Search Results for 'popular' (3455 matches)

Hope, Joy and a Little Bit of Ice-Cream

Earlier this year, I submitted an idea to the Helpothers.org Kindness Contest.  I was lucky enough to be selected a winner for my idea and received a $100 to throw an ice-cream party for the children in the ART (Acute Residential Treatment Center) at the Walker Home & School in Massachusetts.  This institution serves the complex needs of a diverse group of children, from those with severe mental illnesses to those who have experienced abuse, neglect or other catastrophic challenges in their young lives. The simple joy of knowing that even children who struggle with daily living can find pleasure in an ice cream party really meant the world to the staff who support them.  It was also important to me becausse it reminded me of how The Walker Home saved my son Evan's life when no other organization could understand him. In saving our son's life, they saved our family from crumbling as well. Walker ... Read Full Story >>

Compassionate Clowning

I haven't been very active on KindSpring even though it is the site where I've felt the most connected over the past month or so. I believe there is a wonderful joy in sharing acts of kindness when it isn't about ego, but just the pure happiness of having the opportunity to help others. Still, this is a tough one coming from my own personal socialization. Today I did one of my favorite activities: Compassionate Clowning. On Saturdays a group of us meet up at a local hospital and do an hour and half of clowning for kids with cancer. It's one of the most strange experiences of my life. It is both deeply rewarding and disturbing at the same time. This afternoon there were so many kids who laughed out loud from my antics, but others were simply in too much pain to show the slightest of smiles. Holding the hand of ... Read Full Story >>

Sixth Graders and the Smile Deck

I teach a sixth grade religion class, and today I played the Smile Deck game with my students.  They each left with two kind acts to complete and were very enthusiastic as I handed them regular Smile Cards to go along with the Smile Deck Cards.

One student was able to complete one of her acts that day itself, when class ended.  She held the door for those leaving the building, handing out Smile Cards to those who would take them.  It was uncomfortable for her at first (12 years old is an awkward age, at best), but she got the hang of it and started to enjoy her 15 minutes as 'Door Woman'!

I am excited to hear about how the other children's acts of kindness go.

I hope that my take on the ways we can “take care of God's creation” will sink into these kids, and they will carry forward the idea of embracing kindness as a meaningful part of life.

This is just the beginning for me!!  Thanks for the forum of inspiration!

Paying-Forward Our Blessings From Around The World

There is a saying in India - "Jab bhagawaan dheta hai to chhapad phad ke dheta hai." Roughly translated it means, "When blessings come, they come in a downpour." This is how I have been feeling since I have been the recipient of a series of tags - from multiple sources. First, I received an envelope with a beautiful hand-drawn image and inspiring message. Then another envelope, with a whole bunch of smile stickers. A day ago it was this huge box containing some cute stuffed dolls, plastic smile coins and smile balls and yet another inspiring note. And today it was yet another box from across the pond with a lovely photo frame and a wonderful note. Not only have these gifts cheered me, my husband has also been having a great time opening them and being amazed at the thoughts behind them. He still has not been able to wipe the ... Read Full Story >>

A Moment of Calm

My husband and I were cleaning windows together yesterday. We  have the double-hung windows that you can pull forward and flip, allowing us to clean the inside and the outside surfaces. My husband was washing one window - and it popped out of its frame!  Well, our house is for sale and the last thing we needed was for something to break. He was so upset and tried with all his might to get it back together, using a few less than pleasant words (I am sorry to say). After twenty minutes he still could not get it fixed. That's when my 23 year old son told his dad to walk away for a minute and he would try to fix it with me. It's amazing how you can see things more clearly and do things more easily when you are calm. He and I fixed the window in three minutes! I called ... Read Full Story >>

How someone's presence can make a difference

In the midst of our grief after our only child passed away, a parent who had suffered the same terrible loss, came to our house.  She didn't talk much -- she was basically sitting shiva with us -- a beautiful Jewish custom where the family of the deceased gathers in one home and receives visitors.  When she talked, we could listen.  She taught me the importance of just being there for someone with your presence, and without all the answers.  It's amazing how much can be communicated without words. And how much is said by simply showing up.

