Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Sealing the World Together... at the Post Office!

On my way to work yesterday, in frigid Pennsylvania, in anticipation of a major snowstorm, I stopped by at a local post office to send a gift to warm and sunny Florida.  When I walked through the door, there were at least 8 people in front of me.  A bit dismayed, I decided to calmly wait until it was my turn to place the precious package on the counter for its journey Southward. The box, still unsealed, since I didn't have the strapping tape, rested on a counter while I went to the display to purchase the tape and a label.  As I began to secure the top of the box, a woman in front of me, in similar situation, asked if she could "borrow some tape."  I laughed and said that, of course she could use some of the tape and there was no need to give it back.  As I assisted ... Read Full Story >>

This Is What Christmas Is All About

You never know where kindness from strangers may appear.  The snow started at 4:30 Friday evening and didn’t stop until Saturday evening.  Many parts of the northeast received up to 20 inches.  I had been snowed in for over 24 hours and was starting to feel cabin fever strike.  The shoveling started around 11:00 Sunday morning and after an hour I felt like I had just started.  I suffer from scoliosis and was starting to feel the pain so I decided to go in for a bit.  Around 2:30 I threw back on my winter gear and headed back outside, thinking to myself: “This is going to take forever and boy am I’m going to be feeling it tomorrow!”  In the distance I saw a man riding a small John Deere tracker and attached to the back a snow plow.  He stopped and offered to plow the remaining driveway making ... Read Full Story >>

Live As Though Everything Is A Miracle

The following passage is a healthy prescription of how we can approach life. It is not about being famous or being wealthy or about our good looks. Truly, it is all about love. There are times when we feel as if we are separated from the rest. This illusion creates a mental prison. Hence, we should strive to internally liberate ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living things. "Open your heart to others and try to understand, When someone reaches for you, hold out to them your hand, Follow your heart, no matter what other people say, Do things that make you able to smile throughout your day, Treat other people, the way you would like them to treat you, Do what you know is right and to your heart and self stay true, Remember what life is all about, it is how you make people feel, What you do, where you go, and making dreams become real, Helping people through, in hard times of ... Read Full Story >>

Christmas Sale by the Kids!

Yesterday on Tamal Road an energetic group of entrepreneurs had set up a make-the-season-bright stand. They were hawking their wares either for free or for $1. You guessed it -- they had me reaching for that dollar in my pocket. And, if there was any confusion about when they were open, there is "lunch break at 12 : pm" and "not lunch." for every when else. Happy Holidays! ... Read Full Story >>

Best Christmas Ever!

Even though we're not at all ready for it, this has to be my  best Christmas ever! Mostly because I'm actually doing things for other people not just me this year! 

Last night we went Christmas caroling and I managed to drop some smile cards at a few houses :)

Today we worked at a food bank and I put smile cards in the first round of boxes before I ran out :)

I'm hoping I can go back to the food bank as often as possible! It is the only food bank avaliable to anyone but seniors in Athens county, OH, which is the poorest county in Ohio, and it is open 1-3 on Mondays only. The people who run it live in Columbus and drive about 2 1/2 hours to get there even though they sometimes show up at 10 to start bagging!  I'm hoping to go every week if I can, so I need to start making smile cards faster!

Holiday blessing to everyone!

Fish & Chips and a Raincoat on a Stormy Night

One rainy night on a vacation trip with friends to London, my husband and I passed a man sitting and  shivering in the cold rain. When we went in to change at our hotel for dinner, I told my husband I had to go and do something.  I went out fast before he could ask what.  

I took my raincoat and some money.  I ran across the street and bought a dinner of Fish and Chips and told them to put it in a bag.  I ran back to the man and gave him my raincoat and the dinner.  My heart was full the entire evening!  It is better to give than to receive.  My husband laughed when I told him I had given him my raincoat.

Change Of Heart

A mother and daughter living in my complex are two of the most unfriendly people I have ever come across in my life. They are totally withdrawn, mixing with no one. As they drive past neighbors they keep their eyes averted and make no sign of acknowledgement. The only fame they have is making a nuisance of themselves to the local police station by reporting music played too loud, dogs barking more than once a day and any other petty little gripe. On moving into this neighborhood, I was warned about these two but decided I would make up my own mind. This proved quite a challenge to me as more than once either the mother or the daughter would knock on my door and blast me with some complaint or other. My warfare? I always answered politely and made sure I waved as they went past my place and also made ... Read Full Story >>

My Son, a Real Gentleman

I had taken my 11-year old grocery shopping and after we had finished he was taking our cart back to the store.  I stayed in the car and noticed that he was helping a woman by carrying her groceries and putting them away in her car...and then putting her cart away too. I smiled to myself quietly.

