Search Results for 'birthday' (410 matches)

Requesting A Comment For Sara

he kindness story I am about to tell is a collaborative project, and it will hopefully involve you!   I live on Cape Ann in Eastern Massachusetts, and this Thursday, one of our youngest community leaders will be celebrating her 29th birthday.   Her name is Sara, and she’s is a very wonderful and hard-working young woman who has already made a big difference to the lives of many people in Gloucester, as the 2007 manager of our summer Farmers’ Market which she helped start in 2006, as the director of our very dynamic local arts organization, and as a wonderful human being with many friends, a great dog, and a fabulous smile! I need your creative help to cook up a special gift for Sara’s birthday.   Let me explain! A friend o

Birthday Party In A Box

Annie, a neighbor's daughter, was away for her first semester at college this past school year. She is a very sweet girl but just a bit shy. When her birthday month came around I found out she was feeling a bit blue and lonely.   Her family is quite small and finances are tight so there wouldn't be any birthday visitors.     I wanted to send her a card and maybe a small gift to brighten her day a bit. I got her school address from her Mom and planned to simply pick something up and send it. Then I got an idea!     I thought perhaps a bit more birthday cheer was needed here. I bought some balloons, streamers, birthday hats, and other small novelties at a dollar store.    I took a small recor

Top 10 Kindness Stories Of 2012, Story #5 - It Was All

esterday was my 51st birthday.  While some may wonder why I would write about me, it is because I made a choice. I have never been a big fan of my birthday.  Hurts from the past and just not enjoying the "wisdoming" (instead of aging) process up to now, has usually left me either quiet about my birthday or just plain grumpy about it.  But yesterday, when I woke up, my first thought was: Thank you God for letting me wake another day.  The next decision was: I am going to choose to be happy today, no matter what day it is, and I'm going to let others in on it too!  I thought of several things for me to do, one of my favorite being that since I turned 51, I sat down with my journal and wrote the numbers 1 through 51 and next to

10th Birthday, Car Washes, And $62.82

t was Neil's 10th birthday party. After a dozen close friends super-soaked each other with water and stuffed themselves with food and cake, this sunny August morning party would be about a different kind of fun -- fun of giving. Today, we decided to "tag" people with free car washes. First up were the signs. Taking all the art supplies and glitter and fancy colored pens, the kids sprawled all over the ground to create couple of large "Free Car Wash" signs; no matter how hard they tried to color inside the lines, these signs had "we are kids" written all over it. Soon enough, we gathered up the sponges, towels and soap and headed to the driveway. "Free Car Wash," we practiced our cheer on practically every car that drove by. To get our act together, though, we rolled in o

Generosity Of A Homeless Man

out that Mr. Massey had been a preacher before he went off to war. He had lost one of his legs while overseas and when he came back he couldn't find work and had been homeless ever since. He still preached, but now it was on Sundays at the homeless shelter and a local thrift store donated a new suit to him every week. For a while I had stopped buying our breakfast every morning because my son's birthday was coming up and I was saving up every penny I could to buy him some gifts. I told Mr. Massey the reason why I couldn't afford to buy our breakfasts and he said he understood, but would still like to sit and talk with me if it was ok. He said it was the high point of his day. So we still had our chats every morning but without the breakfast. My son's birthday finally came

Kindspring Grant : Cards For Veterans

own lives and say, "We'll visit tomorrow, or next weekend" and that never happens. But even if relatives and friends don’t visit, what stops them from calling or sending a letter or a card? This is what inspired my idea to give the patients in these two units a little bit of love and support in the form of greeting cards. The cards would range from general get-well cards to birthday and major holiday cards (Easter, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas). I spent time writing a message inside each card and signing it as an anonymous friend that cared. Despite my inspiration, one big obstacle was financial. I'm on disability and struggle financially myself. I didn't want to commit to this project only to have it wither an

From The Maryville Daily .kindness From Children

rom the Maryville Daily Forum - Two local girls recently decided to forgo receiving presents for their birthday from their friends, and instead gave to those in need. “I don’t want anyone to be hungry,” Mattie Dimmitt said. Mattie is the daughter of Travis and Elizabeth Dimmitt and celebrated her 6th birthday earlier this month. For her birthday, she wanted to do something for other children. “We were talking about Mattie’s birthday cake and she said that she wanted a big birthday cake so no one was hungry at her party,” Elizabeth said. “She didn’t want anyone to be hungry at all and she got big tears in her eye and asked if we could donate food for people.” For her party, Mattie’s fr

