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Kind Words That Touched a Young Mother

I was on the bus with two of my young children this morning. My daughter was chatting away to me.

When the bus came to its next stop an older lady was getting off. As she passed me, she smiled and said, "You're a good mum."  I thanked her and was a little bit embarassed.

Then, after she got off, tears came into my eyes. It meant so much to me because no one ever really says that -- probably most mum's don't hear that very much!  I'm really grateful to her for taking the time to say it.  Having said all that, I don't know what I was doing that made her want to say it!!

A Home Without Books

I was talking to one of my students yesterday who is the eldest with three younger siblings, she was telling me that the younger two girls now have a repurposed bookshelf in their bedroom.

Their Mum set out their books so that they could easily access them. Through a charity funded scheme in our school each child chooses a book to take home 4x a year, so the girls now had 6 books on their shelf.

I grew up in a book driven home. Some of my best friends were not in the playground, but on a page. The thought of not having that pleasure of the company of a book, mourn and celebrate along with the characters, cry or dance at the end... Or reading the last pages slowly because I dont want the book to end...

My best friend said she will have a look through the abundant bookshelves of her children and donate. Im going to do the same, and keep vigilant at charity shops. Im sure those girls will soon have more than 6 books between them :-)

No Regrets: Living with Dying

[Author Kitty Edwards, left, and Patti Pansa, right] In May 2013, Patti Pansa, a professional engineer and life coach, contacted me to assist her in her journey towards death. She had taken care of all the literal preparations for death: she had spoken to her family members about her wishes for end-of-life care; her last will and testament, advanced health care directives, and medical durable power of attorney were all signed and delivered to the appropriate people; a list of her important accounts with passwords sat in a folder next to her computer. But Patti wanted more. She wanted to leave a legacy for her family and friends. Perhaps most of all, she wanted to discover ways to celebrate life while she still had time. I shared with Patti several articles on the regrets of the dying, chronicling how many regretted working too much, spending too little time with family, or living ... Read Full Story >>

Rice In Chennai Station

I was having something to eat at the central railway station in Chennai when I noticed an old man entering the canteen. He asked the man behind the counter for some food but, as he obviously couldn't pay, none was forthcoming.

So, I indicated to the canteen worker to serve some rice and paid for it without the old man noticing.
 
The old man had the food and left. And I was left with a warm feeling of love and compasion.
 
"It is in giving that one receives." Thank you Saint Francis of Assisi!

The Road To Acts Of Kindness

More than a week ago I decided to do something that I called "A Smile Card a Day Makes the World a Better Place".  I've been doing an act of kindness every single day and giving away Smile Cards with it. Yesterday on my way back home from school I stopped at a restaurant that I always go to. It was almost 10pm and that's when the close. I ordered some takeway food and sat and waited for it to be ready. The girl that took my order was mopping the floor and singing and I have to say she had a very beautiful voice. I started talking to her and told her how beautiful her voice was and I gave her a Smile Card. She loved how the card says 'Smile' on it because another customer calls her "Smiley". I then told her the rules of the Smile Card and she ... Read Full Story >>

Passing On A Gift I Once Received

When I was a child growing up in Togo, life wasn’t easy. I was raised by my mother alone, and there were many days when going to school felt out of reach. But one person — a man with a big heart — changed everything. He decided to support my education, quietly, year after year. That simple act of kindness opened every door in my life. Today, I am a man, a husband, a father, and a communication professional. But more than anything, I carry with me the desire to do for others what was once done for me. So this year, I’ve started a very personal project. I want to help 100 children in my country — many of them being raised by widows or single mothers — go back to school. We’re putting together simple school kits, paying small tuition fees, and above all, giving hope. There is no big organization behind this. Just one person, trying to extend the kindness he once received. Whether or not you believe in fate, I believe that kindness travels — it multiplies, it echoes, and it builds futures. Thank you for reading this. May kindness guide your day, as it continues to guide mine. 💛 — Edouard

