Stories of Kindness from Around the World

An Unforgettable Taxi Stand Encounter

Recently, when I was waiting at a taxi stand, I noticed a young man engrossed in polishing shoes. I decided to get my shoes polished as well and as I was paying him I noticed on his left-hand some sort of old marking. That took me back to 2001 when I had, at this very taxi stand, consoled a boy who had an injury on his hand. 

The boy had told me that his step-mother had branded him with a hot iron because he had demanded more food. I had bought a chocolate for him and also two tins of shoe-polish and brushes because I was very supportive of his willingness to work and earn.

This time I paused just as I was about to pay him, looked deep into his eyes and asked him if he was Manoj. He raised his head, looked up at me and froze with moist eyes, refusing to accept my payment.  I, too, couldn't control my tears. I admired and complimented Manoj for his continued efforts to be independent and hardworking. I was very glad to learn that he was attending night school after he finished polishing shoes everyday -- that he was continuing to work hard to achieve his dreams.

Container of Cookies

We have been having a problem with our plumbing in the bathroom. The maintainence guy has been so nice about trying  to take care of this problem, but it has turned out to a bigger task than what he intended to deal with. He has been to our home three times already  in the past week and is due to come back this afternoon to see if the problem is solved.

The last few times he was here I gave him some of my fresh cookies I had baked. He told me he really liked the last ones I gave him especailly with coffee. Since he is coming back today, I baked some more of my fresh cookies and put them in a nice container with a bow along with a card thanking him. I hope this helps make his day a bit brighter....

A Hug for Mary Jo

I volunteer at a senior center and on my very first day I came across an older lady sitting in a chair crying.  I asked her if I could sit and talk with her.

She told me how the phone company has taken money from her and she needs someone to help her retrieve it back. I stood up, took her hand, and off we went to find a phone. I called the phone company and we got the whole thing straightened out. Not only did she get her money back, but she also received a $10.00 credit for the following month.

After I hung up with the phone company, I looked over at her and she was crying again. I asked her what was wrong and she told me that she was grateful to have me as a friend. I asked her if I could give her a hug and she said, "Yes." She then told me that the hug she recieved from me was even better than the help I gave her.

Mellissa Hasler

Seizing the Opportunity to Give

About two months ago, I worked at a college student fair where we had over-estimated the food delivery by at least 500 sandwiches. It was clear that everyone had their fill, and plenty of food stood to go to waste.  A friend and I grabbed a few sandwiches to take to another co-worker and some to stock in our fridges for later, so that they wouldn't go to waste. As we walked up the hill, we met an elderly woman with large black shades and a cane. She asked us about the event happening down the hill.  As I started to tell her about the fair, I couldn't help but notice that I had several extra sandwiches in my hands.  Quickly, I offered her one of the sandwiches, to spare her the lengthy downhill walk.  Suddenly, a large smile appeared on her face, as she told us how happy she ... Read Full Story >>

Holding My Mom's Hand

Technically speaking, my Mom is old -- she is in her 70s now. She once used to be a woman full of life and laughter. All of that changed after my Dad passed away about ten years ago. Although they were not what you would call a "lovey dovey" couple, Mom did take his sudden death quite badly. She became a bit of a recluse and more of a worrier. To  make matters worse, my brother decided to relocate to another city.  Mom decided to stay behind with her sister. Whenever my Mom comes over to stay with me for some time (I live with my husband and his parents), she always demands constant attention from me. She generally gets nostalgic of the good old times we used to spend together discussing books, cooking, or life in general. Sometimes it turned into a cribbing session. "You never spare time for ... Read Full Story >>

To Live with an Open Heart

The changing point in my life came when I was in London. I had to stay the weekend in the city centre for a professional exam. It's an expensive place to stay and I barely had enough money. Walking away from the city centre into a residential area, I was approached by a young Irish woman. She promised she wasn't a beggar, insisted she had a baby in one the nearby flats but she had no food for him. Could I please help? In my cynicism I just assumed she WAS a beggar. In my pocket I had one pound eighty pence in change and a twenty pound note. This was all I had for the rest of the weekend.  I gave her the change and went to walk on past. Then I heard her muttering something and I turned back. "Sorry, for being ungrateful and all, but this isn't going to buy much in ... Read Full Story >>

The Honesty of a Stranger

I accidentally left my wallet in a shopping cart one afternoon after a busy day of grocery shopping. My four-year-old son and I went back to the store just in case somebody had returned it. I was in a panic because everything I needed for me and my son was in that wallet. It contained about $150 and credit cards. I was told to go to the police station to report the loss.

