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An Everyday Hero Who Taught Me An Important Lesson

Few days ago, I went to school with tons of books, hoping to get a locker. All of a sudden, it started raining heavily. I hurried to pay for my locker, but I was disappointed when they informed me that they only accepted cash. I was $7.00 short, which meant I had to carry the books back home. It would be an exhausting two-hour journey back home with all those books. There was an elderly gentleman nearby. Noticing my predicament, he asked me how much cash I needed. When I told him I was $7 short, he quickly took out the money from his wallet. “You don’t have to pay me back,” he said. I was speechless; I didn’t know whether to take the money or come back with the books the next day. A young student who was working ... Read Full Story >>

Like Sandpaper

At my workplace there is not much opportunity to be different. We administer care to others and, in the process, sometimes we forget to care for ourselves and each other.  So, I print inspirational messages, happy pictures, quotes, etc, and post them on a blank space I've found in one of our utility rooms. I also print stories from this site, and some others I subscribe to, and leave them in the staff room. I believe it adds to our "emotional education."  One person asked me, "Why do you do this? Why do you try to help these people, they are not very nice?"  My response was, "If it affects one person then it's a good thing."  Often that one person is me, because I know I have done a kind thing, a good thing. It doesn't matter if it doesn't affect anyone else. What matters is that I'm the best person I can ... Read Full Story >>

Thoughts on Simple Living

On this eve of the 21-Day Simple Living challenge I'm sitting in reflection of what the term simple means to me. Over the past two+ years I've taken step after step, some conscious others not at all, towards simplifying my life. As such I've stepped into a much slower, much more mindful day-to-day existence although it's often I step back into the busy and faster pace that I once knew. I believe Duane shared on a few Awakin calls ago that in simplifying we have the opportunity to realize what really matters most to us. That also has shown truth for me, as I stepped into forming Wild Dream Walks, an organization that uses walking as a tool to connect community and lead people down the path of what matters to them most. This alone has given me the opportunity to serve from my heart for many people. This year I created ... Read Full Story >>

Giving Away Flowers is Addictive

I love to surprise people. I like to start things with a "bang" and finish them with another "bang" usually related with acts of kindness.

This year on my last meeting as a chair of the PTA, I offered each member of the team a rose and a card.

Though they know me by now I guess I can still surprise them with unusual surprises from time to time.

The other day I gave a chocolate and a smile card to a charity worker, who seemed quite puzzled ...

Today I gave a rose and a card to a lady that I know who has been working very hard.

Giving flowers is lovely, the only danger is that it is highly addictive.

;-)

A Kindness "Chain Reaction" in a Traffic Jam

My 17 year old granddaughter is an accomplished flutist.  She recently gave a farewell recital to her friends and family at her high school in Chicago, which was followed by a homemade buffet supper.  After the recital, she had a 3 hour drive home with her mother and sister.  They decided to load up the car with the left-over food from the recital, which included barbequed sandwiches and cream puffs.  They packed the food on plates which they placed in zip-lock bags. On the drive back, they stopped to give the zip-lock bags to homeless people along the way.  At one junction, there was a traffic jam even though the lights were green.  My granddaughter decided to run through the cars to take a plate to a person on the side walk.  As she ran back, some of the other cars started to honk their horns. The lights had already turned red, so my daughter ... Read Full Story >>

Reconnecting a young women with her father

Decades ago I ended my relationship with my beloved fiance after another young woman made it her life's goal to have this talented man.  I left but never stopped loving him. We remained close and kept in contact by phone and rare visits until he died many years later. We always loved each other but because the shock of our ending was so traumatic for me I always refused to return to him.  When he died, his friends treated me like his widow which, in a strange way, I was.  Several years ago, I saw a note on the internet asking if anyone knew of him. I replied to it and learned it was from his daughter who had never known him. We eventually spoke on the phone several times. She is a well known singer. (Her father was a brilliant pianist and arranger.) She wanted so much to know why she had never known ... Read Full Story >>

Balloon On A Kindness Journey

I finally did it! I am so happy! 