As he was taking the carts away, the woman came over to my car and asked me, "Are you his mother?" I said yes. She said, "Your son is such a gentleman---it has been a long time since I have seen a kid like this....you are doing a great job!" I said thank you and just beamed, with tears in my eyes. 

When my son came back I played it "cool" and simply said "that was nice of you to help that lady". He replied, "She looked like she could use some help with her bags". I then told him that the lady came over and called him a real gentleman, and how proud I was of him. It was such a memorable moment.  It made me feel like even if I am not around, I hope that he will always take the time to notice others and do the right thing.

Making Others Happy Makes Me Happy

I take the bus to go to university. In the morning I park my car next to the bus stop so that in the afternoon I can drive it home.

One afternoon, after I got off the bus and was walking to my car to drive home, I found this young lady who just got off the bus standing there waiting for a cab.  I went and asked her if she cared for a ride home. She looked surprised as we didn't know each other. I told her that I'm not in a hurry and that I'd love to drive her home.

At first, she hesitated, but then she agreed and walked with me to the car. We kept talking about different stuff all the way to her house. She was fun and friendly. I really enjoyed our talk. We finally arrived at her house, she kept thanking me for being kind and telling me that no one ever has been that kind to her. Then, she left.

She left me with a smile on my face, and this feeling of unbelievable happiness. I have to say that when making others happy, we become happy ourselves.

Teenager Fills a Neighbor's Empty Cupboards

When I was 13 years old I used to babysit for the lady next door. Every 2 weeks she would pay me $80. I always looked forward to getting paid so I could go to the mall with my friends on Saturday and spend my money that took me two weeks to earn. One Friday evening I heard my Mom on the phone with our neighbor  and I heard her say a few times, "Oh that is horrible,"  After my Mom got off the phone I asked what was wrong. She said that the neighbors had no food in their house and the she didn't know what she was gonna feed her daughter.  Her husband had spent their money on beer and got angry after he came home because his wife asked for money to buy groceries.  He began to pull dishes out of the cupboards and threw them at the wall. So, on top of not having any groceries, ... Read Full Story >>

Trying Not To Blush On My First Kindness Mission

I have been a member of this site for quite a while and come on everyday while at work to read the stories to cheer me up. However, I had never used a smile card until recently!! I started a new job and was a little bit unnerved by my larger-than-life boss. She told us that she was going in for an operation and I could tell that even though she was acting "normal" that she was really worried underneath. So I thought I would try my first smile card act of kindness with her. Before going out to lunch as we all did, I snuck away from the group and went and bought a really nice box of chocolates for her (as she was quite partial to a nice bit of choccy). Then was the task of getting them into the office and placing them on her desk without anyone noticing it was me!! It ... Read Full Story >>

Helping Others Save Some Money

This weekend I was shopping and had taken several coupons along.  The discount coupons ranged in value from $3.50 to $10, to 20 percent off any purchase.  I had the one coupon that I was using but realized that I had two extra coupons that I would not be using.  So, I turned to the next two people in line following me and gave each of them a coupon.  It felt great to be able to help someone else save money.

An 8-Year-Old Spontaneously Cleans His Classroom

One day I saw that my teacher's class was messy. So I decided to clean up the room. I picked up a brush and a garbage can and started sweeping the rags, food wrappers, etc., into the can. It took me 30 minutes of the recess time to finish cleaning the room.

The teacher came into the room and saw that it was neat and clean. She asked who cleaned the room and everyone pointed to me. She came to me and handed over a Whisker Wink and wrote on it: "Hari cleaned up the room without anyone helping him."

After  school, I went to the principal's office and signed my name on the Role of Honor paper that everyone who gets a Wisker Wink can do. Then the principal will add Wisker Wink points to everyone who signed the paper. So far I have earned 140 points. 

(This is my 8-year-old brother's account of his good deed.)

A Saved Voicemail Cheers Up A Friend

I knew a friend of mine was struggling with work, adult children moving back into the home, and a health concern about his wife.

Last week I called him and left him a voicemail letting him know that I was thinking of him and focusing on a positive outcome for him.

