Stories of Kindness from Around the World

One

One One song can soothe a moment, One flower can bloom into a dream One tree can sprout a forest, One bird can herald spring. One smile begins a friendship, One handclasp can lift a soul, One star can guide a ship at sea, One word can frame the goal. One vote can change a nation, One sunbeam lights a room, One candle wipes out darkness, One laugh will conquer gloom One hope will raise our spirits, One touch can show you care. One voice can speak with wisdom, One heart can know what's true. One life can make the difference, You see it's up to You! - Author unknown ... Read Full Story >>

A Lesson For A Desperate Housewife

Recently, I read a blog from a "desperate housewife". She was struggling to embrace the Laws of Attraction and felt overwhelmed by the energy that surrounded her personal life, between the challanges in her marraige and expectation she had for herself to care for others! Something about her circumstances touched me, as if she was a mirror of myself just a few short months ago. Before I really knew what my life purpose was, I felt much like she did, trapped in a prison of my own creation. I knew I wanted more. I knew more was expected of me, but I had no idea how to begin to find my path. Somehow, through inspiration, I took a risk and went back to school (looking back, it seems absurd to think that going back to school can be considered ever a risk). That was when my life took the turn it ... Read Full Story >>

Getting Pampered And Showing Our Thanks

My friend and I went to a local spa this weekend and got pampered, something we had  been looking forward to for months.  I got to talking to the towel girl there and thought how this must not be so much fun for her watching everyone come in and out and having to pick up after them.

I realized then how hard all the women work there not getting pampered themselves. Then I remembered my stash of goodies all bagged up with smile cards ready and waiting in the car.  I always keep bags ready to go with stuff from bath and body. I wrote all the ladies names down and handed them out.  Each one was quite suprised.  I  was glad that I could give something back to the women who had made us feel so good.

The Importance of Getting It Right

The old woman walked with a ramble as she pushed her shopping cart full of worldly possessions. She was dirty, her hair unkempt, her clothes torn, she reeked of alcohol and cigarettes. Most of her teeth missing, the image of a miserable wretch manifested before me. She stopped and asked me for change. I invited her to lunch and she agreed.  So, we went across the street to an outdoor cafe so she could watch over her shopping cart, while we dined. The waitress was taken back by the presence of this woman and did not want to serve us, but forced herself. We ate our lunches - she was ravenous and the food disappeared almost as soon as it arrived. When we were ready to leave, I was feeling pretty good about myself and then she asked for a hug.  It was then that I had to face myself and all the hidden repulsion and ... Read Full Story >>

Hoping The Old Lady Calls...

When I was at the grocery store today, there was an elderly lady behind me with lots of stuff in her cart. I had already loaded all of my things up on the conveyor belt so I asked if she would like some help with her groceries. She stood there speechless for a second so I started helping anyway and she had the biggest smile on her face. It made me feel really good.

After helping her she joked around with me (probably half serious) and asked if she could take me home to help her carry the groceries into her house. I felt bad because I had to get back to help my Mom out.  I gave the lady my phone number and told her that if she ever needed any help she could give me a call. I really hope she calls because it felt amazing to put one smile on her face -- it would be the best feeling in the world to be able to do that again.

Five Simple Rules To Be Happy

Posted above my computer are the following rules and maybe they can be yours too: 1. Free your heart from hatred. 2. Free your mind from worries 3. Live simply 4. Give more 5.  Expect less Over the weekend, my husband and I bought a pack of diapers and baby wipes for our young neighbors next door, who are working hard to stay on their feet since the birth of their little baby girl a month ago.  It was not much and it certainly did not strain us financially, but I felt good leaving it at their door, anonymously.  I struggle with this feeling that I am not able to do as much as I would like to for charitable causes since there are so many good ones that I believe in, and I am not someone who is supposedly blessed with an abundance of monetary wealth to disburse.  Yet, when I worry about not being able to give enough, I prevent myself from giving anything. So, ... Read Full Story >>

