Stories of Kindness from Around the World

This I Believe, Robert Heinlein

This article has been taken offline by the request of Trustee of the Heinlein Prize Trust regarding infringement of a copyright.

3609 Reads

An Impulse to Help Succeeds

   My son and I were on our way to his piano lesson (which is above a pizza shop) when we saw and heard the rantings of a homeless man across the street who was asking for money to get something to eat.  He then entered into a smoke shop and I walked my son up to his lesson.    I ran back downstairs to see if the man was wandering around outside and saw that he was back on the street corner across the way, looking for change.  I quickly ran up to the counter of the pizza shop and asked for a slice of pizza to take out.  Meanwhile I kept looking around outside to see where the homeless man was in his wanderings.  I was a bit impatient waiting for the pizza to get ready because I didn't want to miss him.  I saw him start walking away ... Read Full Story >>

2168 Reads

A Single Smiling Mother

Maybe it is because it is the season of joy, where one year closes and another one opens up to new possibilities. Maybe it is just that I am finally heading toward a direction in my life that points to a positive place out of the negative one in which I was rooted.  This past year I have struggled with my own sense of low self-worth, with post partum depression due to the arrival of my newborn, and the challenges of being a single parent. I do not have anything deeply profound to impart. I just wanted to send a small note to share with all of you that things seem to be moving well for me now, and just maybe during this time of giving I can give strength to any other struggling single mothers out there who are doing what they can for the babies in their world.   Here is a glimpse of what one mom went through: I am a procrastinator and very indecisive. I would make a decision, ... Read Full Story >>

1681 Reads

A Lesson in Dignity

Everyday as I drove through town, I saw a one-legged man going through ash cans for cigerette butts and trash cans outside of fast food restaurants looking for food.  It was only a month before Christmas, starting to get cold (I lived in a town that was over 6,000 ft. altitude) and I could not quit thinking about him.  It was a year where we didn't have enough money to really have much in the way of presents but I figured what was too little for us would be a lot for someone who had nothing. So I bought a brush, toothbrush, toothpaste, pack of cigerettes, cans of tuna, just little things that didn't cost much and then I added a blanket and sweatshirts.  I made a box up like a present and went in search of this man.  I saw him hobble away from the dumpster next to McDonalds.  I ... Read Full Story >>

6152 Reads

Together We Can Make a Difference

"A SMILE IS THE SOUL'S KISSES"

I have only been a member of this wonderful group for about a week. I am so glad that I found the website and group. I have spent my whole life doing for others and even at age 39 I feel like I have so many more years to keep doing. Logging in every day I have found that there are so many special people out there like all of us. There are also so many special people that need something little done for them. A simple handshake, a simple smile, a simple hug, a little post it note left on someones desk, a little "thinking of you note". There are so many things we all can do.

I find that I am constantly thinking of ways to help people and thinking of fun things to surprise someone with. 

Together we all can make a difference!!!!!!

 

1576 Reads

Did You Forget How to Laugh?

Yesterday, I went over to my sister's home to provide some  emotional support for her, as she was in need. She needed help in overseeing the work of the plumber who had come to unblock the troubled sewage system in the home. Wanting to reassure her through this event,  I showed up at her doorstep 15 minutes before the plumber did and when I walked in, her pained look and frown suddenly lifted as her desperation came to a halt.   I knew from her face that it wasn't just the plumbing problem that was upsetting her, but rather she faced a deeper challenge that extended beyond any practical issue relating to household management.  My sister embraced me closely, made me coffee, and while waiting for our upcoming plumber, we clinked our coffee mugs together, and I began recounting some rather slapstick moments of my life to see if I could sustain a smile on her face.   Although we did not explicity discuss the main issue that plagued my sister daily,  I knew that she had been enduring quite ... Read Full Story >>

1877 Reads

A Cup of Kindness

   They have introduced a coupon system in my workplace for coffee where we have to produce a coupon to get coffee. And we must collect the coupon booklet from admin people on the first of every month.    Yesterday i went to collect the coupon from our cafeteria on the 9th floor and then went to 2nd floor where the coffee machine is to grab a quick cup of coffee before starting my day at work. As i was waiting for the lift after getting the coffee I saw a senior person about the age of 50 being informed by the attendant that he could not have coffee without the coupon. And he had to go to the 9th floor to get the coupon and then come down again for coffee. But then it would be late for him to start his work since we have strict reporting time in our ... Read Full Story >>

