Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Offering My Job to A Friend in Need

I was working for a company in Australia that has a high turnover of staff. I, too, had found a better position and was very aware that management would be dissapointed that I was leaving. I had recently become friends with a young man who had just migrated to Australia. He was unskilled and was finding life difficult being unemployed and married and having two young children. As I handed in my notice I was asked if I was aware of anyone who was looking for work and could do the job as well as I had done. I took this opportunity to line up an interview for my new friend. My friend was not offered the job after the interview. I had to serve a weeks notice and during this time I asked management the reasons why my friend was turned down. They claimed that his English was not good enough ... Read Full Story >>

Doing Something Good for 40 Days

Usually for Lent, I give up chocolate or coffee or something like that. This year, I decided that instead of giving something up, I would do something good each day for the 40 days of Lent.  I came up with an idea someone once mentioned on this website. 

I bought two boxes of note cards and each day I am sending a card through "Snail Mail" to someone with a little quote and a short story in it along with a SMILE CARD. 

I come in contact with many parents at my job (I work at a school) and lots of them could surely use some encouragement and kind words.  I hope this puts some smiles on their faces.

Giving a Stranger Some Hope

My ex-husband gives me money to help me pay-off a joint credit card we had when we were married. Since he doesn't have good enough credit to have a bank account, he gives me $500 in cash every month. 

Once when I was returning from his place with the cash, a woman at the corner held up a sign that simply said HUNGRY.  Where I work, there are the same few panhandlers every day, but this was in a residential part of town and it was starting to snow.  I rolled my window down and passed her a bill.  She started to mumble thanks, but then smiels as she noticed it was a twenty.  I said she could get a nice hot breakfast a block away at the pancake house.

Twenty bucks isn't going to pay off my debt any sooner and maybe it will give a stranger strength and hope to go on.

Small Town Hockey Hero with a Big Heart

Our son is my newest "Hockey Hero."  He plays goalie on his small hometown ice hockey team.  One weekend on matchday, we arrived a bit late and quickly found our seats and settled in.  As I looked around, I noticed we were sitting with a family who had a mentally and physically handicapped child.  We could hear the exciement in his voice when he said, "Mom, look the goalie is going to get the puck now!" Shamelessly, I listened to him and the excitment and joy in his voice as praised the goalie time and time again.  During the break, we went and told our son what was happening in the bleachers and, bless his heart, he went up into the bleachers, introduced himself to the parents and sat next to this young lad.  He started talking to him and before long the boy was trying on our son's gloves, blocker and helment.  When the game was about to start again, my ... Read Full Story >>

Bringing Smiles on a Rainy Day

This is new to me because usually when I do an act of kindness I keep it to myself...

Well, the other day it was pouring outside and this man came in to the restaurant were me and my husband were getting our meal to go. He was soaking wet but he had a smile on his face.

Suddenly, I felt inspired to pay for his meal, so I did.  He gave me a look as if he knows that someone is watching out for him.  To tell you the truth I was grateful to have the opportunity to be of service,  to give someone a little happiness gave me the best feeling.

A Son For A Moment

Most mornings I walk my Godsons, aged 7 and 5, to school while their parents are at work. Often we are joined (kind of) by another little boy. He looks about five and often hurries to catch up with us then stops and walks a safe distance behind us. We have a crossing guard at the main road, but the access road to the school also has to be crossed and it is usually very busy with parents driving their kids to school. Not the kind of road I would be happy to have a five year old cross on his own. This morning I tried talking to the wee fellow, saying how much I liked the big rubber pencil he was carrying. He smiled shyly then ran a few steps ahead. As I began my usual crossing routine with, "Right boys, lets pay attention to the road," I raised my voice a little ... Read Full Story >>

Kindness 2 Miles Away from Home

A few years ago when my daughter was about two years old, I went through a difficult time.  My marriage was in trouble, I was pregnant  and not particularly well and I didn't have much money.   Looking back I think I was also a bit depressed but I had to get on with taking care of my daughter the best I could. One day I thought I would take my daughter for a nice day out up at our allotment as she liked it up there, and I thought it was a nice, positive thing to do.  I decided to walk because the bus was expensive, so it took us a long time to get there.  When we finally got there, immediately my daughter began to cry.  She was cold, she was thirsty, she wanted to go home.  To be honest, I hadn't been thinking straight as I had not prepared properly.  I didn't ... Read Full Story >>

Timely Giving on a Rickshaw Journey

After reading another story on this site about exchanging a business class air travel seat for one in economy, I am reminded of an experience tI had just wo days ago. 

