Miracle Man's Wedding Proposal
hree events, five hours. That was my Saturday evening schedule. It would've been nice to thoroughly enjoy one event, but how can you pick between a high school friend's first baby shower, cousin's i-am-turning-five birthday party, and a suprise proposal between two friends who met at your house?!? So my wife and I zoomed in Fred's beamer, from Milpitas to Santa Clara to San Francisco, and the excitement was building as we landed at Buca di Bepo at 7PM. We had no idea what the evening would hold. The plan was for Pete to propose to Linda, and bring her to a restaurant where Pete had gathered their closest friends, including Linda's four-grade classmate whom he had flown in from Salt Lake City! And it was executed perfectly. Pete had taken Linda to the spot of their first date
- Posted by Pete
- Oct 3, 2007
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Oprah's 24 Acts Of Kindness
accident. Resist the temptation to lash out when you're in a bad mood. April: Get back in touch with someone who once meant something to you, if only to tell her she made an impact. Offer to share your cab from the train station on a rainy evening. May: If you come across a funny childhood picture of you and your brother, send him a framed copy. If you're out of gift ideas for a friend's birthday, making her favorite dessert will always trump a gift certificate. June: Spend an afternoon with an elderly family member doing whatever makes her happiest. Forgive loud teenagers. July: Help a friend move. At a wedding, never ask a single woman how her love life is going. August: Asking for help is never easy. If someone you love needs a favor, agre
- Posted by Jesse
- Nov 8, 2007
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Daniel Hilcke's Bike
all of you. Hope it makes your day as it has made mine. :) Hello, my name is Daniel Hilcke. One day I was riding home from church, and I saw a young child that was crying; his bicycle had just been run over by a car, and the car had sped away. I remembered the pay it forward idea, and decided to give him my bike, which i just got for my birthday, from my grandmother just before she passed away. I told him about the pay it forward idea, and about a week later, he was in
- Posted by snowflake66
- Dec 19, 2007
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Sidewalk Slippers
while back I gave my father a pair of slippers for his birthday. He was always a hard worker and I thought it would be nice for him to have a pair of comfortable shoes to put on when he came home. I was saddened, though, when we saw that they were too small. I told him I would take them back for a larger size. He told me not to worry about it because I had painted him a picture and that was what he cherished the most. Then, he wondered if my husband could use them; but alas, they were too big for him. "Who could use these?" I asked myself. Then I got an idea! I went outside and placed them on the sidewalk. I went back and sat on our enclosed porch to watch who would get them. It was rather entertaining when a man came walking along -- he stop
- Posted by JuneBug
- Dec 20, 2007
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How A Bookstore Can Change Your Life
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 my job as a newspaper reporter. I was approaching my 29th birthday, had little money and even less idea what to do with myself. When I saw the bookstore, just across the Seine river from Notre Dame cathedral, I went in to look for a used paperback. I found much more. Shakespeare and Company turned out to be a surreal cross between a left-wing bookstore and a utopian commune. The owner, George Whitman, practises a type of simple Marxism and fou
- Posted by JZ
- Mar 4, 2008
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The Curse Of Blessings
purpose in life and the one source from which all blessings flow. He had long since realized he was not the source but only the conduit, and even that realization was welcomed with a blessing that sustained him for yet another day. As he approached the age of one hundred and twenty, he considered that his life was long enough. Even the great saints had not lived longer. On his birthday, he made a conscious decision to utter no new blessing and allow his life to come to an end. Still he could recite old blessings and throughout the day he reviewed them, all the blessings for his body and his possessions, for relationships that spread throughout the world, for the awesome beauty and balance of creation, and for the deep resonance, the pulse of purpose that p
- Posted by moments
- Mar 7, 2008
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The Best Hug I've Ever Had
