Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Tomato Soup to Chase Away the Flu

My friend fell sick with the flu yesterday, so I sent him some tomato soup and stuff.  We're all a bunch of students living away from home so I could make out how touched he was by the gesture.

He told me it was extremely sweet of me and he felt like he had a mom away from home now.  :)

George Carlin's Message

I was deeply touched by the wise, spiritually profound, and ironically humorous perspectives on life often shared by George Carlin.  He apparently wrote this message below shortly after his wife had died. Now, George has passed and we are left with only the memories of his beautiful and funny thoughts.    If you're so moved I hope you will pass this message on as a way of honoring the insights and legacy of a wise man who brought great laughter to our world.  Thank you for the laughter, love and joy you brought into my life George. A Message by George Carlin: The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but Less ... Read Full Story >>

She Smiled and then Passed Out

When you donate blood in the UK they don't let you leave without sitting a while and having a cup of tea or juice and a biscuit. It helps restore your energy level and gives the nurses a chance to make sure you are okay afterwards. Well, while I was taking some refreshmen after donating, I noticed a young woman in the recovery area. Overhearing her conversation, I could tell this was her first time donating. She had moved away from the main table and I saw her rest her head on a table. The nurses were all chatting to each other and not looking in her direction, so I said something to get her attention. At the sound of my voice the young woman looked up. "Oh, are you all right?" I asked. She said she was fine and ... Read Full Story >>

The Name By My Door

Beside my front door is a rough brass nameplate. It says D. McLaughlan. The letters aren't all perfectly lined up, some are punched deeper than others and the spacing is off just enough to know that this was not done by a machine. In fact it was my Granddad's name. He died before my Grandmother and when she died my Dad and Uncles didn't want anything kept. They just wanted the whole house cleared. They were hurting and just wanted the whole thing done as soon as possible - man style! But I rescued the family photos from the bin and unscrewed the nameplate from the door. Because I was named after my Granddad I have put the nameplate on the door of every house I've had since then. Later on I heard how the nameplate came to be.  My Granddad worked in the coal mines alongside his dad since he was fourteen. ... Read Full Story >>

Power Of A Smile on a Morning Walk

If you've ever felt that a smile is wasted think again. This morning I went out for a beautiful woodland walk. To get there I have to pass several houses in nearby cul de sacs. I smiled at the first few people I met and was sternly ignored because they were either wearing an iPod or because they just didn't know who I was. I wasn't going to be deterred. By the time I reached my woodland entrance I had managed to get at least 5 people to beam at me. The power of a smile far outweighed the grim outlook of the first two.

I'm not sure who came away the happiest today, me for receiving five big kind, smiles and a 'good morning' or the 5 individuals who took the time to welcome a stranger to their neighbourhood.

Why Tell Stories Today?

“If you want your children to be bright, tell them fairy tales; if you want them to be brilliant, tell them more fairy tales.” —Albert Einstein Meaningful stories are one of the essential ingredients of any culture. Our minds hunger for a good story from the time we are young. It is as if they hold a wisdom in them that our unconscious needs; tales contain certain nutrients that nurture the depths or the soul of a human being. There are parts of us that cannot mature without stories: in this way, they are food. And there a times when a story will heal a wound faster than any poultice. In this way, they are medicine. Unfortunately, our popular Western culture has gradually stripped the stories from the folk, re-packaged them, and sold them back to the people in a processed form. A family or village storyteller used to be the birthright ... Read Full Story >>

Driving Down A Different Path

My car was parked in the lot on Castro Street in downtown Mountain View just outside the Shambhala Meditation center. Anxious to move along on my Sunday afternoon, my efforts to move my car were immediately halted. A triple AAA truck that stretched more than a stretch limo was literally blocking my path to exiting. My initial feelings of “I’m upset” and “How could someone just box me in like that?” began to surge, but then, I paused. I took a look at Sakyong’s face (my new favorite Tibetan Guru) as he looked at me from the cover of his book, titled, “Ruling your World.” In that moment, I remembered, I have a choice.  I decided to make that mental switch that Sakyong often refers to, and just gave myself a chance to experience what taking a step down that road might feel like. I listened to some tunes in ... Read Full Story >>

