Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Trusting Your Instinct to Help

The other day I had several errands to run.  As I started out, I noticed I was going to need to get gas in the next few days.  I had plenty to do the things I needed to do but something told me to go get gas, so I decided to trust it even though it didn’t really make much sense.    The moment I started pumping the gas, I heard “thump, thump, thump, thump.”  Before I even looked up, I knew what that sound was:  a flat tire.  I knew instantly why I was there.  I walked over to the car where a lady was wondering what happened.  She rolled down her window and I asked her if I could help.  She was relieved and instantly replied, “Yes.”  I finished pumping my gas while she cleaned out her trunk to get to the spare tire.  I changed her tire and directed her where to ... Read Full Story >>

Adding the Home Made Touch to Smile Cards

I have for sometime been wanting to make some homemade smile cards because I wanted to add a homemade touch to them. So a couple days ago I started pulling out some crafting supplies, and I got really excited and started challenging myself to come up with Ideas. I wanted a special handcrafted series of smile cards I could give out, and that someone could see how special these are, especially because it makes you smile just doing it! My 7 year-old, Dale, and his friend Nic wanted to do some cards, so I precut a bunch of cards a bit larger than the smile cards and we designed camp scenes (Dale's idea) with small colorful plastic racoon embellishment, and dragon fly on one card, and on another with a plastic smiley flower, and honey bee, with hand drawn scenery by me, and the kids glueing diferent textures & colors. The following day another girl from Dale's class showed up and wanted to make smile cards, ... Read Full Story >>

The Origin of the Word "Kind"

Have you ever wondered why we make such a big deal about living kindly?  For a lot of us it’s just innate, feels like the right thing to do.  But, that little voice in my head warned me one night, “Don’t take kindness for granted—find out why!”  So I did, and made an exciting discovery in the process. What prompted me to make this quest for kindness was realizing in a special moment of wonder where I was standing—upon parched earth that has become the condition called drought where I live in Colorado.  I looked up and felt dwarfed by the titanic spruces and pines and aspens that surround my house.  They didn’t seem the least bit phased by the fact that a spark or bolt of lightning could sentence their lives to a furious death. I thought about how unkind and cruel nature can be.  Then I wondered, is it nature ... Read Full Story >>

An Experiment in Peace

 A while ago I was taught the importance of positive thinking and manifesting warm thoughts into the universe by my auntie, a very wonderful woman. She taught me the importance of creating space for ourselves daily and channeling postivity into the world as a form of healing. I found it not just inspiring but of practical daily value, so I thought I would share the blessing of the peace exercise with you.  Every morning when I wake up, I take a few moments to write down in three things for which I am grateful for in my ocean blue spiral notebook. I then spend five minutes or so looking through my window toward the sunlight of our world and I breathe "peace" in and out of me with each inhalation and exhalation. I concentrate on the rhythm of my heartbeats, and keep the pace of my breath gradual as I release peaceful, happy vibrations into the universe. After a day of life experiences and before I take rest,  I remind myself of the three 'thankyous' from my ... Read Full Story >>

Jasmine the Greyhound

In 2003, police in Warwickshire, England, opened a garden shed and found a whimpering, cowering dog.. It had been locked in the shed and abandoned. It was dirty and malnourished, and had clearly been abused. In an act of kindness, the police took the dog, which was a Greyhound female, to the nearby Nuneaton Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary, run by a man named Geoff Grewcock and known as a willing haven for Animals abandoned, orphaned or otherwise in need. Geoffand the other sanctuary staff went to work with two aims to restore the dog to full health, and to win her trust. It took several weeks, but eventually both goals were achieved. They named her Jasmine, and they started to think about finding her an adoptive home. But Jasmine had other ideas. No-one remembers now how it began, but she started welcoming all Animal arrivals ... Read Full Story >>

A Family Tradition Lives On

Every morning my friend would stop on the way to work to grab a quick breakfast for herself and her son, before dropping him off at school. They tended to frequent the same eatery every morning grabbing an egg sandwich, juice, coffee for her, milk for him.   One day she ordered an additional breakfast. Once they had eaten and were headed out the door, she stopped, said good morning to a homeless man sitting outside of the restaurant and handed him the additional breakfast she had ordered. He thanked her profusely, grinning, telling her it was the first meal he had in a great many days. She couldn't help but feel good and was glad she finally took action. She told her son that she had seen him every day that week outside the restaurant and that no one, herself included, had stopped to offer him support, food, drink, comfort, etc. She further explained that homelessness ... Read Full Story >>

A Smile for a Girl With No Friends

Hello to all kind doers out there. I go to school and have extremely nice teachers. I brought my smile cards to share out with people I thought would enjoy the warmth of this website, so I handed up my homework along with a smile card and a note saying, "Hope and kindess. Hop on and share it along with feel it". I never saw the teachers read it but I knew they would appreciate it! I only had a few smile cards so I couldn't share with every teacher so I gave it to as many as i could but I felt like I just needed to save one so just in case I saved two. My last lesson was Sose and I have it with a bunch of my friends.  One girl has not got many friends, so I always am nice to her and chat and invite her to be in groups with us.  She was all on her ... Read Full Story >>

Feeling Loved on Easter

My teen daughter dates a young man from a 'broken' marriage. It seems sad to me that often when parents split and get significant others in their lives, they forget they are STILL PARENTS.

