Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Who is the doer of the Act?

I volunteer every week at a Senior Center in Palo Alto. And every single time I have been there, I have been deeply touched with their gentleness, kindness & love. I never know who is the doer of the act of kindness - Me or Them!! They have left me speechless. What little they have, they offer without any hesitation!!

The other day, I met a nearly 80 year old lady who lives in the independent living side. When I asked how she spends her time, she tells me, "I volunteer". She goes & spends her time with seniors who are in healthcare. She had such vigor & joy!! I was so moved!!

Tagging an 80 Year Old Man

I finally got my smile tag cards. I decided to add something to the cards- and I have always thought that a giving act is to share something you would want to keep for yourself. In my case, I'm a huge chocolate fan, and my husband brought back from a trip to Europe two fancy, Belgium chocolate bars. I decided to give away the chocolate bars to strangers as a random act of kindness. I was on a walk with my baby and puppies, when I saw an 80 year old man struggling to repair something on the ground.  I thought -- this is who I'm going to smile tag.  When he got a call that pulled him away from the repair job, I gleefully ran with the smile tag card and Belgium chocolate bar- and left it by the repair site where he had to lie on the ground. I know- what in ... Read Full Story >>

An Inspiring Comment

My daughter has been using the cards also. I have paid for meals for people in drive-thru lines behind me. She is a waitress and gives them to customers when meals are donated to them by other customers. She tells great stories about the truck stop ministry.

Two Red Balloons

While coming back from an outstation trip we stopped over for a snack. The child in me made me buy 2 big red balloons when suddenly there were 2 children who were pulling at me for some money. I gave them some money but also gave them a few candies which I had in my pocket. Something came over me and I went behind them and gave them a balloon each. The kind of smile that I got from them made my heart smile.

At times small little things can make big smiles happen.

Cleaning from Inside Out

My car was getting some work done at the shop and my father-in-law offered to go pick it up since it was walking distance for him. I had been meaning to wash it for a while and decided that I would as soon as he brought it home.  I started getting the washing supplies ready as soon as he brought it. He asked if I wanted to bring it to the driveway first since the car was parked on the curb of the street. I said, "No. I want to get everything ready first." He gave me a suspicious look and walked inside. Once I was ready, I hurriedly picked up my keys and went outside to bring the car.

As soon as I walked up to it, I noticed the sparkling clean windshield which was filthy and dusty just hours ago. I went closer and realized that he had it professionally cleaned inside and outside. I ran back inside the house with a big smile and noticed there was a smile card under my keys that I hadn't noticed in a hurry. I got tagged! :-)  It was such a thoughtful thing for him to do in an otherwise hectic week.

I still can't believe that I got tagged by my father-in-law. Kindness is contagious.

Eleven Envelopes with 101 Dollars

What people appreciate the most is the people. That’s what we learn at the annual "Walk for Hope" each year. Sure the quotes are great. This year they were even hand made and literally took over three months to create. The activity stations are great too, they give the walkers a chance to pause, interact and reflect. But year after year, people always say that the best part of the walk is interacting with all the people that are there. What a concept, just your mere presence becomes a gift at the walk for hope. Just by choosing to walk, you are giving a gift to another walker. The people that come to the Walk are pretty unique I would agree. They participate in both the moments of silence and the warm-up exercises by the Laker Girls. They wish to make the ... Read Full Story >>

Ripples of Compassion

As I walked down the street, I took in my surroundings and was keeping an eye out for opportunities to serve. I spotted a man sitting off to the side of the road. He had soiled himself repeatedly and looked like he hadn’t bathed in days. This was someone I wanted to reach out to. It is Dussera (a holiday in India), so fafada and jalebi (sweets) vendors are everywhere. I decided that like everyone, this man too would eat these food items today. I went to a nearby vendor and ordered 20 rupees worth of fafadas and jalebi. I told the man behind the counter who it was for and asked him to put a little extra love into the food and packing. I then took the bundle and made my way towards the man. He was surrounded by a 1 ft perimeter ... Read Full Story >>

