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Doing Something Good for 40 Days

Usually for Lent, I give up chocolate or coffee or something like that. This year, I decided that instead of giving something up, I would do something good each day for the 40 days of Lent.  I came up with an idea someone once mentioned on this website. 

I bought two boxes of note cards and each day I am sending a card through "Snail Mail" to someone with a little quote and a short story in it along with a SMILE CARD. 

I come in contact with many parents at my job (I work at a school) and lots of them could surely use some encouragement and kind words.  I hope this puts some smiles on their faces.

The Power of a Simple Compliment

Yesterday I went to our local grocery store. I often go to their deli counter, and I understand that it can get a little hectic for the workers.  So normally none of them ever take the time to smile or seem overly friendly.  But yesterday it was completely different.  I was pleasantly surprised to be greeted with a very welcoming smile by the young man behind the counter.  He never sighed heavily or slumped back and forth (like some of the workers do) like he didn't want to be there.  He was all by himself and quite a long line.  But not once did he act concerned about it.  He just did his job efficiently and acted very kind the entire time. I was so impressed that I approached the manager, who was working nearby.  I explained to her that I often visit the deli counter and I have never been ... Read Full Story >>

First Thank You in 50 Years

In my keynote speeches and workshops, Care is an acronym I use for the elements of a caring, creative, joyful workplace and home.  The “A” in CARE stands for “Appreciation for ALL.”  As I speak about appreciation, I use this quote by Albert Schweitzer: "Sometimes our light goes, out but is blown again into a flame by an encounter with another human being. Each of us owes the deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this inner light."   Then I ask my audiences to please shut their eyes and think about someone, who at some time in their lives, has rekindled their inner light. I leave the room in silence for several minutes, and it is always a profound experience as they remember the Joy they received from being appreciated by someone when they needed it the most.  Afterwards, I ask them to write down the name of the person they thought ... Read Full Story >>

The Blessing Of Losing My Iphone

I am shopping in the local farmers market in San Isidro, Costa Rica on a sunny Thursday morning.  I love this market it is, I believe, the second largest in the country. The selection of produce is exceptional! I dropped my car off earlier a few blocks away at Firestone to get my oil changed. An hour into my shopping after collecting all my organic produce, I reached in my purse for my phone. I dig around searching and searching.... no phone!! At first I feel the butterflies in my stomach as I think since the zipper was not zipped on my bag that perhaps my phone fell out or got picked up by wondering hands. I quickly reigned in my thoughts. It is only a phone. I know that my thoughts effect my physical state of being. If the phone was gone then so be it, all is well. It can ... Read Full Story >>

The True 7 Wonders Of The World

Junior high school students in Chicago were studying the Seven Wonders of the World. At the end of the lesson, the students were asked to list what they considered to be the Seven Wonders of the World. Though there was some disagreement, the following received the most votes: 1. Egypt's Great Pyramids 2. The Taj Mahal in India 3. The Grand Canyon in Arizona 4. The Panama Canal 5. The Empire State Building 6. St. Peter's Basilica 7. China's Great Wall While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student, a quiet girl, hadn't turned in her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The quiet girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there were so many." The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help." The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the Seven Wonders of the World ... Read Full Story >>

Releasing Books Into the Wild

Most of you probably know about bookcrossing - an online community working towards making the world a library.  Well I have been a member since the beginning of the year and have released about 15 books into the wild (that's were you leave a book somewhere as a random gift for the person who finds it).  Today was the first time that someone actually registered that they had found one of my books and her message was a great reminder of the power of simple random acts of kindness.

The young women who found it was off to the doctors and so the book not only kept her company and took her mind off her troubles while she was waiting for the doctor and on her trip home but put a great big smile on her face!

Imagine how you would feel finding a free book when you were feeling a little down and in need of something to take your mind off things...so get those books off your shelf where they are gathering dust and out into the hands of people who will enjoy them as much as you have!

World Kindness Week Day 2 - Alvin, The School Bus Driver

I took the bus to school every day when I was in grade school. Alvin, our bus driver, came by every morning at 8:00 to pick us up.   We were lower income families. My parents barely made ends meet for them and five of us kids.   Alvin picked up around twenty kids in our area and dropped us off after school. About once a month he would make a stop at the local drive-in. Someone would come out and ask each of us if we wanted an ice cream or a drink. Alvin would pay for the whole bus out of his own pocket.  The kindness that he showed was amazing.  We didn't get treats like that too often and they are fondly remembered.     I remember him picking us up at the end of the school year and taking us to his home for a barn dance. He would provide drinks and ... Read Full Story >>

