Search Results for 'popular' (3617 matches)

I'm Not In A Hurry.

Sometimes just the little things mean so much. I was at the grocery store on a Sunday afternoon. In my neighborhood it seems that people think this is the only day and time the grocery store is open. It was surprising to me how many people were uptight and impatient. On a Sunday! Supposedly the most peaceful day of the week and a lot of these people just came from church. Well, whenever I got a frown I gave a smile. When I was in someone's way I said, "oh my goodness, I'm sorry".  As much as I tried to kill them with kindness, I got little or no response. I wasn't going to give up. After swimming with "sharks", I made it to the check out counter. I got to the cashier and she had this face like she'd just been dragged through the mud. She had her guard up and was ... Read Full Story >>

A Radio for Dancing and Singing

I was conducting an auction for a non-profit to help our senior citizens in need.  There was an old battery-operated radio, never used, and an older woman came up with her friend. 

She was digging in her handbag to find 50 cents to buy a ticket and her friend asked what she would do with the radio if she won it.  I was eavesdropping because I was also curious.  She smiled and said, "I would sing and dance in my apartment." 

That really touched my heart, so when she left I found out her name and surprised her anonymously with gift cards so she could buy a radio and not have to worry about batteries.  I have never forgotten that. We take so many little things for granted!  And we can all make a difference!

Homeschooled in Kindness

We homeschool our children so we sometimes have the flexibility of adjusting our schedule to fit in special things. Today, as part of our 'Kindness Klub' we decided we would head out for an afternoon of giving back. Each of my kids chose from a list of kind things that they wanted to do. I ran down to the local store, picked up a few potted  flowers and attached Smile Cards. We then put a few dollars in a plastic bag with a Smile Card.  Before we set off on our mission, we read a verse from the Bible about kindness and said a prayer that our efforts would be well-received and help brighten someone's day! First, we stopped off at the local bus stop. We taped the plastic bag to a post inside the bus stop and quickly left ;) Second, my 10 year old daughter said she had seen a house she wanted to drop her flowers off at.  She directed me to it. ... Read Full Story >>

Tyden and the Turtle

My nephew Tyden and I were attending another nephew's birthday at a local amusement center. It was the kind of place were you get tickets for scoring points on the games and then cash them in for prizes. Tyden won a jackpot of tickets, so we went to cash them in and select his prizes. I was feeling nostalgic because my loved one and I had our first date at this center and had exchanged little trinkets from the showcase. I noticed a turtle and remembered my partner loves them. I asked the young man behind the counter if I could just purchase the turtle without tickets. He said unfortunately that was not an option. I decided I needed to win 350 tickets. I left Tyden at the counter to finish choosing his prize with his grandma. I bought game tokens and entered the games room with all the delighted little faces ... Read Full Story >>

Making Someone Happy

Today I donated a large bag of clothing and other assorted items . I placed money with a smiley face attached to the bill wishing someone a very Blessed Day! It made me feel really good as I watched the driver carrying the bag to his truck.

May all the care and kindness you give so freely to others come back to warm your heart.

Anonymous and Unknown Favours for Neighbours

We had a bit of a storm last night and a fair bit of damage has been done around the country. Out early this morning I stopped at a couple of neighbours gardens and picked up their plant pots, garden furniture etc, putting them back in place before owners even knew they were OUT of place.

I've done anonymous RAOKs before, but these were acts of kindness for people who would never even know what had been done. And, you know what - they still felt good!

Top 10 Stories of 2012 - Story # 6 Learning Kindness From My Father

When I was 12 years old, I went with my dad to his work - a car showroom.  I was wondering around and I saw a poor woman with a child in her lap standing outside the showroom.  I saw that she was crying a lot and went inside and told my father.  My father went out and asked the woman to come in to the showroom.  He offered her some water and then asked her what was wrong?   The woman said that her husband had died some months ago and that she doesn’t have anyone else in her family who can help her.  She does some manual labor to earn some money to take care of her daughter but she was sick for the last three days and was unable to go to work.  Now she doesn’t have a grain of food to eat.  While she was relating this ... Read Full Story >>