hen I was 9, my sister, two other friends and I used to go to local nursing homes to sing for the elderly on Sunday afternoons. One Sunday we went to see the elderly and a little lady was having her 102nd birthday party. The staff told us we had to leave because of the party. The lady immediately said, "Oh no. They are here to entertain my guests." I'll never forget how important I felt that day -- entertaining her and her guests on her special day. A few months later she passed away. Bless her heart for including us in such a glorious time. When we had finished singing that day, she insisted we have a big piece of cake and punch. Then she gathered us each in her arms and hugged us. I think that might have bee
- Posted by smoothsugardoll
- Apr 14, 2008
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A Friendship I Treasure
that my husband and I could stay. Marcie has taken our family to many different places and all this time she has never asked us to repay her, although we try when we can, and never has made us feel like she was giving us pity, only love. I told her to visit this site -- I knew she would like to read all the good stories of kindness because she gives it all the time. Recently I celebrated my 37th birthday and, as usual, she made it special. But this time, she really went that extra mile. She gave me an ornament to hang on our tree this Christmas that says "Merry Christmas from heaven" with my Dad's name engraved on the back. She knew, without me even telling her, that the holildays are so hard for our family. That gift was just what I needed to remind
- Posted by teresa
- Dec 24, 2008
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Being Helped, And Helpful
s part of her birthday treat I took my wife, Julie, to see Carmen at the Glasgow Concert Hall last night. We had a good night, but that's another story. When the show finished everyone stood and made their way to the exits. The place was busy and the crowd moved slowly. I became aware of a door being held open so we could pass through and an annoyed voice saying, "Why are you holding the door for people?" Through the crowd I saw two women, the one holding the door and the one being annoyed with her. "She's being kind," I said, "doing a good deed." "Oh, I know," said the exasperated woman." That's when I saw that the woman holding the door was also leaning heavily on two crutches. Her friend was trying to help her walk through the crowd, wanting to take care of her, but the
- Posted by wayfarer
- Apr 26, 2008
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A Smile In A Pocket
received my first pack of smile cards not long ago. I had bought some clothes for my granddaughter for her birthday and one pair of capris I got for her was too small. A short time later, she gave them back to me. There happens to be an adorable young girl in my church whom I thought would be a good fit for these capris. So, I put a smile card in the pocket (sticking out a little), folded the capris up, put them into a bag, and wrote her name on the pant's tag so she could see it through the bag. I brought it into church inside a white bag so no one could see what I was carrying because I wanted it to be anonymous. During "Meet & Greet" while everyone was walking around greeting each other, I took the plastic bag out of the whit
- Posted by lmil1954
- Apr 27, 2008
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I'll Give Him My Teddy Bear
the door opened and in walked this "ragamuffin". She looked like she might have been four years old (at the most), was wearing a summer dress and sandals even though it was a bitterly cold day, and she was not too clean. She walked up to the counter, reached up and placed a fifty pence coin on the glass. Then, she proudly announced, she had saved this up for her little brother's birthday and she wanted to buy him a teddy bear and she wanted that one there. The woman behind the counter told the little girl the teddy cost way more than 50p. The girl tried another one, and another one, and another one. By this time I was engrossed. I knew that none of the bears on display could be bought for 50p. I also knew that I could easily buy the best bear there with t
- Posted by wayfarer
- May 25, 2008
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How To Make Someone's Day For $20 Or Less (Or Even
double-whammy Kohl’s has a program, Kohl’s Cares for Kids, in which they sell special stuffed toys or books and donate the proceeds to support health and educational opportunities for children. Also, GapKids and babyGap sell (PRODUCT) RED clothing and accessories and donate half the profits to the Global Fund to help women and children affected by AIDS in Africa. These make great gifts for left-out siblings at birthday parties, for instance. Support a charity or cause and make a child’s day with the same purchase. Six degrees of donations Ever wonder what your favorite celebrity cares most about? With Kevin Bacon’s Six Degrees charity system (sixdegrees.org), simply click on your favorite star to see where his or her tax deductions are heading—and
- Posted by Sascha Zuger
- Jul 9, 2008
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Less Is More When It Comes To Spring Cleaning!