Chivalry Lives

   I was the recipient of a wonderful act of kindness this weekend; it was simple but much appreciated.    After a graduation ceremony, there was a reception for faculty, students and their families in the student center. Well, we had to wait in a long line outside for quite some time.  (Even though they told us that faculty could go ahead, we didn't feel it was right to cut in front of the students, so we waited until ALL of them went in.)    The weather was freezing and windy and I was shivering in my short-sleeved dress.  (Of course it was sunny earlier in the day so I hadn't brought a jacket.)  Imagine my delight, when, not one, but two colleagues offered me their coats!  I accepted one, and was sooooo grateful for the warmth as we waited patiently for all the students and their families to go inside.  After the ... Read Full Story >>

A Box of Smiles With A Letter

A few months ago I posted a story about a woman struggling with alcoholism who reached out to me. I sent her a care pack full of smiles, encouraging words and some treats to help her out, along with a special letter I wrote to her. It has been almost 3 months and she is still doing great. She sends me updates and I send her encouraging notes. But, as I have said before, you never know how much something you say or do means to someone else. What happened next reminds me of how true that is. She read a story that another woman posted about being an alcoholic and how she needed to stop drinking, if only for her children. I read it too but she was quick to act. She e-mailed me and asked if I would put a "box of smiles" together for this woman and send ... Read Full Story >>

The Invitation to Life

It doesn't interest me what you do for a livingI want to know what you ache for,and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing It doesn't interest me how old you areI want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love,for your dreams, for the adventure of being alive                                                                                                        It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moonI want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow,if you have been opened by life's betrayals or become shriveledand closed from fear of further pain I want to know if you can sit in pain, mine or your own,without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own,if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you tothe tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning ... Read Full Story >>

The Smile That Gave Me Hope

While I was still in college, I used to sing at a student organization at my University in Malawi.  I have a passion for singing and composing songs. One time, there was an upcoming annual musical gathering where I was selected to sing a solo piece. Although singing was truly my passion, the anxiety and tension that often accompanied preparing for these events  were not! I was so nervous about this looming perfomance because I knew there was going to be a lot of people attending and I did not want to make any mistakes. During our practices, I would get occasional heart palpitations, sweaty palms, would feel fearful right before it was my turn to rehearse my solo and would scan the room to make sure nobody was staring at me. As this agony persisted in my practices, during our final dress rehearsal, the keyboard player looked at me and smiled and then calmly sent me these few words along with the grin: "Don't worry, its going to ... Read Full Story >>

Homemade Smile Cards

Today my son and I drove to a town just over from our own. We had errands to run there. He wanted to buy a game for all the hard work he put in this year in school. He was diagnosed with ADHD and oppositional defiance disorder but still managed to be on the A/B Honor Roll for half the school year. We are so incredibly proud of him! This child of mine has the most loving heart. Off we went to the mall. We got lunch in the food court and just enjoyed talking to each other. He looked over and saw a young man in an Army uniform. He asked me if he could give him a smile card. We had made our own. All they say is "Smile... Pay it forward." So he marched right up to that young man and said, "Thank you!" and handed him the ... Read Full Story >>

What If Kindness Became The Norm

I was in the drive thru at Wendy's and this young girl pulled up behind me.  When I paid for my food, I told the guy I'd like to pay for her's also.  His first reaction was, "What did you do to her?"  I told him it was just a random act of kindness and would he just give her the card when she went to pay.  When I left the parking lot of Wendy's the girl was still fussing about paying for her meal.  I guess some people just don't understand random acts of kindness but that will not deter me from continuing to do them.   Maybe one day it will become the norm instead of the unusual thing to do.

The Circle of Giving and Receiving

Anonymous giving and acts of kindness can lead the giver to a very lonely place in the universe.  Like the Lone Ranger or some other disguised hero, we do kind things all the time and so often the people on the receiving end don’t see it or don’t recognize it. Living a life of altruism, in its most ideal form, means setting the ego aside and not doing what we do for credit.  Usually, I have no problem with this at all.  But there are those days, perhaps when I’m feeling a little weak or drained, where I find myself feeling lonely with it all, feeling like I’m giving, giving, giving, to a world that is in super receiving mode and asleep to what’s being done for them.  I get a little discouraged. Even idealized heroes had their inner circle of friends who knew who they really were and what their life ... Read Full Story >>

