Search Results for 'popular' (3486 matches)

An Anonymous Double Holiday Gift

I spent the evening last night shopping for presents:  not for my boyfriend or for me, not for our families or friends, but for a family that we selected to "sponsor" through our holiday angel program at work.  Usually I sponsor just one person, but this year I had the opportunity through our women's network to select a family headed up by a young single mother in my greater community.  It was hard balancing what they were asking for versus what I wanted to get them.  For example, the nine-year-old was asking for a specific doll, and I wanted to get her warm clothes and mittens.  I debated about it for a long time, and decided that I needed to just get both: toys for her to smile about, and warm clothes for her mother to smile about.  This is an anonymous giving program, but I feel like I know the family so well just ... Read Full Story >>

When Kindness Doesn't Need Any Words

On 'Pay-it-Forward' Day, our family knew we wanted to pick up someones tab at the grocery store but we didn't know what we would say to them.

We took the kids and told our oldest to find someone checking out. I felt drawn to the first man I saw, we all agreed this was the one. It was a family with two small children. They had A LOT of items. Still not knowing what to say I went to the cashier when she rang their last item, gave her my card and told her we were paying.

The mother holding the baby was confused and handed  her welfare card to the cashier, her husband signaled to her to put it away. We didn't have to say anything, the couple was deaf. We hugged and cried and left the store. It was a moment we will never forget.

An Extra Dose of Compassion at the Hospital

Today I met an old lady when I was in hospital. I was done with my check-up and I was standing in medicine counter of the hospital to get my medicinal receipt and medicines.  I saw that the old lady was sitting in a nearby chair and waiting for something. She seemed a little distraught so I asked her if she was okay.

She told me that she was waiting for her son who was tied up with some personal work and he had told her that he could come back in a few hours. She said that she was feeling faint and tired. I rushed to the nearby hospital cafeteria and bought her some breakfast. I then got her prescription for her and paid for her medication along with mine. 

She had the breakfast and she was happy now. She also had the tablet and thanked me.

I was happier for showing kindness to her.

Lightness In My Step

This morning during my walk I had the good fortune of meeting someone I have been wanting to cross paths with for some time. I had seen this elderly gentleman before. A few months ago he was collecting cans and bottles from the recycle bins behind my house. I was shocked to see this and saddened by the fact that he had to do this to survive. I thought about putting bottles in a bag for him with a note attached saying that the bag was for him to take, but then thought it may not be the best idea from a safety standpoint. So I let it go. One rainy day in the spring I saw him again riding his bike with bags of bottles attached to his backpack and handle-bars. My heart sank. I felt powerless thinking I could never connect with him. So you can imagine my surprise when I ... Read Full Story >>

Little Action, Big Effects

A friend, who started up and ran her own youth theater group, lost her husband to cancer 2 years ago. Almost immediately after he died, she found out that she had cancer too. She is still going strong and her treatment is working well for now. She always has a smile and kind words for everyone. One of the hobbies I have had over the years is to take photographs, particularly candid shots of people laughing and smiling. I have a great headshot of my friend and her husband, from about a year or 2 before he died. They both have the loveliest smiles in the photo. I ordered an enlargement of it andpopped it into a nice frame for her. I gave it to her last night at a meeting of the theater group. I was very nervous of how it might go but, although there were floods of tears from her ... 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 >>

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 >>

Warmth for the body and the soul

This is so easy, inexpensive, and has always brought either of two reactions: a look of shock or a big smile. I am a cane walking senior lady with mobility issues, especially in cold weather but I have a keen eye for useful bargains and since I still drive, I can do this without having to get in and out of the car to help folks. Here is how it 'works'....when I see gloves, warm hats, and scarves on sale (new or in good condition from a thrift store) I buy them for pennies of what they could go for retail. If laundering is needed, I do it to remove tiny stains so everything looks good. I have a large basket with a handle that I keep in the passenger side of my car and I 'file' these things in it where I can easily reach over and get whatever I determine ... Read Full Story >>

Scarf with a Mission

I recently received a story from a friend: So after a recent meditation group gathering, a wonderful soul that I trust and admire asked me to give away a beautifully constructed scarf with a smile card. I mean, living in New York City in the dead of winter, I thought this should be easy.   There is a woman who sits outside in the cold, near my office building every single day. I instantly thought, Let me give it to her. She appears to be homeless,  it is cold, and she sits there all day, everyday, outside of one of the richest jewelry stores in the world. Excitedly, I went to give her the scarf.   She said, "What is it?"   I told her, and she said, "No, I don't want it."   And in that moment I was both perplexed and humbled. I wanted to plead with her, "It's cold, it’s snowing, you don't ... Read Full Story >>

