Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Share A Child's Pain

I am a Therapeutic Foster Parent.  The children that I work with have suffered abuse and/or neglect.   Most of them have experienced or seen extreme suffering.  When they feel safe with me, they are often able to tell me what they went through.  When this happens, it seems important to them that I listen and give them what they ask for--unconditionally.  Sometimes, they ask for a hug, or to sit on my lap and let me rock them.  Sometimes, they ask to play house or family role modeling games.   Sometimes, they just want to hang out and do nothing.

Listening to children helps builds trust and helping heal those in pain.

Giving and Receiving Gratitude on Thanksgiving Day

I have lived in Falmouth, MA for about 10 years.  I had moved several times before finding Falmouth, never really settling in one place for a long time.  However, Falmouth has become home. I think it is a safe place to do good work.  I like that I often run into someone I know whenever I am grocery shopping or running errands.  My favorite experience of Falmouth was when I volunteered to deliver Thanksgiving dinner to families or individuals unable to drive or stranded by illness.  It was an amazing experience. Volunteers check in, line up and follow the directions given.  There were many people working.  Children were coloring placemats for each box, adults were cooking and serving food, and the drivers were filling the containers with the meals they would soon deliver.  How they manage all of this is quite amazing.  The coordination of such an event is awe-inspiring. The best ... Read Full Story >>

Sometimes, People Need A Push

When I was 17, a friend of mine and I were driving down a busy road in Florida.  Traffic started shifting lanes, and when we got closer, we saw why.  In front of the flea market was an old man who's car had died.

There were plenty of people standing around and no one doing anything.  I hopped out of the van right then and there.  I walked up to the man and told him to get in the car and place it in neutral.   Once he was settled inside, I began to push his car into the parking area.  It seems that no one wanted to get involved until I did.  Once I started pushing, several large guys came over to help.  

It was sad to see that no one seemed to care, until one young girl gave them all a "push" in the right direction.

Good Deeds Don't Go Unnoticed

I work in a restaraunt that has a program working with ex con's and the homeless. There is a guy who started working with us as a dishtanker and he told me his story one day. He lived in Florida, (we're in Ohio now) and he received information that he owed child support on a 6 year old boy. Well this was news to his ears because he didn't even know he had a kid! He came to Ohio to to clear this matter up and took a DNA test that determined that the kid was his. He was PROMPTLY put in jail for owing over $19,000 in back child support. He stayed in jail for 9 months and when he was released he was homeless, jobless. Instead of giving up on his kid and going back to Florida where he had plenty of family and help, he stayed in Ohio and ... Read Full Story >>

Hope is "the Making of You"

I've had a hard time for a few years now and try to write a little something most days.  All the postings I have made are my writings, so thank you to those of you that have given me such positive feedback.  Thank you for your kindness.

Here's another...penned a few minutes ago.......

Gifting A Homeless Man A Little Something He "Dropped"

He was a man I assumed to be homeless, because in the freezing Michigan winter, you could spot him on his bike, with a few small bags of cans, braving the icy weather to stop at the store. The thing that set him apart from the few other homeless people in our area were his dogs. He had two big but meek and beautiful dogs that accompanied him everywhere he went. I noticed this, and thought, what a good man, to care for those dogs, even when he has trouble caring for himself. The dogs were not malnourished, or beaten down looking, though clearly they hated the below freezing temps as much as he did. One day, I had an extra 12 dollars, and I stalked him a bit, as he noticed my car, and clearly not knowing me, got skittish. I quickly went up to him in a parking lot, ... Read Full Story >>

Knowing She Was There Made Us Feel Much Less Alone

When my son was first diagnosed with Autism, it was a very hard time for us.  In some ways it was a relief, because we finally had a name for what was going on in our lives, but it also meant years more of uncertainty, and we didn't know what the future held. When I shared the news with my coworkers, I was so surprised and happy to recieve so much immediate love and support from them.  They were focused on what we needed, as opposed to how it would affect my ability to make it to work. One coworker in particular was amazing to my family and I.  She called me into her office a few days later, and gave me a "worry stone".  This is a small circular stone with an indention for your thumb.  It gives you something to focus on when you're worried, rubbing your thumb around on this stone.  It was ... Read Full Story >>