2580 Reads

For the Man Who Hated Christmas

[ Note: This story below was written by Nancy Gavin and originally published in the December 14, 1982 issue of Woman's Day magazine. You can watch a video of this story here.] It’s just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past ten years or so.   It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas--oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it--overspending... the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma---the gifts given in desperation because you couldn’t think of anything else.   Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an ... Read Full Story >>

38.8K Reads

My Motto: Keep Smiling

I was hurt as a child, mentally and physically and I suffer from it today.  When I was in the UK  I was a the chairman (after 2 years of volunteering) of a charity that helps people cope.  My life motto is "keep smilin."  I have my down days, more so than up days.  But I keep smilin and I get by.  Never, never, never give up!  I always let the paper boys keep the change when I buy a paper from them when they sit outside all day.  I was a paper boy once.  And I appreciated all the change I could get. I always buy the big issue, then hand it back to them to resell.  I can't save the world. I don't want to either. But I can raise a smile. I love to smile. I only wish I could from the inside.

thanks for the cards ;)

3822 Reads

Open Your Eyes to See Yourself

Eyes are two gifts to you. It is your choice what to see with them.
Your Voice is a gift to you. It is your choice what to say with it.
Thinking is a gift to you. It is your choice what thoughts to carry with you.

Life is a gift to you. It is your choice how to live.

The power of our gifts lies in our ability to give them

You have a gift that is waiting to be unwrapped inside you. If you begin to just open it, maybe somebody will one day find that they are alive because you shared with them the gift you found within you.

 

1792 Reads

A Nursing Home "Gardener"

My daughter reminded me yesterday of a story that happened several years ago. I worked in a nursing home for several years and had kind of adopted one wing, where the residents had few guests/visitors, and stayed manily in their rooms or in the hallway outside there rooms. I went down on my breaks just to check in, to see if anyone needed or wanted a bit of extra TLC.  I gave them "flower" nicknames so I could share some of there stories with my kids without revealing there identities. The residents all knew I had nicknames for them. I called them my own private garden. One day I happened to overhear one of them say,  "I wonder if dandelion is coming today?"  "Of course, she always comes answered another."  I admit I wondered why they named me after a weed.  A few months after overhearing this one of my special ... Read Full Story >>

4764 Reads

Email "Thanks" are Rare and Appreciated

   I have this great uncle who is up in his years and has been married to my aunt for over 60 years. These are two of my favorite people in the whole world!  My uncle is as bad as me when it comes to being on the computer. All day I get funny, not-so-funny, and interesting e-mails that I make sure I pass along to him. For each and every one, I know he is going to respond with a ''thank you.'' And each ''thank you'' says the same thing. He just wants to make sure that I know he appreciates the mail.  I think that's awesome because I don't always do that  mainly because I don't always feel it is necessary, but in his case, he does. I know he wont be around forever and someday I will miss his replies like I  miss the ones my dad use to send me.  Because of that, I have learned to cherish each  and every ''thank you'' from my  favorite uncle, taking nothing for granted!   :}

1528 Reads

A Birthday Cake to Remember

   This story is not about something that I've done for someone else, but about something really nice that someone did for me. 

  On Monday, I had a monumental birthday, you know the kind where you look in the mirror and realize that you've gone over the hill and you are starting to walk a slow walk down the other side.  Well, anyway, I was sitting at my desk on Monday, when I heard the door of the office open and there stood everyone from the office with a big cake and singing happy birthday.  The best part is, that a very special person made the cake.  Knowing that I'm a big fan of peppermint patties, she made a chocolate cake with peppermint ice cream in the center and decorated it with more peppermint patties.  It was the best cake that I've every had!  It really meant a lot to me that someone would do something so nice.

    I'm very blessed to have the opportunity to work with such a wonderful group of people.  I will never forget this birthday.  It's amazing how good something like that can make you feel. 

1452 Reads

Unexpectedly, Helping Prisoners

   A friend of mine is a priest of a church in the United Kingdom.  We exchange emails regularly and chat whenever possible. I am learning a lot from him about spirituality and life.
   He feels i am compassionate and caring. He visits prisoners regularly and a month ago hit upon an idea of me writing to these prisoners to make them feel better about life and their situations. would email my friend and he would read it to them. Today he has taken my  first letter with him.
   Well,  I would like to thank all of you because I have used some of your words and stories.  I will be writing about one topic for each visit. So please feel free to give me suggestions. 

