Stories of Kindness from Around the World

A Smile And A Helping Hand

I got out of my car and was headed towards the store. Coming from the store was this elderly woman with plastic shopping bags dangling from her hands and starting to get tight.  I smiled as I approached her and she smiled back at me. I could see she was struggling with the packages getting heavy as she walked towards  her car. (Some stores don't allow shopping carts to leave the store and that's when this problem occurs)

I quickly SMILED really big and asked her if I could help her get her packages to her car. She hestitated at first .Then she trusted me for some reason and said "OK, If you don't mind taking a minute to help me out."

I was more than happy to be able to give her a hand. It took only a minute and we were both on our way, but I know she was surprised that I offered to help her. This was a small act of kindness but it felt good.

A World Of Smiles

About ten years ago when I was an undergraduate in college, I was working as an intern at my University's Museum of Natural History. One day while working at the cash register in the gift shop, I saw an elderly couple come in with a little girl in a wheelchair. As I looked closer at this girl, I saw that she was kind of perched on her chair. I then realized she had no arms or legs, just a head, neck and torso. She was wearing a little white dress with red polka dots. As the couple wheeled her up to me I was looking down at the register. I turned my head toward the girl and gave her a wink. As I took the money from her grandparents, I looked back at the girl, who was giving me the cutest, largest smile I have ever seen. All of a sudden ... Read Full Story >>

I Could Have Helped Him

I went to a bank to make a demand draft. Saw this poor old man who was waiting with wonded legs and torn clothes. This is not a common site at a bank. I was wondering why he had to come to a bank. He had the account book with him. I did see him walk to the counter, spoke to the lady at the counter and got back to his seat. He repeated this process for about 4 times in one hour. He was tired and requested me to help him. That was when I got to know why he was there -- he was waiting for his pension to get credited in his account. I spoke to the lady at the counter, but she said that she could do nothing about it. I knew that he was very badly in need of money. The amount would be very ... Read Full Story >>

Returning A Shirt

Yesterday, I was at a track meet with my team.  After it was over, I was packing up and ready to leave when I spotted a black shirt on the ground by the fence. I pick it up and saw that it said "Stuyvesant High School Track - EVA". My friend told me to just leave it there, that she'll come back for it. I told her that I have friends who go to that high school and are also on the track team. I'll just give it to them. So i brought it home, folded it neatly and placed it in a bag so I can give it to my friend to give it to the girl Eva when I see her. I even attached a SMILE card to the shirt. =] A lot of times, track teams don't talk to each other because they think that if they ... Read Full Story >>

For A Little Superhero

I was talking with a woman in my office who has a son near the same age as my little 5 year old boy. I was telling her how much my son loved his Superman pajamas with a detachable cape. She laughed and told me how much her little boy would love something like that. She looked for weeks and then asked me again where I got it. She was not able to find any more there.

She loves her son so much that I decided I would find another one somewhere! Sure enough, in the age of the internet, I was able to find one on-line and have it shipped to me. The other morning I put in on her chair so she would find it when she came in to the office. She was so excited and touched that I found one for her son. I was so happy to make her and her little boy smile.

I get updates all the time on her little superhero. I'm just glad I was able to find the outfit and make them both smile!

A False Alarm At The Bus Stop

I was driving home in the early hours of the morning after spending an evening quite a distance from home.  Being a lone female, I felt very consious in the car and had locked all the doors. After driving for about an hour, I passed a public house with a bus stop right in front of it and lying on the floor, in a crumpled heap, was a man.  I smiled to myself and thought he must be drunk. I had another 40 mins of so before I would be home, but I kept thinking of this man lying there, trying to convince myself that he would be ok.  But I kept thinking that if he's injured, I would never be able to forgive myself.  So I turned the car around and got back to the public house -- he was still there -- call the emergency services from the phone box ... Read Full Story >>