Trying Not To Blush On My First Kindness Mission

I have been a member of this site for quite a while and come on everyday while at work to read the stories to cheer me up. However, I had never used a smile card until recently!! I started a new job and was a little bit unnerved by my larger-than-life boss. She told us that she was going in for an operation and I could tell that even though she was acting "normal" that she was really worried underneath. So I thought I would try my first smile card act of kindness with her. Before going out to lunch as we all did, I snuck away from the group and went and bought a really nice box of chocolates for her (as she was quite partial to a nice bit of choccy). Then was the task of getting them into the office and placing them on her desk without anyone noticing it was me!! It ... Read Full Story >>

Valentine's Day Wisdom

Here's a poem that you might enjoy reading:

Coffee With A Professor

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite -- telling them to help themselves to the coffee. When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones.  While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.  The cup itself doesn't add to the quality to the coffee and in some cases even hides what we drink and yet you consciously ... Read Full Story >>

When I First Came ...

When I first came to Kindspring I was recovering from depression and anxiety attacks. KS helped me to see beyond my immediate field of vision, and the inspirational stories of kindness renewed my outlook on life and the world in general. I had come from a period in my life which was pretty much summed up by these words from Tolkien which I read almost daily and often clung onto, Frodo: “I can’t do this, Sam” Sam: “I know. It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end, because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing this ... Read Full Story >>

Picking Up the Tab for Breakfast

After church this Sunday morning, my daughter and I went to a local restaurant for late breakfast.. An older woman was seated next to us at an adjoining booth. What drew my attention is that when she came in and seated herself , she walked straight toward us with a smile, as though she was going to sit with us and knew us, but then turned to her table and took a seat by herself. I thought to myself that I should have invited her to sit with us. When we were done with our food, my daughter and I left our booth (the woman was still seated at her table) and whispered to the waitress to put the woman's breakfast on our tab.   The waitress seemed surprised at what I was doing for a stranger. So I told her of a card I had received the previous day from a complete stranger, ... Read Full Story >>

An Uneven Exchange Late-night

I worked as a waitress for a few months. I was not a great waitress and I worked in a restaurant that served mostly older people who, bless them, haven't learned that 10% is no longer a tip waitresses can live from--let alone a college student packing on 20 hours!

One night, when I was still working two hours after my shift was supposed to finish, all I wanted was for my last table to clear out so I could clean and go home.  My last customer caught me on her way out and asked if I had change for a twenty.  I dug through my apron and turned out my night's earnings... a measly $14.

She smiled at me and said, "That's enough."

My eyes welled up as I made the uneven exchange. "Thank you," I whispered.

I heard her little boy ask why she did that and she explained that I'd had a hard night and she just wanted to help me out.  Not only did her kindness touch my hurried, hassled life, but she also taught her son an important lesson that night.

I don't know her name, but I will always remember her.

A Regular Person's Christmas Compassion

This was written by a Metro Denver Hospice Physician:  I was driving home from a meeting this evening about 5, stuck in traffic on Colorado Blvd., and the car started to choke and splutter and die - I barely managed to coast into a gas station, glad only that I would not be blocking traffic and would have a somewhat warm spot to wait for the tow truck. It wouldn't even turn over. Before I could make the call, I saw a woman walking out of the "quickie mart" building, and it looked like she slipped on some ice and fell into a gas pump, so I got out to see if she was okay.  When I got there, it looked more like she had been overcome by sobs than that she had fallen; she was a young woman who looked really haggard with dark circles under her eyes. She dropped something ... Read Full Story >>

Buddha Doodle Rug for Two

I love how much this place has changed me. As many may know I love Molly and her Buddha doodles and have wanted to purchase a throw rug for sometime.
However the shipping is more than the rug to get it to me in Australia.

