Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Compassion

My children, Claire and Jordan, were 8 and 9 years old. It was a really hard year for us, and our five kids were told not to expect presents at Christmas time. These two (the youngest of 5) went into the woods and cut small logs and branches and made 'twig reindeer,' which they sold in the town. Together, they earned $300. But the wonderful thing was, even though they weren't expecting any Christmas themselves, they donated every penny to Compassion International to help orphans have a happy holiday, because Jordan and Claire had a loving family... and that was enough!

Making Another Kid's Day

I was at Chuck E. Cheese's with my mom and my younger brother during the Thanksgiving holiday and I was getting a lot of tickets playing the games there. While I was playing this one game, there was a kid who won 10 tickets but he didn't get them because the game was broken. He looked really sad so I gave him twenty of my tickets to make up for the tickets he lost and then some. I think that kindness really made his day.

Helpless

As i was shopping a lady fainted so i went to her and helped her and took her to the hospital. I stayed overnight with her as she wanted me to, she ended up passing away in the middle of night. I did everything I could even though i didn't know her. I still miss her to this day she was in her 70s.

Just Another Day At Work

I am going to inlist all of my employees to start a revolution of kindness. I am going to pass out the smile cards during our next all office meeting.

I had someone perform an act of kindness that I would consider a miracle. I was the only sibling unable to attend my brothers wedding out of town because financially It would not be feasible because I am rasing six children on my own.

Anyway, one of the physicians I worked for shared my "poor me" story with a family member and a week later just days before the wedding a stranger showed up with a card and $500.00 that said pack your bags and be with your family.

Now I realize this was an amazingly generous act but it will never be forgotten and I will tell it forever and encourage as many people as I can to do something nice for a stranger!

Keep up the smiles!!

Christmas With My Son

I have a five year old son and two 18 month old twins and especially at Christmas time I wanted them to truely understand what the act of giving was all about. So I made a list of people that were less likely to recieve gifts or love and let my five year old chose who we would give gifts to.

He chose homeless people. We purchased some large inexpensive gift bags and filled them with canned goods, used warm socks, new toothbrushes, bars of soap, candy bars, and many other surprises, but to my surprise my son came in with his piggy bank and said they could have his money. We filled several plastic bags with coins and I slipped in a few dollar bills, and we put all the bags in the trunk of the car.

It was several days before we saw a homeless person pushing a cart down the main blvd. and fortunately my son was with me and we pulled over and gave the bag to a man who started to cry when we wished him Merry Christmas. I have never forgotten the look of gratitude on his face and neither has my son.

We have now done this for three years on my sons request.

Free Lunch

While waiting for a doctor's appointment, I decided to go into the coffee shop for a soda. The only other customer was an elderly woman eating a small lunch at a nearby table. When I paid for my drink I told the cashier that I would like to pay for the lady's lunch.

By coincidence, when I was waiting for the elevator after my appointment, the lady came down the hallway. She said, "Oh, you're the nice lady who bought my lunch. My husband died last year, and I was sitting there feeling sorry for myself. It perked me up when the waiter told me you had paid for my lunch. Thank you...You're so kind."

So my "random" act was not anonymous anymore, but it was gratifying to think that I could cheer someone up, even briefly.

I do have one regret. I wish I had asked her to join me. She probably would have appreciated that even more, but then again, maybe not. Sometimes people aren't ready to connect with a stranger, but they like reminders that the world can still be a friendly place.

Big Quarters

Whenever I pass by an Elementary schoolyard, I pull any loose coins (especially Quarters) that I have in my pocket and pitch them over the fence, by the swing sets or sliding boards. As a small child it was a thrill to me to find a lost coin laying on the ground, (especially something as BIG as a Quarter!) and I enjoy the idea that I'm passing that excitement on to another small child.

One Size Fits All

We were recently at a concert. The young artists were playing their hearts out but unfortunately, the audience was largely empty. Moved by the artists, my wife felt we ought to do something to support them. Something, anything. The guy next to us, an Italian youngster named Arthur, had become our friend in applause. We just knew that he felt the same way, because at the end of the concert, all three of us stood up to give our own version of a standing ovation for these budding artists. After the concert, we go outside to the front desk and ask the little girl behind the CD-counter. "What is your favorite item? This t-shirt or this CD or this card?" The little girl was also part of the ten-person band; she was the daughter of the lead singer. A little shy, she shrugs her shoulder with ... Read Full Story >>

Smiles & Kleenex

I have to say, before I read any of the stories, I need to get a Kleenex at the ready. Almost every story I read touches me, and tears slip--not the sad tears, but tears of that 'touch'.

I can't wait to get my cards and pass along the smiles. Thank you.

The Karma of Kindness

My wife and I were at the bookstore the other day and we were helped by a young woman in finding a book, and something about this woman just told me she needed to get tagged! So my wife wrote a beautiful note addressed "To the woman in the light green sweater and curly, brown hair" with a quote that said "Sometimes our joy is the reason for our smile, and sometimes our smile is the reason for our joy," along with a small box of Godiva chocolates ... We gave it to another employee who read the whole thing and left it for her to come back to. Now they say that in giving we receive, and maybe it was a coincidence, but minutes later, I ran into one of my best friends from high school, who I hadn't seen for about a decade!

