Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Shipwrecked Prayers

A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert like island. The two survivors, not knowing what else to do, agreed that they had no other recourse but to pray to God. However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island. The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able to eat its fruit. The other man's parcel of land remained barren. After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife. The next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the land. On ... Read Full Story >>

2686 Reads

A Happy Bus Driver

Upon receiving my Smile cards I decided to put it to the test and see what happened.  Being summer here in South Africa now, it becomes rather hot and Thursday was one such day.

I decided to buy a cool drink for the driver of our Metro bus and give it to him on boarding the bus on my way home.  Having purchased the cool drink, I boarded the bus and paid, after which I produced the drink and smile card.

I sure wish you could have been there to see the man's face break into the biggest smile which I have ever seen.  According to him, it was the first time in the 37 years of being a driver that he had received some sort of acknowledgment from anybody. 

This brought a smile to my face and a tear to my heart.

Thanks to helpothers.org for my smile cards.

1574 Reads

Witnessing An Act of Kindness

While waiting in line at the grocery store, a young girl with 3 babies, was ahead of me in line.  She had lots of food for her babies, and when the total was rung she was over 20 dollars short. I felt for her but had no more money with me to help, as she started putting the food back.

Just then, a gentle voice came from behind me.  It was an elderly woman.  She said, "Don't put those baby's food back.   God has this covered with a blessing I got yesterday in the mail.  I knew He had something in mind for it." 

With a sweet smile she handed the cashier the money and wished the good mother a blessed life. 

It was a gentle, beautiful and selfless.  How she touched my heart with her special kindness.  I had a smile all day knowing there are wonderful people around me!

1490 Reads

Lost and Found: A Ten Dollar Bill

Last week I was visiting my best friend in Cincinnati.  One morning as we walked to breakfast, I spotted a piece of paper on the street and it turned out to be a $10 bill!  I was determined to use it as a special treat and carried it around for two days as we brainstormed ways to spend it. Since we are both huge fans of Dairy Queen, we decided to head there after dinner on my last day in town. His blizzard and my sundae came to $5, so when the employee handed me $5 bill as change, I turned around to the lady (and her son) behind me and said, "Here, this is for you!"  Seeing her startled reaction, I told her, "I found $10 the other day and since we've already received our treat, you guys should enjoy the rest!"  She was very gracious and took the money and ... Read Full Story >>

4333 Reads

Getting a Smile on the Road!

While sitting at the traffic lights yesterday, a young boy approached the window of my car. 

A little bit hesitant to wind the window down, I did it thinking "What's the worst that can happen?!"

Much to my amazement, the boy handed me a card and said, "Today, I'm doing kind things for others to promote anonymous acts of kindness.   I dont know you but I hope you will follow my lead.   Smile.  You've been tagged!  Pass it on."

Then he walked away.

That just really made my day. How awesome is it for someone to take time out to make others smile!!

And now im going to do the same. Smiles are indeed contagious!

1699 Reads

My Simple Smile Card Story

About a month ago I learned about “smile cards,” which can be found at www.helpothers.org. Smile cards are “an experiment in anonymous kindness,” as stated on each card. Each card, when used in the spirit intended, serves at least two immediate purposes. One, it becomes the physical marker of an event of anonymous kindness. This is important because, physically persisting, it can serve as the template for the perpetuation of the idea of itself: new acts of anonymous kindness. As an object carrying an explanation of itself, it also will serve as a reference point for the recipient of the anonymous act of kindness who, besides being grateful may well be befuddled. Anonymous acts of kindness verge on the incomprehensible to most of us in this culture. The mere idea remains a little shocking. Imagine how disorienting it might be to receive an anonymous act ... Read Full Story >>

7996 Reads

What Can You Do With Ten Bucks?