Challenging Kindness

hallenging Kindness MS J of PapayaCare asked me to make a birthday card for her nephew. She wanted me to use incorporate some photos of the birthday boy, his sisters, mom and dad. So far, I have used only birthday baby's lone photo to make a birthday cards. It was a challenge for me to include all the family members. With Sai Baba's Prompts I was inspired to use some appropriate quotes with the photos. MS J liked it very much. I also made bookmarks for the birthday boy and his two sisters. I gave two books to MS J to gift them to birthday boy, I gave quote cards as well. MS J wanted to pay me but I politely denied. I am grateful to MS J for inspiring me to make a challenging birthday card and delivering books to the

Birthday Kindness On December 10

b>Birthday Kindness On December 10, my birthday, on getting up, prayed for the well being of all being as usual. and thanked friends and loved ones who have helped me in my life.  Sent an inspiring email to about,  200 of my contacts. I asked my friend in Ahmedabad to donate some books on the occasion of my birthday. He confirmed that he will donate them. I will pay him when I reach Ahmedabad. I am grateful to him. My divine sister has donated some groceries to needy people. She also gave chocolate to needy people and others on  my behalf.  On December 10 at the doctor's office, I gave personalized bookmarks, birthday card and quote cards to my doctor. He liked them. He thanked to me and smiling lytalked to my son.  I als

An Unusual Birthday Celebration

An Invitation From 2004] It's that time of the year again. Yup, V-real's birthday ... this Friday, January 9th. As you probably know, V-real isn't much into celebration of particular days more than others. But we have a creative way to bend the rules for his 25th. First of all, can you make it to our house this Friday at 7:30PM? I know it's really short notice but hey. ;) Secondly, in the spirit of thankfulness for your friendship with V-real, would you be willing to do an act of random kindness for someone, somewhere, somehow? Then, on his birthday, we'll blow some candles, eat cake and share stories of our experiences ... as a gift to him. It's a unique request, but V-real's a unique guy. Because of my unending gratitude for having him as a brother, right after I g

Her Birthday Wish

was picking up some medication for my son, who just had surgery and is in the hospital. I came across a woman who was having a terrible day and lamenting that "someone" had ruined her birthday. I went up to her and asked her if I could wish her a happy birthday. She said thank you and a short conversation ensued. I told her about my son being in the hospital and how he was going to get out either today or tomorrow. She said to me, "I'm going to ask for my birthday that your son get out today."   How selfless can one be? I was so touched by her generosity, asking that a stranger receive her gift on her birthday. I gave her a big birthday hug and she just said how this little interaction made her day. My son isn't gettin

A Birthday Gift In Office

t my job, we work in groups that are administered by a manager.  Early last year during a brainstorming session with the group members, an idea was put forth -- to foster team spirit, let's celebrate key events in each of our lives:  birthdays, weddings and welcoming new borns!  This reminded me of our theology lecturer, Fr. Emmanuel at Strathmore University, who requested us on his first lesson for the year, to write down our birthday date so that he could offer a special prayer on the material day for each of us. A request was thus made for each of the group members to email their respective birthday dates to the appointed member who would then be the coordinator. Since then, each of the group members has had his/her birthday cel

A Special Family Birthday Wish

y birthday was January 8th.  I usually do not talk about my birthday, but this past one was very special to me, so I wanted to share it here.     My family is from the other side of the world and I wanted them to try random acts of kindness to others.  So, I decided to email my brother, my sister-in-law and nieces.  For my birthday gift this year, I wanted them all to do a random act of kindness - secretly, without them sharing it amongst themselves.    It was amazing to hear about what they came up with.  My brother took some old clothes and shoes, gathered some canned goods and left them at 4AM at the door of one poor neighbor.  The following day, he was so pleased to see the childre

Sharing A Birthday With A Homeless Friend

their monthly magazine. By doing this one day,  I got to know a young homeless man who was often standing at the train station, selling the magazine. He was a refugee from another country and I can only imagine what kind of psychological scars he must have had from living in a war-torn country, escaping it and then ending up being homeless.  After a while, I discovered that his birthday was close to mine which meant that we were born under the same sign of the Zodiac, something we talked about once in a while. I met him last year shortly after his birthday, and without thinking, after congratulating him, I asked if he had had a good day. He looked down and said that he hadn't really celebrated. I felt so stupid.   I just couldn't bear the thou

A Strong Intention To Help

magine yourself unable to speak, unable to move anything but your eyes, unable to even take a breath on your own. Now imagine that you’ve been that way for seven years. Would you be able to think of anyone other than yourself? Marcy celebrated her birthday recently. Friends and family were kind enough to remember and sent a little money.  Almost all our money goes to pay family bills. But birthday money is different. Somehow, we give ourselves permission to spend “our” birthday money on ourselves. The kids buy whatever gizmo, CD, or piece of clothing they have wanted. I usually put my birthday money towards bills – it’s a selfish way to relieve my mind. Here’s how Marcy wanted to spend her birthday money: On

