Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Scouts Honor on a Full Flight

My 9-year-old daughter and I were flying from our home in Charlotte, North Carolina, to spend a week with my husband in Miami, Florida. Mike had been in Florida for five months working for an internet start-up company. We were excited about the trip because we had seen him only five times in five months, and Kallie missed her Dad terribly. As usual on the Charlotte-to-Miami flight, the plane was totally full. I had noticed a troop of Boy Scouts at the gate and commented to my daughter that if anything happened, we would be OK with all those Scouts on our flight! Little did I know.... Because we did not get our boarding passes until we arrived at the gate, Kallie and I could not get seats together and were separated by the aisle. That wasn't such a big deal, except that Kallie was nervous about the trip and had counted ... Read Full Story >>

Flooded with Praise

During my days as a fast-food worker, someone who came through my drive through called our corporate offices to praise me for being so cheerful and having such a pleasant tone and manner with the customers. Not only did that give me the motivation to  continue being kind, the manager also gave me a much-needed $20 as a reward. Not so unrelated, recently I went to a store to order wedding invitations, without any real clue of what I was doing. Two stellar employees answered all my questions patiently, explained everything without being condescending, and made sure everything went through correctly. A week later, when an unexpected date change had me worried I'd have to order (and pay for!) the invitations all over again, those same employees called the company that made the invitations to ensure everything would be right. Remembering how rewarded I felt when customers sang my praises to the corporate headquarters, I ... Read Full Story >>

Giving a Cup Fills the Sprit

   Many days I'm on the run, just as many others are. There are times that my husband will call my cell phone and say, "I just called to see how your day is going." It always brings a smile to my face when he does it. So simple but so very powerful.

   We have a few coffee pots and one of them makes only a single cup of coffee. I made my one cup and he looked at the pot as he was ready to head out for work and asked if he could take a little bit of the coffee. I said, "You know that only makes one cup, there's not enough for two." He said okay and went outside to wait for his ride. When he went out the door I felt awful in the way I replied to him. I hurried to make him a cup of coffee and was able to get it to him just as his ride was ready to leave. His face brightened up and he said so sweetly, "Aw, you made me a cup." It touched my heart dearly and stayed with me throughout the day.

   Being selfish does nothing for me; giving fills my spirit.

Kindness For My Neighbour

The other day my neighbour was having a mental breakdown. I am new to the street and have only met her very briefly a few times. She lives right next door and was having some strange behaviour. We noticed she had left her radio on all night so my boyfriend suggested we should check on her to see if she was OK. i spent a few hours with her as she was clearly confused and having a hard time. Her sister came down to pick her up the next day to care for her. I felt so good that i spent some time with her as I know it made a big difference to her.

A Passing Not Forgotten

My friend's dad passed away 2 weeks ago. A few of us got together and had a beautiful basket of live flowers sent to her house instead of an arrangement to the funeral palor (they were called a Bulb Garden Basket).

The idea is to plant the bulbs in your own garden after the flowers bloom in the basket. This way you will have a sweet memory each Spring for years to come. 

Yesterday when I got home from work, my friend was outside in her flower bed planting the bulbs. I looked over and she was in deep thought. I waited for her to look up at me and then I walked over. We didn't say much, we both have just lost a parent recently -- our hearts know the hurt -- words were not necessary. She softly said "thank you" and gave me a hug. 

The Moment That Didn't Need Words

When Julie and I were on our honeymoon in the Dominican Republic we were mostly cocooned in one of those all-inclusive resorts. (The image of paradise was slightly altered when I discovered that the far reaches of the beach had armed guards!) We went on a coach trip across the island to visit the capitol city (where Columbus first landed in the New World, I think.) We had a good day and were well fleeced as tourists should be. On the way back we were driving through a jungle area. The kind of place where women still wash clothes on the rocks by the rivers. The driver pulled over and let a matronly lady, loaded down with bags, climb on board. She sat well away from us tourists and never said a word. But an hour into the journey she developed one of those really annoying, dry, tickly coughs. They were really ... Read Full Story >>