The week before Thanks Giving, I did a little experiment with my class, leaving $200 in ten-dollar bills outside my classroom.  Lots of great stories unfolded. Katrina Kapetanovic was one amongst the students.  Like everyone else in the class she struggled mightily with what to do with her $10.  Some quotes from her essay:   "What if I got a bunch of people to each give $10 to a beneficial cause?  Could that do more good?  Will it really end up making a substantial difference long after the money was given?  I still find myself to be stuck, constantly researching and questioning myself and how I could get the $10 to trickle down.   It doesn't seem like it could do a whole lot of good for just one person with $10 to give it away.   That is when it suddenly dawned on me.  This $10 serves as a reminder that I need to ... Read Full Story >>

5209 Reads

Planting Date Palms

[A Sufi Story]

Harun al-Rashid was once walking through a plantation when he saw a hunched man with a long, gray beard, putting in sapling date palms. He greeted him, saying, ‘Take it easy, father!’

‘Thank you, my son,’ the old man replied.

‘What are you doing, father?’ he asked the old man.

‘As you see, I am planting sapling date palms.’

‘How many years does it take a date palm to bear fruit?’

‘Ten, twenty, thirty years. Some take as long as a hundred years.’

‘Will you be able to eat the fruit of these palms you are planting?’

‘I may not live to see the day,’ said the old man, ‘but we eat from those our forebears planted. So let us plant, that those who follow us may eat in turn!'

4315 Reads
  • Posted by James Fadiman
  • Jan 16, 2008
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Run Shay, Run!

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?' The audience was stilled by the query. The father continued. 'I believe, that when a child like Shay, physically and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.' Then he told the following story: Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay ... Read Full Story >>

8296 Reads

Being Present

She looked really pretty, I thought, as I glanced across at the young lady opposite me. Everything from her manicured nails, to her designer sunglasses symbolized that she was the kind of girl who had it all. I stared at the floor, at the large European woman in the seat next to the pretty lady, and back at the floor. I studied the tube map - again - as if I had to check something important, then starred resolutely back at the floor. I had mastered the art of avoiding eye-contact on the Tube as if my very existence depended on it. I was a Pro. But, I couldn't help wonder what the pretty lady was doing. I was acting dumb, but I wasn't dead. Why was she fidgeting so much? She's never going to sleep in that awkward position....is something wrong? She looks like she's drunk, not sleeping. Maybe she has a ... Read Full Story >>

2548 Reads

I'm Not In A Hurry.

Sometimes just the little things mean so much. I was at the grocery store on a Sunday afternoon. In my neighborhood it seems that people think this is the only day and time the grocery store is open. It was surprising to me how many people were uptight and impatient. On a Sunday! Supposedly the most peaceful day of the week and a lot of these people just came from church. Well, whenever I got a frown I gave a smile. When I was in someone's way I said, "oh my goodness, I'm sorry".  As much as I tried to kill them with kindness, I got little or no response. I wasn't going to give up. After swimming with "sharks", I made it to the check out counter. I got to the cashier and she had this face like she'd just been dragged through the mud. She had her guard up and was ... Read Full Story >>

2677 Reads

Colourblind Kindness

He was a tall black man, with a generous build and he was walking straight towards me. Dressed casually in a gleaming white tracksuit that hung loosely on him, and a hood that covered both his head and part of his face, he looked like any of the number of black men described in daily news bulletins as being wanted for robberies or similar crimes. If it had been dark, I would have moved quickly in the opposite direction. As it was, it was broad daylight and I was waiting for a bus with my sister. We were on a quiet side street: no cars or people in sight. I unwittingly inhaled sharply, my body cautiously preparing itself for fight or flight. I shudder at the thought of being a racist, but even racists hate the idea of simply discriminating against someone based on what they look like. What we hate, ... Read Full Story >>

1969 Reads

Mother’s Last Laugh

Consumed by my loss, I didn’t notice the hardness of the pew where I sat.  I was at the funeral of my dearest friend - my mother.  She finally had lost her long battle with cancer.  The hurt was so intense; I found it hard to breathe at times. Always supportive, Mother clapped loudest at my school plays, held a box of tissues while listening to my first heartbreak, comforted me when my father died, encouraged me in college, and prayed for me my entire life. When Mother’s illness was diagnosed, my sister had a new baby and my brother had recently married his childhood sweetheart, so it fell to me, the twenty-seven-year-old middle child without entanglements, to take care of her.  I counted it as an honor. “What now, Lord?” I asked, sitting in the church.  My life stretched out before me as an empty abyss. My brother sat stoically with his face ... Read Full Story >>

