Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Art of Holding Babies

"Carol Lee?" On our flight to New Orleans, the "Fasten Your Seat Belts" sign had just come on. Carol Lee was reading her book. She lifted her head, "What do you want to do in life?" I asked. I expected her to say she wanted to travel to Europe. Carol Lee turned to me and said, "I would like to hold babies." "Hold babies?" I was stunned. "You've got grandchildren." "I would like to work in a hospital nursery and just hold the newborns." Newborns? Her desire was one to ponder, which I did with each salty peanut I crunched. I looked out my little round window at New Orleans in the distance. Hold babies? Was she serious? A beignet at Cafe Du Monde, the French Quarter, a walk and a tour of the Garden District - joie de vivre! St. Charles Avenue and the streetcar ride; moonlight dancing aboard a Mississippi riverboat; a final ... Read Full Story >>

In Debt To Strangers

V.P. Menon was a significant political figure in India during its struggles for independence from Britain. Eldest son of twelve children, he quit school at thirteen and worked as a laborer, coal miner, factory hand, merchant, and schoolteacher. He talked his way into a job as a clerk in the Indian administration, and his rise was meteoric-- largely because of his integrity and brilliant skills in working with both Indian and British officials in a productive way. (...) Two characteristics stood out as particularly memorable -- a kind of aloof, impersonal efficiency, and a reputation for personal charity. His daughter explained the background of this latter trait after he died. When Menon arrived in Delhi to seek a job in government, all his possessions, including his money and I.D., were stolen at the railroad station. He would have to return home on foot, defeated. In desperation he turned to ... Read Full Story >>

Small Acts, Big Impact

The other day I was having lunch with my dad.  He had come up to see my husband and I for lunch.

We were in the cafe at work and my friend Ruth walked up. I introduced them and she began telling him what a great daughter he had raised. She spoke so kindly of me, and that too, with example -- she told him how I had given her a ride to work when her car broke down and how my husband got her keys out when she locked them in her car.   I honestly started to get embarrassed.

We have only known each other for a few months, and it was amazing to me how things that were a small thing to do for someone meant so much to her.

That kind of gratitude is a dwindling trait in our society. It meant a lot knowing that someone appreciates kindness so much. She truly brightened my day ,and to be frank, it is probably something I will always remember.

The Curse of Blessings

There was an Officer of the Law, a recent graduate, proud as you can imagine, in his uniform of blue with brass buttons and gold epaulets.  He wore a hat with a plume and a sword with a gold and ivory handle.  He was as pompous as could be.  He was arrogant and bold and callous.  Every letter of the alphabet served only to demonstrate his authority and exalt his being. One day he was walking his beat and heard a commotion in an alley.  He ventured into the darkness, and there in the distance saw a man in rags.  "Come forward," he commanded.  "Come forward now!"  But the man in rags did not come forward.  "I am an Officer of the Law, and I command you, come forward!" The man in rags did not move.  He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and spoke, "I don't know ... Read Full Story >>

Pumping Gas For An Old Lady

Not a really stupendous story, but I was really jazzed after this small act.

I'd stopped to fill up the gas tank on my pickup and noticed an older lady (in her 80s) in the next lane. She was walking with one of the canes with outriggers and seemed to be having a problem getting around.

I watched for a bit, not wanting to insult her if she was making it. I finally asked her if I could help. Got a look like, "I don't know you." Then I asked if I could carry something in to the attendant for her. She considered this for a moment and handed me $30.00 to take in.

I did, and then pumped the gas for her.

It turns out that this woman, with the prettiest brown eyes, had hurt her knee, and was trying to get to her doctor.   I'm glad I was able to lend a hand.

A Prayer For Ella

Ella is my best friend and adopted sister. She was, at one time, a vibrant and active person. She taught school for a time, worked in local politics to change environmental policies in her area, and volunteering in many other places. I remember a time when Ella pulled out her wallet and wrote a check for a woman who had no rent money and was in danger of getting kicked out of her home. She never even stopped to think about it. Nor did she know the woman. When I was going through my most painful times, Ella was right there beside me. She was always on my side and on the side of "right". A while back, Ella had an accident that resulted in major brain injury. She lost her career, and most of her abilities to care for even herself. Between her sister, husband, some terrific public nurses and homemakers, ... Read Full Story >>

Placemats, Free Of Charge

Yesterday my sister had curtains installed in her new home. They were supposed to be delivered the day after our mom passed away. When they called to install, she said she was too sad to have anyone over because her mom had died the day before, so they rescheduled for Nov. 6th. 

