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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.

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 >>

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.

Microscopic Actions With Profound Effects

This past fall, my husband and I stopped into the local Aldi for groceries. While checking out, I did my usual practice of responding to the cashier's usual, "How are you today?" with a short but real answer. Then I looked at her and said, "And how are YOU doing?" and waited kindly and expectantly for an answer. She was a little surprised, but then she got rolling. As it turned out, her elderly grandfather was uppermost in her mind as he had been struggling lately and in hospital. Her worry was palpable, despite her brave, "I know he is ninety one, but..." which trailed off into a sad whisper before she caught herself. "If it won't offend you, I will pray for him," I said. "Oh, thank you!" she replied. Well,a grocery run or two later, several weeks or so in the future, we wound up in her line again. After ... Read Full Story >>

A paycheck, a heartfelt gift, and all submerged in love

How would you feel if you gifted your whole month’s paycheck to a friend in need? A) Happy B) Ecstatic C) Fortunate with loads of gratitude D) Submerged in love E) All of the above The answer is E-- at least that's how she felt when she handed a small envelope to her friend. In it, contained her month's earnings as well as a note saying how much she appreciates her friendship, and this small gift is a way to show her that she is loved and cared. This lovely soul happens to be my sister. When she joined a choir, she met a woman in her early thirties, who works day and night, teaching piano and music theory to many students. This woman receives little moral support or help from her family. She is also in school to pursue her own career in music. To make ends meet, she works several jobs, all seven days of the week. ... Read Full Story >>

3 Bunches of Flowers

I was at the store yesterday and bought some lovely flowers. One bunch for me, one bunch to thank a friend for welcoming me into the community that I have just moved to, and ibe for a stranger. I left the store, bought some beautiful wrapping paper, wrapped two of the bunches and as I strolled through the mall, a lovely old couple were walking the other way hand in hand. I noticed on the lady's badge the words "school cleaner", so I walked to her and presented her with one of the bunches of flowers.

I said, "These are for you, have a wonderful day!", smiled and kept walking. I did glance back for a moment only to see her filled with joy looking at the flowers and smiling with her husband. I felt so happy I almost cried! So wonderful to give daily. Great for you and the recipient. I hope I made her afternoon. Have a beautiful day.

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 >>

When Kindness Comes Back Around

Perhaps forty years ago Sadie left her drunk and violent husband. Needing shelter for herself and her young son she took a job as a warden in a housing project for elderly people. It meant she could live "on site" in one of the flats. Eventually, she got to know the residents. One resident, Archie, didn't have a family of his own but his nephew's wife and her kids would pop in from time to time. The nephew's wife was there to help the old guy but the kids were probably more of a nuisance than anything else. Still, they would visit and Archie would give them a few pennies for sweets whenever he could. Sadie helped care for Archie as he battled illness and it was she who called the doctor who diagnosed his terminal cancer. She remembers him fondly as a sweet old man. Time passed. Sadie's son grew up, got ... 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!

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 >>

80 Rupees of Kindness Goes a Long Way

"I'm the eldest among us, so you have to let me pay for these tickets!  Besides, just one ticket in the States cost more than all three tonight!!" My cousin's wallet hand was faster than mine, pulling out Rs. 520 for three opening night seats to 'Angels and Demons' before I could make good on my intention. "Naaah!  Come on- don't worry about it," came the answer. "Ok, but then we have to use this 500 rupees to do something good," I say as I pull out a crisp note. We immediately start trying to figure it out while slowly walking away from the theater.  I spot an ice cream vendor selling 10 rupees soft serves not far from us. "Hey, what about ice cream!  We could give 50 strangers a cool surprise with this bill.  Just random people walking by." "NO!  Why?!  We should give to someone in need," protested one of my cousins, with ... 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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

A Slice of Generosity

We took the kids for dinner at Pizza Express. There was a very friendly lady dining alone at the next table who clearly had special needs. When the time came for her to pay the bill, her bank card was declined. The waitress told to her, in a very kind way, that there was a problem but that she would call her manager for help. Jeremy, my husband,  immediately leapt up and told the waiting staff that we would pay for the lady's meal. However, when the manager arrived, he explained to the lady that she couldn't use her bank card to pay, but that there was no need to worry. Pizza Express authorizes the restaurant to give away two free meals per month.  On this occasion, they would like to provide her with a free meal. She was extremely grateful and apologetic that she had been unable to pay.  We ... Read Full Story >>

The Best Gifts Of All

Last weekend I was out walking with my dog. She loves poking around investigating everything and loves seeing other folks we meet. So it becomes more a social walk rather than an exercise. This day we ran into our neighbor who was preparing to sell her home. She was busy getting ready for her 'open house' that afternoon.  After talking a little bit we went our separate ways. I could tell it was a stressful day for her. After I got home I quickly cut some of the fabulous lavender in my garden.  Gosh, it smelled good and the purple flowers were so pretty.  I wrapped some tissue paper around the bunch and brought it to my neighbor for her open house. I loved her expression when she saw me there with the bouquet of lavender! It completely made my day. It  made her stop and take a big deep breath and maybe reduced her stress for a second. The next ... Read Full Story >>