Search Results for 'popular' (3455 matches)

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.

Best Servers

Recently I was on a retreat in a foreign country with some friends, some strangers, and many strangers who became friends!    We were all given duties to perform, such as cleaning and cooking. I was in the team serving meals.   On the first day I tried hard to please everyone, but it was hard to know how. Some people liked it when you were fast and just gave them their food, some people preferred it slow and steady so that they could choose exactly how much they wanted, some wanted, for example, stew without the carrots in it, some didn't know what I was serving and didn't speak English. If they weren't served in the way they wanted some grew irritable. As you can imagine, after an hour of this it started to get old.   So the next day, we tried a different tactic.   I learnt how to say "Would you like ..." in ... Read Full Story >>

"What is Your Wish List?"

I currently work as the internal human resources manager for a large home improvement store. One of our core values is to give back to the community, and to make an emotional connection with our customers. One afternoon, a lady stopped by my store and dropped off a letter.  It was a very busy week for me so I did not get to the letter until a few days later. When I finally did, I noticed that it was from a nearby day care center. The director had written that they were low on funds, but needed certain things for the day care. I ran her letter by my store manager, and he agreed to a meeting with the day care director. When we arrived at the center, the director gave us a tour. The facility was really in bad shape. The walls needed to be repainted, the ceiling tiles needed to ... Read Full Story >>

Kindness "To Go" At This McDonalds

As a substitute teacher, my daily routine invoves driving to a new school almost every day so I'm usually unable to anticipate the days events, good or bad! On one particular day, I was teaching in a very difficult classroom. I was managing behaviour all morning and by lunch time, I knew I needed a coffee to even consider surviving the afternoon. So on my lunch break, I drove to a nearby plaza to get a coffee. Upon returning to the car I realized I had locked my keys and my phone inside! I had about 15 minutes to get back to the school which was a good four or five-minute  drive away. I contemplated sprinting back, but it being winter, I thought a nasty fall on ice would only make the situation that much worse. So I ran into a McDonald's which was in the same plaza and asked the man ... Read Full Story >>

Kindness Is A Love Song

My husband's entire life is kindness. If I made a list of all he's done and is day-by-day in the 16 years I've known him, it would take me days to type. He's not a praying kind of guy but his life is a prayer.

He doesn't use flowery words, but his language of love is compassion, hard work, and just so many thoughtful things he does. He just handed me a big green shake.

Earlier he cleaned out the fridge joking the entire time about various, er, science projects. I'm constantly astonished that this gorgeous guy loves me enough to stick around so long. Trust has never been easy for me, but he has shown me why trust is the best path, and kindness is a love song.

Teaching Kids Spiritual Harmony

Aikido, translated as “the way of spiritual harmony”, is a Japanese martial art. While it is a powerful system of self defense, the greatest benefit of Aikido training is that it provides a means to better yourself and become a happier, more balanced person. There is a piece of calligraphy authored by Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido, that reads “True victory is victory over oneself”. This concept and Aikido itself is suitable for people of all ages. For the last year or so, I have had the privilege of being an assistant instructor for the “Kid's Self Mastery” classes at my dojo; helping to teach children ranging in age from 5 to 10 years old. The classes themselves consist mostly of games and exercises allowing the students to learn Aikido, teamwork, respect, kindness, and other skills in a way that's fun to them. They also have “Mat Chats” in which ... Read Full Story >>

My Nephew's Birthday Adventure In Paying It Forward

I want to say thanks to all of you for your special notes and ideas, after I sent my request for 'gifting acts of kindness ideas' for my nephew's birthday last month. I was excited to hear from some of you with suggestions. Pancho suggested that I give him my attention -- as the greatest gift one human being can give another -- yes! Nipun helped out by sharing his own story, and got me thinking further about how I could do a kindness tag, Idaho style. I gave that kid some super-duper hugs, not to mention every bit of attention I could muster, and a good dose of kindness stories, to boot. There is a long story with great sidenotes that goes with the birthday adventure story, but the short story is as follows: I gave my nephew twenty bucks for his birthday, with the condition that he use it to do something kind for someone ... Read Full Story >>

A Little Girl's Instant Smile Card 'Tag'

While at a restaurant this past weekend, I asked the waitress to give a "smile package" which included some of Mindy's peace doves, some coloring pages with markers, and a small gift bag of toys to a young family who were at the table next to us. There was a little girl about 6 and a couple of younger children. The little girl was so excited and when she read the smile card message, she got right up and went over to a family who had just entered the restaurant to gave their little boy the bag of toys. As she walked away she said loudly "SMILE -- YOU'RE IT! She totally made my day!

