and levels of possibilities.   With your sincerest actions, acknowledge and celebrate the connection you have to all others. In that connection you'll find a limitless source of joy and fulfillment.   Give your best. And you truly become your best.   May your week be filled with finding ... Read Full Story >>

A Valuable Lesson Learned From My Child

I always try to encourage my children to be, think and talk positive but one day I was caught not practicing what I preach by my son. My son is 7 ½ yrs old son and he was preparing for a sketch at his school for the occasion of Mother’s day. He was playing the role of an angel. On the evening before the show, we were having a casual conversation while I was preparing dinner in the kitchen.  He asked me: “Mum, can we see angels?” As usual, I seized the opportunity to encourage him to be positive and I said: “Yes, but only those who are, think and talk good can see angels.” He responded by asking: “You must have seen them then?” I paused a few seconds. I was touched by his innocence about the fact that how he thought his mother was a perfect person. Impatiently waiting for his answer, ... Read Full Story >>

A Gentle Thank You From A Cow

I grew up in India.  If any of you have ever been to India, you will know that it is not uncommon to see cows walking around freely on the roads.    One day, on my way home from school, I saw a cow that had been hit by a man on a scooter.   It was lying down on the side of the road and seemed unable to get up.  It moved its legs up and down a little bit and then just stopped and lay there.   I wanted to help but I didn’t know what to do.  I ran home and grabbed the first thing I saw – some bananas.  I peeled a couple and placed them very close to the cow’s mouth.  She made a few feeble attempts to reach the bananas but didn’t seem to have the energy to raise her head enough.   I decided to feed the cow the ... Read Full Story >>

Showing Kindness to Even the Smallest Beings

I have found that the way I treat insects acts as a reflection of my approach to kindness.  Like most kids, I suppose, I mistreated bugs terribly.  But many adults continue the rampage against insects, and I have often found that they do this mindlessly, killing them for no reason. With the weather getting warmer, more bugs are getting into our houses.  We also spend more time in "their house," as we enjoy the great outdoors.  We find ourselves reaching for the fly swatter and insecticides to get rid of them.  But why do we do this?  Most insects pose no threat to us, but we kill them anyway. As a young adult, I found myself questioning my treatment of bugs.  It became a moral issue.  I remember reading a Native American story about a mother who saw her daughter stomp on a spider.  The mom simply asks the child: "Now who'll take care ... Read Full Story >>

Graciously Receiving a Good Deed

Sometimes when I’m grocery shopping, I let people go ahead of me in the line, if they look like they are in a particular rush or if they have screaming children or something like that.  Today while I was grocery shopping I was given the opportunity to be a gracious receiver.  I got in line to check out, I only had a few items. The lady in front of me only had a few items also.  She looked at me and said "why don't you go ahead of me, I have to pay with a cheque." I was going to say "No, that's ok...you only have a few items" but I could tell she really wanted to make a difference, so I said "Are you sure?"  She said "Absolutely, please go ahead of me." So I went ahead of her and she was smiling and feeling good and I felt nice ... Read Full Story >>

An Opportunity to Pay-it-Forward

Yesterday, I popped out of the office to go to Starbucks.  I offered to bring back everyone’s coffee.  One of my co-workers was very sweet and said they would pay for my coffee.  So I thought – what a GREAT opportunity to "pay -it-forward"! I went through the drive-thru and placed our order.  When I reached the window to pay, I told the young lady I needed her help with something aside from our order.  I gave her $4.00 and a Smile card.  I told her I wanted to anonymously buy someone's coffee today.  I asked her to chose whomever she wanted to be the recipient of the free coffee, pass them the card and explain that they have just experienced a random act of kindness and all that I ask is that they ‘pay- it-forward’ by doing something kind for someone else.  She thought it was very sweet and agreed to ... Read Full Story >>