1st Random Act of Kindness

Well, today I performed my first random kindness act. I paid for the car behind me in Mcdonalds.

I was a little embarassed at first, and I didn't have my smile cards with me so I asked the clerk to give them one of the pages I printed out of your IDEAS.

The couple smiled and he yelled "thank you" to me ... it was a wonderful feeling.

I'm sure I won't be as embarassed next time. :)

Received a Smile Card

I'm a 38 yr.old woman with 4 kids battling stage 4 breast cancer. I was out to eat with my family last weekend and we were ready to pay the bill. Inside the folder wasn't the bill, but a smile card. Our dinner was paid for by a generous soul!!

We felt so blessed by how God used someone to care for us! We can't wait to pass on the kindness.

A Kindness Lesson in Action at Dinner

I love to do the random things like pay for the person behind me in the fast food drive thru....  This week after church we decided to go out to eat with our kids in tow. Our family consists of 6 children, some adopted. We went to a local restaurant. We were seated next to a family of 4 children, and I noticed the young mother had a bandana on her head and appeared to have a hair loss issue, it immediatly touched my heart. I told my husband I want to pay their bill. He looked around, I think he was looking for a lonely person in the corner, then I pointed to the family next to us. When he did a head count I thought he was going to have a heart attack. Our income is stretched as it was and here I am suggesting we pay for another bill. After ... Read Full Story >>

Not so Random Act of of Kindness

I have started sending gift certificates and other small things to people that I read about in the paper who are making a difference in our community. I send one out a month, all I can afford.

Just today I sent off a Borders gift card to a principle at a local school who is making a difference to the kids there.

Completely anonymous of course!

And with strict instructions that the gift card is for them and should not be funnelled back into their organization. I include a personal note that tells them how much they are appreciated in what they do. I love the stealth thing. Even my husband doesn't know!

London Cabbie's Payment-in-Kind!

Last week, I was running a little late on my way to my first day at a new job in East London. I had injured my achilles heal a couple of days before and didn't want to put too much pressure on it by running to the tube station so I decided to jump in a cab just to get to the station. The cab driver was really warm and friendly and happened to ask me where I was off to. So, I told him how I was on my way to start a new job and was running a little late to get to the tube station. En route, about half way there, he realized that the road was closed ahead and told me that as a result this is as far as he'll be able to take me. Of course I said no ... Read Full Story >>

Beggar and a Kid

Thomas Carlyle, the distinguished Victorian writer, was just six years old, when a beggar, wrinkled with age knocked at his door. The old man’s state - his tattered clothes, his bent back and his shaky hands moved little Thomas. "Please wait!" he said to the stranger, before he rushed to his room.

He was back in a minute, breathless. In his hand, he carried a little piggy bank into which he had safely put away the precious pennies and shillings given to him, from time to time. Wordlessly, he emptied the contents of the piggy bank into the grateful hands of the old man. A beautiful toothless smile was flashed at the little boy.

Recounting this incident, Carlyle said, "I cannot recall anything that gave me so much pleasure as this simple act of selfless service!"

Chocolate Insanity

It was a routine trip. We, my wife and I, are walking back home from the grocery store when we spontaneously decide to walk into a coffee shop. As my wife orders a small cup of coffee at the counter, I huddle our grocery bags under our table and get ready to share some hot coffee on this unusually cold day. Just then, my eyes catch glimpse of a young woman in her thirties escorting a rather frail Mexican woman into the shop. Maybe it was the gentleness of their encounter or a vague familiarity with the circumstances, but something about them grabs my full attention. I immediately feel an impulse to do something for them. Anything. Unfortunately, before I can gather my wits, they leave the coffee shop without ordering anything! When my wife returns, I tell her of my silent encounter. "But I ... Read Full Story >>

MIT Smiles

For the MIT class of 96 reunion weekend, we plan to create a massive ripple of smile cards around the city of Boston and Cambridge -- our own version of an MIT hack! Press will on the hunt for acts of compassion but it'll all be anonymous, so let's see what happens.

See our brochure and hope you can spread the joy in your colleges too!

Art with heart...

Last week, I arrived back home to our flat in London from my trip to visit my family in California to find a "mystery package", which someone had left with the porter in our building some time while my husband and I were both away. It was a large envelope with a wooden backing, and a small note on top reading "Deep and Trishna, Enjoy!" As soon as I opened the flap, I discovered a Smile Card attached, and I knew instantly that someone had anonymously reached out to us with an act of kindness. As I reached into the envelope, MUCH to my surprise, I pulled out a sketch by Manohar Devadoss. My heart instantly melted by the idea that someone reached out to us with such a beautiful drawing by a person, whose life has touched mine from the minute I read Pavi's piece on him and his wife. ... Read Full Story >>

Rewards of Being an Uncle

It was just 15 years ago that I was changing diapers on my nephew. My sister had him at 18 years old. She was living with my parents while I just graduated college and had my first real job. Her son was just 18mos old and his father was in the Airforce stationed on the east coast. It was just my sister and mom with him all the time. I decided he could use a little "male" in his life, so everyday after work, I would stop off at my parents house and take him to the park and push him on the swing. He really grew fond of me. Since then my sister added 3 more girls and I used to drive to Tracy, CA and spend about 3 weekends out of the month with them. It was tough on my sister and her husband. Money was always tight, so I'd ... Read Full Story >>