A Precious Piece of Family History

I'm a bit of a family historian (not that we have much of a history outside coal mining in Scotland and farming in Ireland.) One of my most precious possessions, which probably dates from about 1915, is a family portrait. My great grandmother sits on a chair all stiff and formal with her brood of babies around her feet and on her knees. My great grandfather stands behind her the picture of authorirty, but he is actually standing on "tin" legs after an accident with a railway truck. One-by-one the people in the picture left this world. My gran died aged 82, but in this picture she is about 3 forever. One of her sisters, Lena, outlived all her siblings by quite some way.  Going to visit Lena not long before she died it occurred to me that she might not have seen this picture for many decades. So I made a copy, framed ... Read Full Story >>

Childhood Memories of Helping the Elderly

My first memories of acts of kindness are from when I was about 12 years old. I always helped out at home and with friends. It just came from within me I guess. When I was a kid, I noticed that many elderly people had difficulty getting to the grocery store after a snow storm. It started with one person and kind of grew. I would spend part of a snowy Saturday knocking on apartment doors to ask if anyone needed anything from the store. The grocery store was down a huge hill and I would bring back a couple of bags of groceries for them. I liked it and it made them so happy. My friends in the building asked what I was doing and after a while a couple of them joined in and it became a routine. I never asked or took money for the errand. Sometimes the ladies would ... Read Full Story >>

A Seven-Year-Old's Stained Glass Gifts

My seven-year old son had been given a gift of "creating stained glass kit" decorative pieces and enthusiastically went to work making beautiful color combinations that could be hung on a glass window.  The kit had 4 different pieces to complete and two of them got ruined in the process.  But the other two were real "masterpieces" of kid artwork and he was very thrilled to see them hanging on our window.  The pieces remained there for some months and then one day my son's piano teacher came to our house (which was not usual) to give him a lesson and he casually admired the stained glass. As soon as his lesson was done, my son ran out of the room, wrapped up the stained glass piece and presented it proudly to his teacher!  A few months after that we had a friend visiting from out of town and she too admired ... Read Full Story >>

A New Attitude Makes All the Difference

I hated closing.  I'm a person who claims that I do not hate, but I hated closing.  Period.  And by that I mean the closing shift at Domino's.  We close at 11pm on weeknights and midnight on weekends.  And I HATED closing.  I hated it because we close at 11pm, but people call late at night and then we have to clean up and do all the paperwork, etc.  So, I never get to leave until 11:30-12:00.  It got to the point where I didn't like customers who called after 10pm.  That felt bad.  I got bitter and angry inside. But alas, I decided I needed to change myself and little by little I developed a new attitude.  Now when I go in to close, instead of saying we close at 11, but (wah-wah)  I won't get to leave till 11:45 and I won't get home till 12:30, I simply say I work till midnight.  Then, ... Read Full Story >>

Hawaiian Gratuity for a Special Waitress

After I married, we honeymooned in Hawaii. Both of us enjoyed our ten day stay-- the islands are gorgeous, the people loving, gracious and spiritual, the sunrises/sunsets one more spectacular then the next, the rainbows miraculously appearing each afternoon after a brief rain and the flowers so brightyly colored and diverse. What a paradise!  We returned to one restaurant several times in Maui because I loved the buffet, the service, the outdoor tables where I could feed the birds, the ocean view and it was close to our hotel.  I befriended a waitress who symbolized the Hawaiin people to me:  she was plump, middle-aged, super friendly, greeting us each time with a huge, warm smile, twinkling eyes, a deep booming laugh and a hug. She was quite chatty and so am I so we bonded instantly.  She shared some of her life stories with us, which was so sad: hubby ... Read Full Story >>

Chicky's Lessons Of Love

I had a neighbor when I was a child whose name was Chicky.  He was a good 20 years older than me and he had Cerebral Palsy, quite severe.  He was never able to walk or even use the bathroom on his own, his parents carried this grown man in and out of their home whenever weather permitted.  Chicky would sit outside, strapped in his wheel chair, so he didn't fall out from his spasams.  His spot in the world was sitting under an apple tree listening to his transistor radio.  I was also limited physically, so I sat with him a lot and we talked.  I don't think many people knew how smart Chicky was.  He used to ask to touch my face and I would stand close to his chair.  He would make this little hoppity motion with his hand and it would strike up against my cheek, and he would be so ... Read Full Story >>

11 Years Without a Single Complaint

I met my husband (my 2nd) back in 1997 at a colleague's wedding. We immediately hit it off and saw each other regularly. I told him all about my having IIH, and what it involved as well as the worst case scenario, which is blindness. I was also at the time a single parent to an 8 year old daughter. Although in some ways we were total opposites, we shared the same humour, values and ideas, and within a year we were married. It was the most fantastic day, and I don't know who cried more, myself or my husband. He became a fantastic husband, and father to my daughter (the only one she's ever known), and life was good to us. Two years on, due to my IH I lost my peripheral vision and depth perception. After having an Lp shunt to prevent total blindness, my mobility was severely affected, as the ... Read Full Story >>