years ago and I cannot believe how much we accumulated in that time as we gave away, donated, recycled and threw away as much as possible before our move. Recently, my hubby found a box filled with toys, clothes and other goodies with the price tags on. I used to buy things on sale for my nieces and nephews that I knew they would enjoy, sometimes a size larger, and then gift them on their birthday, Christmas, etc. I had forgotten about this stash when we moved and now our nieces & nephews are in their teens. So we decided to gift the items to others! I immediately called my friends and a few co-workers and I have given away many of the items. What is not given away to them will be given to local charities. We bagged
- Posted by brighteyes
- Jun 1, 2008
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Smiley Balloons
hile I was out shopping for some cool birthday candles for a friend I came across some SMILEY BALLOONS! Big, bright, yellow smiley faces that I can blow up into gigantic balloons and share with others. I am making my plans, pulling out smile quotes, deciding who will be my kindness recipients. I am also going to go to the Hobby store and buy some small rocks and add a smile face (an idea from this site!). It seems with the cold, gray skies, a new year beginning, etc that many people are in a slump, have the blues or are depressed. My plan is to bring cheer, smiles, upliftment, and surprise with gifted smiley baloons, smile quotes and more! Can you believe I found the smiley balloons in the cooking section at Safeway? SMILING, ALL THE MO
- Posted by brighteyes
- Aug 2, 2008
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Circle Of Support For An Elderly Neighbor
6 women, of which I am one, banded together to be his "support group". Together, we have kept him going through depression, a hip replacement and several surgeries. Someone in our group calls him daily, another walks his dog when he cannot, one drives him whereever he needs to go, someone else brings him food occasionally and together we all make a huge deal out of his birthday and Christmas each year. This group, and his other neighborhood friends, have helped keep our friend involved in life. He sends text messages to his friends on his cell phone and has just this week gotten his first computer! Our arrangement evolved easily and naturally and makes us all very happy. I wish all older people could have something like this!
- Posted by falsemonkeypuzzl
- Nov 14, 2008
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How John Touched My Life
met him on his birthday when he truned 20 years old. He was very pleasant and had outstanding, loving eyes. He reached out his left hand and said, "Nice to meet you." Nice, indeed. This young man touched my life as well as my heart in the most profound way. When my husband met him, he felt the same way. I got to know him very well over the next year as I had the privilege of "working" with him. See, he got around using a walker or was in a wheelchair and when it was time to get down, or out of his wheelchair he would crawl! John is a shining star to me. My family just adores him. He loves talking on the phone, singing, "dancing", noise of any kind, toys that wind up, wiggle or glow, music
- Posted by lmil1954
- Nov 23, 2008
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A Special Party For The Children At MOMS House
for the bronze award. One big thing I can't do is raise money so I can't have any fund aisrs like I usually do. There is a place here in my town called MOMS house -- it's a great place 'cause they take care of the babies of teenage mothers so that they can go to school and get a job to be able to take care of their children. My idea is to have a great big birthday party for the children that they take care of because their moms are so young and they don't have a lot of money. After getting the Director's permission, I now have to plan it out. I can't buy the things I need or raise money for them so starting tomorow after school I have to go to places and ask for donated items for the party. Patty
- Posted by kennedyjet
- Jan 11, 2009
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A Brother's Faith Remembered
y brother committed suicide four years ago and his birthday is May 14 so he is very much in my thoughts right now. He was my big brother and always looked after me. I am thankful today for all of the special times we had as running partners, and times spent driving to different races, where we had so many conversations about life in general. I miss these talks terribly at this time of the year. However, I am so happy he shared with me the story of his faith. He was always so helpful to people, and I had been with him many times when we pulled over to help someone in need, sharing a smile and helping them get back on the road so I was not surprised when he told me of the time that he was still in college, and it was the end of the month.
