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The Girl Student Sitting at the Back of the Classroom

I still will never forget a girl student sitting at the back of the classroom. Having failed the college entrance exams and changed schools two times, she couldn’t smile naturally. Every day she would sit at the desk, staring into textbooks and exercises, motionless and heavy-hearted. The desperate loneliness she radiated almost stopped me from teaching. Of course, she had no friends in this fiercely competitive class. Every time I stepped into the classroom, I welcomed everyone. Of course, when I said something to her casually, she reluctantly answered with a stiff, shaky, and sheepish smile. Life is harder for senior students. Hardly does a day go by without endless exercises or tests. Every time when the scores came out, her score wouldn't be the first or second but last. Dark clouds always flashed in her eyes. When I invited her to the teacher's office, we never talked about studies or ... Read Full Story >>

A Small Act of Kindness Makes it all Worthwhile

Today I went to my daughter's school and spoke about kindness to 60 kids plus teachers and teacher assistants. After a small talk about the meaning of kindness, I gave a challenge to the children - I told them to  write a small story about an act of kindness that they had done and how that made them feel. Or if they had received of an act of kindness how did that make them feel? In what way had that act changed them? Then I and the Deputy Head and the Head Teacher will choose the best ones, the one that will stand out for their feelings of compassion and love toward others. When I was waiting for my daughter I saw some teachers that were at the assembly passing by and I was hoping that they would tell me if they liked the talk or not, but they didn't say anything. Then this little boy came to me and said: "You know, I enjoyed the ... Read Full Story >>

The Imperfect Act of Kindness

I am in the midst of prolonged frustrations at work. Today was more of the same. I walked to the car remembering my act of kindness and feeling a little pressed for time and creativity. As I drove to the grocery store to pick up milk, I ran some scenarios through my head not landing on one I was satisfied with. I walked in, there was a table of vibrant yellow mums. I chose one and put it in my cart still not knowing what I was going to do with it. I find myself trying to figure out the perfect scenario for these acts of kindness knowing that it defeats the purpose, but I can't help myself. I left the store and while I was backing out of my parking space, I saw an older woman walking to her minivan. She was by herself and did not have much in her cart. I ... Read Full Story >>

Secret Snow Wiper Will Strike Again!

After 2 false alerts the winter storm advisory today, tonight and tomorrow  is real  -- snow has been falling and accummulating.  And I'm armed!  I made sure to put an extra pairs of  gloves, 2 ice scraper (small and large), and a small hand held brush for sweeping the snow in the front seat of my car. What I'm also going to do is scout our work parking lot for a secret snow wiping and windshield cleaning, after I leave work. I started this tradition a few years ago when my hubby and I discontinued car pooling. (I did not realize that he spoiled me- I'd sit in the nice, warm truck watching/waiting while he did the cleaning then drove us safely home.) Now I do my own (ugh!).  I know how much work it involves, and  how cold you can get.  So I'm excited to be able to surprise someone with a ... Read Full Story >>

An Extra Step on a New England Hiking Trail

Hiking today with the wags and a friend provided yet another opportunity to move out of my comfort zone and connect. Cold with a mixture of sun and snow encouraged a quicker step than usual on the mountain. On the descent, we came across a large troop of boy scouts and their families heading down as well. The trail and people bottle-necked for a few moments before the majority of the troop was well ahead and out of sight. Left behind were a young boy and his mother who seemed unsteady and unsure on the trail. We slowed our pace for a bit to talk with them before eventually passing them. They caught up again when my friend paused to tie her shoe. The boy at that moment slipped and tumbled forward. My friend attempting to catch him as he rolled down the trail. Helping him up he was nervous, crying in his ... Read Full Story >>

Kindness Adventures On Our Block

I spend a lot of time at home, so there are many opportunities to interact with our great neighbors.

Today, I got a phone call from an older neighbor who lost her balance while bending over her little dog's water bowl and had fallen down.  I immediately ran over to her house with a cold gel-pack in hand! Then, I stayed a while, took some cute pictures of her pup with my cell phone, saw that she was okay, and returned home.  

She just called again to tell me not to worry, she is okay.

Upon returning home from her house, just as I was closing my door, I saw another neighbor (who is also a senior) climbing up a small ladder to hang something in her tree.  The ladder looked precariously perched, so I ran over to check on her. She thanked me, but refused my help. I told her I would stay next to her, just in case. :)

Both these women live alone and are very independent. They are a huge inspiration!