To my sister's amazement, not only did one person arrive to install, but three people came! They had flowers and even made FREE of charge placemats and napkins to match the dinning room curtains she ordered!!!!  They said they were so sorry about her mom's death and they hoped these little things would cheer her up a bit!

My sister cried tears of happiness to think that people she didn't really know got together to do this kind act for her.

All In A Weekend's Work

With Friday afternoon a thing of the past ... I had the weekend to look forward too! Here are some simple, quick and satisfying Acts of Kindness I did this weekend: Sacked up our unused cat food cans for the Humane Society (keep trying different kinds to get my sick cat to eat) Bought 3 chenille blanket throws for our Blanket Drive at work (we're up to 42 after 2 wks & too much to do to make more by hand so for now purchased a few on sale) Purchased and donated a child's book for a XMas Book Drive at Barnes & Noble Let cars in while out shopping  (boy are some men in a big hurry!) and let 2 elderly ladies into the stores. I also spoke to some elderly people and explained about papaya and how to pick ... Read Full Story >>

Smile Cards Take Australia By A Storm

On Sunday 30th of September 2007 over 70 beautiful people in my life (family and friends) staged a Random Act of Kindness Project in our local community. We distributed over 600 SMILE cards on the day and the project is now set to be an annual event!   The day was perfect and we had plenty of volunteers. Over 30 businesses and individuals sponsored and donated and supported in one way or another. The day started off with a brief welcome from me, followed by a poem written by my 9 year old son about Random Acts of Kindness. He read this out aloud for all volunteers to hear which surely got everyone into the spirit of things! My gorgeous fiancé Steven took the reigns and lead the day.   We surprised our community with a free car and window wash, coffee, balloons, sweets, biscuits, gift vouchers, BBQ and lawn mowing. We also fed the homeless, visited local rest homes ... Read Full Story >>

How A Bookstore Can Change Your Life

[by Jeremy Mercer, Ode, Nov 2007] One of the more romantic literary notions is that a book can change a person’s life. Pulitzer Prize-winner Richard Ford, for instance, claims Walker Percy’s novel The Moviegoer made Ford the author he is today. Or a book can have more immediate consequences for people, such as my grade-school friend who read My Side of the Mountain and promptly ran away from home with nothing but a penknife and a ball of twine. If a book can change your life, a bookstore can utterly transform it. In my case, I found one, or perhaps it found me, at a critical juncture when I was turning my back on everything I had known. It was a damp January day in 2000 when I discovered the Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris. I had left my home in Canada a month earlier, having burned out in ... Read Full Story >>

Found-Money In My Coat Pocket

Yesterday while I was out shopping, I was approached in the parking lot by a young man. He kindly asked for money for gas to put in his car. I wasn't sure whether he spoke the truth, but I reached in my pocket where I knew I had 3 bucks and handed it over to him. He smiled and said, "God Bless You, kind lady."  My husband looked at me and said, "Why did you do that? You don't even know what he's going to do with that money." I  told him this:  "Today was the first cold day in NY and I had to wear my winter coat.  When I put it on and put my hands in the pockets, I felt something ... it was the money/change from a purchase last March.  I was over-joyed that I just "found money".  I thought to myself as I headed to the store, I'm ... Read Full Story >>

Honeymoon at Applebee's

One night, while at dinner with a friend, we found ourselves  uncomfortably close with another table.  We were so close I could smell their food. 

Upon commenting about how great their food smelled, the young gentleman offered us a bite and we began to chat.  The young couple had just been married that afternoon and were on the way to their honeymoon. 

During dinner, they shared with us their love story and I felt as if we were having dinner with close friends. I was so impressed at their friendliness and share of food that I thought it would be a nice gesture to leave them money toward their dinner. 

The bride's dinner ended up being on the house, and my small gift covered the rest.  I didn't have a smile card to leave but it felt good to see two young people so happy.