The Ripple Effect From One Little Trip To The Store

I wrote a story yesterday about, my 11-year-old daughter, her friend, and I stopping to help a man yesterday.  Well, after stopping and talking with him for a minute, the girls were buzzing with ideas of how to help this man, and possibly other needy people as well.  We came home and they shared their ideas with my 6-year-old son.   The three of them started getting out craft supplies and making things to raise money to help this man and his family.  Well, I talked with a friend and she shared a wonderful idea with the kids.  She told us about an angel we can make and  sell for $1.00 to  our family, friends, and church family.  The kids were so excited that they couldn't wait.  In the meantime they made some clothespin butterflies. Today, they came into the adult's Sunday school and told them their idea.  They were very pleased ... Read Full Story >>

Just A Simple Thank You

Perfect Dresses For Prom Princesses

The Extra Water I Packed

In September of 2005, during Hurricane Rita, I learned the importance of family and sharing.  We were located in an area that was safe from the hurricane but my great-grandmother was not. At that time she was 80 years old and suffered from arthritis so even though she still had her mobility it was limited. I could not believe it when I heard my mother say we were going to Louisiana. That was the same place that the hurricane was heading for! So, I asked why and she told me it was because she did not want my great grandmother to be alone and there was no way to get her to us - so we had to go to her. It moved me to see that my mother was willing to put herself in harm’s way to make sure her mother was not alone at such a scary time.  So we got ... Read Full Story >>

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 >>

A Chance Encounter Has Them Meeting Again Two Years Later

It was a rainy day in a north Indian village, near Patna in Bihar. I was passing through our village market, crowded as usual. A slight rain made the road very muddy and dirty. I saw some mangoes being sold at a cheaper price, so I bought three kilograms of ripe mangoes in a delicate plastic bag. After a few minutes along the crowded market road, my plastic bag broke and half of the mangoes fell on the road. Slowly the traffic came to a halt as I started collecting the fruits on the road. But as I put some back into the plastic container, another part of it broke and some more mangoes fell on the road, causing more embarrassment for me. It went on for two or three long minutes, as the traffic stood still. Then suddenly a young woman came and picked up the remaining mangoes from the road ... Read Full Story >>

30 Acts of Kindness in 30 Days Challenge!

I am currently participating in a "30 acts of kindness in 30 days" challenge which I set myself. Let me explain! A dear friend of mine recently celebrated her 30th birthday. Rather than doing what most women of her age would do, she decided to host a "random acts of kindness" party, inviting her friends to participate in spreading some kindness in the world, and to spend money they'd have spent of a gift for her in acts of kindness to others. At the restaurant, she had a lucky dip draw, and everyone received an act of kindness they had to carry out anonymously. She'd also prepared cards for all those present, where she'd written to each guest personally, saying what they meant to her as a friend, and then passed them around the table for everyone else to add nice comments about each other. She explained to me that she was ... Read Full Story >>

A Stranger In My Car

While out running errands today I passed a woman walking along a busy highway. I continued on my way, but I couldn't help thinking about that woman.  

Returning a Lost Phone Found in Taxi

On Tuesday evening I boarded a taxi and sat in the extreme corner. Arriving at the destination, I was the last to get out of the taxi and I realised someone had left their phone on the seat next to me.

I picked it up and waited for the owner to call, which he did later on. I told him I had gone with the phone to my home but would deliver it to him the following day.

So on my way to work the following day I delivered the phone to him. He was so delighted, wanted to give me a reward, but I refused and told him it was okay. He was so excited. I thank God I was able to deliver his phone at no cost.

Helping A Stranger In Need

During the holidays my sisters and I were walking through town when we noticed that a lady was struggling so much to try and carry her groceries..far too much to try and carry them by herself. People were passing on by without taking a second look. All at once together my sisters and I all said to ourselves "lets go help out this lady" without giving it a second thought. We carried all her groceries to her car which was parked about 5 minutes walk down the road.

She was so happy and as she thanked us, you could see the happiness across her face.  It didn't cost anything nor did it take anything out of our day..only those few minutes but let me tell you...it was the best time during the entire day...helping a stranger in need :)

Smiles all round :)

Saying 'Thanks' to a Military Family

It was the second year of the war in Iraq.  My husband and I went to dinner at TGI Friday's in Honolulu.  We were already seated and eating when we noticed a man in a US military uniform with his blonde wife and three children, the youngest in a stroller, waiting in line outside the restaurant.  My husband decided at that moment that he would pay the dinner bill for them and summoned the waiter to take care of it. The family was seated close enough so that we could see them clearly.  The kids were well behaved, except of course for the baby.  We ate slowly and watched while they finished their meal and the waiter announced to the man and his wife that the bill was paid in full by a fellow patron who wished to remain anonymous.  The man told his wife, and both looked around the room as if to get some sort of acknowledgment.  We could see tears welling up in the man's eyes.  My husband is retired Navy and a retired firefighter. I am so proud of him for that act of kindness.