A 5K Run Becomes An Exercise In Compassion

Sometimes the people who are noticed the least can do the most to lift us up... On Thanksgiving morning I got up early to run in the local 5K run. I figured it might give me the motivation to get back into running.  It was nearly freezing that morning so everyone getting ready to run was hopping around trying to stay warm.   On the side of the road, sitting in the grass, was a man wrapped in a blanket.  It was pretty obvious he was homeless and as usual, most people pretended not to see him.  I went over and talked with him for a few minutes before the race.  In the midst of the idle chit-chat, he told me that he was a veteran and had hoped he might be able to earn a few dollars that morning to be able to go buy a Thanksgiving dinner.  He had a glimmer of ... Read Full Story >>

A Tale of The Missing Flowers

I allowed myself to receive. These flowers were gifted to me by our local florist. I had placed an order with him for flowers to be delivered to a dear friend overseas. For reasons unknown to both my florist and myself, the flowers were never delivered and after multiple contacts with the overseas supplier, who kept saying "tomorrow" for days on end (with no explanation!) we canceled the order. My florist called to apologize and said he wanted to send me a bouquet of flowers to make up for the mishap. Even tho I assured him it wasn't his fault & that he didn't have any control over the mishandling of my order, he insisted he wanted to send me flowers. We went back and forth on this & finally I realized this was something that would make him feel better and that I should just say thank you and let him ... Read Full Story >>

Door Notes

About a month ago, one morning, I awoke to find a note on my door. It read, "Don't worry. You were born awesome, not perfect."

I was going through a bit of a transition at that time and those words meant, and still do mean, a tremendous amount to me on so many levels.

To this day, I have been unable to find out who posted that for me. So, today, I thought I'd return the favor.

Stocked with little notes reading, "Be yourself," "You belong," "You're special," and "You are loved," I drove around various neighborhoods, posting them on random doors.

I trust that the Universe had me place them exactly where they needed to be.

Father And Son Bonding

Last night  it was still light out when I returned home from work. My new neighbor and his son were in their favorite place, outside in the yard, playing ball. The young boy always reports to me how many "home runs" he hits and I always clap and cheer for him. These guys are something else. Where you see one of them, the other is not far away. The dad is always engaging the child in conversation, focusing on the child...not talking on a cell phone or walking ahead of the boy so that he has to run to keep up with him. This guy is the real deal. It warms my heart to see a father and son enjoying each other's company like they do.   As they were returning to their upstairs apartment, when the boy out of earshot, I asked the dad if his son had a bike. He said ... Read Full Story >>

Scouts Honor on a Full Flight

My 9-year-old daughter and I were flying from our home in Charlotte, North Carolina, to spend a week with my husband in Miami, Florida. Mike had been in Florida for five months working for an internet start-up company. We were excited about the trip because we had seen him only five times in five months, and Kallie missed her Dad terribly. As usual on the Charlotte-to-Miami flight, the plane was totally full. I had noticed a troop of Boy Scouts at the gate and commented to my daughter that if anything happened, we would be OK with all those Scouts on our flight! Little did I know.... Because we did not get our boarding passes until we arrived at the gate, Kallie and I could not get seats together and were separated by the aisle. That wasn't such a big deal, except that Kallie was nervous about the trip and had counted ... Read Full Story >>

Hospital Cafeteria Kindness

The other day, I wandered into the hospital cafeteria to grab a bite to eat after an appointment.  While having lunch, I spotted this older woman who had bought only a small amount of french fries.

She sat by herself and ate. Then, I overheard her ask the young lady at the cash register how much it would cost to buy a drink. The cashier informed her that they were different prices, depending on what she wanted.

Upon hearing this, the woman walked back to the beverages to pick one out. While she had her back turned, I snuck up to the cashier and paid for her drink. All I asked was for her to tell the woman it had been paid for, and to wish her a Happy New Year. 

Later on, while walking to the elevator, I spotted the same woman and said hello. She had the biggest smile on her face as she greeted me.
It just felt good. :)

It Started With A New Coat For A Homeless Man

It started 4 years ago. My wife would see a homeless man near where she works. It was the week before Christmas and she said she wanted to buy him a new coat. His was torn and very old. We don't have a lot of money; really we are a step away from being homeless ourselves most months but we try to help when we can. We talked and found a way to get some money together to buy him a coat. I thought since we are giving him a coat let's look at what else he might need. We brainstormed and decided to fill a backpack with useful things, a toothbrush, soap, wash clothes, a hat, gloves, deodorant, razor, some food, etc. and a small gift and Christmas card. A few days later, a check came in the mail. It was completely unexpected. A merchandising company I work for was sued ... Read Full Story >>