The auto-rikshaw I was riding in that evening suddenly came to a halt. The driver got off and went behind the vehicle only to return to his seat with something in his hand.  On enquiry I saw that he had a pen in his hand, which he was sentimentally attached to.  It had fallen off while we were driving and was run over by his own rikshaw. From his sigh I could make out that the pen was damaged beyond repairs. 

When alighting at my destination, I quietly handed him the amount payable and my pen.  He turned around looking into my eyes and gave me back the pen thinking it was by mistake that I passed on the pen along with cash.  When I told him the pen was for him he responded with, "Oh, my!  Thank you, indeed."

Leaving Sweet Treats

I have been "tagging" at work, which is very easy since I work late and everyone else is gone by the time I leave.   The people at work  have begun to pass it on to others, as well.  We work in a kitchen at a college so to say it is stressful is an understatement. These kids eat alot!  Our  work space is very tight and crowded in the kitchen , which is one reason I work later.

I've been leaving tea and mugs with candy with a card for a sweet treat.  Others I have heard have copied this idea and it has become like a game. Only one person was annoyed. I was so surprised when I heard that someone had reached out and this person was annoyed because she now felt like she had to do this.

I guess you can't expect everyone to feel the way you do when you give , but it is good to know that others have gotten the positive out of it.

Looking for Ways to be Kind to Strangers

Over the weekends I often find myself leaving home at around 9:00am. I find it hard to stay indoors on a Saturday, so I either head to the office or to town to run some errands. Towards the end of last year, after being encouraged by various acts of kindness from this website, I resolved to make it my mission to touch people's lives unexpectedly.  My target was the underpriviledged in society and in my country the street children were my target group. Each Saturday morning as I would go to get some milk and bread from the nearby shop, I would see how many kids there were in the vicinity and buy them milk and bread also. They would of course have no clue of this and all I would do is creep up on them and give it to them. One day, I was heading back to my bus terminus and saw this beggar on the street in a wheelchair. ... Read Full Story >>

A Professor's Unforgettable Motto

I was priviledged to join a college which not only created an environment for attaining professional qualification but also ensured that each and every student left the college an all-rounded individual. Most of the colleges in my country were commercially oriented and students tended to come in, have their lectures and off they went.  The lecturers in the college I attended always embraced higher ideals and many of the kids coming straight from high school would dread this college on the basis that it was strict. It was no bother to me anyway and I often looked forward to my college days. One of the lecturers, in particular, captured my attention most, not because of his tutorial skills but by the way he would always walk and leave no dirt or paper behind him. He would always bend over and pick any piece of paper lying on the floor and throw it to the nearest dustbin. On ... Read Full Story >>

Frustration Turns to Generosity

    I have been  feeling stressed lately due to a recent move and a new job.  My boss is  demanding as well. Mostly , I think I've been feeling scared and  focusing on my problems. I am re-focusing or "pointing the camera at a different angle," if you will.    I am legally blind yet partially sighted.  I had a brain aneurysm several years ago. Claudia, my neighbor who I met a  few days ago, is visually impaired as well. I wanted to do laundry Sunday and realized both washer and dryer were full. I felt frustrated realizing Claudia left her laundry sitting there. I made a quick decision and realized I needed to "get over myself." I folded her dry clothes. I love folding laundry so I it was very relaxing.       Claudia came downstairs while I was doing this and apologized for leaving her things. She is from ... Read Full Story >>

Forget Discouragement, Remember the Smile

Sometimes I feel like I am not good at anything and I get so discouraged.   We spend more hours at work doing menial tasks than we do at home.  I would like to feel some kind of accomplishment after all of the hard work.