Providing Clean Water in Kenya

Last year, my mother passed away and in her name my brother, father, and I decided to collect funds from different people in order to build a borehole and pump in Machakos, a small town in Kenya.  This September, we collected enough funds and the three of us went out to Machakos to start our project.  When we arrived, we received such an amazing response and a welcome from the locals.  They were truly happy to receive this kind of gift. Seeing the quality of water the locals had to drink brought tears to our eyes.  They hardly had any water around the area, especially due to droughts, and the water that they did have was infected by disease. The water which came through the borehole was so clean and truly much sweeter than the water which we get in our taps at home. It was a truly wonderful sight to see ... Read Full Story >>

Living on the 4th Floor

My Dad's company provided rental accommodations for its employees, usually in multi-level buildings.  We were on level 4. For two years, my Dad had been pursuing his application for a ground level house to make the climb easier for my mom who had suffered complications after her second delivery. She was advised bed rest and climbing the stairs everyday was difficult for her. As luck had it, just at that time, my Dad's ground level application was granted and Mum and Dad were thrilled to move in to the ground level accommodation in a separate building that was closer to my Dad's office.  Without wasting time, they did the big move the following Saturday and mum was very relieved & excited. The following Monday, when my Dad returned from work and was about to enter the house, he saw an old lady and her old husband struggling to bring a wheelchair down the stairs. He was shocked ... Read Full Story >>

Experiencing Holy Ground

As a young person it was difficult to imagine death; dying.  Although suicide was a large part of my thought process,  in my heart I did not want to die.  Most of my life consisted of pain.  Not physical pain but  mental pain.  Eventually I settled down.  It was at this point that my life would be shaped by the people who faced death. My father was diagnosed with lung cancer.  He had been a chronic alcoholic most of his life and when he was told he had six months to live, he asked the doctor for at least a year.  One day, my father was taken to the hospital.  The pain had reached the "crisis" point.  Two of my sisters and a local pastor sat with him while I tried to patch the walls of his room, which was in ruins.  I sewed curtains and cleaned.  About 10:00 p.m. the ... Read Full Story >>

A Death In The Sky

My husband was on a flight and as they were nearing their destination,  the Captain's voice came through the speaker bearing bad news -- "There has been a death on the plane." Shock and disbelief were the first reactions of the passengers. When everyone looked back,  they saw the dead man's son grieving silently.  He looked so alone with his Dad's body lying at the end of the plane. My husband, having lost both parents over the past year, overcame his initial shock and geared into action. He asked the flight attendant  for an empty container and he went to each passenger and asked for any expression of love.   Most people gave money.  Another gentleman got up with another empty container and helped him to go around since the first container was getting full.  The outpouring of help was touching.  Whatever was collected, my husband and the other gentleman went straight to deceased father and ... Read Full Story >>

"Blessings" In A Brown Envelope

I was working in Bangladesh a month or two ago and I ended up staying for much longer than anticipated. By the time I left, everyone at the hotel knew who I was because I had handed out at least 50 business cards. I told many of the staff about my plans of providing electricity and clean purified water to rural villages who were located too far from accessing these basic necessities.  The morning before I left there was a small brown envelope that had been slid under my door. I opened it and inside I found one of my business cards. On the back was written "blessings" and there were 4 one dollar bills and a few hundred "Taka" which added up to around a total of $12. I can imagine that it was a poor hotel staffer that was happy about my willingness to help the less fortunate in ... Read Full Story >>

Putting Scraps of Wool to Good Use

I stopped smoking a few years ago and as a result, I found myself unable to sit still for any amount of time. I took up needlework as a hobby to work on as I watched a movie or TV show with my other half. Recently, my pastor's wife told me of a missionary friend of hers who happens to be home on furlow. This woman spoke of how in the country she was posted, there was a real shortage of blankets. She asked some of the ladies from her church to knit or crochet blankets out of scraps of wool that she could take back with her. It seems that although she is posted in a warm country, the sea brings in quite a breeze at night and the weather becomes quite chilly. My pastor's wife mentioned that she had been given a large box of wool and was working on ... Read Full Story >>

Grandfather's Wooden Bowl

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. "We must do something about father," said the son. "I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor." So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. When ... Read Full Story >>

A Free Christmas Tree

I lost my son in a car accident in June of 2001. 

My son was only 21 at the time and had been so full of life and hope.  Christmas was especially hard for me that year and I had not gotten around to buying a tree. 

Finally, on Christmas Eve, my other son urged me to try to find a tree.  I drove around town but all the Christmas tree lots were dark and empty. On a whim, I went to the place where my late son had worked as a teenager selling Christmas trees. It too was closed but a young woman getting into her car asked if I was looking for a tree.

We started to talk and when I told her about my plight she said the store had left the last few trees out back for anyone who needed one, for free!  She may never know it but she made my Christmas so much brighter that year.  I still get emotional when I think of it.

The kindness of a stranger (and I like to think maybe a sign of my son from heaven) gave me back the joy and spirit of Christmas!

Thank you, whoever you are!