My Children Lift A Heavy Heart

My son, daughter, and I have been trying to write to people in our family and friends who are going through difficult times.  So, recently we decided to make personal note cards for this purpose.  My children sat down immediately and wrote to my brother with cancer, my sister with a sick husband, and an elderly friend living in a nursing center.   I was so proud of them for being so thoughtful! Then, my son went out of the room and I heard a lot of whispering between my daughter and him.  Well, my sister was over and had mentioned that a very close friend of hers (an elderly lady battling breast cancer) was having a birthday.  Knowing that she loves angels, he and my daughter found a beautiful picture of an angel online, they printed it out, and he made her a gorgeous birthday card to cheer her day. ... Read Full Story >>

I See You

She sat in my class. A teenage girl. All the girls had grouped their desks but hers sat in isolation. I reformed groups and ensured that she never sat alone. I encouraged group ethos and it worked well. In this country, girls love to bring flowers and gifts for each other. Not Amani though. She had no friends to either give to or receive from. She has special needs and her communication level is low especially in English (I am teaching in the Middle East). Watching her face and it's lack of emotion pulled so hard at my heartstrings. Seeing her walk about alone during recreation was painful for me. What could I do? I couldn't be her classmate, I was her teacher. Despite this, I had to reach out. On the last day before school broke up at the end of term I brought a gift for Amani. It was a very generous gift ... Read Full Story >>

A Blanket of Sisterhood

I have been doing what I can to look out for someone who lives close inside my heart though the daily lives we experience are quite far apart .  In my home, I wake up to a fresh morning, experiencing the luxury and warmth of the comfort of my own bed laden with a floral quilt that my grandmother once made for me. On the opposite coast of the country, within the confines of the lonely hospital walls, my sister rests often unpeacefully and in pain on a cold and firm plaster white sterilized bed. A cancer inside her is spreading despite a recent mastectomy and three months of intense chemotherapy. Radiation was not a possibility for her and now this condition has seeped into her skull and spine. The comforter which I grip so tightly begins to unravel in my hand and the texture of the fabric begins to soil, as I feel a piece of me lying there with her in the hospital room.  In order to keep myself from crumbling, I began to send blessing blankets, little toy angels, and a book of ... Read Full Story >>

Helping A Mom Get To Her Destination.

This PM while I was waiting for the Pre-K parents to come visit the Kindergarten classes a young mother came into the school office. She took the bus but got off at the wrong stop and the school building - she needed to go to  Head Start, about two miles away. She was carrying a baby and she had a 3 year old with her too. She was asking for directions on how to get to the other place on foot, Today was a cold blustery day and I could not see her walking that far with her children. The afternoon parents were not showing up and it was already well past the time they needed to be there, so I told this mom I would give her a ride. My colleague who was helping me during the afternoon session, volunteered to take this mom herself in case parents would still show ... Read Full Story >>

Secret Santa with a Difference

This will be the second year at our company when we do a Secret Santa exchange that makes a difference.

As with the usual gift exchange we all pull a name out of a hat and purchase a gift for that individual. The difference is that we envision our recipient as a child & choose a gift the child would enjoy. After we have all opened our gifts & gotten a good laugh, we collect up the toys and take them to one of the many Christmas toy drives in our city.

This is such a great way to have some fun together & make a difference in the lives of needy children during Christmas.

Feeding the homeless with my daughters

I am so appreciating my daughters today and all that we learned while we were growing TOGETHER. I am especially grateful for the activities that revolved around kindness and brought joy to us at the same time. At one time we decided to bake bread for the homeless community on the beach near our home. We took 2 days during each week to bake mini loaves of bread and also took cheese of each person. As this project went on (eventually for more than two years) one of my daughters started having short conversations with each person she gave bread to. Eventually we brought some playing cards and checkers and played with some of the people, too. Soon several of our friends got involved and we began to make full lunches once a week for this community. Years later when I would see one of the previous free lunch recipients, they would come ... Read Full Story >>

Reflections from a Giver

While driving, today I passed a man holding a sign, begging for donations. I had two dollars in my wallet. I decided I wasn't going to give because money is so tight right now. Then, it felt wrong of me not to give, so I decided to give him half of what I had. I rolled down my window and handed him one dollar. He said, "God Bless You!" and I said, "You too." It was not a full exchange. As I drove away, I wished I spoken more to him, and I wished I had given him all that I had, but instead I was too afraid to give more of myself. Driving home I wondered if I had neglected a powerful universal law, the law of giving from my heart instead of my head, a law that perhaps creates boomerangs of abundance?! By not giving it all from my heart, perhaps ... Read Full Story >>