Bob, my daughter's boyfriend, was with us on Saturday. He placed several calls to his Dad, never getting through directly to him, but leaving messages about Easter plans to find out what they were doing. His Mom was spending it with her boyfriend and he was suppposed to go with his Dad for Easter Dinner. 

His Dad never returned any calls and when my daughter called her boyfriend on Easter morning, he was home alone. His Mom was going to be back late that afternoon.  Our family had reservations to go out to brunch. I called and asked if we could squeeze one more at our table and we picked up Bob to go with us. He was so happy and so was my daughter. I even made him an Easter basket...kids are kids and love candy at every age!

It felt good having Bob with us for brunch. And when we dropped him off at his home later that afternoon, his Mom was there and happy to see him. So it all worked out and he felt loved!

Be A Pen Pal To Someone In The Military

Several months ago, I heard about this group, called Reagan Roundup. Started by the mother of one of the sailors on the USS Ronald Reagan, people started 'adopting' the sailors, sending cards, letters and packages to them. Like all good things, it grew and it now includes all branches of the military.  My first soldier was an administrative assistant/driver at the Army base in Kuwait, just across the Iraqi border.  I sent her cards, amusing clippings, and goodies in her I-care packages.  This was her third tour there.  She worked 15 hour days, with no days off and had little time to write back.  But, when she did, she enthused how the little items I included in her packages made such a difference and she felt  her sacrifices and efforts were really being appreciated.   We were pen pals for about 6 months when I got this email from her: "Hi Retta, I am so glad that I ... Read Full Story >>

Comforting a Mother in the Chemo Room

Yesterday I was in the chemo room where my husband is getting treatments. There, in a bed in a row across from us, was a young woman who looked so sad. Her husband was there with her for a while then I noticed he had left.

My husband was napping so I went over and talked to her.  I found out she had ovarian cancer, she has a 12 year-old son who is afraid his mother is going to die and is worried about her husband. I comforted her as best I knew how. Her husband came back with lunch so I asked if I could give her a hug and did so then went back to my husband..I felt I made her day just a bit better.

What do Angels Look Like?

What do angels look like? Like the little old lady who returned your wallet yesterday. Like the taxi driver who told you that your eyes light up the world, when you smile. Like the small child who showed you the wonder in simple things. Like the poor man who offered to share his lunch with you. Like the rich man who showed you it really is all possible, if only you believe. Like the stranger who just happened to come along, when you had lost your way. Like the friend who touched your heart, when you didn't think you had one left to touch. Angels come in all sizes and shapes, All ages and skin types. Some with freckles, some with dimples, some with wrinkles, some without. They come disguised as friends, enemies, teachers, students, lovers and fools. They don't take life too seriously, They travel light. They leave no forwarding address, They ask for nothing in return. They wear sneakers with gossamer wings, They get a deal on dry cleaning. They are hard to ... Read Full Story >>

Get Well Basket for a Friend

My husband told me that a friend of ours was not feeling well, so I packed a "get well basket" with croissants and strawberry jam, tea ( a certain tea called Love :) ), and a bar of chocolate and went to visit her in the morning. She was really down and hadn't eaten properly for the last 3 days.

So, I went home cooked some food and took it to her for the rest of the day. I would like to have helped her more but she thought I was already doing too much ( I didn't think so ). I hope she finds the strength to look for more help. I will be here if she needs me whenever she needs me.

Unleashing Ripples of Kindness in a Smile-Covered Prius

We live in challenging times. Fear and frustration seep into our soul, infecting our passion, our productivity, and the people around us. Our joy is diminished, our light is dimmed. We repress our compassion for others and soon our behavior changes as we become less patient, less generous, less kind. Good people share fewer smiles, words, and favors which causes other good people to experience fewer smiles, words, and favors. And on it goes. The good news: even though we live in a world where frustrating and scary things happen, we also live in a world where one person can improve your day with a single act of kindness. A colleague’s thoughtful comment, a neighbor’s quick favor, or even a passerby’s warm smile can jolt you from your busy day and remind you, oh yeah, life is good. You realize that this Thing you’re worried about isn’t so awful after all, ... Read Full Story >>

The Challenges of Travelling with Children

For my birthday, Julie booked a coach trip to Liverpool. It's where I went to college thirty years ago and I hadn't been back since. We had a great time!   Watching the passengers embark on the coach as we got ready to head to Liverpool, I was a little dismayed to see a couple get on with two boys, both under five. We were gonna be on the coach for four hours. Would they act up? Or be sick? Or would it just be too boring for them?  It turned out they were great!  No doubt about it. Travelling like that with two lively little boys would take both parents full attention. And they did seem to work well together. In the hotel (a hotel that was once the pride of the city, now a bit dowdy, but still spectacular!) the parents got through the meals by working as a tag-team and never leaving ... Read Full Story >>

A Good Deed With My 7 Year-Old

This weekend I took my 7 year-old shopping for some new pajamas. We ended up at one of those big box stores. As we were walking in, I noticed a man putting his toddler into their car.  They were parked pretty far away from a cart carrel and had an empty cart standing next to the car.