6429 Reads

Changing the world one snack at a time

I recently burned my left arm pretty badly and had to go to the hospital. I didn't stop to take something to drink or a snack since I was in so much pain. After they took care of me I went to the cafeteria and was counting my little change to see what I could get. I settled with a cup of ice water and decided to wait till I got home to eat anything. A lady was in line as I was getting my ice water. I was depressed and in pain but was thankful I was going to be okay. She noticed I was a little shaky and asked if she could get me a snack. I was very thankful and thanked her. I told her maybe one day I can return the favor. All she said was just help someone else who was in the same situation ... Read Full Story >>

1896 Reads

Kindness On The Move

I was taking a bus with my friends to campus when I saw a man with a lot of groceries. I discovered he was fumbling with his groceries because he was blind.

When his stop came, although it was not my stop, I helped him get down the bus and carried his groceries for him. When I came back onto the bus people were smiling at me including the man driving the bus.  :)  It felt so good to help someone out.

1643 Reads

What Goes Around Comes Around And Makes a Difference

Yesterday I was in the grocery store and ran into an old client.  (I worked in Social Services for 14 years and recently left to pursue other things).  This particular person had been a very abrasive, beligerant and loud client, which intimidated some of the staff.  Somehow I became the person who was best at dealing with these sorts of folks and I was called to the front desk to talk with him.  He was tall and, well, scary looking.  Wild hair, missing teeth, buggy eyes.  I brought him to my office where he began crying and we talked about his life and what he needed help with.  I then did my job, and helped him to the best of my ability.  He soon found employment and went on his way and was one of my best success stories and I was proud of it.  This was over 4 years ago. Anyway, yesterday ... Read Full Story >>

12.6K Reads

Rewarding Kindness

I was in getting coffee one time and the girl behind me needed a bit more change so she didn't have to break a bill. Without hesitation a gentleman behind her gave her the necessary change.

I thought it was a generous thing to do and I paid for his coffee. There is a lot of good in this world and it is often hidden by the bad.

2087 Reads

Update On Aurelia's Mom

UPDATE: Just found out my mom has 2 brain tumors. She will go for radiation treatment to try to reduce the size. They are hoping to give her some pain relief. We are not looking for a miracle, we only want her quality of life to be improved from whatever time she  has left her on earth. Please continue to pray for all of us as we make some really difficult decisions over the next month. The doctors say that "just because we start something/radiation, doesn't mean we will  have to continue if we don't like what we see in mom." Please be with me. I thank God for all my friends across the world. AMEN. ~Aurelia Unfortunately, my mom had to be placed in a nursing home yesterday. I was full of grief over this decision. My dad is 86 and just could not care for her because of her ... Read Full Story >>

1737 Reads

Never Underestimate The Power Of Kindness

As I picked-up my daughter from school, we saw a small puppy who had fallen in a long ditch in the middle of the street. We knocked on some doors and people in the area said they had heard a dog crying for the past 4 days. We bought some chicken and tossed it to him, the doggy ate it voraciously. There were some rough and serious men digging the street across to replace some water tubes. We didn’t think they would stop their work to help but we told them that we would pay them something if they helped. They actually spent about an hour and a half running back and forth the long 7 block ditch trying to catch it, until the doggy got tired and they were able to catch it. It was so afraid that it bit one of them. A man watching from outside said ... Read Full Story >>

1572 Reads

Grime Does Pay!

Almost every day my boyfriend and I take a leisurely walk down to the 7-Eleven for a coffee. We take grocery bags and our picker sticks and collect litter along the way. We generally follow the same route which includes a back alley that the children use to walk to and from school. It took about a week before we were hearing comments from them about how nice and tidy the area was looking. And we do all this during school hours so they're wondering who's been doing the cleanup. Our walk takes us through the schoolyard and we go along the fence that's bad for catching wind-blown papers etc. I'm amazed at the difference we have made.  We also tidy along the fence that surrounds the cemetary on our walk home. Visitors have often stopped us to ask questions because they think we're part of the grounds crew. And so we've familiarized ourselves with ... Read Full Story >>

1396 Reads