A Wallet of an Old Man

There I was, a sole-parent, walking down the street. The week had been hard and today was full with bill paying and running errangs. As I walked the street, with my head down deep in thought, I noticed something unusual in the gutter. Moving towards the object, I realised it was a wallet. I picked it up and immediately looked up and around for the first time that day. The street was bare with only one shop -- Guidedogs for the Blind.  Standing there, my first thought was that perhaps someone would return to claim the wallet.  But after a while, I realized I needed to be proactive.  I opened the wallet to find a name or some identification.  While looking through it, I noticed something like $400, all neatly stacked in fifty dollar notes!   I eventually found a name but no phone number or address.   My only clue was ... Read Full Story >>

Joys of Picking Tamarind

There is a big tree in my house where several kilograms of tamarind are available during the right season. Since tamarind is staple food for the South Indian diet, many poor people collect fallen tamarind fruit and dry it to preserve it for the next year. That way they don't need to buy it from the shops.  Unlike other houses that have tamarind trees, my parents never shoo away the tamarind pickers from our house.   In fact, several urchin children come to my house too and they happily collect the tasty fallen tamarind and nibble them like candy.  It's almost become a kind of tradition.  I even remember my grandfather actually opening the gate for the street children to pick tamarind! The other day, my mother called an old lady who had come near our gate to discreetly pick tamarind.  My father looked aghast, thinking that she was calling the old lady to tell her ... Read Full Story >>

Small Gesture On The Train

After spending a lovely day in London with a friend, I was on the 40 min train journey home retracing the day I had just had. 

It was rush hour and the train was crowded but across the isle, I saw a lady looking quite flustered and upset.  I felt very concious as I kept looking over at her and she kept catching me looking. 

In the end, I couldn't help myself and ask, "Are you okay?"  Tears fell down her face and she simply replied "Oh thank you for asking! I am alright. Honestly. I've just had a very bad day, but it is so nice that you took the time to ask and have made me feel a little better knowing there are kind people out there in this world."

It wasnt much of a gesture but I felt I had done a little to ease her pain with my little gesture.

Power of Forgiveness

About 3 weeks ago, the husband of the woman my husband has been having an affair with for the past 2 years came to my home to let me know about the affair.  This affairs was not the reason I thought we were divorcing, because it was not known to me until 3 weeks ago.  The most hurtful thing to know was that my husband brought this man's wife to our home to fool around in our bed!  This she confessed to her husband so that he would forgive her. My husband and I are separated and in the process of a contentious and painful divorce (at least it is painful for me) and the jagged knife of betrayal continues to rip at my heart, this man was a messenger of God.  He did God's work by freeing me from any hope my husband would come back.  This man is playing a role ... Read Full Story >>

Go Raibh Maith Agat (thank You In Irish Gaelic)

I recently spent a few days in Dublin. The highlight of this trip was a visit to Marsh's library. I was feeling a bit down and lonely on this day, but the volunteer working at the library soon put a stop to that.

With just a smile and a few kind words, this library volunteer lifted my spirits and gave me the gift of laughter. He even taught me how to say that most important of words "thank you" in gaelic. He then insisted I take a postcard with me, refusing to take the price of 50 euros for it, and told me to make sure I visit him again when next I'm in Dublin.

We must have spoken for no more than 5 to 10 minutes, but that man turned my week around, putting a spring in my step and a smile on my face. He also made me realise that I don't have to do anything "massive" to make my mark on the world, just showing kindness, humour and smiling at strangers is all it takes to make the world a better place.

Three cheers for kindness! 

Make It A Shay Day!

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended.  After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:  'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection.  Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do.  He cannot understand things as other children do.  Where is the natural order of things in my son?' The audience was stilled by the query. The father continued.  'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child' Then he told the following story: Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball.  ... Read Full Story >>

Wooden Necklace From A Dollar Store

One day I went to work wearing this wooden necklace and earring set. One of my colleagues commented on the set and asked me if I would get  the same exact set for her.  "Absolutely," I said.

When I went to the store, I thought of another teacher who might like the set too and another who might like a wooden braclet that I saw.  I took the items to work and gave each of them the item, when I saw them individually.

When I presented the item to each of them, they each wanted to know the cost, and I said it was no cost. It was so amazing to see the smile come to each of their faces when I gave them the item. I smiled too, as it made me feel good to see them smile and to have done something good.

I also learned a valuable lesson that value is not always measured  in how expensive or how much or how little you pay for something -- these wooden items were purchased in a super dollar store.

