Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Snail Mail Surprises

I keep scissors handy on my sofa side table to clip interesting articles and coupons that my friends & family may like. Once a week, I sort them into different piles and send it thru the mail to distribute. I received many thank you's for the interesting articles, so I started to clip out funny cartoons, inspirational stories, share poems and pick up stick-um's and other surprise goodies too!  I stuff them into the letters especially if I know the person needs a pick-me-up ... it's fun and not expensive at all ... and everyone loves the "snail mail surprises." Lastly, when I sort thru the mail, I pull  out the Two for One coupon restaurant deals, additional savings coupon or certificates from department stores, etc. I keep them in a envelope and if I don't need it, I make sure to pass out to other friends and co-workers for their use before expiration dates. I recently snail-mail ... Read Full Story >>

5525 Reads

How Einstein Came To Us

Over the weekend, a lady that I work part time for, called and asked us if we thought a kitten, that had wandered into her yard during one of our recent rainstorms, would be taken care of by "Ms. Kitty" -- a stray mama cat at the warehouse where we work.

"Ms. Kitty ", the stray mama cat, has a litter of kittens a few days older than the one she'd found, so we told her to give it a try. If Ms. Kitty wouldn't adopt the kitten, bring to us, and we'd nurse it until it was old enough to be found a home.

That afternoon, as we sat home watching movies with friends, Ms. Gloria ( the older lady with the kitten ), arrived with her husband, and the kitten in her arms. Without a second thought, we took the kitten, wrapped in a towel, into our home. It was immediate love.

One of our friends, there at the time, caught a glimpse of the cute little kitten and blurted out " Einstein".

Now named, and us totally in love with him, the kitten is now home, and named, of all things, "Einstein."  We are now the PROUD owners of 3 cats of our own, and three strays that are as OURS as any cat can be.

1864 Reads

Shopping In The Rain

Today it was raining really hard. When I went to the grocery store, all of the Shopping Carts were dripping wet. I managed to find a paper towel and wipe it down and off I went to do my shopping.

I only picked up a few items and was on my way out of the store. As I walked out I noticed a Mom struggling as she came through the store doors with a baby in her arms. It was raining so hard outside she was running in.  I quickly said she could use my cart as it was dry and she could put the baby in right away instead of looking for something to dry a cart off with. I just grabbed my bags of groceries out of the cart -- they were light -- and I ran off to my car without a cart.   The mom was very grateful to me for helping her out.

I felt happy knowing I was able to offer her my shopping cart and was able to help her with her little baby.

Be on the look out for opportunities.  They're everywhere, even when you're grocery shopping in the rain!

4042 Reads

Don't Forget Your Digital Camera

On Saturday I took my fiancee to see Weird Al. Knowing that Weird Al would sign autographs afterward, I told my fiancee to bring the digital camera. :)

As we were waiting on line, I was entertaining all the little ones in front of me. The laughter was wonderful and if a little one wanted his mom, I made sure she connected with her child and went in front of me.

Once we got into the tent, I noticed the woman in front of me frantically searching. She had her nine year old son with her (one of the boys I had been joking with earlier) and I asked her if she would like us to take a few pictures for her. She lit up. "I' m from Westchester and I forgot my camera," she said. I gladly took the pictures, emailed them to her, and received a beautiful thank you email in return.

They couldn't have been any happier. It may have cost me nothing, but it was worth so much.

1634 Reads

Paid In Full With One Glass of Milk

"One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal, he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry and so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?" "You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness." He said, "Then I thank you from my heart." As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strengthened also. He had been ready to give up and ... Read Full Story >>

11.7K Reads

Two Days Without Worry

There are two days in every week about which we should not worry, two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension. One of these days is Yesterday with all its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, its aches and pains. Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control. All the money in the world cannot bring back Yesterday. We cannot undo a single act we performed; we cannot erase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone forever. The other day we should not worry about is Tomorrow with all its possible adversities, its burdens, its large promise and its poor performance; Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control. Tomorrow’s sun will rise, either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds, but it will rise. Until it does, we have no stake in Tomorrow, for it is yet to be born. This leaves only one day, Today. Any person can fight ... Read Full Story >>

2388 Reads

A Compassion Buddy Overseas

I have a friend who I was put into contact with through my Narrative Therapist. She is also unwell and under going huge hardships. We live in different countries, and our situations are quite different from one another. But despite this, we find we can connect to each others hearts through a few compassionate words. Each day, we send each other something to 'lift' one another up. Whether it be the lyrics to an inspirational song, a capturing quote, or just some thoughtful, comforting words. The impact this has on me is incredible. And it works two ways- the fact that I've made her feel good, makes me feel good inside, and the fact that she's made me feel good, makes her feel good. I guess I'm trying to say- a compassionate heart is the most priceless thing in the world. And to be compassionate, you do not need to 'know', you need not understand, ... Read Full Story >>