Found: 20 Bucks and a Smiles

I was shopping and next to me in the meat aisle, was a woman in a too-thin winter coat. Her little boy sat in the cart seat, quietly. I noticed his thin legs, older clothes that were too small for him and his shy smile. That cart was painfully empty. A small bottle of milk and a loaf of the cheapest bread was all that I could see. As I mulled over my selection, I watched the woman out of the corner of my eye. She picked up -- and put down -- the same wrapped pot roast three times. Finally, she turned away, without any meat for her cart. Without thinking, I put my hand in my pocket to see if I had any change. To my astonishment, I pulled out a $20 bill I didn't know I had. ... Read Full Story >>

One Blessed Can of Coke

My SMILE cards came in the mail last night. YAY! And I have been so excited to use them!

I read a story about taping a card with the right change on a vending machine and I thought i'd try it out...

I sat at my desk and tried to secretly get my card and money ready, but people kept coming in and I wanted to keep it anonymous so I had to keep hiding my card and money. I felt like i was a spy on a secret mission!!!

I finally got it done and went to the kitchen, which had around 10 people in it. So I had to stay and drink about 4 cups of water until no one was there!!! So funny!!! (at least I am hydrated!).

I stuck the card on with the money and ran out as quickly as I could... my heart beating so so so fast!!! I never thought being secretly kind could produce this kind of adrenaline!!!

I will go and check on it soon... I hope someone has been blessed and feels as good as I do now!!!

Smile Adventures

Ok, I'm getting started!
1. I crocheted a bag and added 44 (an angel number) smilestones to it for a friend's bday, so that she can commit acts of kindness herself; she will LOVE it. :)

2. I put together envelopes decorated with a simple smiley, containing the poem and a smilestone, and a pal and I crept around the grocery store parking lot placing them on windshields, after which we'd scurry back to the car and watch them be retrieved by the car owners. TOO much geeky fun, I tell you.

3.  Last night I handmade a bunch of colorful smile cards.  The same pal and I laminated them, and took them with us on our mission.  On the way back from the grocery store we hit Mickey D's for sundaes.  We asked to pay for the car behind us (the drive through worker was quite confused, but amenable) and gave him a card to give to the car behind us as well.  Through the windshield we saw the occupants smiling, reading the card the window guy handed them, and really getting a kick out of the experience.  We managed to get our ice cream and take off before they could see us up close.  Woohoo!

300 Rupees and a Blind Man

At Manav Sadhna, a non-profit organization in India, it’s a common site to see people come in asking to see Jayeshbhai (one of the Founders). One day, I was milling around when I saw an elderly man come in using a walking stick. It was obvious that the man was blind and as I went to him to offer my assistance, I found out that he was blind in both eyes. The man’s sons did not take care of the man, so he lived with his brother’s sons. Everything was fine at home, but the man did not want to be a financial burden on others. He wanted to support himself through his own sweat and effort. He could do the rope work for wooden bed frames and knew such a business in Palitana would do well. In order to start this business however, ... Read Full Story >>

Giant Smiley Face!

I work on a college newspaper, and we share the lab with the magazine staff. It always gets really hard around deadline day. Everyone is grumpy and frantically trying to get stuff done. They forget sometimes to smile. So, I found this giant smiley face at a garage sell...it is bigger than me! I bought it and took it into the computer lab where we all work and I thumbtacked it to the wall! It was hilarious! It did the trick though! Everyone smiled and when deadline days come around, if someone is in a bad mood, or is getting to wrapped up in work, we just smile at them and point to the wall! And it usually works! Plus, the added bonus is that anyone who comes in to see us is instantly caught off guard by the giant yellow smiley face but the first thing they do is smile! So basically, I installed a smile machine! And all it cost was a dollar at a garage sale!

Exact Change Needed

I was a regular commuter in the virginia bus as well as metro trains during my job in virginia a year back. I will carry the exact change needed for the day in the purse. One morning as I was traveling in the bus, one commuter got in the bus. Somebody new to the town and this kind of a traveling...he didn't have any change on him.