- Posted by deneen
- Mar 6, 2009
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A Special Anniversary Gift
y fiancee's birthday and his parents' wedding anniversary happens to be on the same day. I got him some expensive sports shoes, which I know he's been wanting for a long time. I thought hard about what gift to get for his parents. In the past, I have gotten them things which they liked, but this time I wanted to do something different. I decided to sponsor breakfast for 100 children at the children's home where I always go on behalf of them. On that day, the children and staff said a prayer for my fiancee's parents and called them and wished them well. They were really surprised and happy.
- Posted by nila
- Mar 27, 2009
- 6 Comments
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Getting Out What We Put Into The World
pen lived. I would miss that pen, but this was a special ocassion. "Joshua," I said in a deep, serious voice. "I hereby pass on my very bestest, favouritist pen to you, the next generation. Guard it well and use it faithfully ...." And so on. He grinned and said thanks (probably thinking what an idiot I was.) And I went back to work. Coincidentally, that day was also my birthday, but we were just back from a weekend away and I wasn't expecting any more gifts. Moments after the pen ceremony, Josh fronted up with a big grin on his face and gave me a prettily wrapped box. Surprised, I opened it - and was even more surprised! Inside the box was a beautiful, brand new pen! Almost like Someone had planned it! It is so true. Give and ye SHALL receive
- Posted by wayfarer
- Apr 5, 2009
- 14 Comments
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The Challenges Of Travelling With Children
or my birthday, Julie booked a coach trip to Liverpool. It's where I went to college thirty years ago and I hadn't been back since. We had a great time! Watching the passengers embark on the coach as we got ready to head to Liverpool, I was a little dismayed to see a couple get on with two boys, both under five. We were gonna be on the coach for four hours. Would they act up? Or be sick? Or would it just be too boring for them? It turned out they were great! No doubt about it. Travelling like that with two lively little boys would take both parents full attention. And they did seem to work well together. In the hotel (a hotel that was once the pride of the city, now a bit dowdy, but still spectacular!) the parents got through the meals by work
- Posted by wayfarer
- Apr 13, 2009
- 11 Comments
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A Little Boy's Box Of Savings
their help. They donated money or dresses or rice or medicine or anything which has a longer expiry date. A small boy who was on the way to his school came running to us and asked us to wait there for some time. After 5 minutes he came running to us and handed his small savings box. It was a plastic box in which there were many coins inside. He said he got that little box from his granny as a birthday gift for saving coins. And he wanted it to be donated for the fund. Vow! What a big heart! It was the real greatest offering collected by us. Thank you sweet heart!
- Posted by malli
- Jun 11, 2009
- 7 Comments
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A Man We Will Never Know
need, so she can take her daughter home." She looked down at her hand with tears in her eyes. As she looked back up to thank him, he was gone. They searched all over the hospital and he was no where to be found. Thanks to the guy that I will never know, me and my mother got to take home that beautiful baby girl that was only given 14 days to live, to celebrate her 12th birthday yesterday. I am grateful to this man and feel that his act of kindness should be shared with everyone.
