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Helping Out A Mother In Need

Today while I was at work, a friend of mine came in my office, closed the door and starting weeping uncontrollably. It seems her ex-husband had hurt her daughter. The daughter mentioned it to a teacher and it got reported to child services! My friend is down on her luck, and lives pay check to pay check and no credit cards. We have had  a tough winter and heating bills are piling up and the cupboards are almost bare! It seems the child protective services will be making visits to both houses/ hers and ex-husbands. She was crying because there was leak in her  ceiling and not much food in the house....and she was afraid they would think she was unfit.  I tried to talk to her and calm her down and tell her that her house is clean and neat, she didn't hurt her daughter, so please don't worry.   ... Read Full Story >>

The Girl At The Bus Station

Last Friday was a cold day, and the bus was due to come in about 15 minutes. Sometimes I am ok waiting but not this day, so I went to the nearby convenience store and came back to the station where a  junior high school girl was still there,  waiting for the bus too. I gave her one of the two warm cocoa cans I bought and we had a little talk while warming our hands with the hot cocoa. She is to have her high school entrance exam in a week so I told her a few encouraging words. I left her happy,  she thanked me and told me she wished to see me again. I smiled and thanked her very gratefully, nodding yes, the bus had already stopped and I had to hurry away.  We may never see each other again but I am grateful to her for saying "wish I could meet ... Read Full Story >>

Doing Good In The Garden

My mother in law was telling me about her neighbour. Doris is 79 years old and lives by herself since her husband passed away last year. 

A Classroom's Kind Acts Campaign

I am a teacher in an urban school and many of our students have a very difficult life. You can see and hear it in their voices. I've been working with many of them on becoming more giving of themselves without expecting anything in return -- kindness. I think it is working.

I have several former students who have come back to tell me that they want to help in my next community project or bring kindness ideas of their own that they want to do. I never tell them no and watching their smiles is all I need in payment. We have painted murals, collected items for shelters, planted flowers and read to the elderly.

Now, we are expanding it to every part of our lives. The students are going to make a committment to do acts of kindness. We will start with 2 a week and build on it. It is called our Kind Acts Campaign. I look forward to posting many stories about my students in the coming months for all you to enjoy.

The Excitement of 'Pay It Forward'

I have been sending out smile cards with little gifts around my work place for about six months. Since I place the gifts in our interoffice mailbox, I never know who gets them or see their reactions. As I place gifts in the mail box I imagine people's reactions and it makes me happy to know that maybe I am making someone's day a little brighter.

Today I got to witness the reaction. Apparently, one of the little gifts I left in the mailbox this morning made it's way to a co-worker of mine. Today's gifts was a little cloth kleenex holder than you can leave in your purse and a yarn flower bag tag, so my co-worker, a guy, passed it along to another female co-worker. I heard them talking as they figured out what it was and why they had received it , and the whole concept of "paying forward." I later heard her talking and brainstorming on what she would like to do. It was exciting to hear others get excited about the "pay it forward" concept and hear their ideas.

A Christmas Tradition of Spreading Warmth

Two days before Christmas I was out in town finishing all the last minute shopping and I had not noticed it was pretty late and was closing time for all the shops. I hailed a taxi and piled in all the bags of shopping and presents and was on my way home. I looked out of the window and saw that many homeless people were settling down on the empty pavements in the cold night with very little to cover themselves and keep them warm. I had a sudden idea. The day I went to the shops and bought as many blankets and and quilts which were on sale and in the evening after business time set out in my car along the same route I had seen the homeless people on the pavement the previous night. I found several of them in the same spot. Most of them were curled ... Read Full Story >>

Passing Forward The Kindness I Recived Many Years Ago

Many years ago while waiting in a long queue at a busy check in counter in an airport I passed out. I had rushed to the airport on an empty stomach. I have never forgotten the kindness of two strangers who picked me up stayed with me until I regained consciousness and gave me a hot drink that they had bought from the cafeteria. Having made sure I was OK they rushed off because their fight was already boarding. Yesterday I had some way of paying it forward. I went with some colleagues from my office for a dinner to a local very popular restaurant. It was peak business time and the restaurant was packed. We finally found a table in a corner for three of us. It was so crowded that the cleaning boy was just clearing our table as we were sitting down, while the waitress apologized for all the ... Read Full Story >>

Hospital Cheer

I dropped off two cheer-up gift bags (socks, bottled water, puzzle books, hand cream, lip balm...) and 15 packs that had tissues, toothbrushes, toothpaste, travel size shampoo & conditioners, lip balm, lotion... To my local hospital.

