Stories of Kindness from Around the World

A New Old Friend

My daughter and I have recently moved across the country to the West Coast. I know no-one here other than my sister and her husband. I started feeling a little lonley and missing my friends and family back east. I have now started to go back to college and have been enjoying getting the education I should have gotten long ago. I'm an extrovert and I love to talk, that's why I enjoy going to school so much because it gives me the opportunity to meet new and different people. I think you learn the most from people and life experiences. I love talking with and learning about people from different walks of life, different religions, and age groups. Children and the elderly are the most interesting to me. Children look at everything with eyes full of wonder. The elderly have been there, done most of it, and can tell you all about it. You can learn so ... Read Full Story >>

Tears And Cheers

I am a high school teacher in a small school in a very rural area.  My personal "goal" each year is to greet each student in the hallway by their name at least twice every week.  Graduation is coming up so people are becoming very sentimental. 

Today a senior student zoomed over to me in the hall and handed me an envelope.  In it was a Thank You note which read, in part, "Thank you for talking to me when no else would. Thank you for saying hello to me in the hall.  No one else says hello to me. Thank you for visiting with me about what books I've read and how my cats are."  This student is a shy person and not too socially fluent.  School is tough for her because "there are so many people in one building". 

Her note meant so much to me and of course, I started crying.  Inside I also cheered because she took the time and energy to "connect" which is what I hope all students will be able to do.  I love teaching and am so lucky to be able to go to work at a job I love.  What a lovely gift I received from this student.

Walk With Me

Come walk with me in the sunshine

I'll tell you a bit about myself

I haven't got much in my wallet

and there isn't much food on the shelf

But there's something that just keeps on growing

You can see by the look on my face

There's a love that so freely is flowing

Let's  walk  in the sunshine of grace!

Come walk with me in the sunshine

and share a piece of yourself

I don't want what is in your wallet

and I don't care what is on your shelf

I want you to know you are glowing

as we walk along sharing this space

I want you to know that I love you

as we walk in the sunshine of grace!

Small Acts to Make a Difference

This past week has been a stressful one for me because, as the school year winds down, I have many big responsibilities and deadlines.  However, I've learned that it always makes me feel better to do something kinds for others. 

On May Day, I sent flowers (anonymously) to two elderly ladies from my church.  I also made good luck notes saying Good Luck at State and Score Big and attached a 100 Grand candy bar.  The team placed second in the state competition, and as Morrie Swartz in Tuesdays with Morrie would say, "What's wrong with second?".  I gave a Smile Card to an employee at Sam's because she was being so helpful to a customer and acted as if she actually enjoyed her job.

Although these acts weren't major happenings, I hope that they made a difference.  I thank all of you who have helped to keep me inspired.

You All Are Heroes!

I just wanted to thank all of you for spreading so much of joy and goodness in this world. It might sound cliche, but through your stories, I came to realize that there is so much we can do to make people happy and touch their lives in a special way. You all have made me more sensitive. I have started appreciating the small joys in my life. In short, your stories have made me forget my sorrows and helped me become a much happier and better person.

I love you all because everyone visiting this website is a true hero. Please take care of yourselves and others and keep the wheel of kindness moving!!

A big thanks goes to the people behind this website for taking the initiative and giving us such a good opportunity to become more humane.

A Raincheck for Lunch

I work until noon on Fridays and my husband is always happy to have me at home to eat lunch with (he works from home).

Today a friend at work was having a difficult time and needed someone to vent to. I suggested that we go and grab a bite to eat and she agreed it would be a great idea. So, I had to cancel my usual Friday lunch date with my hubby and instead I got a raincheck  for next Friday :0)

I'm happy that I went to lunch with Ann. She really needed to vent and I did a bit also. Then we started laughing and talking about good stuff.  By the time I dropped her back off at the office, she was smiling and ready to finish up her day. I was able to go home and spend the afternoon feeling good because I know that we both needed that time together. :0)

As much as I hated to break my date with my husband, I am sure that I was meant to have lunch with Ann. 

Renewing My Father's Smile

Last Sunday I visited my parents as I do every Sunday. My 84 year old Dad seemed unusually worried, so I asked him if anything was the matter. He silently gave me a letter from his motor insurance company to read. In two sentences they informed him that they would no longer be able to insure his small truck and that he can call the undersigned for further clarification. I told him not to worry and that I would take care of the matter.  The next day I called the undersigned to get clarification. To sum it up, it did not matter to the insurance company that my Dad spent 50 years paying the premium, but what mattered was that in his first accident (last August) the company had to fork out € 8,942. From then on for three days I visited or phoned almost every broker or insurance company to try and ... Read Full Story >>

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 >>