I've had this idea for a while but I didn't have the guts to actually go through with it - until today.

I bought 10 helium filled balloons, drew a smiley face and wrote the date they were released on each them. I had set up another e-mail account for the project. I wrote the e-mail address on Smile Card and attached them to the balloons.

Then I took them outside and released them into the air. I hope to get some awesome stories back in return.

When In Trouble ... Give!

Today was the day that I paid my bills. I was feeling a little under the weather financially and worrying myself about it. I was praying and thinking about the problem when, just like that, I got the solution. I’m a firm believer in the concept of “a blessing given is a blessing received.” So I went to the grocery store to do an act of kindness.  Since I wanted to do this act anonymously, I couldn't figure out the right person for a long time.   Finally, I went in line behind the person that I wanted to pay it forward to. When the cashier rang her items up I handed my debit card over and asked the cashier to charge it on me. The lady in line was confused at first, but I explained to her the whole concept of paying it forward and even told her about HelpOthers.org. ... Read Full Story >>

Helping Someone Find Her Way

I heard from a good friend of mine recently. She called to let me know that she recently has become separated from her husband who has bad gambling problem. She asked if I would fit some lino in her bathroom for her, so of course I agreed. Transpires that her husband has left her and her children with a great deal of debt through rent arrears. So I asked her if she would like me to call citizen’s advice on her behalf and see what is the best way forward as she’s been threatened with eviction. That opened a way for her. When she called CA herself she said that the lady there couldn’t have been more helpful, more reassuring or more positive and came away with the feeling that someone really had her back. They have referred her case to the Law Centre who will call her back today. I then heard ... Read Full Story >>

Answering Aggression with Kindness and Compassion

 I have been working in a Pupil Referral Center in Croydon UK.  This is a place where pupils go when they have been expelled from school.  Their behaviour is extremely challenging.  

I met a lady who works there and found that when she is faced with a stream of verbal abuse she always responds with kindness; when she is faced with aggression she responds with love and when she is faced with screams and tantrums she responds with calmness and compassion.  

I feel privileged to have met her.  I will never forget her gentleness and determination to help those children.

Paying It Forward On The Ski Slopes

My husband and I were excited to take a day off from work to ski Winter Park and then continue on to Grand Lake to snowshoe for the rest of our anniversary weekend this past winter.  We arrived at Winter Park with discount coupon in hand, but to my surprise, the clerk pushed it back my way stating that it was not valid on this particular day.  The discount was to buy two tickets for $50 each.  Being very disappointed I asked how much a regular ticket would cost, and she said $94!  Needless to say, I was very unhappy. As I waited for my husband to return, the universe was lining me up for some wonderful kindness.  A mother and her daughter approached me asking if we needed tickets.  They were on a band trip and found out that the daughter could not ski due to an injury.  As a ... Read Full Story >>

Helping Others Heals Ourselves

College was the best of times and the worst of times for me. I met the best friends of my life, had unimaginable experiences, and traveled to new places, but I also folded under more stress than I ever had to deal with before. As a result of bad grades, bad study skills, and pure burnout, I ended up being asked to take a semester off at the end of the first semester of my senior year. All the friends I had made were going to graduate and all I knew was that I wouldn't be graduating with them. So I ended up going back home to live with my father and stepmother. To their credit, they were very cool about me coming back. I felt their support from the moment I walked in the door and they refused to let me feel like a failure. No matter how much they ... Read Full Story >>

Southerly Winds Sweep In Smile Cards

Yesterday, I gave out my first Smile Cards!

There was a very strong, gusty southerly wind in town. While driving, I noticed some empty trash cans in the street. I stopped at the first one I encountered, placed it upside-down beside the curb (hoping it would not blow into the street again) and placed a Smile Card under it.

Then I drove on.

Talk about anonymous-- the recipient probably had no idea what a Smile Card is, who put it there, or even why it was there! I did this twice more on my way home from town, and it felt great! :)

A Note in my Lunch Box

At the beginning of this week I was touched to tears, when I opened my lunch box at work. Somehow I was feeling not so good that day, it was hard for me to get up in the morning, and so on.