Smile, It Can't Be That Bad

Six Words That Changed a Life Six words - "Smile...it can't be that bad." - changed Judy's life. Judy is a young woman I worked with some years ago. She was in her late twenties, maybe early thirties, more than a little overweight, and not the most stylish dresser. What was most striking about her appearance was her smile; it was always there. Anyone passing Judy in the hallway was greeted with that smile and a soft, "Hello," or, "Good Morning," in her gentle, Minnesota accent.     ... Read Full Story >>

Care and Compassion from my Co-Workers

      I came across this website a few years ago when I was I was browsing the web looking for ways to thank the office staff I work with for the very warm welcome they gave me when I joined. One of the things we have sometimes at work are called ‘morale days’.   We bring in things and ideas to make the workplace more fun.  I was looking for something fun and different and that’s how I discovered the” Smile’’ cards you offer.  I ordered some and used them to do some of the kindness ideas which I had read about and turned it into a Thanksgiving theme. I wanted to give thanks to my co-workers for all the help and support they have given me since I started working there. Since I began my employment, I have had a series of events that have dramatically changed my life, including the loss of one ... Read Full Story >>

Help Others to Dress for Success

I heard a woman saying she wished her husband could find a job. She felt he wasn't considered because his clothing was old and stained. He had been unemployed for a while and money was tight.  He was a large man, size 3XL. This made it hard to find clothing at the thrift shops.

My husband used to be that size and I went into his closet and found a nice shirt and gave it to the wife. She was very thankful. Her husband looked neat and tidy for the interview and got the job.

Easy to do...Clean out your closets! Donate to Good Will or a thrift shop. Times are harder than ever and more and more people are turning to these shops for much needed suits and clothing for their interviews.

A Dose Of Christmas Joy For Patients

Below is a story about my 2008 Christmas in Tauranga, New Zealand in a local Newspaper (The Bay of Plenty Times) which I would like to share with you all. It was the most amazing experience ever!! I loved seeing the smiles on peoples faces and bringing a little happiness to those in sadness, giving 60 smile cards out as I went. I learnt that it doesn't matter your age or size but you CAN make a difference :) Still today I love going around and helping others and giving smile cards out! It's so much fun seeing other peoples happiness :) ... Read Full Story >>

The Bus Ride That Changed My Life

A few years ago I was an employee of an international company that sold computer devices. I had to travel a lot as part of my work. I remember that I was at a stage of my life where I only cared about how to make more money and how to solve technical problems.  I was locked in my own world living as a robot that only worked in a mechanical way. On one of my work trips, I came to the airport to take a bus to downtown, as usual.  It was the same routine:  get into the city, take the bus to the hotel, check in, visit the client, work late, take the bus back to the airport and fly back out... That day, for some reason, something was different.   I decided not to take the same exit in the airport and took the stairs down to a different exit and ... Read Full Story >>

Cold Water Bottles To Beat The Heat

As president of a local chapter of the MOMS Club, we decided to carryout a year-long theme with the moms/children..."365 Days of Kindness".  Each day I would send out an idea to demonstrate a random act of kindness.

One particular act that received much applause, was on an extremely hot summer day, to pass out iced cold bottled water to any roadside worker that you come across throughout the day.  I can be a little shy, and felt funny pulling along side the road with kids in tow, but did it anyhow.  The conversation sort of went like this...

Me:  Excuse me fellows.  Its awfully hot out today.  Could I interest you in a cold bottle of water?

Two Young Men:  Why, that would be mighty nice right about now.  You are too kind.

Me and the kids were so excited, that we couldn't wait to keep driving and find more people in need of some cold water. 

To The Dentist With Love

So after six long months, my date with the Dentist finally comes to an end.  Yes people, thats where I spent  every weekend of my last six months healing my four front teeth in the upper jaw. It all started 2008 December with a fall that left one of the teeth half broken exposing the roots and slightly reshaping the adjacent ones. A root canal was performed and the three adjacent teeth were ground, and a crown placed protecting it. It was an expensive affair but the office took care of the bills.  Exactly a year later, one of the teeth from the same area started giving me sharp pains and I soon found myself standing before a Dentist - another one this time as I had quit office and moved back to school. She just took one look at it and declared all the three teeth are dead. She was at ... Read Full Story >>

