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Freeing a Trolley for an Elderly Woman

       Walking through town yesterday I spotted an elderly woman having a spot of bother. She was trying to release a supermarket trolley from the trolley park and not managing.  You need to slip a pound coin into the release slot and this disengages a little length of chain enabling you to use the trolley. But, try as she might, this lady couldn't loosen that chain.     "You all right?" I asked. "Yes, thanks," she smiled back. But I didn't take the hint. I stood a few seconds longer and still that chain wouldn't loosen. "Let me," I said, reaching over. And I pushed her coin just a little further into the mechanism. The chain released and that was that.      "Oh, thank you," she said. "I'm not as strong as I used to be."      And THAT is really what this is about!  I hadn't even noticed the strength it ... Read Full Story >>

They help me, I help them

It was raining hard and nearing dusk. I was late for an appointment in a nearby city that I knew only by GPS. And now my phone had died. The usual interstate exits were closed. I couldn't see, ir was raining so hard. I couldn't figure out how to get where I was going or how to let my appointment know I was likely not going to make it there. I stopped at a McDonald's in an impoverished part of town and walked up to what appeared to be a mother and her teen daughter. "I'm sorry, but do you mind, is it possible for me to look up a number on your phone and then call the place and let them know I'm lost?" She handed me her phone and then told me she was lucky she had her phone, it was getting ready to be turned off because shedidn't have ... Read Full Story >>

A Gift In The Mail

For the love and the thoughtfulness that shaped my childhood and still cocoons me today, I can never repay my grandfather or my father... I felt the back of my grandfather’s rough fingers caress my jawline today as he used to when he was still alive; when I was but a child… I received a beautifully stamped envelope from the States in the mail. I immediately recognized Edith Piaf on one of the stamps and my father’s scrawl below. Carefully, I used a knife to open the envelope, knowing that my father occasionally sends me valuable treasure through the mail. Inside, I found another envelope. On it, I saw two scripts. The first one bore my father’s explanation: In the 40’s, my great-grandfather bought a desk. He used it in his office at the family restaurant and when he passed away, my grandfather started using the desk. When the family restaurant sold, the desk was moved ... Read Full Story >>

Bagged by an Anonymous Act of Kindness

I was at the grocery store last Friday buying some milk, bread, and juice for my family of 3. At the check out the total came to about $25. I swiped my card but it didnt work. I tried again. No luck. I was quickly becoming embarassed as my 18 month old became fidgety and I scrambled through my purse looking for another way to pay.

I only had 6 one dollar bills in my purse. I asked the cashier to move on to the next person while I tried the ATM. That didnt work either. I finally resolved to write a check but when I came back to the checkout the cashier told me that my groceries had already been paid for!

Tears instantly came to my eyes. I have no idea who the person was that paid for my groceries.  They have no idea how much their act of kindness meant to me. Things like that give me hope and faith to carry on through the day.

A Smiling Face at the Store

I needed to get some supplies to clean the house this weekend, so I headed over to a local store. While walking through the aisles there, I realized that I wasn't smiling at anyone. That was out of character. I almost always smile at strangers with the hope that it might brighten their day a bit. But in that particular moment, my mind was focused on events that had bothered me earlier in the day. Not really in the mood to smile, I thought, Oh well, and continued through the store. When I went to check out my things, I was met with a very long line. People were stocking up on Christmas gifts and things for the holidays. To help minimize the first line, a second register opened up. I quickly switched over to the it. After a few moments, I began to notice that all the people in front ... Read Full Story >>

Thankful for a Mother-In-Law's Advice 9 Years Later

When my husband and I became engaged some nine years ago, I felt slightly perplexed when my mother-in-law  offered us the following advice: "Be kind to each other."

I thought that was so obvious at the time, but over the years it has stuck with me and I have realised that it is one of the best pieces of advice I have ever received.

It is all too easy to take our nearest and dearest for granted and not show them the appreciation that they deserve.