It seemed hopeless and I got so tired that I decided to go back to my home. While pulling into our garage, I noticed a red car parked in the road near my house and a guy was looking at me and called my name. I said yes and he handed me my wallet. I remember that he said he had found it in the cart and then I gave him a hug. They left.  I looked inside and everything was still there in my wallet.

I was so taken aback in the moment that I totally forgot to ask him his name or get his contact details so that I could thank him.  But, I am so thankful that there are good, honest, and kind people around still, depsite what most people think.

A Ray of Sunshine for a Hardworking Mom

I have a friend who has a child with special needs, who requires 24 hour supervision.  Income is very low and she doesn't have her own vehicle for transportation.  Sadly, her only weekly outing is when her Mom takes her to the grocery store. I have wanted to take her out for a ladies lunch to get her out of the house, but it is really difficult to find a babysitter, who is trained to handle a child with special needs.  Finally one day I thought we've just got to have our special ladies lunch one way or another.  I called my friend and told her not to eat lunch on that day.  I arranged for a caterer to deliver a gourmet lunch to her house.  When it arrived, seeing the smile on her face was worth more than winning the lottery.  Even though she didn't get out of the ... Read Full Story >>

Here's to a Smile Delivery Guy

Everyday I am greeted with a smile by my newspaper delivery guy.  Despite any weather conditions, he smiles and greets me with a happy "morning mammy" each and every day.  The day would be bleak if he was not there because I have gotten so used to him!

So, I got to thinking, what can I do to make his day brighter?  Instead of paying the exact price for the paper everyday, I pay him more.  That way he can have some extra money at the end of the day!  I also take him food every other day and, this weekend, I am going to see if I can get him a raincoat/rainjacket, to help him stay dry and warm on wet days.  He needs a lot of things and I will be helping him to achieve small goals, one at a time, as and when I can.

Here's to you newspaper delivery guy!!  You bring joy to many lives, with just your smile!  You probably do not even know this, but you brighten my day with your smile every single day!

Why don't we all do this?  Tell your "newspaper guy" he is special!

A Little Encouragement for Sarah

When I went to get my braces tightened the other day, a lady, who I had never seen before, came into the room.  At first, I was a little dissapointed that it wasn't my usual orthodontist. But, as time went on, I thought that she was so nice and I could tell that she was very nervous.  She was new and it took her a realllllly long time to tighten my braces.  She kept apologizing and I kept telling her, "Its fine, its fine, I get to miss more school!" =D

Later that weekend, when I got home, I dug around to find the address for the orthodontist's office.  I wrote on a card "I think you're doing a great job, Sarah." I didn't sign it and I mailed it without a return address. I hope it made her smile =D

A Smile In A Pocket

I received my first pack of smile cards not long ago.  I had bought some clothes for my granddaughter for her birthday and one pair of capris I got for her was too small.  A short time later, she gave them back to me.  There happens to be an adorable young girl in my church whom I thought would be a good fit for these capris.  So, I put a smile card in the pocket (sticking out a little), folded the capris up, put them into a bag, and wrote her name on the pant's tag so she could see it through the bag.  I brought it into church inside a white bag so no one could see what I was carrying because I wanted it to be anonymous.  During "Meet & Greet" while everyone was walking around greeting each other, I took the plastic bag out of the white ... Read Full Story >>

Being helped, and helpful

As part of her birthday treat I took my wife, Julie, to see Carmen at the Glasgow Concert Hall last night. We had a good night, but that's another story. When the show finished everyone stood and made their way to the exits. The place was busy and the crowd moved slowly. I became aware of a door being held open so we could pass through and an annoyed voice saying, "Why are you holding the door for people?" Through the crowd I saw two women, the one holding the door and the one being annoyed with her. "She's being kind," I said, "doing a good deed." "Oh, I know," said the exasperated woman." That's when I saw that the woman holding the door was also leaning heavily on two crutches. Her friend was trying to help her walk through the crowd, wanting to take care of her, but the woman on crutches ... Read Full Story >>

Angels Disguised as Strangers

We've lost a few folk in our family this past year, but the one I want to talk about was my mother-in-law. Suffering from cancer, she lived with us for her last couple of weeks and because I work from home, I kind of became her caregiver.

Just before she died she became quite agitated (she was under the influence of strong morphine medication) and I couldn't do anything to calm her.

Two district nurses arrived to see how we were doing. I went into the kitchen to make them a cuppa while they talked to my mother -in-law who lay in a hospital bed in our living room. I came back in to see one nurse who, having washed my mother-in-law's face, was now brushing her hair (which as a man I had not thought to do), telling her she was beautiful and just talking to her in a calm, soothing voice.