6501 Reads

Age Of Innocence

  Dandelions, yellow and bright grace my yard all around.   Soon becoming a fluff of seeds scattered into the wind, landing where they may to spread more seeds and start the process all over again.   When I was a child, I loved to pick the fluffy ones. I’d blow and blow on the seed heads, sending the seeds flying where the breeze would take them. What fun that was!   Little did I know at that age of innocence I was helping the dandelions, yellow and bright, to grace our yard all summer long. ... Read Full Story >>

1476 Reads

I Feel Special When I Speak About Kindness

It is amazing how kindness opens your life experinces to beauty and essence. After I got my smile cards, I thought to myself, "Let me extend this grace to my colleagues in the office."  We do have a 'devotional' every Mondays in my office and we have a roster for the next staff to anchor it so I waited for my turn to share the story of my smile cards. When the faithful day came, I gave a whole talk and I got a standing ovation!  All hands clapping for me including my Managing Director and several remarks afterwards. I told them about my life (who I am) and asked them at intervals to think about who they are too. I made several efforts to open and remind them of who they are as beings but with a mind of wanting to help them see the essence of living. I shared about ... Read Full Story >>

1772 Reads

Swift Reaction At a Circus

Once when I was a teenager,  my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus.  Finally, there was only one family between us and the ticket counter.  This family made a big impression on me.  There were eight children, all probably under the age of 12.  You could tell they didn't have a lot of money.  Their clothes were not expensive, but they were clean.  The children were well-behaved, all of them standing in line, two-by-two behind their parents, holding hands.  They were excitedly jabbering about the clowns, elephants and other acts they would see that night.  One could sense they had never been to the circus before.  It promised to be a highlight of their young lives. The father and mother were at the head of the pack standing proud as could be.  The mother was holding her husband's hand, looking up at him as ... Read Full Story >>

3281 Reads

Bringing Some Love to New York City

Another glorious Saturday afternoon in Central Park found six members of our Lemonade Brigade ready to collect more smiles and give out some just-because lemonade! Week one of our experiment in kindness went so well that we decided to set up our gift-economy lemonade stand at the exact same spot as we did last week. As usual, our blown-up smile card poster started drawing in the crowds before the lemonade was ready to be served. Pavitra has become a seasoned professional in the art of lemonade-making after just one week, and worked tirelessly to make sure the mouthwatering lemonade kept flowing. Ria, our 2.5-year-old Ambassador of Smiles, had on another one of her adorable outfits and this time came armed with a bubble-making gun to entertain the passersby – who could resist that? And the rest of us were brimming with energy and the anticipation of connecting ... Read Full Story >>

5783 Reads

An Unusual Birthday Celebration

[An Invitation From 2004] It's that time of the year again. Yup, V-real's birthday ... this Friday, January 9th. As you probably know, V-real isn't much into celebration of particular days more than others. But we have a creative way to bend the rules for his 25th. First of all, can you make it to our house this Friday at 7:30PM? I know it's really short notice but hey. ;) Secondly, in the spirit of thankfulness for your friendship with V-real, would you be willing to do an act of random kindness for someone, somewhere, somehow? Then, on his birthday, we'll blow some candles, eat cake and share stories of our experiences ... as a gift to him. It's a unique request, but V-real's a unique guy. Because of my unending gratitude for having him as a brother, right after I got my first job, I used to get him everything ... Read Full Story >>

7336 Reads

Sharing A Smile

An Exercise For People Of Certain Age

Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side. With a 5kg potato sack in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides & hold them there as long as you can. Try to reach a full minute & then relax. Each day you will find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer.

After a couple of weeks, move up to 10 kg potato sacks.Then try 50 kg potato sacks & then eventually  try to get to where you can lift a 100 kg potato sack in each hand & hold your arms straight for more than a full minute (I'm at this level)

AFTER YOU FEEL CONFIDENT PUT A POTATO IN EACH OF THE SACKS!!

I hope this brought a smile to everyone!!

I'd like to share this affirmation:

The work you are doing on yourself is not a goal, it is a process - a lifetime process. ENJOY THE PROCESS!