I took the cart, letting him know I'd return it for him so he didn't have to leave his car with his toddler in it. My 7 year -old looked up at me and said, "That was really nice."

It wasn't a big thing I did, but I hope it can help him to know his mom and encourage him to look around for small good deeds and take action to make this world a kinder place.

Patient Appreciation Day

When you share your excitement about something, it can make a chain reaction that spreads joy to others. 

I ordered my first smile cards after sharing this site with my employees at our Chiropractic Office.  We were planning a Patient Appreciation Day which was schemed around Valentines Day.   We always passed out carnations to everyone who came through our doors, along with the men to give to someone they cared for.  This time though we tied on a smile card with colored ribbon.  The response was so great and the number of smiles that left our office that day was remarkable.

What is really remarkable is how many of those smile cards got passed on.   I have had more stories to tell since then that are even more incredible but I will share those on another day.  I know I will keep this going for as long as my journey on earth allows.      

Approve Of Yourself

A special dedication from the heart to my dearest friends: “A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.”  Instead of asking what other people think about you, or if your best friend approves of your choices, or whether your mom and dad are happy with your life decisions, did you ever ask the question, if you approve of yourself? If you don’t approve of yourself, your thoughts, your ideas, or your actions and are whole-heartedly relying on the support and validation from a steady supply of well-wishers, then you may end up walking around the majority of your days with a feeling of inadequacy, a discomfort, or perhaps a look on your face that suggests you are just not good enough. Let's take ourselves further down this path and see what happens on the dark side. Say, you do make some headway in life (despite the negative language you may be speaking with yourself), and accomplish some lofty challenges. You may start to feel that you were successful by chance, or ... Read Full Story >>

Radical Kindness on the Battlefield

[This is a true story, written by Murray Polner and Stefan Merken in Peace, Justice, and Jews (1968).] During the spring of 1921, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Muhammed Amin el-Husseini, instigated an organized pogrom  against the Jewish population in Palestine. When a group of Arabs threatened to attack Jewish homes between Jaffa and Tel Aviv, Jewish defenders went forth to meet them. An exchange of fire ensued, which threatened to escalate into full-scale warfare. In the middle of escalating violence, a remarkable man Rabbi Ben Zion Uziel intervened.  He donned his Rabbinic robes and turban and went straight onto the battlefield. He asked the Jewish fighters to hold their fire and proceeded alone toward the Arab positions, calling out to them to also hold their fire. Surprise, the sheikh in command of the Arabs instructed his men to stop firing in order to hear what the rabbi had to say. ... Read Full Story >>

Sowing Seeds of Joy on a Supermarket Adventure

Grocery shopping has never been my favorite activity, but  yesterday's trip was different. I decided, before I even left the house, to make this a RAOK "event".

I was determined to sow seeds of kindness in as many areas as I could. Smiling and acknowledging the gentleman who brings the carts in from outside; assisting a mother and baby with her cart; quietly reminding myself, "slow down and take your time" (as I am a notorious rush shopper:-); and giving people the right of way in the aisles -- these small acts don't seem like much, but when your attitude is to make people happy - even on the smallest level - there are such benefits.

Letting shoppers with smaller baskets ahead; making sure to place the divider for the person behind me; and making pleasant, positive and encouraging conversation with the cashier all contribute to sowing seeds of joy.  You can create a mini garden of joy and contentment  that extends beyond yourself.  

Attitudes are so contagious and what a gift to be able to spread a happy one!

Small Stories of Small Kindnesses

Acts of kindness and generosity come in many different forms: Giving food to a hungry stranger, donating one's time to aid homeless people or helping a fellow tenant make the rent. But it's their ability to touch us and stick in our memories that makes sometimes even small gestures a powerful and lasting force in our lives. A couple years ago, NPR invited listeners to share stories about "good deeds" they had witnessed or heard about.   The original audio program highlighted some of the stories, but there were many more that couldn't be fit into the short time slot.  Below are some of those gems: After the Storm Beverly Jordan witnessed an extraordinary act of generosity after Hurricane Andrew slammed into South Florida in 1992, leaving a wide path of destruction in its path. Jordan, a nurse, volunteered to go door to door in Miami delivering emergency relief. Her relief van pulled up to ... Read Full Story >>