Late For An Exam, Time To Help a Stranger

I'm 16 years old and I live in London.  I have to admit I'm not the best or brightest at my school.  Going to a good private school, you are surrounded by some very smart people, and sometimes it can get you down. Today I had my History GCSE Mock Exam. To people who don't know, In the UK GCSE's are tests that basicly decide your life when you are 16 and 17 years old.  The scores, in a large part control, what job you get or if you can go into higher education. Unfortunately for me, today I was running late.  It was very poor planning by me.  I rushed to the train, and I thought I would get there more than 10 minutes late.  The train pulled into the station and I got on doing some last minute review, just checking over my textbook.  As the train pulled into ... Read Full Story >>

Stan's Surprise

Stan heard in church about a family in Denver, Colorado.  There, a family faced a rather bleak Christmas holiday. Medical bills robbed them of any extras; they would not even have a tree. Stan's pastor asked him if he would get them that tree. So Stan and his son Jay headed up into the Colorado Rockies in the family pickup.  However, the truck skidded off the icy road and hit a boulder that shattered the windshield.  Jay was showered by glass slivers and suffered from shock and crash trauma.  Stan was uninjured, though somewhat shaken. Cars sped past that day, maybe 200 of them. Only two stopped to help.  A gentle, dark-haired woman took the boy into her car to comfort him while her husband and another man helped Stan move his truck off the road.  Then this kind couple drove father and son to Stan's home and quietly left without identifying themselves. Stan ... Read Full Story >>

The Significance of a Simple Smile

This event happened a long time ago, but it is something that has stayed with me all these years. When I was in high school, all of the students went on a retreat. At some point, we were given an exercise where we had to go off by ourselves in silence to do some writing. As everyone was dispersing and walking around the retreat center to find a place of solitude, I saw a boy who looked kind of down. I did not know him but we locked eyes for a moment and I smiled at him. It felt simply natural to give someone a friendly smile. I could not go talk to him because of the restriction on speaking at that time. I had no idea how that small gesture would affect him until later. After the quiet time, we regrouped and there was a discussion and sharing time. This boy stood up and ... Read Full Story >>

What Happens When We Give What We Need?

One afternoon, I joined CharityFocus folks to distribute food to homeless people. We went around a few streets in Manhattan. I was at the office in the morning, a little overloaded with work, and had plans to travel back to India.  Still, I  wanted to take part in this activity in the afternoon.  We gathered at a coffee shop and othe members of the group came with lots of food packaged properly for distributing.  The first person we offered food to cried at the gesture of lovingly being offered food. This was an emotional moment for all of us and really touched me. After this, the rest of our food distribution happened at a particular place near Port Authority where many such needy people sit. Here the food was distributed quickly with a crowd surrounding us and receiving our  packets. Our activity got over by 5:00 pm and we started back to our homes. However, I ... Read Full Story >>

How A Banana Costume Helped Me Reach The Goal

For several months, I had been training with my sister to run a half-marathon.  It was my sister’s first half marathon and both of us decided to use the race as an opportunity to raise money for causes we cared about.  My sister raised money for cancer research and I raised money to start a scholarship fund for my friend’s daughter, Clementine, whose mother had passed away earlier this year. To create a little extra incentive for my friends and family to donate, I promised to run all 13.1 miles in a banana costume if they helped me reach my goal of $2,000 by race day.  As it turns out, the day before the race I was stuck at $1,987, a mere $13 short of my goal.  So I did what any normal, rational banana runner would do:  I put on my banana costume and took to the streets of Los ... Read Full Story >>

The Power of a Handwritten Letter

Our world is so dependent on email that handwritten letters have gone by the wayside.  At a service I attended recently, the topic had to do with how important and touching handwritten letters are. 

I followed my heart, which had tugged at me for some time to actually write letters. I started by writing a letter to my grandfather and nothing could have made him happier. Even though I see him every week, he said so many times how much it meant to him. So now we write each other a letter each week. There is something so special about seeing a real letter when you open the mailbox and something even greater about sending it to someone special. I write at least one letter a week now to family and friends -- it reconnects you in ways that no email ever will.