I recently thanked my mother-in-law (mummy 2, as she prefers to be called) for those words.  It was nine years late, but I always think: better late than never. I told her just how much I still appreciate her words of wisdom that she shared with us all those years ago. I could see that I made her day too! :)

Beauty Tips for Your Soul

Here are a few primping tips to increase the beauty of your soul: A dear old lady was ... Read Full Story >>

Live As Though Everything Is A Miracle

The following passage is a healthy prescription of how we can approach life. It is not about being famous or being wealthy or about our good looks. Truly, it is all about love. There are times when we feel as if we are separated from the rest. This illusion creates a mental prison. Hence, we should strive to internally liberate ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living things. "Open your heart to others and try to understand, When someone reaches for you, hold out to them your hand, Follow your heart, no matter what other people say, Do things that make you able to smile throughout your day, Treat other people, the way you would like them to treat you, Do what you know is right and to your heart and self stay true, Remember what life is all about, it is how you make people feel, What you do, where you go, and making dreams become real, Helping people through, in hard times of ... Read Full Story >>

The Real Gift That the House Cleaner Appreciated

This past Christmas, I wanted to give the woman who cleans my apartment a nice gift in appreciation. Since I know she doesn't have much money, I decided to write her a generous check so she could use it however she wanted, and enclosed it in an attractive large size card with a photo of a cat and dog on the cover (she loves animals). The card came with a nice message, but I also added a personal message in which I thanked her for all the good services she's provided me, wished her the best for the coming year, and for her dreams coming true. When I gave her the card with the check inside, tears of gratitude rolled down her face when she saw my message, before she even saw the check! She said, "You took the time to write me a personal message; now I feel really loved". I'm ... Read Full Story >>

Lending a hand at the airport

I had arrived at the airport in plenty of time having checked in online. It was the weekend before Christmas and very very busy. I saw an elderly man looking lost pushing a lady in a wheelchair as well as a baggage trolley. I walked past at first but then knew I couldn't leave without at least asking if they needed a hand.

I pushed the baggage trolley while Ronald (the elderly man) concentrated on steering his mother in the wheel chair through the queues. I helped them through the check-in process, which took nearly an hour queuing and going to different desks and the bag drop.

They were both very grateful once we had cleared the check-in counters. I sent them on the way to the departure gates. I felt really happy that I had made their trip that much easier for taking a bit of time.

Parents Are Precious

Venkatesh Balasubramaniam (who works for IIT) describes how his gesture of booking an air ticket for his father brought forth a rush of emotions and made him (Venkatesh) realize how much we all take for granted when it comes to our parents. My parents left for our native land on Thursday and we went to the airport to see them off. In fact, my father had never traveled by air before, so I just took this opportunity to ensure he experienced his first flight. In spite of being asked to book tickets by train, I got them tickets on Jet Airways.  The moment I handed over the tickets to him, he was surprised to see that I had booked them by air. The excitement was very apparent on his face. Just like a school boy, he was preparing himself for that day. We all went to the airport and eagerly enjoyed the ... Read Full Story >>

Kindness Knocks on the Front Door

Two years ago an African man from Malawi, Elias, arrived at my sister’s home in the rough, bush country of South Africa with nothing but the shirt on his back. He was hoping to come to South Africa to find employment in order to support his family in Malawi. Little did he realize my sister at that time was struggling to keep her body and soul together. Nevertheless, Elias was given permission to stay on the property with the understanding that she was unable to help him financially and he would have to find “piece work” employment to support himself. As unemployment is rife, Elias was unable to find work immediately, so my sister taught him how to grow organic vegetables, sew and bake. Elias is keen to learn whatever he can to take the knowledge back to Malawi with him once he goes home. Elias finally found employment but my sister hit ... Read Full Story >>

Where Does Kindness Start? With Us...

Recently at the gas station...I was walking in to Pre-Pay before being able to pump gas into my car. As I approached the door to go in to pay, there was a woman coming out.   I was about 15 feet away and she stood there, waiting and holding the door for me to enter. Usually people are in such a hurry that they dash out and sometimes even to the point of being rude and mowing me down.  I smiled and said "Thank You, you didn't have to do that"  and her reply was "No problem, take your time." Next we are both at our vehicles filling gas and she finished first. She hopped in her van and was getting ready to leave. I noticed her gas compartment was still open and the cap was dangling down.  I quickly scooted to her van and tapped  on it as she was starting ... Read Full Story >>

The Waiter at the fast food restaurant

My husband and I decided to go out for lunch . Our waiter who appeared to be at least 60+ years old was extremely nice and very attentive to our needs.