Taking The Extra Step To 'Pay-it-Forward'

wanted to do a random act of kindness for my friend’s birthday, so on Friday I went to Walmart to carry out my gift to her because I think people who shop there do so to save money and could use a gift. My gift in honor of her birthday is a birthday cake!  I selected a cupcake birthday cake for which the recipient of the gift can pick any design they wish. My plan is for the next person who walks up to the bakery counter to purchase a cake to be told that someone has anonymously paid for their cake, and for them to then receive the receipt along with my handwritten message explaining the gift along with a Smile Card attached. It took some doing/convincing!  I had to speak to 2 members of the management and make 2 trips to the stor

46 Not-So-Random Acts Of Kindness

nbsp;Today, March 6th, is my birthday.  Two days ago, I got the idea to do 46 acts of kindness in honor of my 46th birthday.  I’ve read many posts on the internet about people doing this.  I had planned to do all 46 acts on my birthday, but the forecasters began early predictions of a foot of snow for today.  So Monday night, I started planning – typed up the acts of kindness I wanted to do and started writing out some of the Thank You cards, Thinking of You cards and Get Well cards. When I woke up Tuesday, the weathermen were certain the big storm was coming. I thought it would be hard to do my acts of kindness stuck inside all day, so I decided to do as much as I could on Tuesday and spread it out over a few days.  Tuesday nigh

What I Want On My Birthday

'm a Director overseeing 5 departments, at work. Last Friday was my birthday. After lunch, I walked with my administrative assistant over to the cafeteria to get a soda only to find all of my staff currently on shift was there, waiting for me. They got me a cake and made my whole afternoon better. I choked up a bit when they sang me happy Birthday. I know it's late - but here's what I ask of everyone each year for my birthday (from my post on FB): "My birthday message is the same as last year: For my Birthday this year, I once again ask for something from each of you. Do something nice for somebody today. Stranger, friend, I don't care. Just something nice with no need of a reward or thank you. No need to tell me, I'd r

Gift Of A Dollar On My Birthday

ears ago, I celebrated my 40th birthday with a large group of friends at C&O Trattoria in Marina del Rey. Many of us arrived ahead of time and waited outside the restaurant.   As I stood on the sidewalk with my friends, a homeless man approached me and asked for money. I had been given strict orders to not bring my wallet lest I should feel compelled to contribute toward the meal, so when the man approached me, I let him know that I didn’t have any cash. He quietly smiled at me, and moved on.   While the homeless man was still in earshot range, a friend who was just arriving called out “Happy Birthday Marc!” Upon hearing this, the man turned and asked, “Hey man, it’s your Birthday?” “Yes it is,” I s

Mitchell's 14th Birthday

y friend Marleen shared a Facebook request from Mitchell Kay's mother. Mitchell is due to celebrate his 14th birthday. He is autistic and no one has ever showed up for any of his birthday parties. His mum put out a request to see if she could get 100 birthday cards for him. Well, I know he's on his way. Today my students, 11 in total, each made him a personalized card. The classroom assistant and myself both sent bought cards. So there are 13 birthday cards in the post to Mitchell all the way from Northern Ireland. I have to tell you, these cards were superb and the students had such empathy for Mitchell. We also included a cover note showing the college we are based in and a photo of a local scenic area. I hope Mitchell has a very happy 14th

51st Birthday!

usually donate blood on my birthday, but I gave too recently. so, today I decided to do something a little different. I turned 51 today. So, I put 51 one-dollar bills in my pocket and surprised people around town: • Bought a Starbucks coffee for a man. • Later, bought another for a woman. • Gave a few bucks to a man asking for money on the street. • Paid for a man buying coffee for him and a friend at a different coffee house. • Bought Boba milk tea for a couple. • Paid for Taco Bell dinner for a couple. • Gave the last few bucks to the guy behind the counter at Taco Bell. Some were hesitant to accept at first until I told them that was how I was celebrating my birthday. I got a lot of "Thank you"s and ""Happ

60 Day Challenge For 60th Birthday Gift!

long the lines of celebrating my 60th birthday with a 60 day kindness challenge, I got the greatest birthday surprise from my daughters. When they asked me what I wanted for my birthday, I said, "please do a kindness act for someone in my honor" They took it WAYYYYY farther. They contacted all my friends and family members and asked them to do the same thing I had asked of them, as my birthday present. Then they asked them to write to them after they had done their 'act' and tell them what they had done. They also asked their friends to do the same. On my birthday, I was presented with a gorgeous scrapbook filled with pictures and all the kindness acts written out in their own words, telling me what they had done and how it made th

Happy Birthday 🎁🎁Bhupendra Is ...

appy Birthday 🎁🎁 Bhupendra is 10 years old now. Just 3 months ago he enrolled in our kindness home. His parents are daily wage laborer's and are unable to afford a proper education. So we adopted him. In the first nine years of his life, he never had an opportunity to make a celebration of his birthday. This was because of his family's poor financial condition. Therefore, he celebrated a birthday for the first time with us. He was very surprised and got emotional. Before cutting the cake, he made a prayer to God for his grace and blessings. As he cut the cake we started singing happy birthday Bhupendra, happy birthday. His eyes were filled with happy tears. He was very happy and joyful.. we danced and shared sweets and chocolates

Wherever You Go...