Teaching Kids Spiritual Harmony

Aikido, translated as “the way of spiritual harmony”, is a Japanese martial art. While it is a powerful system of self defense, the greatest benefit of Aikido training is that it provides a means to better yourself and become a happier, more balanced person. There is a piece of calligraphy authored by Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido, that reads “True victory is victory over oneself”. This concept and Aikido itself is suitable for people of all ages. For the last year or so, I have had the privilege of being an assistant instructor for the “Kid's Self Mastery” classes at my dojo; helping to teach children ranging in age from 5 to 10 years old. The classes themselves consist mostly of games and exercises allowing the students to learn Aikido, teamwork, respect, kindness, and other skills in a way that's fun to them. They also have “Mat Chats” in which ... Read Full Story >>

An Extra Few Minutes To Shovel Up Some Good Karma

Yep, it's that time of year again! Last night it snowed.  This morning my driveway was covered in a bright white blanket.    The snowfall wasn't too heavy and I was able to sweep it away in a few minutes.

My husband and I have an elderly neighbor.  He seems to be away this year, I don't know if he's in a nursing home or perhaps he's staying at a relative's home.  I don't know - but I don't mind because he is a GRINCH!  My husband and I don't like him very much, but for the past three or four years since I've been living here, I have always made it a point to shovel or sweep his driveway whenever I do mine.  I encourage my husband to do the same. 

We believe that because our neighbor is elderly, we should shovel his snow away!  It just takes an extra few minutes.  Tomorrow the snowfall is supposed to be heavier, and of course I will shovel my neighbor's driveway.

This year, let's all do this... it's the kind thing to do. 

A Blanket of Warmth in the Cold

Last year, I was driving home one night, just around the holidays.  I was about to turn onto the highway when I noticed a rather dejected looking figure holding a sign.   I honesly don't recall what the sign read, but I did know that it was getting very cold outside.  This man was obviously homeless, and was completely exposed to the elements.

I happened to have just purchased a new thermal blanket.  It was in my car, still wrapped in plastic from the store.  I thought for a moment, rolled down the window, and gestured to the man.  He ran over to my vehicle.  I told him that he looked cold, and he chuckled.  I explained that while I didn't carry any cash, I did happen to have a new thermal blanket, and asked him if he could use it.   He was thrilled.  I told him that it was his, as long as he agreed to do something kind for someone else in return.

I am pretty sure it made his day, and kept him warm through the evening. 

I know I felt the warmth.

Sharing Our Home With Children In Need

My husband and I have been hosting children in need of orthopedic surgery from Belize since 1993.  Our local Rotary district and Shriner's Hospital in St. Louis provide the air fare and medical care.  Some say that we are so wonderful to be host parents...maybe, but we are the ones who are blessed to have the privilege to care for these darling children. 

Our children have had the opportunity to see the world in a different view than most of their peers and we are all grateful for being chosen to share our home with others less fortunate. Now that that they are adults, our three children host these children too.

If you live within a few hours from a hospital, you too can help others with your immeasureable time and talent (and there are always other experienced volunteers to back you up if needed).

A Compliment and a Smile Made Her Day

I am always smiling at people who look down, silently saying prayers for people who look like they are having a bad day, etc.  I do these things never thinking my 5-year-old son notices.  However, one day while shopping in the grocery store, my little boy Evan noticed an elderly woman.  She had tried to do her hair to the best of her ability and even had applied make-up.  My son noticed that she had taken so much time to make her self pretty.  So Evan walked up to her, tugged on her shirt and said, "Excuse me ma'am,  you look beautiful," and then he smiled at her.  This lady looked down on my son and smiled the most beautiful smile with tears in her eyes.  My son just smiled right on back. It  made me realize just how one smile, a couple nice words, a nice thought can make someone's day so much better. I love that my little boy has that  kind of heart.

Cookies In The Parking Lot

My husband and I recently attended a large party thrown by his company.  As we were leaving, the company’s caterers had a bunch of cookies and other food items for people to take away. My husband thought he would take some for us to have later and picked up a few things. 

Giving Generosity Another Chance

Lately I had started to question why I still would readily help someone, since recently my attempts at generosity usually turned around to end up hurting me.  However, this concern recently vanished thanks to a very kind person. Last week, I was winding down a long day of train-hopping and dragging a few huge suitcases around with me to get home from visiting a friend's house.  I was rather peeved that I had to sit at the station for 4 hours for a bus that left at 10 p.m. While I was sitting there tired and frazzled, a woman asked me if I had some change that she could have for a ticket.  Without thinking, I said, "Oh sure! How much do you need?" and then mentally kicked myself.  But I reached for my that I had buried in one of my bags anyways and fished out a $5 bill.  When I ... Read Full Story >>