Tagging An Entire Community

This morning, I was blessed to take a walk in the woods with one of my favorite elders, a sculptor, photographer, and environmentalist who has been involved in countless community efforts to protect our local ecosystems and the many fellow species with whom we share our land and waters, from whales to pine trees. It was great fun to walk around with him and learn about ghost pines, the role of ants in ecosystems, the difference between poison ivy and sassafras.   At some point in our conversation, I found myself talking to him enthusiastically about the random acts of kindness revolution that some of us at Cape Ann Angels are "plotting" to catalyze in our community over the coming months!   Cape Ann is in Western Massachusetts, and is composed of four towns (Rockport, Gloucester, Manchester and Essex) and about 50,000 people. He had never heard of helpothers.org or Cape Ann Angels, ... Read Full Story >>

Let Someone Know You Are There

My son’s kindergarten class did a performance yesterday for the parents and rest of the school. It was great but one particular thing made me think a little more about life in general. I was in the back videotaping it since my wife could not attend. About 10 minutes into the program, I could see the change at the exact moment my son saw that I was there. He was doing great and being a wonderful participant before that moment, but I could tell how seeing me there made such a difference and meant so much to him. His smile, wave, and frequent “thumbs up” directed to me, made me laugh as I was able to relive them over and over later. It made me think. Sometimes just letting someone know you are there for them can make all the difference. They may not call on you or ask anything of ... Read Full Story >>

Cookies On The Go

A good friend of mine called yesterday saying that she was going to make cookies for a party at work, but didn't feel like starting the process.

Being a baker, I always have cookie doughs mixed in my freezer, ready for a quick thaw and bake. So out they came, six varieties . I grabbed cookie sheets , parchment paper , scoops, a box and set off to my friends house.

She was quite suprised to see the stash of goodies in my hand. Later the next day my friend told me the cookies were a hit. Everyone always makes fun of me for being prepared, but this time it really paid off and I was so glad to help!

Small Donations Add Up

My husband belongs to an organization that meets monthly. For years I have been sending in refreshments for their meetings. They put out a donation can and the monies collected go into their treasury. They have raised hundreds of dollars to use toward projects just by this simple act - one which is also a selfish act because I love to bake! Sometimes what brings others pleasure can also bring us pleasure in so many ways.

Just Ask, And Others Will Join

I am often surprised by the generosity of others.

I am holding a yard sale to benefit the Arthritis Foundation and have asked friends to donate items for the sale.  Not only have friends given me loads of stuff without a second thought, they have also asked their friends and co-workers for items too.  So we will have a wonderful selection of things for people to buy.

We can encourage others to participate in our kindness acts by just asking.  Often people are looking for an opportunity to do good and just need a little prompting or guiding or leadership.  Just ask!  you might be surprised by what you get  :=D

Come Out and Play!

I thought it was rather odd when my friend from the nursing home asked me to motor her wheelchair through the puddles that formed from the melting snow. I didn't really get it, but I went along with it. We were out on one of our walks or what I like to call one of our"weekly strolls" because I stand and she rolls. Adhering to my friend's peculiar request, we were off on our watery wheelchair adventure! We splashed through each puddle together and came out of each experience, slightly damp and smiling. In fact, after a few puddle excursions, even I started looking out for larger and more daunting puddles to sail through until one day we were out on our stroll, and to our dismay, no puddles were to be found. They had all dried up.  Keen on keeping our strolling adventure alive, we discovered something new that awaited us. As we headed down the residential street, there was a small pile of leaves. My friend asked me to roll her through ... Read Full Story >>

The Power of Words

Whenever anyone gets into discussions about vocabulary and sentence structure, I get a glimmer of excitement. Okay, some may find such concepts mundane at best.  Then to see the true impact of our words come to life, there can be no doubt the power each of us possesses  with every single word we share. Recently, the head of the massage program at my school was conflicted about an opportunity to return to teaching. His wife was ill and the responsibilities of school and  home were taking a physical and emotional toll on him that was apparent. At a meeting, I expressed enthusiasm and encouragement to him about teaching again. I certainly believe that our program and the students would benefit to have him in the classroom. Those words were just the inspiration that he needed to make the changes in his life to teach once more. He admitted that he was excited and nervous, ... Read Full Story >>