World Turtle Day

“Folks love these turtles!” Padre Island National Seashore’s park store manager exclaimed. I have been gifting them origami turtles every time we winter in Texas and visit the Park. Taking a deep breath, knowing the amount was going to be high, I asked, “How many do you think you’d need for your turtle release in a few months?” “About a thousand!!!” Smiling and already calculating how to make a dent in that request while folding as we journeyed by car, plane, watching TV, listening to audio books, and music while still making Peace Doves, I replied confidently, “I’ll see what I can do!” About 400 origami turtles later - (many thanks to Mr. M for counting!), made, mailed, received and already exuberantly being shared, I found this lovely appreciation in my inbox. “Mindy, I couldn't wait to pass them out! They definitely accomplish their purpose and goals! I had many smiles 😃😃😃😃and you could tell there ... Read Full Story >>

Smile Card Revolution at School

I am currently in grade twelve at my school and have been working on a project by creating a group of eight girls, ranging from grades five to six, to stop bullying.  I introduced these girls to the Smile Card idea, and it was a huge hit.  We have been meeting every week since then.  Next thing I know, one girl came up to me with over 100 Smile Cards that she had printed out from this website and colored in herself!

This shows me that kindness can reach all different ages.  Now, the girls are continuously spreading the cards and making journals of their experiences.  I plan to get our whole school involved in this Smile Card revolution. 

My next theme is "We are all the same yet so different."  These girls gave me hope that people in this world do care.

A Banana Bread Thank You

We live in a circle of giving in my neighbourhoood; neighbours sharing and looking out for each other.

So, the other day when a plate of banana bread appeared on our doorstep without a note I didn't know who to thank.

Was it Leslie? We often exchange fruits and vegetables from the garden and swap baked goods. I called her. She said it wasn't her.

Was it Carol? She loves our garden veggies! Nope.

Was it Helen? I had stopped by her house with a bag of freshly picked tomatoes and although her daughter had just given us some apple cake a few days earlier she said it wasn't her either.

I was scratching my head in confusion when Helen started talking about how nice it was that my husband and two other neighbourhood men had helped her neighbour move a big mattress into their house the other day.

Then her eyes sparkled and she said, "I know who baked a lot of banana bread! It was Ellen! She wanted to thank your husband for his help with moving the mattress!" 

Mystery solved - and more friends to bake for!

Stories for an Extra Special Listener

 This isn't so much a kindness story as a lovely moment. Every once in a while I go along to a local radio station to record some stories that go out as a 'Thought For The Day'. Usually the sound engineer is very fussy about background noise when we are recording. Sometimes there are other people in the studio and he makes sure they know silence is the order of the moment. Today there were two people in the studio. One was teenage boy working at a computer keyboard. The other was a woman who might have been his mother or his helper. We exchanged some pleasantries and she asked if I was doing 'Thought For The Day'. I said, "Yeah," but joked I was self-conscious. "So, nobody listen," I said in a mock raised voice. Then we began to record. While I spoke into the microphone I noticed the woman talking to the boy - ... Read Full Story >>

The Old Folks At The Station

I had gone to the city railway station to pick my relatives. On the platform I saw a couple who looked to be in their 70s. They seemed restless, stressed and searching for something. I couldn't ignore them and asked if they were okay.    They said they had come from a village and were searching for their son who was supposed to pick them up. They asked if there was a telephone booth nearby so they could call him. I took the number, called him on my cell-phone, and let them speak to him. Then I told him exactly where his parents were standing.    I can still feel the shivers I got when the old lady smiled and said, "Let God keep you well, wherever you are."    That random and very small act gave me such a feeling of inner peace and happiness!   I couldn't wait for their son to arrive. I had to ... Read Full Story >>

The Clergyman On The Park Bench

This story is from a friend of mine:

While I was in Ojai this past weekend I came upon a man sitting at a bench by himself. I smiled and said hello. As I passed he yelled to me to come back. The man said that I was the only person who had smiled and said hello to him all day and it was near 1 pm. He said he was a reverend and asked where I was from; I said England. At that point, most people will say something like, near London. His response was, Birmingham? In fact, Birmingham is the largest city near my rural upbringing. We talked for quite some time and he told me that he needed money to get back home. Not knowing how much money I had, I told him I'd give him whatever was in my purse. He said he prayed that I'd have $47. When I opened the wallet in my purse and counted out the money I had exactly $47! I offered the man all of my money.

When I was told this story I had chills, as I'm sure that she did as she talked with this gentleman. The universe does work in mysterious ways<3.

