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A Few Little Gifts Add Up To A Lot Of Love

I want to tell you about a true story that happened this week on Veteran's Day. I wrote earlier about how our school had a "family day of service," in which about 100 middle school students volunteered all around our community.  One of the sites was a veteran's hospital. Due to swine flu outbreaks, the Veteran's Association said that kids under 16 would not be allowed to visit, so a few adults in the group met with veterans individually to ask them what gift they would like to receive for Veteran's Day. One veteran said he'd like a disposable camera -- his daughter was traveling that evening from far away to visit him, bringing his 1-year-old granddaughter whom he had never met. He said he never imagined he would get to meet her since he had gone through so many surgeries.  The volunteers decided that this gift couldn't wait until Veteran's Day, ... Read Full Story >>

Three Men in a Convenience Store

How much love is latent in a few bananas, saltines and a few bottles of Gatorade? Bear Necessities Grill & C-Store is a convenience store for students at Cornell University. Seth, George, and Harry are men who work there. I have not met them. I have only spoken to them on the phone. What I found these guys carry in their store is immense amounts of beauty, warmth and kindness to strangers. It will stay with me for the rest of my life. It floods me with Awe at the tapestry of life where someone takes the time to listen, notice, share, and make choices. My freshman son was in his dorm room feeling very weak and unwell. He had no energy to go down to the dining hall because he had been up the night before due to food poisoning. His roommate hadn’t yet arrived. I googled and found the convenience store, Bear Necessities Grill ... Read Full Story >>

A Tale of a Hero and His Nine Little Ducklings

Something really amazing happened in downtown Spokane, Washington this week, so  I decided to share the joy with you.    My good friend Betty has a brother named, Joel, who is a loan officer at Sterling Bank in Washington state. He works downtown in a second story office building, overlooking the busy street known as Riverside Avenue. Several weeks ago, he watched a mother duck choose the cement awning outside his window as the uncanny place to build a nest above the sidewalk.    The mallard laid nine eggs in a nest in the corner of the planter that is perched over 10 feet in the air. She dutifully kept the eggs warm for weeks and on a sunny Mondary afternoon all of her nine ducklings hatched.     Joel worried all night as to how the momma duck was going to get those nine babies safely off their perch in a busy, downtown, urban environment so they ... Read Full Story >>

Halloween Kindness Received

Halloween is not the big event here that it is in some parts of the world, but I want to tell you about some Halloween kindnesses that we received yesterday. My youngest son has been introduced to the idea of Halloween celebrations via the school (not something I applaud, but that's another story). Anyway, I had no plans to do anything special. However, he was banging on about Halloween to our farm volunteers and a wonderful American girl organised a scavenger hunt for him yesterday. He had clues that sent him all over the farm (minor panic when we thought the goats may have eaten one of the clues!) and culminated in some treats hidden in a bowl of garlic! He also wanted to do a Halloween party, but we're lacking the space and the people to provide one. But we managed to clear a space on the patio where we could ... Read Full Story >>

A Lesson In Kindness From My Mother

I was at the drugstore getting ready to leave when I saw an old lady standing at the main entrance. She looked like she might be lost, so I asked if she needed any help. She said, "Yes, please. Where is the drugstore window? I need the get some medication but I don't see very well."  
 
I took her by the hand and led her into the store. I helped her get her medicine and helped her get the money from her purse to pay for it.
 
I asked her how she had managed to get to the  drugstore and she told me she had walked from her house, which was four blocks away. I offered to take her home and she agreed to let me. She told me she was a widow. She had no children and lived by herself. She was 95 years old. 
 
I helped her to her door and she told that she was so blessed to find people like me who would help her. In truth it was all down to my mother who had passed away five months before. The time I spent caring for mom taught me a lot about compassion. She taught me the real love and kindness aren't just reserved for family, but are meant to be shared with everyone.

Persistance Pays Off!

On my hands and knees on the floor of the airplane, searching for an old lady’s missing hearing aid during the flight from Sydney to Los Angeles, it occurred to me that this may not be the most dignified posture for a Buddhist nun. (With shaven head & long flowing orange robes, I stand out.) I had seen the old lady from the seat in front of me as she tottered up and down the aisle with a flashlight. I asked a few times what was wrong, but she didn’t answer at first — she couldn’t hear me. She spoke with a thick eastern European accent, wearing a vintage plaid tweed woolen coat.  Do you know what hearing aids cost? Thousands, especially for the new tiny hidden-in-the ear type she described. It takes a long time for an appointment to make a new one, and many doctor visits to get the thing ... Read Full Story >>