So I've asked my sister in law who is currently in the US if she would mind me shipping it to her to bring when she visits in December. She said she would and mentioned her favorite is 'tree of life' when I said I couldn't decide which to get.

So I've decided to buy it for her along with mine. What a nice surprise it will be for her when she receives two, not knowing one is for her ♥

An Surprise Gift

Last week I went to a different grocery store than usual, just to check it out.  The person in front of me at the checkout was pregnant and purchasing a couple of containers of milk.  No big deal, she would be done quickly and I could be on my way.  Her method of payment was a WIC card and it kept telling her that it wasn't working.  A manager came over and told her to come to a different register, maybe this one was the problem.  After I checked out, I noticed she was still there, trying to get her card to work.  It was obvious that the young woman was getting anxious about the purchase so I offered to pay for her purchase.  She was shocked that I had even offered and very humbly accepted.  She thanked me and I went on my way with a smile from her. Everyone needs ... Read Full Story >>

The Grip Of Love Is Hard To Let Go

I was in the bus when a lady, probably in her late 60's, boarded. She sat next to me and, coincidently, we got off at the same stop. As we were walking, she began complaining of giddiness and thirst. So, I took her to a nearby restaurant, got her sweet lime juice and a snack and she smiled.   Then I accompanied her along her way. She seemed to have wanted a saree but I didn't have one to give her. She also didn't seem to be very happy with her relatives. So, I just told her to forget all that and just relax as we were walking along. I said it with a smile and she actually seemed to brighten in response.    Then she wanted to rest at a temple along the way.    Her friend (another elderly lady) came by and I gave a small amount of money to each of them so ... Read Full Story >>

Generosity That Goes Around Comes Around

The other day I noticed a young woman, very close to my own age, walking by the store front.  I thought she was a student at the local college, mainly due to the fact that she was carrying her books and supplies.  She stopped and looked through the window with a somewhat sad look on her face.  The next day, around the same time, she stopped by again, the same thing as the day previous. I came to the cafe this morning, after having made a comment of how cold it was outside.  The region experienced a drastic drop in temperature last night to around 27 degrees Fahrenheit.  I noticed the time was getting close to be around the same time as the previous two days when I had seen the young woman, so I looked for her.  I saw her slowly approach the store.  She looked as cold as ever.  ... Read Full Story >>

The Sweetness of Siblings

My sister and I are forever borrowing and giving money back to each other whenever either of us is in need.  Just last week, she asked me to pick up her medicine at the pharmacy and she said she would subsequently pay me back soon... Her response suggested to me that she was struggling financially. So, I thought I would step it up and instead of doing just one favor for her, I decided to throw in a few more while I was out shopping. I realized all of her furry living creatures would be delighted to receive some yummy treats so I picked up edible biscuits, chewable toys, and bird seeds for all of her respective pets (which included the dog, the kitty, and the new parrakeet). I got her a new sketch book  to encourage her to explore her budding artistic talent more deeply.  I found her favorite cream filled cadbury chocolate egg at the candy store and tucked that along with $40 into one of her pill bottles, so that she could discover the sweet surprise later. A kindness offer was to made her ... Read Full Story >>

A Lesson From My Childhood

I wanted to share a story from a time in my childhood when I was living with my step mother.  She worked all day so I was responsible for doing the household chores and taking care of my younger half brother. During that time in our life, my dad was not present much, but I didn’t mind, my step mother took great care of my little brother and I in any way that she could. I loved her and always wished she could spend more time with us but she worked Monday through Saturday between the hours of 8:00 am and 10:00 pm.   At that time my little brother was about 4 years old and he missed her so much all the time. He would always wait up for her but would fall asleep many times before she returned and when she left for work he would be asleep. One day, ... Read Full Story >>

There is Life in Just a Smile

It was only a sunny smile,

And little it cost in the giving,

But like morning light,

it scattered the night,

And made the day worth living.

-Unknown

Thank you for all of your smiles as they have made my days worth living.