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Hand in Hand on a Stormy Night

The train was not working that night as I was heading home.  I had to catch a bus and 2 hours later was dropped off in the middle of the town I was staying in.  The ice storm froze the ground and it was very difficult to walk.  I asked three people for directions, but they were too hurried to help.

Then I saw an old lady holding onto the corner post with her packages, afraid to move.  I asked her where she was going and it was at least 3  miles away.  I tried to find a cab or police car but I was told they do not stop in this neighborhood.

So, we proceeded to walk along, holding onto each other for dear life.  The roads were layered with a sheet of ice.  Then and there I decided that I could not leave this old lady alone like this.  So, I decided to walk her home, hand in hand, for a good 2 hours.  Later that evening, I finally reached my destination  wet and exhausted but filled with joy and love for life.

Taco Cabana

I was at Taco Cabana looking at the menu while drinking an iced tea to cool off from a long day of running errands.  I was trying to decide what to feed my family that evening.   An elderly woman was struggling with the door so I opened the door.  She was frail and a little confused with the menu.  After a long time ordering and many questions she pulled out her coin purse to pay.  She had to take an item off to pay as she was short the funds.  I told the cashier (without her hearing) to tell her that her order was on the house and I would pay.  The look on her face was priceless as he told her someone anonymously treated her to lunch.  While they filled her order, I had them add a second meal, 2 desserts, a smile card, and a gift card to her bag ... Read Full Story >>

Learning to live and trust

Since I was a kid I liked to be left alone with my own thoughts, I was always wondering around, I was a day dreamer: not an action girl - I rather be painting or just playing with my dolls or legos. Then school came and I was "forced" to know others kids, to learn how to get along, and sometimes It was a very hard issue to me. I took very seriously every harsh and bullying event towards myself and that made me to grow up with less and less hope in humanity. I became a very shy girl with huge dreams, and very large fear of others.I always thought I was meant to be alone: and I was prepared to be later in life got engaged and moved in with my beloved. I've completed my studies, after 15 years we had a baby. But even now, in my gut I don't ... Read Full Story >>

The woman who went up a mountain and came down different

I've suffered with crippling social anxiety and anger issues as long as I can remember. I never directed the anger externally but had a habit of being (retrospectivly) vile to myself. A couple of years ago I came up with what I thought was a cunning plan of positivity: every time I became irrationally angry about something I couldn't change, I'd do a random act of charity. Things like loosing money or not getting a promotion saw me donating goods to our local food Bank. At the start of this month myself and my partner went on our first holiday in years. Just a week in Tenerife but at risk of sounding dramatic, a life changing week. We climbed Mt. Teide and as I stood at the top soaking in my first taste of high altitude, something in my brain burst. Be it a life changing experience or a neuron dying through ... Read Full Story >>

I Love Gratitude

Yesterday I donated some unwanted items to Habitat for Humanity where the items will be restored and sold. As I was carrying the items downstairs I thought about when I was a child. Roll back 50 years.. I grew up in a very poor area. We lived in a terraced house, two bedrooms and 8 children, yes no typos, 2 bedrooms and 8 children, 9 years between the youngest and the eldest. The dining room was converted into a bedroom. Still they were cramped conditions but we knew no different. Money was scarce and my mum never was in a position to donate to charity, we lived in survival mode. One pair of shoes each and in fact I vividly remember going to Mass and not wanting to kneel down for Communion because there were holes in my shoes. I was no different from the rest of my family in that ... Read Full Story >>

A Sprinkle of Love, by Mail

I have come up with an idea that i thought i would share. I am going to start to sending letters, post cards and small things through the mail to my grandmother. One each day. She has not been feeling well lately and I thought this would cheer her up a bit. I am thinking of doing it with other people as well so each week I will pick a new person to shower with encouraging word, thoughts, and love!

Just wanted to share it! You are all an inspiration to me thanks!!

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 >>

Kindness reverted by greater kindness

It is raining very heavily and roads are flooded. I know an elderly couple who stay in a tent made of plastic sheets. The old man begs and old lady cooks from whatever he gets home. I thought about their plight and went to their tent carrying some food with me. they both gratefully accepted it.

The old lady asked me, "How did you come in such rains? Are you alright?" I was touched by her concern for me when she and her family are in such danger and facing hunger. Later my friends and I went with supplies to last them for sometime in case rain does not stop. 

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 >>

Meet Them Where They Live

It was a bad time for me. I was low emotionally and tired physically. Probably because of this I hadn't shaved for a few days. Also, because I had been doing some repairs at my daughter's house, I was dressed quite scruffily. Boarding the bus to go home I saw it was almost full so I found a rail to lean against. That's when a young woman, sitting with her child, stood up and offered me her seat. 'Wow!' I thought. Out loud I said, "Do I look that old and tired?" She replied, "You look like you've had a tough day." I thanked her sincerely and stayed standing. A moment later a man rose from his seat at the back of the bus and made his way towards me, squeezing past several people on the way. Then he told me about his addiction problems, asked my advice, and just chatted about ... Read Full Story >>

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 >>

Jaw dropper!

Tonight two friends and I were out to dinner at a sushi restaurant one town over from ours. We were enjoying each others company, laughing, and catching up from the week we hadn't seen each other.

We had finished our dinner and were waiting for the waitress to bring over our bill so we could pay. It seemed to be taking longer than normal, but we didn't mind.