What I Am Grateful For

I learned to count my blessings a long the time ago. I believe that if any one stops for a minute he/she will find something to be grateful for.   I am grateful for a great number of things but I am especially grateful for NOW, for this moment in time.   I am grateful for the lovely town where I live.  In this town the number of charity shops almost equals the number of “normal” shops.  There are charities for almost everything you can imagine. Even the primary schools are charity orientated, with the Parents and Teachers Association taking responsibility for raising money through parties, discos, fairs and other events in order to be able to buy things like interactive white boards or sports gear for the school football team.  I think my town is very kind and it is very easy to live here.  People smile at you a lot, ... Read Full Story >>

She Got 'Heart Bombed" By Her Colleagues

Here's a great opportunity to let a friend, co-worker or family member know you care... Do a "Heart Bomb" when they least expect it. A colleague did it to me a year ago and I still have the little colorful hearts they papered my desk with all around my cubicle. They give me a warm heart and make me smile each time i look at them. Highly Recommend sharing a "Heart Bomb" with someone this week.

Kid Meals for my sisters

Today, I made "kid's meals" for my two sisters!! :) They loved them!! I got the inspiration from my smile deck. The card that says "Make a lunch for someone and slip a note in" So that's what I did!! :)

Nightshift at the Marriott

It had been a long, hot August day. We'd driven over six hundred miles and it was nearing 11 pm as we entered Kingman, Arizona. We pulled off and picked a motel. Much to my surprise, it being mid-week, the deskman informed me they were full. Next place, same story. This time, I asked the clerk for suggestions.      "Try the Hampton Inn."      At the Hampton we were greeted with, "We're booked. Sorry."     "What's going on?" I asked. "Is there some kind of convention in town?"     "A tour bus just pulled in with 60 people," he said. "Plus lots of people are heading up to the Grand Canyon. It's an unusual evening. You might try the Best Western. I think they had one room left about an hour ago."      We tried the Best Western. No luck.      By that time, we'd traveled to the west end of ... Read Full Story >>

Hoku, The Little 1st Grader And Her Blue Post-it Notes

This is not a pity story, but my past weeks were filled with negativism, cruel remarks, and hopelessness and despair! I was feverishly working at my little office next to the Health Office, trying to input results from about 150 students' screenings. Little Hoku walked in: "I have a tummy ache." She said. "Okay, do you want to go to the Health Office or lie down, perhaps?".  I asked. "No, I want to sit right next to you." This was interesting, I knew Hoku.  She had to come to the Health Office everyday before lunch for her medications. Although I always spoke to her, she never replied to me. I kept working. "You know I'm a good drawer." She expressed. "I'm sure you are!" I responded. Still typing, I saw that she had "filched" my blue post-it note stack. The next thing I knew, there was a blue post-it stuck to my ... Read Full Story >>

I Am Hungry For Peace

On occasion I come across a poem or short story that I have read that deeply touches my heart. I was sent this poem when Peace was a theme that kept recurring throughout my days. Thank you for the beautiful kindspring soul who sent this poem to me when I needed it most. I am hungry for Peace. I want to slather it on thick as a sun drenched smile rising from my heart to yours. I’d make a sandwich of our tribulations and joys, layering it with compassionate slices of a mellowing perspective. The bread would be kneaded with seeds of kindness, baked to a delicate golden crust of understanding, fluffy and warm on the inside with forgiveness. I’d be sure to eat it from my best chipped plate, the one with flowers painted from a forest rain, tinged with the blush of a robin’s breast. And to wash it all down, there would be goblet of stars whirled into a constellation of such possibility, that I’d have to sip slowly so as not ... Read Full Story >>

A Tire-d Kindness

  Money was tight- and then one of my tires blew out!      I managed to pull into a parking lot and park safely before trying to figure out what to do next. A  new tire wasn't exactly in my budget but it was going to have to be worked in somehow. Then there was the additional expense of having to pay someone to come out and fix it.   Another car pulled in right behind me and a man and his young son got out. He offered to change the tire for me, but I told him my spare was in the trunk, already puntured.       He offered to take me and my spare tire to a repair place just a mile or so away. There they put a new tire on the old rim and he waited for me. Then he took me back to my car and put the new tire ... Read Full Story >>

Everyday is a Special Day, Because She's With Me

Today my mom-in law would have been 82. Even though she passed away three years ago this April, we all still feel her love and presence with us every single day. She was a generous, warm-hearted spirit who made friends with everyone who crossed her path. I am smiling thinking of all of the ways in which we are still connected to her spirit. I left flowers on her daughter's doorstep today--sunflowers to embody her mom's spirit. I made several gallons of her favorite mango lassi as a contribution to a school event today, and then toasted her with a small glass, smiling as I thought of what she would say to me. Thought of everything I did after work today--picking up dry cleaning, making dinner, bringing homemade treats to a neighbor, volunteering, connecting with friends over the phone/email, writing a letter of recommendation for someone, surprising my son with a new ... Read Full Story >>