Bubble Gum Tag-Back

I am a mom of two young children whom we home-school. This means that they are with me almost constantly.   Whenever possible I will perform random acts of kindness; simple things like paying for the order behind me in the drive-thru lane, holding doors, etc. So, they are very familiar with the concept and are, of course, encouraged to also do "nice" things for others. Just a few days ago we stopped by our local grocery store to pick up a few things which quickly turned into an entire cart load of stuff. We got into one of the two open checkout lanes and waited our turn. While waiting a young man came up behind us with only a few items in his basket. I told him to go ahead of us as we were in no hurry.   He seemed very pleasantly surprised and graciously accepted. As he began putting his ... Read Full Story >>

Adding the Home Made Touch to Smile Cards

I have for sometime been wanting to make some homemade smile cards because I wanted to add a homemade touch to them. So a couple days ago I started pulling out some crafting supplies, and I got really excited and started challenging myself to come up with Ideas. I wanted a special handcrafted series of smile cards I could give out, and that someone could see how special these are, especially because it makes you smile just doing it! My 7 year-old, Dale, and his friend Nic wanted to do some cards, so I precut a bunch of cards a bit larger than the smile cards and we designed camp scenes (Dale's idea) with small colorful plastic racoon embellishment, and dragon fly on one card, and on another with a plastic smiley flower, and honey bee, with hand drawn scenery by me, and the kids glueing diferent textures & colors. The following day another girl from Dale's class showed up and wanted to make smile cards, ... Read Full Story >>

Visiting The Orphanage

My aunt  took me to visit the local orphanage and I spent some time with the children. I couldn't sleep that night for thinking about them.
 
I have made up my mind to do something for them. I would like to go there every month and spend some time with them. 
 
I went back there on my birthday, distributed sweets and spent some time with them. The last time I had gone there they asked me my name and they talked very well. A month later, on my birthday visit, they remembered my name which really amazed me.

They prayed for me that day and I cried like anything. They don't know much about me but their concern made me feel very cared for.  We have many things from children. I am glad I got to give a little back by helping the orphanage. 

Baby Ezra, The Christening and The Kind Tailor

This is baby Ezra. He is getting christened on Sunday. I know he will look beautiful on the day but he won't be the only well turned out guy in the family. His great grandfather is in a nursing home and has Alzheimers. Grandad is getting out to attend the church christening. Nanny has ordered him a new suit. Even though grandad will only be at the church service his loyal wife who is 88 years of age insists he is well groomed. She has got a tailor to come to the nursing home and measure grandad, he will be suited and booted, no stone unturned. Today she told me that the tailor called. Being in the nursing home and seeing the patients left a lasting impression on him. He has only charged my mother in law 50% of the full cost, what a kind man. He also told her she was ... Read Full Story >>

Giving is receiving

"You take debit, don't you?" the customer ahead of me in line at the thrift store asked, as her purchases were totaled. Since it's a new location for "Hope's Attic" (don't you just love that name?), they hadn't gotten all the nuances of different payment methods sorted out yet. The two women were together, and honestly, looked like they led challenging hard-working lives. Only had a few dollars cash between them. "Do you mind if I pay the balance?" I inquired. "Oh, no, that's okay...". "Please, I'd like to, if it's alright, with you..." And then, we looked into each other's eyes, smiled and she agreed. Had a small discussion about how giving is really like receiving; how sometimes we are the giver and sometimes the receiver. Even the cashier got into the conversation, "That's about the nicest thing I've ever seen in here! And we see a lot of great stuff." Gave everyone a Smile card and ... Read Full Story >>

Humanizing The Homeless

Recently I invited a homeless man to have lunch with me at the Soup Plantation so that he could eat as much as he wanted to fill his tummy. I met him over the phone when I was calling Father Benno’s, a soup kitchen. Something within me stirred to invite him to lunch. Since he did not have a car, I offered to pick him up. We had a wonderful four-hour lunch. I learned a lot about his struggles but more importantly, I left lunch feeling a greater gratitude for a roof over my head, warm shower, comfortable bed, and food on the table – all of which we may not think twice about. He, too, enjoyed the connection, his lunch, and a rest from spending his afternoon on the streets. I learned long ago that one person alone cannot solve the homeless epidemic in California or the U.S.; however, each person ... Read Full Story >>