Helping a Man and His Son

   About a month ago I stopped at an ATM to deposit a check and a man was there with his son in their car.  The man had a cell phone in his hand and looked rather distraught.  He asked if I had any money or food for his son to eat or gas money. He said he used to be in the military and he was down on his luck. He took out his Social Security  card, drivers liscence, etc. I told him I didn't have any cash, but I had a package of crackers in the car his son could have.  He was very appreciative and his son was very polite and thanked me and started eating them immediately.     I wanted to help more and went back to the ATM and took $20 out of savings and handed it to the man.  He was so very appreciative.  I at first wondered if he ... Read Full Story >>

A Revolution in Me

I am an assistant principal. As I reflect upon life this past year, although the experiences that took place were not directly my own, they still became a part of me, and it is through them I changed.   In September, right before school started, a beloved teacher of 39- years-old killed himself. In April, a 38-year-old mother of three, and friend to many, killed herself.  Both of these events were obviously tragic and both took place within the span of the school year. The many living casualties who were left behind began questioning themselves, "could I have done or said anything to prevent this?" "Maybe I should have spent more time with them. I should have, would have, could have done something more," and the onslaught of self-blame continued. Much of these questions that were asked are understandable, and I was among the many who kept this process of self-interrogation churning in my mind. When these tragedies occur, we are ... Read Full Story >>

Being There When He Needed It Most

Mr Mitchell was our neighbour for a while. He and his wife had been the terrors of the local kids before we came to the square. If a ball went into their garden it was never seen again-- that kind of thing. Well, she was gone now and Mr Mitchell was in his late eighties. The rose garden he had planted for her was an overgrown jungle and that was how I came into his story. I knew he was infirm, but I didn't know if he had any help and none of the other neighbours cared anymore. (They'd put up with it a lot longer than we had.) One summer Mr Mitchell was taken into hospital for a short stay. While he was away I thought he might like to come home to a neat and tidy garden, one he could sit out in on sunny days. Even to get into ... Read Full Story >>

Learning Life Through a Garden

   Years ago in Connecticut I began a garden.  I have always found growing things a wonderful form of therapy for me.  I was in recovery from alcohol/drug addiction and had begun to look at my spirituality.  I had a hard time back then turning things over to something bigger than me.  Most especially I was angry at my daughter for not having sought recovery from her own addiction, and the kind of life my grandson was exposed to.     One day, I just started a garden bed, and then another.  I wound up surrounding our land with gardens, and in doing  that, found out that I couldn't control lots of things.  I planted stuff the deer didn't like to eat, and then there were some insects I began to try and deal with.  There was too much rain, or not enough, rabbits, squirrels, you name it.    Of course, anyone who gardens ... Read Full Story >>

A First Class Delivery of Generosity

I was recently at the Post Office. I walked in and saw the line, it was all the way to the door. Normally, I would have come back later but a voice in my head told me to just be patient and it would go quickly. I got in line and was immediately drawn to a conversation at a side counter between a Japanese woman and a postal worker. There was frustration in the clerk's voice as he said, "You'll either need to come up with the cash or find a card that works." She was trying to use the same card several times and was obviously distraught. I wondered how much cash she needed and then  heard the man say, " Look, you need $16.34 in cash or a debit card that works." I couldn't resist and pulled $17 from my wallet and placed it in front of the woman ... Read Full Story >>

Ever Been Nudged?

My husband and I were shopping in a local grocery store one day and as we were ready to leave, I had a nudge to go into the coffee shop they had added a few months before.  "Are you hungry?" Gene asked.   "No, but I just have a feeling we should go in for a cup of coffee or something".  As we neared the back corner table, I smiled at a lady sitting alone at the table next to ours and asked her how she was today.  She turned and began to tell me.  She talked for about 10 minutes of all that was going on in her life with very few words of encouragement from me.  She then smiled and thanked me for listening but she had to go.  I asked her if she needed a hug and I was immediately enveloped in the strongest yet tenderest hug I had ... Read Full Story >>

