Search Results for 'popular' (3486 matches)

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 >>

Be the person you needed when you were young

There are so many acts of kindness that can be done daily and so many more we miss. I missed one the other day and really wish I'd acted upon it. It was only later in reflecting back on the day that I saw it.

Still it's ok. At the time I sent love and gave the girl my heart and prayers later that night. And that too is a kindness.

I was at my boys school sports carnival watching all the kids compete. When I noticed one race, and a young girl of about 8, coming last. She was overweight and was trailing so far behind that the others in the race had finished well before she crossed the line.

At the time my heart broke. I remember being that girl. Overweight and coming in last. How now I wish I'd said something. Told her how proud I was of her and encouraged her.

Still there will be a next time. And those times, those times will not pass by like this one. I will act on them 💗

How Dirty Shoes Bloom Roses

This past Sunday, I was in a generous mood. I am not always like that, but it started when I went to the roadside shoe repairer. I asked him to polish my shoes, and he told me it would cost twenty rupees. When he finished polishing, I was moved to offer him 30 rupees. That's when he caught me off guard. Smilingly, he accepted only twenty rupees and lightly told me that he was content. He would not take anything extra. I was pleasantly surprised by his attitude, and also learned such a big lesson. In a world where most people try to grab as much as they can, his simplicity came across like a breath of fresh air. With the 10 rupees that the shoe polisher refused, I went and bought roses from the roadside flower seller. She happened to be a old lady. (If you are familiar with India, you will often ... Read Full Story >>

A Five Year Old Takes The RAOK to Another Level

Every Sunday I take my children to the grocery store to pick up our weekly stock of flowers. Today while we were there I told them we would pick out a bouquet of flowers and after we paid for them, give them to someone who looked like they might enjoy them.

Instead, my 5-year-old wanted to hand out stems that had about 4 buds each, to individual people as we walked through the store.

Reactions ranged from shock to pure delight. We got many thank you's, smile and even some hugs. What a great message for my girls and what an easy way to make someone's day.

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 >>

Giving Generosity Another Chance

Lately I had started to question why I still would readily help someone, since recently my attempts at generosity usually turned around to end up hurting me.  However, this concern recently vanished thanks to a very kind person. Last week, I was winding down a long day of train-hopping and dragging a few huge suitcases around with me to get home from visiting a friend's house.  I was rather peeved that I had to sit at the station for 4 hours for a bus that left at 10 p.m. While I was sitting there tired and frazzled, a woman asked me if I had some change that she could have for a ticket.  Without thinking, I said, "Oh sure! How much do you need?" and then mentally kicked myself.  But I reached for my that I had buried in one of my bags anyways and fished out a $5 bill.  When I ... Read Full Story >>

19 Lessons Learned From a Friend

1. Give money you can spare to someone who needs it and then pretend you never had it. 2. Let someone tell a story without feeling the need to one-up them or tell your own. 3. Let someone vent, even if you can’t offer a solution, just to be an ear—without considering how well they listened to you last week. 4. Help someone who is struggling with difficult feelings by admitting you’ve felt the same thing—without considering whether they’d be as open with you. 5. Ask, “What can I do to help you today?” Then let it go after following through. 6. Tell someone how you feel about them, even if it makes you feel vulnerable, just to let them know they’re loved and not alone. 7. Apologize when you’ve acted selfishly, even if you don’t like feeling wrong, because it will remind the other person they deserve to be treated with respect. 8. Let someone else ... Read Full Story >>

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 >>

Priceless friendship from a five dollar microwave

One day I was driving by an apartment complex and an elderly lady flagged me down. I pulled over and asked if she needed a ride somewhere. She told me no and then asked me if I needed a microwave. I said, "no"...and asked why? She told me she had one for sale for just five dollars. Curious to find out what her situation was, I asked her to let me see it. The microwave looked like new and was worth a lot more than five bucks. I asked her what she needed the money for. What she told me broke my heart. She said she wanted some bologna, bananas and bread. I told her I would buy it but I needed to go to the bank for the money. I rushed to the grocery store and bought her bananas, bologna and bread. When I returned to her apartment I gave her the ... 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. 

A Vet Client Overhears Receptionist in Conversation With a Struggling Elderly Lady

This doggy girl was off to the vet this morning for her annual check up and vaccinations. We are still scraping by financially, as my husband has been out of work for the last six months. As I was waiting, I heard the receptionist talking on the phone to an elderly client who's elderly dog had collapsed. She had no transport, so the vet said she would do a home visit after lunch. The lady must have been concerned about the cost because the receptionist said a home visit would cost as much as a clinic visit for her (usually it costs way more than a clinic visit, so I knew the lady must be struggling a bit) Our dog was her usual nut crazy. Dashing around so the vet couldn't examine her, sitting by the door like she had just had a torturous event, snatched the treats from the vet's hand. ... Read Full Story >>

Of Cats, Gardens, And Neighborly Peace-Making

Yesterday, my older neighbor who painstakingly cares for part of our garden was in for a shock. Apparently, my cat, Rocco, had left a turd in his perfect flower beds. Fortunately, I wasn't home when this happened, so he vented to my friend and neighbor, K. She was kind enough to listen to him and to go down into the garden with him to have a look. She even took a picture! When I got home, she had left a message on my answering machine about the incident. Hearing it was about my cat again, my stomach turned. The year before, he'd gotten so upset that he had threatened to put rat traps on the premises, hoping that would intimidate me into keeping my cats indoors. So, I was a little apprehensive. But I couldn't help but laugh when I heard K tell me what the whole fiasco was all about. I understand ... 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.

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 >>

Two Sides of Wisdom

I was 16 years old, getting out of the train station with my father, and a woman came to him and said that her money had been stolen.  She asked if he could  lend her some money to go back home. My father gave her what she asked and told her not to worry about sending it back. I was shocked. How could my own father be so gullible? It was obvious to me that she was lying, staying in the station all day long to get the next patsy.  "She was lying!" I exclaimed. "Why did you give her anything at all?" My father looked at me and I could see he was a bit angry. "And what would you like me to do," he said, "Should I tell her that I am a college professor and I can see through her scam?" I did not understand him at all, so he told ... 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!!

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.

A Lesson In Receiving Graciously

I often walk from work (near Pier 39 in San Francisco) to the Embarcadero BART station, where I catch a train back to the East Bay. Several times, I passed a gentleman who I presumed was homeless.  He had a lot of his possessions tied down to his bike and held a cardboard sign that said he was a vet who doesn't drink or do drugs, but would appreciate anything that could be given.  He usually has headphones on and is listening to the radio. He is always minding his own business, often reading as well.  I've never seen him actively "panhandling." Several times, while I was passing him, I realized I had some food with me, so I turned around and offered him that food (most recently, a blueberry muffin).  He took off his headphones, and said "Umm, blueberry muffins are my favorite!" with a big smile and a gleam in his eye.  ... Read Full Story >>

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 :-)