A Long Line is a Chance to Give

At the grocery store today the lines were moving very slowly and people seemed a bit on edge. So my brain started to tick and I wondered, "What can I do for this poor, sweet cashier to make her smile?" Then I noticed that there were coolers right there with soda pop and water. When it came to my turn in line, I smiled and said, "tough day, huh?" She said, "It's so crazy here today." I asked her if I could buy her a soda or some snack to give her a lift. She smiled and said, "Oh no, that's okay." I urged her to accept and finally she said, "Okay, I'd like a water please." I gladly grabbed a nice chilled water for her. I think it made a difference. And I know it made me feel good to do that for her. It's easy. Get out there and take advantage of a long line next time to do something good. :) ~Aurelia

Pay-it-forward Cheetos

The vending machines at work are very old. These vending machines are the kind that you turn manually after having placed quarters in the slots, but they have the best junk food!

It's common for people around my office to ask for quarters for the vending machines if they happen to be short. The other day, I paid particular attention to one person who loved Cheetos. I decided to place 2 quarters in the slot and went about my day. I happened to be talking to my boss in the break room, near the machines, when that person came in to buy some Cheetos with quarters in hand.

I heard him say, "Hey, someone already paid for my snack!" and proceeded to turn the level to get the cheezy swirls.  I then casually remaked , "Maybe you should pay it forward too," and he did!!  I saw him place the quarters in the slot after taking his bag of Cheetos. I'm hooked on doing this now!

All the Smiles that $20 Can Bring

It is amazing how many smiles $20 can bring.

Most local dollar stores sell very nice stuffed animals.  This presents a great opportunity to bring smiles!  I love to purchase stuffed animals, put them in nice gift bags and then randomly give them out to anyone that looks like they can use a smile!

All you have to do is take a walk down the street and I bet you will see that not everyone has a smile. This has always brought smiles and the smiles that it brings is all the thank-you that you will need.  Even so, people are always eager to let you know that you have given them a smile or how you changed their day! I try to remember that everyone is fighting there own battles and that everyone can always use a smile!

A small teddy bear can change someone's day!

The Holy Shadow

Long, long ago there lived a saint so good that the astonished angels came down from heaven to see how a mortal could be so good. He simply went about his daily life, diffusing virtue as a star diffuses Light, and the flowers perfume, without even being aware of it. Two words summed up his day: He Gave And He Forgave.  Yet these words never fell from his lips; they were expressed in his ready smile, in his kindness, his forbearance and charity. The angels said to God, “Oh, Lord, grant him the gift of miracles.”  God replied, “I consent; ask what he desires.” So they said to the Saint, “Should you like the touch of your hand to heal the sick?”   “No”, answered the Saint, “I would rather God should do that.”   “Should you like to convert guilty souls and bring wandering hearts to the right path?”   “No; that ... Read Full Story >>

Chocolate Shake for a Dedicated Employee

I work with children in an after-school program & staffing is definitely a challenge.  As a coordinator in this program I supervise several staff.  Our staff are mostly college kids, many who call in to say they can't work for many different reasons. 

However, one of the staff I supervise is soooooo wonderful, enthusiastic and excited about her job and also very dedicated.  I talk to her quite often when we are working together.  This week she has been pretty sick, but not once did she call to say she would not be coming to work -- thank goodness!  She still showed up with the same enthusiasm as if she was feeling perfectly fine. 

I decided to bring her in a chocolate shake to thank her for her dedication to our program and to show her that I truly appreciate all that she does for us.  I honestly wish I could clone her because she is a wonderful, fun, caring & dependable employee!

Uplifting Kindness Quotes

I am a huge Quote person so I've compiled some I thought I would share...

Never look down on anybody unless you're helping him up.  ~Jesse Jackson

A good character is the best tombstone.  Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered.  Carve your name on hearts, not on marble.  ~Charles H. Spurgeon

It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.  ~Author Unknown

Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.  ~Mark Twain

You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.  ~John Wooden

Being considerate of others will take your children further in life than any college degree.  ~Marian Wright Edelman

Real generosity is doing something nice for someone who will never find out.  ~Frank A. Clark

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.  ~Leo Buscaglia