It Is In Giving That You Get

It was one of those unexpected moments of generosity that just takes your breath away - I called up my favorite sandwich shop, ordered two veggie hoagies, and arranged to pick them up in ten minutes. Parking places are hard to find around there so my wife dropped me off, saying she would pick me up again in a few minutes.  I walk in and mention my order. "Ah yes! Here you go. That'll be $14.87," the burly man behind the counter said.  I gave him the cash and he handed me my change. As I picked up the napkins he handed me a giant empty glass. "Here you go," he said. "That's for your drink."  I took it, not really sure why he had given it to me. "Um, I actually didn't order a drink," I said and tried to hand him the glass back.  "Oh, I know. Go ahead, help yourself to a ... Read Full Story >>

Talking To Strangers

Today, I was resting on a bench at a Subway station and a very tired woman came and sat next to me. I said hello and offered her some of the sweet that I was eating but she refused politely, she's just been to a coffee shop and she was already full. But the ice was broken and we talked for about half an hour . She complained of a few things and I understood her but I also helped her to notice the bright side and she would be smiling and say "yes it's true". When we said our good bye she was a different person, her tiredness seemed to be gone and instead of sighs, as she came,  left with smiles, thanking me for talking to her, it made her day.I thanked her too for telling me so many things about her life. A few minutes later, right before riding ... Read Full Story >>

A Heartfelt Way to End the Year

There is a family in our neighborhood that moved here from Sri Lanka. Their daughter goes to the same school as my children so we see her at the bus stop often. They have had a tough time since they came to America. They had some medical bills last week that made Christmas gifts not possible.

I told my wife that we needed to help her. We got the family a gift card and two toys for each of her two children. When my wife called her mom and told her what we were going to do, she wanted to help too. She bought a few gifts for each child as well.

We took over the gifts, some cookies and wrapping paper for the gifts. The woman was so happy and excited that the kids would have some things to open for Christmas. We couldn't be happier ourselves that we had spread a few smiles.

Some friends and I are doing 10 kind acts for the last 10 days of the year starting today. I thought this was a great way to start it off! It was six years ago today that I joined HelpOthers. It has changed my life in the BEST way, causing me to do more things like this than I ever have! Day one down, nine to go! :)

MSS

YOU Are The Gift

I am checking into my underground penthouse a.k.a cave until my six week follow up with the neurosurgeon. I have some sort of flu and the nerve pain has increased significantly. I'm not feeling like a happy camper. So I will leave you with this from 'The Joy Team' out of Vancouver WA. I'm not sure where this billboard is but I should track it down. Thank you ALL for being such gifts in my life - even when I am not here. xoxoxo

Simple Loving Kindness Wherever You Are

  A good friend came to visit yesterday and really helped me appreciate a lot of things we take for granted.   She is French and lived here in the U.K. for several years. But recently, because of work commitments, she moved to a third country. She said it was such a culture shock and she cried for the first six weeks she was there.    What upset her was the lack of personal freedom and the lack of almost any expression of humanity in the government organisations. The people always felt they were being watched and the only way to get decent food and equipment was by taking part in a frightening black market economy.   But! Even in the midst of such darkness it is still possible to find some beautiful people; like her landlady, who visited her every day, helped with the three children - and even cooked for her! And the Head Teacher ... Read Full Story >>

A Child's Truth

This kindness really touched me, and it looks like it may ripple for years to come.

Probably the best note I have ever gotten from a student in 21 years of teaching. This was spontaneous, not an assignment. Had to frame it. Let me translate:

"I will write perfect. I will never break a rule. I will clean my desk. I will get blue money (classroom cash). I will go to college. I will have a job. I will become the boss of all the knuckleheads. I will participate. I will have a growth mindset. I will never bully. I will be nice. I promise."

#AprilRAOK #BeKindToOneAnother
 

Pizza Thanks

I was in our local pizza takeout today when a couple of teenagers came in to order pizzas. They each ordered a small personal size pizza for themselves and 3 large pizzas to be delivered to the fire department. which was having a training night. They asked the delivery person to include a note they had written thanking the members of the fire department for all they do for the community and for helping their friend when he was in a serious accident. They explained that their friend had lived because of the actions of the emergency personnel. I don't know these kids, but I am very proud of them.   ... Read Full Story >>

The Traveler

One afternoon last summer I was driving along on my way home when I noticed a woman at the roadside near the edge of town struggling with a wheeled suitcase. There was no sidewalk, only grass, and she was having a rough way to go. I pulled over to a nearby parking lot to watch her. I suspected that she was headed to the homeless shelter across the street. As it became apparent that she was on her way somewhere I continued to observe. She appeared to be in her fifties and was dressed very conservatively, a skirt nearly to her ankles, a blouse, and a lace shawl around her shoulders. In truth I was not only assessing her situation but whether or not she had the potential to harm me if I intervened. After a couple of minutes I turned around, pulled the car up next to her and offered her a ... Read Full Story >>