Mother and Daughter Spend the Day Caring for Vulnerable Dogs and Cats

My 15 year old daughter is my inspiration. Last year she and I rescued several hurt street puppies and we had the stray momma dog vaccinated and neutered by a local animal rescue here in Mumbai, India where we live as expats. We have been meaning to go volunteer at the shelter ever since. I was recently feeling the nudge to serve more, so I scheduled a Saturday visit. My daughter had social invites and was torn, but she also felt the nudge to visit the shelter so planned to go join her friends later in the day. We piled up old blankets, sheets and pillows to take along and donate. On arriving and touring we encountered 500 dogs and 200 cats being cared for at this shelter. After the tour we served meals and gave snuggles to the puppies in the sick/injured puppy ward. We held and comforted those who would clearly ... Read Full Story >>

School Friends Step-Up The Generosity

My friend and I had an assignment for one of our classes to do a random act of kindness and write and essay about the experience. We were inspired to take  the assignment even farther and turned it in to a kindness project to recognise people who serve our community. We scoped out a number of places where people serve the community in our town.  Then we baked (and baked) for 6 hours: cookies, cakes, cupcakes, pies, and brownies.  When we were done baking, we began dropping them off.  We went to two fire-stations, a hospital, the post office, the police department, and we even chased down some bus drivers for three blocks :) Everyone's reactions were just amazing. The bus drivers hugged us and were on the verge of tears. Everybody was so thankful when it was us thanking them for what they do.  Policemen and women, doctors, nurses, bus drivers, firefighters - these are the people who ... Read Full Story >>

Finding a wallet in a Ferry to Cape Cod

About 2 weeks ago, my husband and I went to meet with our Bostonian daughter in Provincetown, Cape Cod. When we took her to the ferry to go home, I found a wallet, filled with credit cards, driver's license and cash. I looked at the license photo to see if the person was in the line for the ferry, but no luck. My husband suggested that I leave the wallet with the dock master, but I was apprehensive. We then went to a nearby post office and mailed the wallet back to the owner (with my return address on the label). My joy came yesterday when I received a card from the owner, thanking me for my thoughtfulness and wishing me blessings.

A First Class Delivery of Generosity

I was recently at the Post Office. I walked in and saw the line, it was all the way to the door. Normally, I would have come back later but a voice in my head told me to just be patient and it would go quickly. I got in line and was immediately drawn to a conversation at a side counter between a Japanese woman and a postal worker. There was frustration in the clerk's voice as he said, "You'll either need to come up with the cash or find a card that works." She was trying to use the same card several times and was obviously distraught. I wondered how much cash she needed and then  heard the man say, " Look, you need $16.34 in cash or a debit card that works." I couldn't resist and pulled $17 from my wallet and placed it in front of the woman ... Read Full Story >>

Renewing My Father's Smile

Last Sunday I visited my parents as I do every Sunday. My 84 year old Dad seemed unusually worried, so I asked him if anything was the matter. He silently gave me a letter from his motor insurance company to read. In two sentences they informed him that they would no longer be able to insure his small truck and that he can call the undersigned for further clarification. I told him not to worry and that I would take care of the matter.  The next day I called the undersigned to get clarification. To sum it up, it did not matter to the insurance company that my Dad spent 50 years paying the premium, but what mattered was that in his first accident (last August) the company had to fork out € 8,942. From then on for three days I visited or phoned almost every broker or insurance company to try and ... Read Full Story >>

How small acts of kindness can inspire others give back

Reading the acts of kindness here always inspire me but I have had a hard time finding people to anonymously help. So, I decided to volunteer with the Salvation Army for this very specific program they have called "Ministere de la Rue." It's basically a soup kitchen on wheels.     Yesterday was my first day and there were about sixty people waiting in line in the cold. They waited for about 30-40 minutes in order to get a bag that contained a box of cakes, a couple of sandwiches, half a baguette, a bowl of soup, and a cup of coffee or juice.    They were all obviously very appreciative of the Salvation Army food truck. Some waited an extra long time until everyone got a bag, in the hope that they might get a second bag. They call it the "second serving."   There was a very old and tiny woman there who got ... Read Full Story >>

A Stolen Trombone and the Necessary Kindness

A couple of months back, my son Shine had his trombone stolen from our car. Very sad. We learned a lot. We were angry. We were disappointed, then we moved through that and learned and felt compassion for the person who stole it. We also learned that telling friends about our sadness connects us, and makes it feel, well -- less icky. We received sweet messages of condolence all over the world from friends expressing interest, to people chipping in for the next one. Shine received the sweetest letter from a classmate reminding us that although things in life can be sad and painful, kindness is everywhere to be found (and money was included towards the new instrument). And then, another radical act of kindness, a student at a different school heard about the situation and decided he no longer used his trombone (he'd moved on to other instruments) and that he wanted ... Read Full Story >>