He Played His Best

This is the story of Robby. He was a young boy who lived with his elderly mother. His mother wanted him to learn how to play the piano because she longed to hear her son play for her. She sent her son to a piano teacher who took Robby in under her guidance. However, there was one small problem because Robby was not musically inclined and therefore was very slow in learning. The teacher did not have much faith in the boy because of his weakness. The mother was very enthusiastic and every week she would send Robby to the teacher. One day Robby stopped attending the piano lessons. The teacher thought that he had given up and in fact she was quite pleased since she did not give much hope to Robby. Not long after, the piano teacher was given the task to organize a piano concert in town. ... Read Full Story >>

If

This is not a story but a very inspirational poem which has helped me through my tough times.. If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you But make allowance for their doubting too, If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or being hated, don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise: If you can dream--and not make dreams your master, If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools: If you can make one ... Read Full Story >>

Smile Cards Transform Nigerian Kids!

Finally, It was a good wait. After expecting my smile card for a long time and finally got it, the joy I felt overwhelmed me and I guess that openned me to exactly what to use it for. Where I worship I am a lead teacher in the kids kingdom (the way we call them) and those kids are very special to me. It's a quarterly afair and I was in my last quarter. So I thought to myself after taken this little saints for a whole quarter; teaching, correcting, helping, admonishing and putting them through in life as they grow up to mix with the rest of the world, I thought it wise that since am leaving, let me do something simple but special for them. And so I designed a certificate of honour to each kid according to their areas of strenghts, bought them pencils, chocolates and the smile cards. ... Read Full Story >>

Anonymous Kindness: When Even We Don't Know We Are Being Kind

I read a Sufi Parable recently in a book by Robert Fulghum. It went like this:

A good man was once granted one wish by God. The man said he would like to go about doing good without knowing about it. God granted his wish. And then God decided that it was such a good idea,he would grant that wish to all human beings. And so it has been to this day.

Yesterday my class of 4 years of undergraduate study had a big farewell. Among other things, they gave me a special thanks for being a class representative who has always helped others, without hurting anyone or giving preferences to any one clique/gang of students.

I never knew that anyone even felt that way about me earlier. I came away thinking that although we need to keep at our conscious acts of kindness, very often we also do good without knowing it. 

Be A Bone Marrow Donor!

We recently had a bone marrow drive in our community. I have been an organ donor on my driver's license for years but had not given being a bone marrow donor much thought.

When I told some friends, they were apprehensive about getting their fingers poked with something sharp for the blood draw. I thought a little pain would be worth it if it saved someone's life.

To my surprise you do not get poked in the finger rather you take 4 cotton swabs and you swab the inside of your cheek top and bottom left and right side. This is to avoid any cross contamination by having another swab your mouth. It's fast and painless and you can update your information such as a new address or phone number online at any time.

I would encourage all who have not registered to look into doing so!

Smile Cards Are Helping Me Be Compassionate

I would like to Thank each and every person behind the formation of a great site. I read a couple of stories and am deeply touched and motivated to be compassionate towards kindness activities.

This is the only site where only positivity is flowing and one can really do good things in true sense.

I get stressed out in my daily life bcos of my hectic work schedule. But reading the soulful stories i feel calm and poised and somehow more confident about inner instincts to do things for the betterment of everyone around me.

I'm thankful to this sweet person who tagged me with a smile card at a cafe where I went to.

Keep posting buddies.

A Nurse, a Mother, a Friend...

When I was 16 I entered a program to become a LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) it was there I met a wonderful woman.  Her name is Mary Anne.  She is an RN with a Masters degree. I think of her mostly in May.  May because...it is the month of Mothers Day and National Nurses Day.  She is the ultimate of both of these.  Mary Anne is the most understanding of mothers.  She guided her two sons in a loving way and she still found it within herself to guide young people like me. Like a mother bird she extended her wings to enfold me too.   Her loving ways taught me to love deeply.  Many times I lived to emulate her.  She was very close to an angel for/to me.  it was thru her I learned  compassion.  Due to her generosity of spirit I am generous.  I thank her for mothering me.  I thank her ... Read Full Story >>