3027 Reads

Love Thy Neighbor

When my wife, Beth, and I moved from the suburbs to a warehouse loft in the center of a large city, Beth embraced every aspect of urban life -- even the sirens, the parking problems, and the car alarms at night. The homeless people made me nervous, but Beth learned their names. The only neighbors who bothered her were the guys who ran the tattoo parlor across the street. They got into traffic-stopping fights, harassed women on the sidewalk, and intimidated men. They were the reason Beth didn’t walk on that side of the street. For two years she glared out our window at the row of men sitting in front of the shop and fantasized about shooting out their tires. Then one day she called me at work to tell me she was getting a tattoo. She’d never wanted a tattoo before and had even taken pride in being one of ... Read Full Story >>

10.9K Reads

A True Story From Kolkata

 

Every day a lady passes my home on the way to the park. Over each arm she carries a large bag which contains many packets. Each packet has a name written on it in pencil. As she enters the gate of the park she is greeted by a number of stray dogs. 

Each one pushes the other away in order to be nearer to her. She puts down each bag on a park bench and takes the packets out, one at a time. Every dog sits an orderly semi-circle, waiting to be called. When each dog hears his name called by the lady it steps forward for its packet. When every dog has eaten, the lady goes away without a word. 

3735 Reads

You Never Know

I have a dear friend Joni, who is one of those people who lights up a room when she enters.  She is an extremely warm and welcoming individual, who makes you feel good about yourself.  Over the past few years Joni has dealt with much, including family illness and death, and throughout it all she has maintained a presence of joy that has been remarkable. Recently she was contemplating whether or not to continue a weekly visit/group she conducted at a nursing home.  Each week she would bring an activity  to share with the residents.  This was the nursing home where her mother had been  and Joni had grown quite fond of the other residents there.  But Joni's schedule is so full, she felt the need to make some changes, and thought she might discontinue her work at the nursing home for a while. As she was wrestling with her decision she kept ... Read Full Story >>

4738 Reads

Helping When You Need Help

We attended a benefit dinner for a family in our church tonight.  A member in their family has been ill for awhile now, and  this has caused a great financial strain on the family. Church members have assisted them with cleaning, preparing meals, and have helped them keep their pantry full of food.

During the dinner they had an auction. They auctioned mostly services that the teens of the church would be providing, babysitting, singing lessons, and guitar lessons to name a few.  They auctioned a batch of cinnamon buns, and my husband had the high bid of $40. While we are having some hard times of our own financially, I thought it was awesome that he contributed to this family in their time of need. (Our family is fortunate to all have our health, and a place to live.)

When you think you have it bad, there is always someone who is having a much harder time of it... I am thankful that I have a husband who is so thoughtful. 

2160 Reads

Words Of Encouragement

The more I keep on reading some of such inspirational stories on this website, it has just come to mind that not long ago I spoke to a young person from Ghana on line whose father sadly had kicked him out in the street after finding out about his sexual preferences and told me that he had nowhere at all to go but to sleep out there in the cold. 

Of course, I decided I had to share my own thoughts on the matter but to cut a long story short ,I tried my best to comfort him and make him feel he was indeed worth it as a person, as a whole and that his father should be proud of him no matter who his son was.  Therefore, however difficult it might be for him, I suggested he should approach his dad and convince him to take him back and amazingly he did!!  Having said that, he touched my heart by saying to me that even though he believed he had lost his faith I was the only one who cared enough to give it back to him!!

It just goes to show that even words of encouragement mean a lot.

3889 Reads

All It Takes Is Lemonade!

In a fast-paced city like New York, one can spend a lot of time thinking about doing big things to spread smiles in the city.  But often, it is the spontaneous, simple and small ideas that do the job. Take our lemonade stand, in the heart of New York City.  Spontaneously decided over coffee one day, and six days later, five of us were at Central Park at 5PM, handing out "free lemonade" to all passerby's who wanted it!  "Why are you doing this?"  "Just because."  "Is it really free?"  "Yes.  Spread the joy, pay it forward."  "Can I take some more smile cards?"  "Absolutely."  "I'd like to help you give out lemonade."  "Sure thing." We collected 250 smiles and were out of lemonade in all but ONE hour!  The box of 1000 Smile Cards that we started with was down to 200, thanks to everyone. =) About 5 minutes after we started, ... Read Full Story >>

31.3K Reads

A Song I Wrote Last Night

I was feeling a little down last night and I came here and read and read.  It picked me up and I wrote this song.  The chords are in parenthesis. "Its Not Too Hard" It's not too [G]hard to be [C]nice If you [G]want to be.[C][G] It's not too[G] hard to be[C] happy If you [D]try. You just [C]reach out your [D]hand and you [G]help another [C]friend and you'll be [G]glad that you [D]are who you [G]are. It's not too hard to be friendly if you need a friend. It's not too hard to be helpful if you try. You just reach out your hand and you help another friend And you'll be glad that you are who you are. Cause [F] being a good [C]person is [F]good for your [C]health and [F]helping one [C]another will [F]give you all the [C]wealth That you [D]need. Its not too hard to be great if you want to be It's not too hard to be special if you try. You just reach out your hand and ... Read Full Story >>

3031 Reads