Since this place is almost considered as a fast food restaurant, not many tips are given. I'm a firm believer if I receive great service, I'm willing to give a nice tip.

When it was time for us to pay for our food, I gave the waiter a $10 tip. (which was more than our meal) She thanked me over and over again and stated she could really use the money.

She later walked in the back of the restaurant where her other co-workers were standing and started waving the $10 around. It put a huge smile on my face that God has blessed me to bless others.

A Five Rupee Formula for Joy

On my way out the building in the morning, I search my pockets for 5 rupee coins. If I have one, I go to the shop downstairs and buy 5 packets of Gems-- an Indian version of M&Ms. There are 3 Gems per packet, giving me 14 chances to make someone smile (there would be 15 but invariably the first Gem ends up in my own mouth!). On the first day, I gave one each to the two youngs sons of my dhobi (washerman), and to the boy who lives in the makeshift shack in front of my building. Their hands were really dirty so I put them straight into their mouths. I thought for a second about giving them an impromptu lesson in hand-washing, but they are too young to understand Hindi and I haven't learned enough Kannada to explain properly. Next time I'll pick up the basics, and use ... Read Full Story >>

Inspiration From my Daughter

I thought that was so sweet of her! It seems she not only reaches out to her friends these days but to her teachers and other children as well. I thought that was awesome! 

Feeding Two Teens From The Dollar Menu

I picked my daughter up from school today. She was hungry and asked if we could stop at McDonald's so she could have a quick bite to eat. I said I didn't have much money, but she could order from the dollar menu.    As we pulled up to the drive-thru window. A young man, about 16-18 years old, approached my car. He had a sad story about his mom being hospital and him having no money or food.    I asked him, "What is it you want? Food?" He said he didn't care, anything would be good.     So, I told him to go ahead of me and wait, that I would order something and bring it to him.   My daughter asked, "Mom, do you believe him?" I said, "I don't know if he's telling the truth or not, but I know he must be hungry or he wouldn't be begging at McDonald's."    So I ... Read Full Story >>

A Little Help for a 5 Year Old

I went on to this web site that I am part of where everyone tries to help each other.  There  was a special request made for a five-year-old year old on her birthday.  The request was for a dress, a birthday card and some bows.

I made contact with the mom, got her information and mailed out a box to the little girl. I sent a dress, bows, and a birthday card with $2.00 in the card for her. Her mom was happy. I just got the email from her and it bought a smile to my face knowing that she appreciated it.  It said: "Thank you so so so much for the card and the bows and the shirt! Savana loved them! You are a blessing! I hope you have a wonderful week ahead! Thank you again!"

Her statement made me smile. And, I am glad that she got her little ones package before the birthday this month. At times our funds run a little tight and you need some help. But, I felt good knowing that I contributed to a little one's smile on her face when she received these things from me.  This alone is special to me.

Flames of Gratitude

The other day, my husband and I found out that his co-worker's house caught on fire and suffered major damages. 

We wanted to reach out and support their family, but debated whether or not we could afford to donate to the collection. 

Then it occurred to me that, even though I don't have enough to pay our bills this week, these people don't have clothes to send their daughter to school the next day!!

With gratitude for all that we have, we donated $50 to the family, and will find a way to make due for the coming week.

The Simplest Act of Kindness Can Be Priceless

I was 12 years old and sewing my graduation dress by hand.  In those days, you didn't make an appointment with the doctor -- you just sat in the waiting room (her living room) until it was your turn, and it could be a long wait.  So, I brought my dress to sew while waiting. 

I was having trouble making a knot, and a young woman with a foreign accent offered to help me.  The reason this simple act has stayed with me all these 62 years (I'm 74 years old now) is because I came from a very unhappy family situation.  Although I excelled at school, the teachers didn't like me because I talked too much!  I had no loving relatives.  Only my dog loved me, I thought. 

It may seem odd that this event impressed me and its memory has stayed with me all these years...but it exemplifies how the simplest acts of kindness can be priceless!