All of the sudden, our waitress came over to us and handed us this smile card. She then told us a random man paid for our entire bill as a random act of kindness. We were speechless and our jaws dropped. This random act of kindness made our entire week and inspired us to go do random acts of kindness we should be doing on a weekly basis.

There are good people in the world, we just have to open our eyes to them. If you receive this card, pass on the act of kindness. You never know how big you can impact someone else's life by doing a small act, be the good in the world.

A Charity Shop Pram

  A few weeks ago an anonymous Smile Groups friend gifted me £100 to do good deeds with. Since then I have used the money in the U.K. and the U.S. It has helped family and strangers, and generally raised a lot of smiles.   They have warmed my heart, but none so much as the gift I was able to give just an hour ago.   I was in a charity (goodwill) shop looking at the second hand books. It just so happened that the book shelves were next to the toy section.   After a few minutes I became aware of a group of women standing behind me. They were poorly dressed and spoke in what sounded like an eastern European language.   As they looked through the clothes rails a little girl, about three years old, came over to the toy section. Imediately her attention was caught by a toy pram.   What is it about little girls ... Read Full Story >>

A Bed Of Clouds

I saw a tired and dirty man struggling to walk in the heat of the day. I pulled over and offered him a ride. 

He said he was trying to get to the bank to pay in a dollar someone had given him. It seemed he had a lot of medical expenses he was trying to pay. So I gave him a ride to the bank and waited outside for him.

He was surprised I was still there. I asked if he wanted to come to my house for a shower and a meal. He was delighted to accept.

He showered, put on some of my husband's clothes, and ate some of my leftovers. (He didn't finish them because he wasn't used to eating so much.) Then I offered him the chance to take a nap in my spare room while I washed and dried his clothes. 

He crawled into the bed and let out a load moan. I asked what was wrong and he said he had never felt anything so soft. He said it felt like he was laying on a cloud.

He slept for about two hours. Then he got dressed again in his freshly laundered clothes.

He told me more of his story and I offered more help. He refused, thanked me, and went on his way.

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 >>

Gratitude for a "Glimpse of Hope"

I want to stop and tell you all how amazing you are. I have been reading some of your stories and I am in tears now -- good tears though. I have been through so much and things are so hard for me right now. I have just recently freed myself and my children from a really bad marriage.  He is currently in jail for domestic violence and attempted murder,  If that says anything.

Living this life of violence and abuse for so long, I thought when I left him that things would be so much easier, that everything would fall into place. I never expected things to be so hard. I have been looking around for some inspiration and something to distract me from the struggle I have been going through with starting over and I stumbled across this website.

It is nice to see that kind-hearted people are still out there. It is so nice to see that there are people out there who still care about others. I was losing hope in all of humanity, so thank you for showing me people still care. I really needed that little glimpse of hope. Thank you for helping me stop and breathe. 

Anything Helps: A Father, A Brother, And Me

Today, I was rushing to an appointment and I passed a man sitting on the sidewalk, leaning against a building, holding a cardboard sign over his head. As I sped-walked past him, I glanced at the sign-- it read "Anything Helps" in thin, blue ink. You could barely read it if you weren't looking closely. There are many homeless people in the city where I live, and I've recently noticed how, when I first moved to this city a decade ago, I'd stop and do whatever I could each time I passed by someone in need, whereas now, I walk right by and avoid interacting as much as possible. I've been wondering why that is. Have I gotten busier? More cautious and jaded over time? Even though I know a human being is a human being, no matter what mental state or social status they carry, or how much or little money ... Read Full Story >>

Giving a Stranger Some Hope

My ex-husband gives me money to help me pay-off a joint credit card we had when we were married. Since he doesn't have good enough credit to have a bank account, he gives me $500 in cash every month. 

Once when I was returning from his place with the cash, a woman at the corner held up a sign that simply said HUNGRY.  Where I work, there are the same few panhandlers every day, but this was in a residential part of town and it was starting to snow.  I rolled my window down and passed her a bill.  She started to mumble thanks, but then smiels as she noticed it was a twenty.  I said she could get a nice hot breakfast a block away at the pancake house.

Twenty bucks isn't going to pay off my debt any sooner and maybe it will give a stranger strength and hope to go on.

"You Raised A Wonderful Child, Mom."

I feel like I am always either at school, sports practice or a game, so I have to find different ways to do little acts of kindness.     My good friend and co-worker has a mom dealing with cancer who is living with her during treatment. I decided to send this mom - whom I've never met - a card thanking her for raising such a wonderful person. I told how her daughter was such being a good listener, someone who I can share my troubles with, and someone who makes me laugh.   I was a little uneasy about it afterwards and wondered if my friend would think it strange.     Tonight while sitting at basketball practice I received a text from my friend. She wanted to tell me that the card I sent her mom was one of the most beautiful things she had ever read and how lucky she was to ... Read Full Story >>

Shine Brighter

Dealing with the gal at the front desk at the doctor's office is sometimes less than pleasant. She can be quite off-putting and not at all welcoming. It can make a stressful time even more stressful. 

So, today, when we walked in the office, we were determined not to allow our light to be dimmed by her energy. We smiled at her and complimented her about the flowers on her desk. She smiled and chatted back.

We just need to shine brighter instead of being "reactive". Perhaps she's doing the best she can. We needed to be less reactive to her and more compassionate. We give away our power when we allow ourselves to be reactive.