She wanted to give us something then,  "I wish you'd told me earlier -- I wouldn't have charged you! Can I offer you a piece of cake on the house?" We declined the offer, saying that the interaction in and of itself was gift enough. At which point she said impulsively, "I wish my boyfriend were so thoughtful. I don't know if he'll ever get around to asking about marriage. It's my birthday on the 25th and I'm really not sure he'll remember- especially since there's some championship finals on the same day." There was a simplicity and frankness to her sharing that both touched and surprised us -- and I think what really moved us was her genuine and selfless delight at seeing two happy-to-be-together people. We picked up our coffee and croissant and sat dow

Happy Birthday And A Gold Coin

hile eating lunch with my 4 year old daughter this afternoon at a fast food restaurant, i noticed an old man walking to the table with a cane. The manager kindly carried his food for him. During the meal I overheard the man tell a woman it was his birthday. So I whispered what I heard to my daughter. She loves when people have birthdays. I told her it was ok for her to wish him a happy birthday. He obviously was spending this special day alone. At first she was shy and decided against it. No problem. As I was emptying our tray into the trash she turned to him and quietly wished him a Happy Birthday.  I could tell he was touched by the way he looked at her. I came up behind her and gave him my own wishes. He was grateful. As we walked away he called

Smile Card Surprises At Work

snacks made by Larabar called “cashew cookies.”  That was usually my go-to. Sometimes, I’d leave a book or a DVD that I liked for my co-workers on my way out. It was kind of cool, because everybody got it! Nobody tried very hard to find out who or how. They just kept doing it again and again. I got 3 of the smile cards given back my way. One of my best friends at work had her birthday a couple weeks ago. If you meet her, you would know that she’s an exceptional human being. She’s one of the most thoughtful people I know. On top of that, she’s very smart and always has good advice on anything for anyone. I do believe all people are beautiful in their own way like flowers. But she’s beautiful like the sun rise (I mean inside and out).

Seven Questions On Giving Time

fulfilling for both  the receiver and the giver. 3.      How can the art of giving be carried out beyond the holiday season and used year round? In our agenda-driven lives, we often forget that gift giving is innate to the human experience and it can be giving season everyday!  Simple acts of service are always open to us, if we simply look for them.  Even otherwise, birthday makes for a great excuse for pay-it-forward experiments!   For my cousin's 10th birthday, he called a dozen of his friends for a "Super-Soaker Sunday" party; they ran around and played with water all morning.  And then, in the afternoon, we held a "free car wash".  The kids drew some banners, made up slogans to chant on the streets,&nbs

A Simple Rule Since I Was 12

ince I was 12, I've had a simple rule -- remember birthdays!  So, if I know a person's name, I consider it my duty to remember the person's birthday (family, friend and otherwise). One characteristic EVERY human being has is the need to feel special, significant and appreciated, and what better way and time to make a friend, neighbor, client, co-worker, your child's teacher, or even the cashier at your neighborhood grocery store feel special than by simply remembering their birthday each year. Talk about putting an instant smile on that person's face, if only but once a year.  It brightens their day and it brings so much personal joy to me each time I do it.  And because I know so many people, I'm pretty much telling someone happy birthday e

Birthday Cards That Transformed My Son

ack in October, I found a website -- wishuponahero.com -- that has changed my life for the better.  The site is all about people helping others out of the goodness of their heart, not expecting anything in return. I am a single mom on SSI and have a developmentally delayed child. My son's 12th birthday was the 29th of October 2007 and knowing that I could not afford to get him anything at all for his birthday, I felt broken hearted.  I decided to post a wish on "Wish Upon A Hero" website for people to send my son birthday cards. I knew he loved to check the mailbox and always asked if there was anything for him. So, I thought that if he could get a few cards, it would make him smile and maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't be so upset that I wasn't able

A Lovely Little Old Lady's 90th Birthday

ast year, around Labor Day, I read a "Happy Ad" in our local newspaper.  There was a lady in a local nursing home, who was celebrating her 90th birthday and her family wanted everyone to know about it.  It said that if you wanted to drop her a line, here was her address.  So I did.  I found a birthday card and dropped her a short note, wishing her a happy birthday. A week or so later, someone knocked at my front door.  I opened the door and found a middle-aged man standing on my doorstep.  He introduced himself as the son of this woman to whom I had sent the card.  He explained that he just wanted to drop by in person and thank me for sending such a nice card to his mom.  Apparently, like many older folk