Generosity "Grande" at the Cafe

So, here's a long story made short. I love Starbucks, but I tend to get fattening items when I go, other than my usual soy chai tea latte. So, that's why I immediately gifted a $25 Starbucks gift card to my friend Cathy who, interestingly, had been teasing me about being part of this "goofy smile card experiment." Nevertheless, I gave it to her and said, "Don't pay me back, but pay it forward." Cathy went to a Starbucks in Lake Oswego and as she was paying for her own drink, she gave some money and my smile card to a lady standing behind her. Much to Cathy's surprise, the lady lit up like a Christmas Tree. She was very excited and said she was going to immediately "pay it forward" and surprise the lady behind her. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I was feeling rather down this morning but this has completely brightened my day!! Witnessing her joy, Cathy immediately caught the bug and saw how much fun it is to be a part of this experiment. When Cathy told me the story, I wish I had a camera to show you her enthusiasm. It made me feel great and I hope it does you, too.

The Kindness Of A Second Chance

Today, I recognized the frowning woman in line behind me at the checkout counter of the grocery store. I hadn't seen her in fifteen years -- she is the owner of a local restaurant where I briefly worked one summer as a waitress. It had been on my heart for several days around Christmas time to go her restaurant and leave a card thanking her for her kindness to me, but I couldn't override my shyness so I didn't act. When I saw her today, I knew the Universe was giving me a second chance and I seized it! I turned to her and said, "You probably don't remember me, but you once gave me a job when I really needed one even though I had no experience -- and I really want to thank you for that." She asked my name and said she didn't remember me. And I admitted with a ... Read Full Story >>

A 'Drive Thru' pay it forward.

A few weeks ago I was trying to get into the' drive thru' lane at McDonald's. The parking lot makes this a difficult task when there are a lot of people in the line. I ended up having to move and in the process, 2 other cars got ahead of me. mC

As I was waiting my turn to drive into the line, I (begrudgingly) let another car in front of me. I went through the line then and ordered my food. When I got to the window to pay, the clerk asked me if I believe in angels.

I said "yes" and he told me the car in front of me had purchased my order for me. It was such a simple gesture from someone who was grateful to me for letting them ahead of me. I was happy for the rest of the day. I know he was happy too for doing something nice for someone.

Simply the Nudge

Two weeks ago, my daughter came to me a bit frantic. One of her school friends, nine months pregnant and about to give birth any day, was kicked out of her house because her mother wouldn't leave her husband (the girl's stepdad) who was hitting the girl. She fled to the home of her boyfriend's parents. They, however, were packing up to move to a larger house. Being in transition themselves, her boyfriend's family couldn't host her at that time, and she was at a loss for where to go. So, two weeks ago, my daughter came to me asking if her friend can come live with us until the boyfriend's family finished moving. Well, here's a girl in trouble. I talked it over with my husband, who gave his ok. So we got things ready for her. She must have told her mom what was going on, though, because before she had a chance to move ... Read Full Story >>

Late Night in the Company Cab

I was then working in a BPO in the evening shift. It was a tough day for me and was I waiting to go home and sleep. The time was 10pm.  I got into my company cab and was glad to see that I was the only person in it, so that I could reach home in the next 30 minutes. Just then another girl got into the company cab. She told the driver where she wanted to go and it was in the opposite direction to where I was headed. The driver decided to drop me home first as he felt my place was closer to the office and I was happy.  When the company vehicle moved out of my office campus, the other girl got a call on her mobile. From the conversation, I figured out that her husband was not keeping well. She was trying to tell him to eat some light food. ... Read Full Story >>

Goodness Everywhere

This one isn't a commentary on the words of some great philospher, it's not words of wisdom passed down from bygone generations - it's just the story of my morning so far! It's a grey, blustery Wednesday morning here on the west of Scotland. A nothing-much kind-of-day. The plan was, I would take the "weans" to school, walk out to the supermarket, pick up a few things, and then my day could begin. Well the walk to the supermarket takes you, literally, across the forecourt of a Fire Station. As I came up to it I heard sirens. Not fire sirens though.  Two lanes of traffic, car drivers, bus drivers, a truck driver or two, put their journeys on hold and pulled over to the side of the road.  With sirens wailing and blue lights flashing the ambulance tore up the white line in the centre of the road. I caught sight of the ... Read Full Story >>