- Posted by ArmyGrl
- Jun 19, 2009
- 23 Comments
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Awakening To Kindness
long, hard day for me. I was going back home from work by bus. The stress from work weighed heavily on my mind. A girl was sitting next to me, who I didn't know. She asked me some questions casually and we had a short conversation. She was just a stranger/passer-by I thought to myself and didn't take much interest. After a while, she suddenly handed me some chocolates and said that it was her birthday. I instantly responded with a smile and my heart felt free of the stress that I had been carrying. In a single moment I felt the heaviness of the day transform into lightness of a feather. Her simple act gave me joy even I though I don't particularly enjoy sweets as much. I wished her a long life. I realized that even small acts can make a person feel happy. I can't remember
- Posted by malli
- Aug 2, 2009
- 12 Comments
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Fourth In Line At The Grocery Store
sudden the lines are long? I saw one that wasn't too long and quickly jumped into it. I started loading up my things onto the belt. I had a ton of groceries. As I was loading, I happened to look behind me and saw an elderly couple with a few toys. I told them that they could go ahead of me. They couldn't thank me enough because they were on their way to their great grandchild's birthday party. As I continued to unload my groceries onto the belt I heard someone ask, "Miss, would you mind if I went ahead of you also?" I took a deep breath and said "Sure, you can go ahead of me". I smiled and thought to myself "if he asked he must have to be getting home for some reason." I'd almost unloaded all of my groceries onto the bel
- Posted by AURELIA
- Aug 29, 2009
- 6 Comments
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When A Hug Is Just What's Needed
was on a flight to New York with my two sons. Having been through many hard years as a single parent, I had promised us a trip to NY on my 40th birthday and my eldest son's 21st & my younger son's 18th!! There we were on our way. As I came out of the restroom on the plane, I noticed a woman (probably in her mid-30s) standing and sobbing. People, including the flight attendents, were just walking past her. I got up, walked back to her and said, "I don't know what's wrong, but can I give you a hug?" The woman held on to me like a long lost relative and cried for at least 5 minutes. She just sobbed and sobbed. I did nothing but hold her and gently stroke her back. After she had calmed down, she said thanks
- Posted by Sands
- Oct 23, 2009
- 9 Comments
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Beyond The Call Of Duty
have learnt in my work and travels: often the people with the least to give are the most generous. Whether writing about efforts to help flood victims in the US Midwest or the homeless in Washington DC, I have marvelled at how the spirit the maid exhibited comes out in the worst of situations. A few months after the alarm clock generosity, I returned to my hotel room to find a hand-made birthday card signed by Agnes. I wondered for a few minutes how she knew, but then guessed (correctly, as it turned out) that she had come across my passport while cleaning and made note of when I was born. A cynic would say that she was doing this just to get another tip. I prefer to believe she was simply being kind – one human being connecting with another. When I think ba
- Posted by RP
- Nov 7, 2009
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Finding Any Opportunity To Be Helpful
oday at work I was in the kitchen preparing some food for the 'Birthday Luncheon'. I had a busy morning running around but once everything was in the oven I had a few spare moments whilst it was baking. I decided to go to the administration office and see if I could help them with anything while I was waiting – I know they had been very busy. Sure enough, they needed help folding letters and stuffing them into envelopes. I sat down and starting folding away. I was quite amazed at how many letters I had folded and stuffed before the oven timer rang telling me the food was ready. The ladies were very appreciative to me for helping them get their boring job done more quickly. It didn’t feel like a boring job to me, it felt gr
- Posted by Aurelia
- Jan 22, 2010
- 6 Comments
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80 Rupees Of Kindness Goes A Long Way
talk to his girlfriend standing right in front of him. As I approached, I thought that certainly this guy wouldn't take the ice cream or smile. He did, and so did his girlfriend, though neither accepted the cone. The theater attendant got one of my cones, and so did the street kid loitering around the posh shoppers. A fat man surprisingly rejected the cone and wished me happy birthday when I told him I just got married :-) In less than 10 minutes, we burned through 100 rupees. Turns out my enthusiastic cousin ate two cones himself, spending only Rs. 30 on strangers. The lukewarm cousin never got up the nerve to try himself. A random older uncle off the street walks up smiling. "Why were you giving out these ice creams only," he ask
- Posted by twocents
- Feb 1, 2010
- 13 Comments
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Paying Forward A Bunch Of Flowers To Make An Old Lady's
was in line at the grocery store. There was a cute little old lady in front of me. She showed me the birthday card she was buying for a friend. She was so thrilled with it because it could light up. As we moved up in the line, she saw the bouqet of flowers I had put on the counter. She went on and on about my flowers. She kept smiling and was so sweet. She paid for her card and walked out of the store slowly. I told the register lady I would be right back. The buckets of flowers were right by my register line. I grabbed a bunch and paid for them. I caught the lady before she was out of the door. She couldn't believe it. She was so thankful. I finished paying and was walking out to my car and the s
- Posted by debbiemarwitz
- Mar 28, 2010
- 3 Comments
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