When I opened my lunch box at work, I saw a little piece of paper. The piece of paper was a note from my mom saying that she loves me and wished me a blessed day!

My heart was so touched, I am so thankful that God gave me a mother that notices when I am a little down. The next day I had another note! My mom made a difference in my day and I will never forget this special touch of kindness!

Harvesting Kindness From An Orange Tree

I have an orange tree that keeps giving and giving. 

I wanted to use my smile cards, so I picked about 60 oranges, divided them up among ten bags or so and taped one of the smile cards on each bag. 

Then I went around my neighborhood leaving these bags of freshly picked, juicy sweet oranges by the doors of my neighbors. 

I hope they'll enjoy them.

Helping A Friend

I really wantto share this story that  happened a couple of weeks back. One of my friends had told me about this guy from my economics class, who was homeless and was sleeping in his car for the rest of the semester, since the rent in the Bay Area is very pricey. I had asked my friend to give me his contact number so I could go talk to him and see what was going on.  I met him the following week and sat down with him. He told he had no financial support and was working 2 jobs in order to pay for his college tuition but was running short on money for books. I do not work, so I decided to sell a few of my old college textbooksso I could help. I eventually saved up money for 2 textbooks and handed them to him and the rest of the ... Read Full Story >>

A 72 Year-Old Gem

Today, I was at an ATM that is situated inside a petrol bunk.  The security guard (who was a 72 year-old man) gently reminded me that I cannot use my cell phone inside the ATM.  When I came outside, I had a desire to talk with him. At first, I felt a little sympathetic.  In my initial impression, he seemed like a poor, elderly retired man who was still working at this ATM.  I ended up listening to him.   He spoke to me about his family, and particularly about his son and daughter. He told me that his daughter always cares for him, even though she is married herself. Then he described his son, who "has a heart of stone".  He advised me me to save money for my old age (not that I am all that young :)), and I told him that I give away everything, trusting in the bounty ... Read Full Story >>

A Snack That Turned Into Balloons

Often we do little acts of kindness and can’t really know what happens next… the people who benefit from the act return to their lives and we return to ours!  Our paths may never cross again.  But that’s not the case when a member of HelpOthers does a kind act to another member of HelOthers!  Here we can chart the ripples as we guide the kindness on its way!  Here’s one such story. You may have read Aurelia’s post about making Chex Mix for her family, or Bluebell’s post about receiving a snack from a friend in the US.  Well I sent some Karmabucks to Aurelia to find out more about her amazing snack and she offered to send some to me if I was based in the US.  Unfortunately I’m not, I live in the UK but luck would have it that I was off to America for a company event last ... Read Full Story >>

A Wet $20 Bill

It was pouring rain, no, not pouring, but hailing without the ice. I was starving and decided to pull over to a McDonald's. Very interesting site! When I went to order, I saw a young man, about 20, dirty, wet, and disheveled. He had a loosely wrapped dirty bandage around his right hand; I noticed this because I am a nurse. He was talking to the glass door, as the wind and rain gusted and blew. Before my order came up, he had walked outside, clutching an empty transparent plastic bag, and sat on the ground. I knew that it was freezing out there, even if it was California. I kept looking at him, then I noticed a wet $20 bill next to the double glass doors. At that time, two more men approached me; one clearly had alcohol on his breath, but he kept asking me: do you think he ... Read Full Story >>

Finding That Positive Note

My step-son is going through an extremely difficult time in his life and is battling many personal issues.   He calls his father several times a day, often consumed by sadness and negativity, sometimes near his breaking point. Trying to be supportive and non-critical takes it's toll on us all, but we keep trying.    This morning on our drive to work I asked my husband to try ending the telephone conversation with his son by simply saying, "Now, tell me something good about today".     Some days that might be an easy thing to do, other days it may be nearly impossible. But even if the only thing he could can up with to say is, "You were there for me again today, Dad," that would at least give him something positive to focus on.    Tonight, I heard my husband say to his son, "Okay, now let's end on a positive note. Tell me ... Read Full Story >>