The Power of a Simple Smile

I work in a pharmacy, on the main cash, full time. I love it, it's the perfect job for where I am in life, I feel like I'm learning so much from people. I always tell everyone who I serve to "have a great day" as they leave, and I always add a smile. A few weeks ago a lady was in the pharmacy.  She wallked by me close to the end of the night, looking concentrated, but calm. I told her to have a great day, and as usual, smiled at her.  To my surprise, she broke down in tears. I don't know why she was crying, but it was pretty obvious that she must have been having a horrible day. She quickly said:  "Thank you, that means more right now then you can imagine." And managed a smile, even though she was still crying. I wanted to go over and hug ... 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 >>

Karmically Rich

I just can't get over the fact that there really are so many caring people in this world....Sometimes we wake up and think about all of the world's tragedies and begin to believe we are doomed as a planet. I don't even like watching the news in the morning because the deaths and car accidents and flames that flash across the screen in loud red and orange colors are the first visual images of my day that set a somber tone to my newly awakened eyes. To shift my perspective on the world, what I do instead is, clutch the remote, and push the "off" button so that version of what the world we live in today is shut off.  Ready to reset my day, I make my way to the HelpOthers site on my computer, with my steaming cup of coffee in my hand. Here, I discover a world that doesn't appear on television screens. I find wonderful stories that uplift ... Read Full Story >>

Waiting for Parking; Learning a Lesson

I have been ill and in a lot of pain for quite some time.  So my trips away from home have been few and far between, mostly to the doctor's office.  Two weeks ago I decided to go to the local market for some fresh produce.  As I backed out of my driveway, I asked aloud in the car, "Please help me to show kindness to others today."  It was heartfelt and I was eagerly looking for ways I could be kind, for example by letting people into my lane.   I drove to the market, and as I drove up, I saw an elderly man get his wife settled into their car, and then go around the car to the driver's side.  They were in a handicapped parking spot, and as I have a handicapped plate, I waited for that close spot.  It would mean all the difference in being ... Read Full Story >>

A Missed Act of Kindness

I have been inspired by you and you and yes you too! I think it takes maturity to give kindness to strangers as you are unsure how the potential receiver will react to you. As I said, I am inspired by you all. There seem to be a few new young members and they have inspired me to write this particular post. When I was a young student I remember going to college and the bin men (trash collectors) were emptying the bins. The bins were like the one in the image in those days!  The men lifted the bin and hoisted it on their shoulder to empty into the lorry. One day, as I was passing a bin man lifted a bin which was obviously heavier than it should have been, and he fell to the ground in excruciating pain. He was lying in the street flat on his back crying out with ... 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. 

Tears And Cheers

I am a high school teacher in a small school in a very rural area.  My personal "goal" each year is to greet each student in the hallway by their name at least twice every week.  Graduation is coming up so people are becoming very sentimental. 

Today a senior student zoomed over to me in the hall and handed me an envelope.  In it was a Thank You note which read, in part, "Thank you for talking to me when no else would. Thank you for saying hello to me in the hall.  No one else says hello to me. Thank you for visiting with me about what books I've read and how my cats are."  This student is a shy person and not too socially fluent.  School is tough for her because "there are so many people in one building". 

Her note meant so much to me and of course, I started crying.  Inside I also cheered because she took the time and energy to "connect" which is what I hope all students will be able to do.  I love teaching and am so lucky to be able to go to work at a job I love.  What a lovely gift I received from this student.

Three Hours and Three Beaming Smiles

It was a hot weekday afternoon and I was on my way to volunteer at a reading session with visually impaired girls. I got in to a rickshaw and immediately struck up a conversation with the rickshaw driver.  The rickshaw driver started telling me the story of his life.  He related that he had grown up very poor and he and his siblings didn’t have much. He said he worked very hard so that he could make sure that his children had the opportunity to attend a decent school.  He said that there were many nights when he would skip dinner to make sure that they would have enough money to send the daughter on a class trip or to pay for his son to attend the computer lab.  I was profoundly moved by the simple and matter of fact way in which this man was relating this heart-melting story. When we ... 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 >>

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

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!!

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!