Amazingly, my mother-in-law, who had been inconsolable, fell alseep and moments later left us. Her last experience on earth was the kindness of a stranger.

For those of us who have to leave the care of our loved ones to others, just tknow - there are angels out there!

Coffee Karma

Today something happened that made me open my eyes wide.  It was at a Coffee Shop drive-thru. My morning was pretty much a disaster.  I was late dropping my daughter off at daycare, only to realize I had forgotten most of the things she needed for the day.  My journey home to grab those items cost me another 10 minutes of my morning.  The gas tank was running low.  Somehow I managed to make it all work, barely. Since I already knew I was going to be late, I decided to make my way to the Coffee Shop drive-thru to brighten my morning a bit.  After waiting in line for 5 or 6 minutes, I was finally near the order box when I noticed a lady struggling to enter the line from the other entrance to the parking lot.  She'd waited there for a while, I figured.  As I was already gonna ... Read Full Story >>

A Present For Grandparents Who Have Everything

My grandparents, Gene and Opal Howard, recently celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary.  Our whole family was struggling with what to get them. They both had asked for only cards and no gifts -- they had everything already and just wanted to be with friends and family. Still everyone wanted to put money or get something for them.  I couldn't give money but wanted to do something special for them to let them know how proud I am of having them as my grandparents. So, I went to my Aunt, who they live with, and asked her to please give me all the old pictures of them that she could find.  Then, with the help of my best friend, I put together a hand-made scrapbook for them, which was filled with lots of fond memories. When I gave them their scrapbook at the open house, I told them I knew they ... Read Full Story >>

The Power Of Pizza And Role Reversal

My boyfriend and I had a late night out in the city of Grand Rapids, MI - something unusual for us forty-something's with a house full of kids. It was a cool, crisp fall night and we were hungry. The city streets were still alive with activity and we were trying to find a new little bistro that was still serving at 1 a.m. We walked and walked but could not find the place. We came upon a truck selling pizzas for $5.00. We picked up a small pizza and eagerly dug in. I still wanted to find the bistro for healthier food and to linger in my love's presence, but it was a good, temporary solution. Several homeless people were sitting up against buildings for warmth and shelter. One older gentleman was soliciting money for food. We walked past and I mentioned how much that bothered me - not ... Read Full Story >>

Help for the journey

This past weekend my mother and I drove from central Idaho to central Oregon and because gas prices are so high we brought along gas cans to fill up whenever we hit lower prices along the way.

At one of the rest areas along the way we encountered a man and his father who were on their way to a family gathering. They had started their journey, they told us, with just enough gas money for the trip. But along the way a car part broke and they had to use all of their gas money to get it fixed.

So, they were in need of gas and we had several cans of gas in the back. My mother gave them enough to reach the next town. (Several other kind people had given him money for gas once he got there :).

Yep, that's my story. He was really happy and talked with my mom quite a bit. My mother is a practicing Christian so he left with a prayer as well.

More Than Just a Coincidence

I just got off the phone with my eldest daughter and wanted to share this remarkable story.  My daughter is a good-deed doer and always has been.  She doesn't have much money and doesn't have a car.  She called me on her way home from work today to tell me that she stopped at the Dollar Store and got me some Halloween decorations for next year at 90% off.  She spent $6.00 on the decorations and some candy, after which she had $16.00 left.  She told me that she set aside $10.00 from what remained for a bus ticket for 10 rides, which would get her to and from work for a week.  My daughter called me again to tell me that while she was making her way to the bus stop, a lady asked if she had change for a dollar for her meter.  My daughter gladly gave it ... Read Full Story >>

Kindness Unfolds in the Now

I wanted to mention how letting other people enter in traffic is such a small kind gesture but it goes a very long way. I love being kind and letting people enter in traffic, but I noticed that I can only do this if I am in the moment. When I am caught up in all of my thoughts then I totally don't even see the people waiting to pull out. I've realized what a difference it makes to be in the 'now' in order to clearly see opportunities to be kind to others.

You've Got Mail... and a Surprise Gift!

I often spend time thinking about my friends and family and wondering what special little thing I could get or do that would let them know they are loved and cared for. It is fun to do these things anonomously but they count just the same or maybe more if they know it was me who was thinking of them. I know this because it just happened to me. Just last week I was showing an apartment on the 2nd floor of our home to three very excited twenty something, young adults. I showed them the place and then left them alone up there to talk amoungst themselves about the possibilities for them regarding the apartment. They are  local family people of which two of them are elementary school teachers and the third is a buyer for a small bookstore/cafe right around the corner from our home. They were teaming up ... Read Full Story >>