Then a great friend at work lifted me up with a smile and reminded me that this is life, its gonna be ok.  Then I stopped to look at the things I have to be thankful for.  There are so many things that I have been blessed with!

Am I gonna remember this discouragement  tomorrow? Probably not.  But I will remember the smile.

A Driveway Full Of Snow

Last winter, my family & I headed up north for a long weekend as the kids had a day off school. We made it up before a big storm hit on Friday. Driving home Sunday afternoon I was dreading the foot of wet snow & the wall of snow that we would find at the front of the driveway when we got home.  I envisioned hours of heavy shoveling before getting into the house. 

Much to our surprise, as we pulled around the corner, we caught sight of the house and what did we see but our neighbor just finishing plowing our driveway. It’s so wonderful to have such kind & generous neighbors.

Offering a Word of Love

It was freezing outside my car.  I did not want to get out of it, when we passed by a small shop selling odds and ends. Suddenly I noticed a tiny figure, bent and covered with some bits of cloth, shivering with the cold from the harsh winds that were blowing so hard that night. It was only 5 degrees in Um Al Quwain that evening, which is freezing cold indeed.  Here was an old man of 75, seated in the corner of this store, waiting for anyone who would think of lending him a single coin or a cup of hot tea. I was about to open my biscuit packet , but my mind and soul went out to this old person.  I asked my husband to go over and hand it to this old man.  He looked into my husband's face and smiled, I could see that smile from the car window and he said, "Thank ... Read Full Story >>

When is a Discount Added Value?

   I was doing my regular shopping and noticed someone had left discount coupons they had clipped on the corresponding items. Being a busy mom,  I have little time to clip coupons so I used what someone had left behind.  Someone had been kind enough to leave these coupons on the items and that good turn helped me save. So, the other day, I had a coupon for a 10 percent reduction that I wasn't going to use so I decided to surprise someone.  I found a lady with a young child who had a huge buggy of groceries and gave it to her. Whoever you are, "coupon clipper," I paid it forward!

Remembering My Father Through Acts of Kindness

My father always wanted to help the needy as much as he could.  Now he is no more but I make sure that I feed the poor and hungry to remember him.

Its not much to do but I think it gives me some peace that my father would be smiling from above.  I also donate some money to the church whenever I can.Though not much it does help them.
I  thank my father for teaching me these small acts of kindness and am proud when people recognise me as his daughter.

Contagious Kindness in a Grocery Line

It seems as if most of us hate to stand in long lines.  Yesterday, there was a long line at the grocery store.  I decided to let the couple behind me go ahead of me. They were very surpised and thankful!  Others that noticed seemed to relax a little more and become more friendly-- smiling and nodding.  Even the cashier seemed to relax, and enjoy the moment, as she noticed.  Kindness really is contagious!!  I've decided to let someone go in front of me at least once a week when I'm standing in line,  as it is also good practice for patience.

A Smile Knows No Language Barriers

I was visiting my sister a couple of weeks ago and it was snowing hard, in between bursts of icy raindrops. My husband and I dived into a coffee shop for a quick burst of heat. Sitting there watching the rain run down the window and people battle with their umbrellas all I could focus on was the one girl standing outside of the shopping centre selling a homeless magazine. Her approach wasn't pushy, just to ask if anyone wanted to buy it and then avert her gaze to the puddles on the ground. So many people walked past weighed down by bags of goodies from the sales that I began to feel quite sad. I sent my husband back to the counter to buy her what I had just enjoyed -- a big hot chocolate with cream. Her smile melted my heart when I handed it over to her. She was foreign so ... Read Full Story >>

I Finally Had A Chance To Do This

I don't go to Starbucks very often because although I love coffee, their special drinks are a little on the pricey side.  When I do go, I usually don't have any extra money with me either.  But today, I had time to go before work and I had enough money to pay for the lady in back of me at the drive-thru - I've always wanted to do that!  

When I got to the window to pay, I was really excited!  The barrista was very deadpan about my request.  He said, "Well if you really want to be that generous, you can."  Glad he finally approved!

I drove away excited and exhilarated and a little curious about what my "victim" might be thinking - I just hope it made her day as happy as it made mine!