Search Results for 'popular' (3616 matches)

New Sneakers and a Milkshake

My  15 year-old daughter needed new sneakers. She wears them every single day to school and they seem to wear out quickly.  So, we went to the mall to a place called Journeys to look for her shoes.  The guy behind the counter looked a little "scary" to me. Dark hair, piercings, but smiling :) thank goodness. (Never judge, I remind myself!)

He helped my daughter find the 'perfect' sneakers and she was happy. When I saw they weren't laced, I commented. The sales guy (about 18years old) says, I can 'bar lace' them for her, no problem!!! I can even lace them in 2 colors if she wants!  She was thrilled and it took him about 5 minutes to do it (would have taken me 5 hours to do and not in 2 colors either!).  

The salesman was so helpful that we walked over to McDonalds and got him a milkshake.  When we returned with it, he couldn't thank us enough.  We were all smiles -- a good trip with my teenager.

Good Deeds Don't Go Unnoticed

I work in a restaraunt that has a program working with ex con's and the homeless. There is a guy who started working with us as a dishtanker and he told me his story one day. He lived in Florida, (we're in Ohio now) and he received information that he owed child support on a 6 year old boy. Well this was news to his ears because he didn't even know he had a kid! He came to Ohio to to clear this matter up and took a DNA test that determined that the kid was his. He was PROMPTLY put in jail for owing over $19,000 in back child support. He stayed in jail for 9 months and when he was released he was homeless, jobless. Instead of giving up on his kid and going back to Florida where he had plenty of family and help, he stayed in Ohio and ... Read Full Story >>

Her Kindness Saved My Girlfriend's Life

Kindness returned to me. This happened last Saturday, at 6:00 pm. I was having a picnic day with my girlfriend. We both like to ride her motorcycle (she likes that I drive) and that day we drove to the nearest park. We bought some coffees and smoothies, then we were enjoying our food. Within a few hours, sky was menacing and looked ready to drop a heavy rain. We packed everything again and we were ready to go. My girlfriend, who was sitting on a bench, suddenly was very still and she couldn't talk to me. She didn't move. Her eyes were rolling and she was about to loose consciousness. I held her in my arms and asked if she wanted to rest. She didn't answer and only said "Sorry..." It started to rain and I didn't know what to do. She was fighting to stay alert but her skin was pale and her ... Read Full Story >>

Lost and found in Los Angeles

I'm visiting Los Angeles for a couple of days with my boyfriend, and while we were on a hike early this morning, I found the National ID card of a French kid on the trail. There was no one around, so I figured it was best to pick it up. Being French myself, I recognized it is a big deal document which would be a real drag to lose (the equivalent of losing your Driver's License or Passport in the U.S.). As soon as we got back to our hotel, I googled the cardholder's name (which thankfully was not very common), and found a facebook account that matched his picture. I then followed a few links until I identified his dad, and sent him a direct message along with a photo of the ID card. He wrote back to me within an hour, very grateful. It was really fun playing Sherlock Holmes! The ... Read Full Story >>

Sticky Note Smiles

About a month ago, I went out to purchase post-it notes, and colorful markers, and I put on my thinking cap! 

Messages of love, forgiveness, patience, gratitude and happiness went on those sticky notes, and I posted them in public spaces where I thought it would make someone smile to find it.

It's not much, but it makes me happy to do it.  I hope that once someone else finds a note, they will receive the happiness that I feel, and perhaps even pay-it-forward! :)

Ripples From A Smile Card Gesture

I went into a local cafe for breakfast one quiet morning with a friend of mine.  I grabbed a smile card as I left my car, not knowing quite what I was going to do with it.  During the meal, I noticed a woman sat by herself, absorbed in a book,  at the table next to us.  I walked over to the waitress, asked how much the woman's check was, and handed her the money and a smile card with the instructions to give the woman the card, with the paid check, but to make sure not to tell her who had done this. When the woman left, the waitress came to the table and told me that the woman was shocked and very happy, said she really needed someone to do this for her, and couldn't wait to pass it on.  But what really touched me was that the waitress said the owner of the cafe had ... Read Full Story >>

Burgled At Night, Blessed In The Morning

My  husband came home today and told me a gentlemen who used to attend our church was robbed last night. Someone had broken into his home and stole his money and some other other things. 