Walking Away with an Open Heart

I was on my lunch break in the city, enjoying a salad at an outdoor cafe, when a disheveled homeless lady came walking towards me.  She was yelling and begging everyone who walked past her for spare change and she looked like a mess.  My instant reaction was fear... to close off and hope she didn't come near me, but she did.  I was on the phone and when she came over yelling, I said, "I'm on the phone," in the nicest way I could, assuring myself what she needed was a lesson in manners.  After all, that is rude to interrupt someone and I have very little money as it is, if she only knew and on and on...  She walked away, mumbling, "I'm annoying you. I'm sorry, I'm sorry.  I'll leave."  And she turned the corner. Normally, I would feel relieved or satisfied, but something in me couldn't rest.  ... Read Full Story >>

The Trash Fairy

I live in an apartment and often times people will put their trash outside their doors while they are cleaning.  My downstairs neighbors have been working extra hard and are having a difficult time. 

I was finally able to be their Trash Fairy and grab the bag and walk it down to the dumpster without them seeing.  It totally made my day :)  Now I am going to keep my eyes open for opportunities for the Trash Fairy to return and help other neighbors by taking their trash to the dumpster.

Perceptions On Life&Poverty

A friend one sent  this powerful tale to me. I was deeply touched after reading the story and so I decided to share it with all of you:                   One day, a wealthy man took his small boy on a trip to the country with the purpose of showing him how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?" "It was great, Dad." "Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked. "Oh yeah," said the son. "So, tell me, what you learned from the trip?" asked the father. The son answered: "I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars ... Read Full Story >>

Chocolate Chip Cookies for a Late Night

I had quite a long night last night waiting around to get Direct TV high definition installed.  The man didn't show up until 8 pm last night and when he got to our house he looked ragged and worn out.  I asked him if it had been a long day and he said yes and that it was going to be a long night.  He was running about 4 hours late when he got to our house and just looked so tired. We have had satelite for 15 years , but just bought a new TV over the weekend, so of course that meant we now had to have high def. While the man was working we had my son's ball team over for practice since 6 at our house and three boys stayed over while their parents talked to my husband.  I made everyone a batch of spaghetti and fed the boys.  While the Direct TV man was still working I ... Read Full Story >>

A Congregation of Hugs

   In my Sunday School class, the children (aged two to 13 years) and I made "hug" cards. We placed a picture of an "angel hug" on one side of our hug cards. On the other side we wrote, "Hug someone, then give them this card, keep the hug going."

   When I had sent the children back to their parents with their hug cards, I spent about 5 minutes cleaning up. In the time it took me to clean up and then return to the church, the hug cards had gone from the children to the people in the congregation. There were hugs being given everywhere!

   I had not told the children to do this, assuming they would start by just giving their family hugs. But they went straight to the nearest person and started hugging. The moment I walked inside the church, I got hugged. And it went on from there. It was a wonderful exercise in acting with kindness. I had not seen that many smiles in one place for a long time!

Do You Believe In This?

 Reason, Season, Or Lifetime People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person. When someone is in your life for a reason, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a blessing delivered to you because they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrong doing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, ... Read Full Story >>

The Wisdom of Old Ted

I placed Ted's ashes in the ocean and watched as they made a rainbow before dissolving into the sea. In my hand was an envelope with my name on it. I reflected on my friendship with Old Ted, over the past two years prior to his death. It was a sunny mid-day in Tucson. I had been attending a teaching and we were on lunch break. I was the first to arrive at the Furrs restaurant. I was getting out of my car when I saw him. An elderly man in his eighties, thin, tall, and walked with the gait of someone who knew how to put many miles behind them in a day. He came up to me and said, "I'm hungry can you feed me?" "Of course." I said. He looked me over, I was dressed in my red and yellow monks robes. "What are you?" he asked quite matter ... Read Full Story >>

March To Your Own Drummer

A few days ago I was about to begin teaching a class when one of my students came up to me and said she had to talk to me---she seemed quite upset and close to tears so I took her out in the hallway to find out what was wrong.  She started sobbing uncontrollably and told me that she'd been feeling so stressed out and depressed because her mom was pressuring her to go to medical school and she didn't want to--- she felt like she'd be letting her mom down if she went against her wishes and she felt very helpless. I asked her what she wanted to do and she said she wanted to work in the biotechnology industry.  I told her that she would be really good at that (since I have her for a lab class, I know that she's really good)  and that she should try ... Read Full Story >>