Cheers  :-)

1520 Reads

A Traveling Truck of Sweetness

I was on my school's campus the other day and there was an ice cream truck parked right in front of one of the main common areas of the school. Since I had primarily seen ice cream men drive their musical trucks around neighborhoods for elementary school kids, I never thought an ice cream man would circle our campus and come for us, overgrown kids, such as myself.  I was intrigued and was prompted to investigate further. I was quite surprised when the sweet and rather chubby man in the truck called out, "free ice cream!". I questioned him just to confirm his words saying, "I'm sorry, what did you say?" "Free ice cream, you have your choice of these four frozen treats: the rocket pop, the chocolate eclair, the strawberry shortcake, or the drumstick ." After I got the confirmation that this guy is just giving away free ice cream, I talked with the man for a while. He told me that his dream had always ... Read Full Story >>

7090 Reads

Fast for Change

Here's a different way to look at time:

A child dies from starvation every 6 seconds which is the equivalent of 10 children an hour, which computes to 240 lives a day. The club I'm in at school hosted a 30-Hour Famine fundraiser to help feed starving children in poverty-stricken countries. $1 helps feed a child for a day. $30 helps care for a child for a month! My fellow peers and I decided to honor this time not only through our pockets but also through ourselves by fasting for change. As we sat together in solidarity, with empty plates and unused plastic forks and cups spread on the tablecloth before us,  we offered one of those 30 hours to silence. It was a silence dedicated to the young we have lost and to those 852 million youth we have yet to save. 

And if this 852 came up to you, how many seconds would it take for you to decide what you would do? 

http://www.30hourfamine.org


 

1784 Reads

More Than a Passing Grade

   I was waiting outside the examination hall where my son was to take a test and the boys and girls were busy running around, discussing and debating, all while being watched by their anxious parents. There was great noise and bluster.    I noticed one boy alone with fear written all over his face.  He did not interact with the other kids and he looked confused. He was making hesitant moves to mix with others, but he seemed to lack confidence. He made an  impression on me. I moved towards him and smiled at him. He smiled back meekly. Then I started making a conversation with him and  told him that he would do well on the exam. This put him at ease and he said that he was a top performer all along and that his parents never cared for him and did not give any support to him. ... Read Full Story >>

2009 Reads

Learning Generosity at a Young Age

   On about her 7th or 8th birthday, my daughter said that she wanted to have her friends do a scavenger hunt/food collection as part of her birthday party. She wanted to give the food to a food pantry to feed homeless and hungry people. So, during the party the little girls went out in our neighborhood on their mission and came back with bags and bags of food that we took to our local food pantry. I remember being so proud of her for being generous, kind and caring.    Fast forward to now. My daughter recently turned 21. She is a college student attending university in Tennessee. After church each Sunday she and her boyfriend volunteer with their church to provide meals for homeless people in a park near the church. Recently they also started a feeding ministry where they deliver food boxes to under-resourced people in subsidized housing the last Saturday ... Read Full Story >>

2208 Reads

An Unforgettable Fishing Experience

Several years ago, I worked for a trucking outfit as a driver. It was my habit to go in on Saturday and spend a couple hours maintaining my truck. As I was under the truck greasing it, I noticed the owner's elderly father making his way over to his grandson's truck next to mine.  The old man was in his high eighties, had been an avid fisherman all his life, and had come out to ask the kid to take him fishing after work. The grandson told him all about how much he would love to do that, but, he just couldn't that day due to prior commitments. The old man accepted the answer and hobbled off to the house. A few minutes later, the father came out and asked his son what the old man had wanted. After telling the story, the kid ended it with telling his dad, ... Read Full Story >>

8974 Reads

Santa Drives A Taxi!

One of my best buddies was in New York for Christmas last year. She had a ball shopping, eating out and mingling with the gossling crowds. What stood out in her mind was on Christmas day, she was due at a friend's apartment and had hailed a taxi from the hotel lobby.  One promptly pulled over and without looking inside, she grabbed  the door handle to let herself in quickly as it was cold and blistery --she was used to the mild climate of California.  She hopped in the taxi and what greeted her was Santa! A gentleman outfitted in the authenic red costume, beard , glasses, huge smile and twinkling eyes.  "Where to miss"?, he asked. She was too stunned to make any comments, just gave the address of her friend's place grinning ear to ear.  One she arrived at her destination, she hopped out and handed Santa the fare.....he declined, "Merry Christmas Miss", he stated, " The ... Read Full Story >>

2540 Reads