After he got in the bus, he was feeling embarrassed as he didnt have any change to be put in the change machine next to the driver. I was very sure I didnt have any extras. I still thought to give it a shot. And to my surprise I found the EXACT CHANGE in my purse which this person needed. I immediately took it out and gave it to him. He was so happy and thanked me. He said that he will return it the next time he is in the bus.

I never saw him again in the bus but just a few coins made a difference.

Fees for an Exam

My office is on the 11th floor in the central part of Bangalore city. One afternoon, I was by working by myself and a person walked into the office. He was physically handicapped and was walking with the help of a armrest. He asked for my boss because he had come earlier too to meet him. Unfortunately my boss wasn't in the office. When I asked him why he had come, he handed over a paper which was a letterhead of a school and the signature of the principal of the school at the bottom. The name said that the photo on the letter was that of his son. The man met with an accident few months back and was unable to do any work at this point and his son needed to pay the fees for the exams. There was three denominations written on the paper. The exam fee was Rupees 100 (a little over 2 U.S. Dollars). It seemed a very small amount for me but for that person it must be big. I removed a 100 rupee note from my purse and handed it to him. The man gave a surprised look and walked off.

I don't know if this person was genuine or not. But surely the happiness and the sadness on his face seemed one.

Toll Booth Kindness Bandit

This seems to be my calling.  I have thought of other ideas for passing the smile cards out, but paying for the car behind me at the toll and forwarding the smile card has been really fun.  Hope to post something different next week.  If not, just call me the toll booth kindness bandit :).  Peace and Love!

Three Lunches

I'm finding inspiring stories on the web site. I just had my hair done and left a large tip and told the girl that did my hair to buy lunch for the three employees there.

She smiled so big and said "Thanks, no one has ever done that for us before." I wish I had a smile card with me to give her. I also help lead a girl scout brownie troop and wnat to share this concept with them.

Touched by Devotion

It was time to head to the Gandhi Ashram for the day long events that marked and celebrated the life of one of the greatest influences on my life – Mahatama Gandhi. I decided to walk to the Ashram on this day. After 10 minutes or so, I’m not sure why but I decided to take a bicycle-rickshaw and a rickshaw pulled up. On the way to the Ashram, the driver stopped at a flower shop to get a garland of flowers. Instead of getting a small one, he ordered one of the largest ones they had – it was 1m long. I knew this was too expensive for his meager income. He then proceeded to gently place the garland on the rickshaw, with utmost love and devotion. In the middle of the garland, he placed another flower. I was a little confused by the ... Read Full Story >>

The Kind Train

I taped a one dollar bill to the back of a smile card and placed the card near the selection buttons of the company vending machine.  After an hour I revisited to see if someone had or was partaking my gift.  Nope, it was still there.  After lunch several hours later both the card and the buck were removed.  I just hope the individual will "pay it forward."  I explained to my team mates what I was doing and they are ready, willing and able to join in on the "kind train."  I'll distribute some of my Smile Cards to them.

Parle-G Biscuits and Grains

We live in a small flat in Ranip (in India). While all the families in the society live in flats, many families’ economic prosperity is not much better than many living in slum. One such family lives behind us. A couple lives with their son and the husband’s brother and mother in a small inherited two room flat, that is 8 feet by 15 feet in size. The entire household subsists on the daily wages of the daily wages the male earns from doing labor work (20 – 50 rupees/day). During Diwali, like all the other families, the wife was cleaning the home. Since they did not own a table, she stood on a tin box to clean the fan. Losing her balance, the tin slipped from underneath her and she fell on the back of head and had a brain hemorrhage. ... Read Full Story >>

Hikers Guide to Southern California

We have an intern who works a few cubicle away from me. He is from Canada and has been planning to go to LA for a couple of days. He has been meaning to look up hiking trails there, as he loves to hike.

When I found 'a hiker's guide to southern california' in the bookstore I frequent - with wonderful maps and details - I decided to get one and put it in his cube with a smile card.

Now he has decided on a couple of hikes from the book, and the book is a common resource for all interns who work at my company. :) a mini-smile library in the making.