Stuck in Line, Stuck with a Smile

Today, I stopped at the store to return a couple of things.   Sure enough, I ended up in line behind an older woman who was questioning all the pricing on her purchases and moving rather slowly. I made up my mind to think compassionately; to be patient and wait with a smile on my face. The older woman glanced at me and acknowledged that it must be heavy to keep holding all my items while waiting for her to finish checking out. I told her I was young enough to hold them all, and that I needed the exercise anyway. She commented that she was too old for exercise, but needed it. Then she turned to me and said, "I just lost my husband on the 20th." He had died of cancer, just two weeks after the doctor had told him he had about six weeks to live. She explained that they were both diagnosed ... Read Full Story >>

The Law Of The Garbage Truck

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us! My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, really friendly. So I asked, “Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!” This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, “The Law of the Garbage Truck.” He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage (frustration, anger, and disappointment, etc.). As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and ... Read Full Story >>

The More I Understand, The Less I Know

After a couple of decades on this planet, many years of soul searching, and studying the "self," I feel that I am finally closer to knowing myself which ironically seems to be a journey which tells me that the more I understand myself, the less it is that I know. I now can say I have truly felt the difference between the deepest agony of the human condition and the highest state of joy. I know from my own experience that the main difference that lies between "you" and "me" is just a feeling, a feeling of being separate, isolated, lonely, lost, versus a feeling of being whole, connected, at home, and loved. I think most people, if not all, live with a kind of homesickness, a sweet nostalgia which they can't quite put their finger on as if they were once in a place that they can't quite remember but desperately, somehow, want to get back to. The mystics have said for over a millennia that in existence there ... Read Full Story >>

"Amma, Please See the Doctor"

After playing badminton, I was about to leave the facility when I saw Amma. She's the maid responsible for cleaning, an old lady in her late 60s, and she was talking to the owner, requesting some cash. Her hand was in pain and she wanted to see the doctor. The owner gave some excuses and escaped.

I felt bad for her, so although I was outside the facility and it was dark, I turned back and opened my wallet. I knew I didn't have much, but I gave her whatever came out into my hand. In my broken Tamil, I tried to say "Amma, please see a doctor" but I don't know if it was correct.

When I left for dinner to a nearby restaurant, surprisingly I had one bill which was more than enough for my meal.

I see Amma in the evenings, and even though it was pitch dark that day, she remembers me well and waves to me every time.
 

World Kindness Week Day 4 - Smoothies On Campus

I was walking around a college campus today (not my own) and I picked up two smoothies with the intention of giving them away.

An Angel In The Check-out Line

It was a busy day at the grocery store and two young ladies were in line behind me with birthday balloons.  They appeared to be stressed and in a hurry so I asked if they wanted to go ahead of me. They were very appreciative.   I asked what the balloons were for and one girl said they were for her nephew's second birthday.  She said it was a difficult day for her with lots of family drama and that her nephew had a twin and something bad happened to the baby at birth.  I noticed she had a small heart shaped tattoo on her neck with the a date in it. The date was exactly two years ago. So, I knew it had to be a significant day.  They were chatting together about their rush to get ready for the party, all the things left to do, and how nobody offered to ... Read Full Story >>

Just 1 Card To Say Happy Birthday...

I have a Aunt who is deaf and lives alone. To communicate with her when we visit we write in her notebook. Her birthday is in March. Last year she was 96 years old. I thought about things I could get her but aside from food there isn't much she needs. So, I decided to I send emails out to a few friends. I told everyone  about my Aunt and asked them if they could please take a few minutes and help celebrate her birthday by sending a card to her.  Little did I know how this one request would impact so many, especially my Aunt! My friends asked their own friends to join in. The cards started arriving every day for a month!! My Aunt was so excited! She couldn't believe so many people were thinking about her.  She recieved over 50 cards! Something so little, that takes just a few minutes ... Read Full Story >>