80 Rupees of Kindness Goes a Long Way

"I'm the eldest among us, so you have to let me pay for these tickets!  Besides, just one ticket in the States cost more than all three tonight!!" My cousin's wallet hand was faster than mine, pulling out Rs. 520 for three opening night seats to 'Angels and Demons' before I could make good on my intention. "Naaah!  Come on- don't worry about it," came the answer. "Ok, but then we have to use this 500 rupees to do something good," I say as I pull out a crisp note. We immediately start trying to figure it out while slowly walking away from the theater.  I spot an ice cream vendor selling 10 rupees soft serves not far from us. "Hey, what about ice cream!  We could give 50 strangers a cool surprise with this bill.  Just random people walking by." "NO!  Why?!  We should give to someone in need," protested one of my cousins, with ... Read Full Story >>

Finding Family In Unexpected Places

We were new to the area and I had just met an elderly couple at a gathering.  The wife and I talked for a long time and she confessed how worried she was about her husband who was waiting for a heart transplant.  At the time I was working as a researcher in the same institution where he would be going for his surgery, so I told her to take down my phone number and call me to let me know he was there.  She called a few weeks later to let me know he was admitted to the hospital and still waiting.  So, I made it a point to go check on him and visit with them every day while I was at work.  I thought that if it was my Dad, I would do the same, and I just wanted to give them some company. Weeks turned into months and it ... Read Full Story >>

Can A Cookie A Day Make A Smile Stay?

I was walking home from school one day and it happend to be a particularly cold and windy day. It was freazing and I was crazy enough to forget my hats and mitts.  You can imagine my cheeks were rosy red and my hands were as numb as numb can be. All of a sudden this old lady drives up beside me and asks if I would like a rode home. At first I said it was ok but she persisted and her warm smile melted away the thought that my parents drilled through my head which was never talk to strangers!  We had an awesome chat and she was just such a sweetheart. She told me her address and she dropped me off.  I didn't see her or talk to her for about a month and one night remembering her kind gesture I decided to return the favour. So, I ... Read Full Story >>

A Jar of Coins, a Loaf of Bread and Thou

One Year for Christmas, my brother Chris and and his wife Julie gave  each of us siblings a very thoughtful gift. Inspired by the book: "The Christmas Jar", by Jason F. Wright, they gave each sibling's family an empty quart size Mason Jar. A slot was cut in the plastic lid, and inside were a number of stickers and ribbons to decorate the jar with.   In the book: The Christmas Jar, Hope Jensen, in a moment of great grief and monetary loss, is anonymously gifted a small jar of Money. Moved, humbled, and transformed by this gift, her own faith in humanity is resurrected, as she searches for and ultimately finds the donors.   When we opened the package from my brother, inside, along with the jar and a copy of the book, was a note which read:   " In honor of the spirit of giving we were taught by Mama Rose and Papa ... Read Full Story >>

Telephone Book Tagging

It seems like I haven't been up to many good deeds lately. I feel like I needed to get some Smile Cards in circulation. So once again, I got out  the local telephone book and picked three 'random names' and sent them a note card along with a Smile Card to the address in the book.  I included a happy little Smile Poem in one, a Positive Quote in the second one and in the third one I put a nice bookmark. 

I feel better now...it doesn't take much...but now I've helped someone else find their smile.....I am smiling too.

Try it, You'll like it! :0)

Smiles Are Contagious!

A Kind Gesture That Saves A Home

I was browsing the internet earlier today and I went to the wishuponahero website.  I read a story about a woman who desperately needed $160 by 3.00pm to pay her mortgage or otherwise she would lose her home. 

Well I had £100 in my bank account - and I have to pay my own instalment next week.  But I figured - hey I don't need the money until then and the lady said she would pay it back next Friday which is the day when her husband gets paid. 

So I used paypal and sent her the $160.  The lady is SO HAPPY, she gets to keep her house and she will give pay me the money back into my paypal account next week and I can use that to pay my debt just as before.

I'm so glad I helped out.