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100 Acts Of First Grade Kindness

I teach first-grade children and the 100th day of our school year is approaching soon. This is a big math day with lots of activities centered around 100.     Last year I connected the 100th day to kindness and I have just kicked off the same project today with my current class.    We had been talking about Martin Luther King Jr and his dreams of peace and kindness. His birthday was approaching so we talked about acts of kindness we could do at home or in school, then I challenged the children to do 100 random acts of kindness from Doctor King's birthday until our 100th day of school.     The children were so excited to get started. Today was the official day to begin.   We finished the day with 10 acts of kindness recorded. Parents emailed with comments about how great the project idea was and shared how their child helped a new ... 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 >>

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 ♥

A Lesson in Dignity

Everyday as I drove through town, I saw a one-legged man going through ash cans for cigerette butts and trash cans outside of fast food restaurants looking for food.  It was only a month before Christmas, starting to get cold (I lived in a town that was over 6,000 ft. altitude) and I could not quit thinking about him.  It was a year where we didn't have enough money to really have much in the way of presents but I figured what was too little for us would be a lot for someone who had nothing. So I bought a brush, toothbrush, toothpaste, pack of cigerettes, cans of tuna, just little things that didn't cost much and then I added a blanket and sweatshirts.  I made a box up like a present and went in search of this man.  I saw him hobble away from the dumpster next to McDonalds.  I ... 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. 

My Best Smile Card Response Yet!

This weekend I went grocery shopping. The cashier I chose was talking to the ladies in front of me and then something they were talking about reminded her about sending relief for a co-worker.  She quickly took care of that and called the person to tell them help was on the way. When it was my turn to checkout she chatted with me too. I had prepared a little Smile Card package that I normally use in drive-throughs before coming inside the store just in case I found someone to share it with.  Well I knew she was the one. I could tell she really cared about people. When we were all done with my transaction I said, "This is for you," and handed her the items.  She looked at it and said, "Thank you!  I really needed this today!" Then her eyes filled with tears and she gave me a hug! I told her, "Now, ... Read Full Story >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

A Bus Ride That Touched My Heart

Last night after work, I took the bus home.  Now this bus ride was different then usual. The difference was that people seemed to be helping others at every chance they could!  The bus was filled with people as usual and we took the usual route home.  There is a blind lady who always gets on the same bus as me. We were just about to leave the bus station when a lady on the bus suddenly noticed that the blind lady wasn't on the bus that day and told the driver.  When we looked out the window, we saw her sitting over in the corner all by herself. One lady passenger jumped off the bus and ran to help and guide this blind lady onto the bus.  As we were driving along each stop and picking up passengers, a girl in her 20's got on at one stop and asked the bus driver how much the bus ride ... 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!!

In The Aisles ...

I just had a beautiful experience today: While shopping I met a woman, and offered to help her get something off the shelves as she was sitting in a wheelchair. We stood there in the aisle for, I have no idea how long ... certainly at least half an hour. I suggested that we just finish our shopping and go to a Café to continue talking. Today was a beautiful day with a lot of sunshine, so I thought this might be nicer than standing/ sitting in the basement of a drug store hindering other people to reach the shelves. We found a Café with chairs outside and continued talking. I think after approximately 2 hours we, finally ;-)) exchanged our names. Yes, we had been just talking and talking. After approximately 4 hours, we finally excused ourselves as we both still had some more tasks on our to-do-lists for today. We exchanged ... Read Full Story >>

A Chain of Generosity

On Saturday I witnessed a wonderful thing. We had taken an older couple into town and after they had done what they needed to do they asked if we could stop at McDonalds to get something to eat. It was no problem and we suggested they could eat it in the restaurant rather than in the car or taking it home.   While we were there, we noticed a group of four boys aged 10-12, having lunch.  The boys stood well back from the counter and allowed other customers to go ahead and order while the boys discussed what they wanted. When they decided, they went to the counter to order telling the young girl serving they wanted the larger size, which they would share. The woman with them queried this and they told her it would be cheaper to do it that way rather than get individual orders. These boys were ... Read Full Story >>

Twin Tantrums Tamed

I was walking down the street when I saw a mother with twin boys. The boys were laying on the sidewalk having tantrums. The mom tried to calm them down but they paid no attention to her. 
 
I make vintage beaded jewelry and had a new necklace in my pocket. I had just made it and wasn't sure if it was finished so i was carrying it to get the feel of it. 
 
I looked at the mother still trying to calm down her sons and then I handed her the necklace. The mother looked at me with a confused look. She said, "Thank you, but I can't afford this." 
 
I told her there was no cost. I was giving it to her! 
 
The smile and the gratitude in her eyes were enough payment. Ohh ... and her sons saw me giving their mom the necklace. They both stopped crying, got up, and went to their mother to see what she had been given. 
 
Everyone was smiling when I left.
 

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 >>

"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 >>

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 >>

I Shone My Light ...

I shone my light of kindness today on all who were open to receiving it.

I visited Olga in her nursing home and whilst there encountered a severely disabled elderly lady, laying in a bed out in the hall on her own. Her slipper had fallen off so I picked it up and placed it back on her foot. Oh what joy this brought her. She squealed with delight and every time I passed her, her slipper would fall off again. Each time I'd repeat the process.

Then there was Richard a man with no legs who also resides there. I stopped to chat with him and stood there as he told me jokes I didn't find funny or understand. But I laughed anyway.

Today in that home I gave all I had to give. I did nothing special, yet gave it all.

We all have so much light, spark, love and energy to give the world. Why hide it? We were born to sparkle ♥

Walk With New Amazement

When you measure the distance between towns on foot, walk to places you thought could only be reached by car, or talk to neighbors with whom you never felt necessary to interact, it will shift your mind! I live in the suburb north of San Francisco, driving is considered the main transportation option for most residents here. I still remember how excited I was when I first learned to drive 10 years ago. Driving at night, the headlights softly illuminating the road ahead, with music gently soothing my heart, I was filled with joy, a joy of independence in a foreign land! I had a photo taken of me hugging my white slender car and sent it to my family in China. I loved my car! Sometimes she was my only companion in lonely nights. Yet, as time went by, that excitement wore off. I dreaded driving, burning gas in bumper-to-bumper ... Read Full Story >>