The lovely nurses gave me a hug, and said "I remember you from last time! We gave out the cheer up bags to patients straight away, and we kept a few in the cupboard. We gave those ones out on Mothers Day to patients without visitors" yay, it was nice to have feedback on how a small thing cheered someone up.

We Belong To Each Other - A Love Story

Yesterday evening, my partner John and I came to see my grandmother at the nursing home where she lives. As we were walking down the hall towards her room, I saw the elder who wears an orange turban. I don’t know him exactly and he doesn’t speak anymore but I always stop and say hello when I see him; I put my hand out and usually he will look at me, lift his hand up and we shake hands; he has the most gentle spirit and strong presence even though he is ½ foot here on earth and 1 ½ in the spirit world. I don’t know much about turbans exactly – from the outside it is a very simple thing- fabric wrapped around the head and yet, I know it is so much more, sacred in fact; his is typically always immaculately placed around his head covering his hair; he ... Read Full Story >>

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.

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 >>

A Gift for a Sleeping Stranger at the Airport

I have always lived in India, and was recently traveling from Mumbai to Jaipur for work. Arriving at the airport early, I was asked to hang out in the waiting lounge where, without much else to do, I decided to check out the gift shop. As I walked around the store, I saw two American women having a nap on a recliner outside. It looked as if they had been at the airport for hours, and I felt compelled to do something to help ease their wait. I looked around the store for a few moments, and ended up purchasing a medium-sized stuffed toy which looked like the cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants (though it was orange instead of the normal yellow). I asked the owner of the shop for a note and a pen and wrote, "When you get up if this makes you smile, it would mean the world to ... Read Full Story >>

Kindness With Wheels On For A Young Girl

My wonderful Aunt Helen Louise recently passed away very unexpectedly. I have been trying to stay positive during this time.  Today was an especially emotional day, so I decided to try and keep myself busy by doing a little 'treasure hunting' at my local Goodwill store. Whilst I was browsing, I saw a young girl trying to ride a bicycle. Her grandmother and grandfather were steadying it for her. Her grandmother was very encouraging and it made me smile to see the look of determination on the little girl's face. I browsed through the racks but didn't find anything I wanted to buy. I was on my way out of the store, when I noticed the bicycle parked at the checkout counter. A light bulb went off right away in my mind, and I asked the clerk if the bicyle had been paid for. She told me that the little girl's grandparents were going to buy it ... Read Full Story >>

Moving Creates An Opportunity To Start Giving

Moving away gave me a chance to reflect on my good fortune and it was a wonderful opportunity to give away some of my things.   I’m not rich, but I decided to make sure that what I have an excess off (thanks to the kindness of wonderful friends and family) is passed on to those who really need it.   Once you start, its amazing how much you can do...   1.     I donated some clothes which were still in pretty good condition, which used to belong to my roomate or me (partly inspired by the story of Goonj posted by 'Anju73').  I spent a good deal of time laundering and ironing them I also added some lavender scents :).   I searched for the right place to give them to.  I could have given it to Habitat which is round the corner, but I checked out a great homeless shelter that I had heard about and gave it to them instead.   I popped ... Read Full Story >>

Gardens Of Art

Our neighbor grows the most amazing gardens! They are real works of art. The beauty she creates spills out even to her neighbor's yards with amazing displays of color. 

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

Cafe of Love

In the early 80's, I was introduced by a homeless lady named Rosie to a little café in Portland, Oregon. I had taken Rosie for coffee or food many times in the months I had known her.  This day she insisted she was taking me to lunch. We walked from the hotel where I worked to a little cafe on Davis Street.  I was franctic, knowing she had no money, and I did not want to hurt her feeling by offering to pay yet again. The cafe was filled with people, all of them smiling, even the workers.  Rosie told me to sit and drink coffee while she worked for her lunch.  After about 20 minutes, she paid for one meal and we sat enjoying the best vegetarian chili and cornbread I had ever eaten.  She explained to me that the café let you work for a meal if you had no money, or would give you ... Read Full Story >>

Special Delivery

I left a package of sunflower seeds in the mailbox this morning with a note to the mail carrier and a "Smile Card". I remember when I was delivering mail and one customer always left a cold drink in the mailbox for me.

When I returned today, with my mail was a thank you note. :)
#AprilRAoK