Making Peace

Ever happened to have a stranger looking at you with eyes full of anger out of the blue? It was painful and confusing, but sure a great lesson. First thing that passed through my mind was that it must be a misunderstanding, such a look was not meant for me, but later I saw the old lady’s face changing every time she saw me, at least seven times, no more doubt that she was very angry with me. I was confused, shocked, and near anger, my brains were spinning, trying to figure out how’s and why’s but somehow managed to not show it on my face. Went home, slept a night over it and decided that I have to find a way to make peace with this lady. The very next day I bought some nice chocolate praying to see her again and when I caught sight of her, went straight to her ... Read Full Story >>

An unfortunate bird gets the help it needs

Kite flying has unintended cruelty, to the the hapless birds who get entangled in the deadly string, attached to the kites.These days in India we have a religious kite flying festival. Last evening, just before dusk, I spotted a pigeon badly entangled in the razor sharp string, hitting the wall and the tree branches, to free itself the kite string. Fortunately, the same string was entangled on the building terrace. Immediately I sent my helper, Narain, to get to the terrace and try to pull up the hapless bird, gently. With a great patience, he pulled up the injured bird. With the help of scissors, we tried to disentangle the bird, by cutting the deadly thread.  We brought him to our flat, cleaned his badly bruised wings, applied the turmeric powder (Considered to to have medicinal values.) gave him the boiled rice and water. Placed the bird in a safe place hoping ... 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 >>

Listening to the voice

I had a few things I needed to do in the city today. One thing required I park my car in a multi-storey car park. I only needed to be in there for a minute. I thought it would be free as I was parked less than 5 minutes. But nope, it cost me $2. I was so annoyed, so angry. I stuck my $5 note into the machine and when the change fell into the change compartment I heard a voice that said " leave it. Leave it for someone else to find, it will make their day." So I did. I left it along with a smile card.

Walking away I felt happy. I felt good and no longer upset or annoyed. I love that voice, the inner voice of knowing and I'm so grateful to have heard it and listened ♥
 

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 >>

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. 

Sunday Night Kindness Deliveries

Last night was date night with my little girl. She wanted to conduct another Kindness "Special Ops" Mission for our evening. That afternoon, we made up some kindness envelopes full of a smile cards, a few dollars and a special note. She decorated the outside of the envelopes with smiley stickers and the words "Open me, I’m a gift for you!" She wanted to go to the mall and secretly place envelopes around to spread some Christmas smiles. When we dropped our first one and walked off without being seen, the look on my daughter's face was priceless. She was beaming and had a joyful kick in her step. I love how she loves our kindness missions! For the next one, we sat down at a table for a minute, ready to scurry off and leave our envelope behind. The heavy sea of people around us made it challenging. My daughter is ... Read Full Story >>

A Quiet Lesson from Steve

A few weeks ago, our dog, who we've had for more than a decade, had to be put down. First, a tumour on her pancreas exploded, and she had to have emergency surgery. Then, the arthritis in her back got so bad that sometimes she would lie down in the middle of a walk and refuse to take another step. When I first found out, I was devestated. She was more like a sister to me than a pet. But if I'm honest, I was also angry at my stepfather, Steve, who informed us that she had been put down a week after it happened. He waited because he didn't want to worry us, and he didn't want me to get distracted and fail my exams. We thought she was still being treated at the veterinarian. I think you can imagine all the thoughts that went through my head: She's my dog too! Why didn't ... Read Full Story >>

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.

Heroes At The Beach

What an incredible day at the beach! Not because it was the most fabulous weather. Not because we were with fabulous friends. No, it was the best day because a group of men and a young boy took the time to notice a little boy with different abilities, waving his arms in the air saying, "my turn, me, me" as the football was being tossed around over his head. Honestly, my first thought was,  'oh man they are playing football, I'm going to have to go move Micah.' I called Micah from my chair 50 ft away and he was refusing to come! He just continued to watch the ball being tossed, listening to the fun laughter of the guys, and watching the high fives they were swapping. These are the moments that I dread. These are the moments I have to make choices to choose good thoughts, not bad ones! ... Read Full Story >>

Whole-Hearted Generosity From Those With Very Little

This is a story about the kindness of the rickshaw pullers in North India.  Rickshaw pullers are some of the poorest people in India and they work extremely hard.  People sit on a carriage and the rickshaw pullers transport them by pulling the carriage manually (or sometimes with a bicycle).  I recently suffered a knee injury and needed to go to physiotherapy every day. I was unable to walk much, so I had to use a rickshaw puller to take me there, wait for me and then bring me back.  This was usually the only time I would leave the house each day and so I would use these trips to get all the stuff I needed like medicines, milk, fruit, etc.  As I couldn't really walk much, I had to ask the rickshaw pullers if they could take care of these errands for me.  Everyday, on the way back from physiotherapy, I would ask the rickshawpuller to stop by the market and request him to the get ... Read Full Story >>

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!!