I spoke to him today and he told me that my voicemail brought him so much comfort that he saved it and when things get rough, he listens to it and cheers up.

I'm so humbled by his words and so very grateful that I took a moment to leave him that voicemail.  It got me thinking how sometimes we have impulses to reach out to another.  At times we follow through, sometimes we get busy and forget. 

After hearing his gratitude for my message, I realized I need to pay more attention to those impulses.  

Everyday, I read the stories on this website and I am so warmed by all the generous giving and grateful receiving. 

Thank you for the inspiration!

Togetherness: A Life After Life

I attended a funeral a week ago of a management friend who’s husband passed away of a heart attack very unexpectedly at age 50. He was survived by his wife and 12 year old child. It has been a difficult time for the family. On the back of their funeral announcement was this three paragraph poem that I thought was worth passing on to you. Hope you find it as valuable as I did:   Death is nothing at alI. I have only slipped away into the next room. Whatever we were to each other, we still are. Call me by my old familiar name. Speak to me in the same easy way you always have. Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together. Play, smile, think of me, pray for me. Life means all that it ever means. It is the same as it always was. This is absolute ... Read Full Story >>

Thankful for a Mother-In-Law's Advice 9 Years Later

When my husband and I became engaged some nine years ago, I felt slightly perplexed when my mother-in-law  offered us the following advice: "Be kind to each other."

I thought that was so obvious at the time, but over the years it has stuck with me and I have realised that it is one of the best pieces of advice I have ever received.

It is all too easy to take our nearest and dearest for granted and not show them the appreciation that they deserve.

I recently thanked my mother-in-law (mummy 2, as she prefers to be called) for those words.  It was nine years late, but I always think: better late than never. I told her just how much I still appreciate her words of wisdom that she shared with us all those years ago. I could see that I made her day too! :)

A Circle of Giving with New Friends

Last month my kindness idea allowed me to meet some new people in my community. When I delivered their food, I also gave each my phone number so they could keep in touch if they wanted.  All of them have called me since.

Having a bad spell with MS has left me pretty much in bed the last two or three weeks and feeling nearly helpless.

Yesterday, the young mother I had helped showed up at my house with a casserole. While she was here, she washed my dishes and carried out my trash. The young gentleman I had helped has been here twice, just to check on me. He has no transportation so he had to walk the several miles to where I live. 

In helping others, I have made new friends . What a blessing.

A Valuable Lesson About Caring

Yesterday, when I was walking through town, I saw Marcus, our local Big Issue seller.  I mentally kicked myself for not remembering to bring a snack for him.

I was tempted to pretend that I hadn't noticed him and walk quickly by in the hope that he would not see me.  I felt that if I didn't have anything to give him, I should not stop.

As I approached him, I realised that I could still show him that I care, even though I didn't have anything to give him.  I called out his name as I approached and we passed some pleasantries about the weather, books, etc., for just a couple of minutes.

I am so glad that I did stop.  He responded very well to me and taught me a valuable lesson.  Next time, I  try to remember to take something for him, but from now on I will always make sure that I stop to chat and listen even when I have nothing other than care to give to him.

Knock Knock, Merry Christmas!

After learning that my husband was being laid off, we knew that Christmas this year would be very lean.  While we know that it is better to give than to receive, I was sad that I would miss seeing the smiles of joy on family members' faces when opening their presents.

Then, I received a call from my sister-in-law, who said she ended up with 200 stuffed animals and did not know what to do with them.  They had been in her company storage for years.  My husband and I decided that on Christmas morning we would knock on all of our neighbors doors' and hand the stuffed animals out.  Fortunately, we have enough wrapping paper from last year and we won't be needing it this year. 

Now we feel like Christmas is still here this year and we are looking forward to doing this!  We may not have many presents for each other, but we will still get to see plenty of smiles this Christmas.

A Home Filled With Love This Christmas

Something happened today to make me realise just how much love I have in my house and I am so thankful for that. My husband used to work in a bank but during the credit crunch he lost his job. The economy wasn't looking good and he didn't have too many options to get another bank job.  It was incredibly difficult to see him go to the warehouse to look for work, hoping and praying that he would be offered a position (where he would be paid even less than his own teenage children were making).  Someone dear to me encouraged him to keep on "keeping on" and I was right behind them.  I told him to just "go for it".  He got the job and it brought us such a feeling of pride.  With his new job we were still able to pay our mortgage and buy our groceries.  But money ... Read Full Story >>