Showing Kindness to Even the Smallest Beings

I have found that the way I treat insects acts as a reflection of my approach to kindness.  Like most kids, I suppose, I mistreated bugs terribly.  But many adults continue the rampage against insects, and I have often found that they do this mindlessly, killing them for no reason. With the weather getting warmer, more bugs are getting into our houses.  We also spend more time in "their house," as we enjoy the great outdoors.  We find ourselves reaching for the fly swatter and insecticides to get rid of them.  But why do we do this?  Most insects pose no threat to us, but we kill them anyway. As a young adult, I found myself questioning my treatment of bugs.  It became a moral issue.  I remember reading a Native American story about a mother who saw her daughter stomp on a spider.  The mom simply asks the child: "Now who'll take care ... Read Full Story >>

Adventures In Babysitting

I had offered to watch a friend's children so she and her husband could go out to watch a movie. She was delighted with the offer - but didn't get around to fixing a day. 
 
So, finally, I picked a date and asked her if she was free. She was really excited and looking forward to her night out. 
 
On the day of the babysitting her husband e-mailed me and told me it was her birthday! I hadn't known that! He told me he would bring over a cake after the movie, when they came to pick up the kids. 
 
The kids had a great time (and so did we!) We made cookies together, played games, and so on. Then, when their parents came back we had a surprise birthday party with cake and ice cream and sparkling juice. We made music together and it was very festive! My friend said it was the most special birthday she had celebrated in a long time.
 
I was so happy!

The Kind Man

The kind man, who noticed that an elder woman was struggling to find a suitable place to rest her husband's wheelchair and sit beside him got up, moved his chair and offered his spot. And then his wife offered her chair to the woman.

I was so moved that I gave him a Peace dove in appreciation for his kindness.

He seemed a little embarrassed, but accepted my thanks, saying, "Well, we all need some extra kindness now and then!" and put the dove in his jean pocket.

I'm smiling still.

There are so many instances of these magical moments, my kind friends, and they are so more often than not. Take notice and appreciate. It so brings more kindness into being!

The Power of a Handwritten Letter

Our world is so dependent on email that handwritten letters have gone by the wayside.  At a service I attended recently, the topic had to do with how important and touching handwritten letters are. 

I followed my heart, which had tugged at me for some time to actually write letters. I started by writing a letter to my grandfather and nothing could have made him happier. Even though I see him every week, he said so many times how much it meant to him. So now we write each other a letter each week. There is something so special about seeing a real letter when you open the mailbox and something even greater about sending it to someone special. I write at least one letter a week now to family and friends -- it reconnects you in ways that no email ever will.

Fierce Competition To Be The Kindest Inmate Inside A Women’s Prison

Fierce Competition to Be the Kindest Inmate Inside a Women’s Prison: Though constrained by the walls of the prison, these women still have a choice as to how they want to show up in the world. Story Credit: Good News Network Typically, kindness doesn’t top the list of survival skills needed in a women’s prison. But last week, inmates around the world who call themselves “compassionistas” teamed up to see who could perform the most acts of compassion, and competed other prisons and citizens in The 2017 Compassion Games. In previous years, as part of Compassion Games International, the prison inmates at the California Institution for Women (CIW) tallied 4,500 acts of kindness that included sharing food, cleaning each others’ living spaces, and helping apply sunscreen before going outside. Even when temperatures climbed to 108 degrees in the Corona facility in 2013, the women avoided irritable exchanges and encouraged one another to stay hydrated.“The Compassion Games allowed ... Read Full Story >>

Helping a grieving mom

We packed a picnic lunch and went to the mountains today. Helena, my friend's mother is visiting. Three years ago her daughter passed away on Christmas Day. Since then, understandably, she has been very depressed. This visit, however, everyone noticed a change in her. It seems that Time has finally partially healed her broken heart. The drive out to the mountains was exciting and fun for her! She took hundreds of pictures and giggled as she took them. She said her life was wonderful and she was so happy to be out in her beloved "narava", Croatian for nature. On the way home she wished she could see a deer, and then just ten minutes into the drive, as if on cue, out popped a deer! It was close enough to the road that she could talk to it. Softly she said, "I love you sweetheart". The deer stared into Helena's eyes for a moment ... Read Full Story >>