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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!

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 >>

Joy from Joining Helpothers.org

This is my first time so please bear with me. I am VERY new to all of this. I am still learning from HelpOthers.org. I came across this site while doing research for a presentation I did on "Positive Attitude at Work and at Home". I was inspired by the stories I read and enjoyed reading the daily kindness stories. I have been doing this for about 4 months (reading stories but not "participating" in submitting any stories). I am not computer savy so have been a little weary about joining a "group". I don't facebook, twitter, or any of that stuff so you can understand my hesitation. I finally got the courage to join and have not regretted that decision (in fact I know I should have sooner). The very first day I created a profile - I got two welcome messages and karma bucks. I was pleasantly surprised. I am truely ... Read Full Story >>

Perspectives

I opened up a series of e-mails this morning telling me that I had been tagged in a photo on Facebook by my brother, there were numerous comments. When I opened up the photo, it was breathtaking. The caption read: "Trailer Park Tuesdays" and the photo was a snapshot of my mom and dad sitting on lawn chairs, each holding a boy on their laps, one is me circa 4 years old, the other my brother, 1 or 2. We're captured au naturale in front of our mobile home. My father, in cut-off shorts and a t-shirt, holds a cigarette in one hand as I lay sprawling, my face so dirty it looks like I'd been in a rumble. My mom and brother are much more presentable, but in the backdrop you can clearly make out an old oil barrel that had haphazardly been converted into a BBQ pit.  I couldn't stop ... 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 >>

Helping Out In A Phone Call

As a customer rep for a financial account of one of US' supermarket, its a daily shift of hundred phone calls regarding their prepaid debit cards. Calls that are sometimes degrading, calls that make you cringe at how the caller speaks and calls that are just purely racist. what make it different is how my mindset is. Everyday I wake up and declare myself as a helper of my callers. I go beyond our protocols in dealing with my customers. Though phone interaction is only limited to 4 minutes 45 seconds, i strive to make it as meaningful and as uplifting for someone in need. One of my callers is panicking on how she made the wrong insurance payment that will lead to his son in college not receiving any pay outs thereby leaving him without any food for a week or two. The mom said she can live going over ... Read Full Story >>

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.

Camp Chairs, Water, And Tacos

Driving by Walmart today, I saw a foreign family of four (a mom, dad, and two young boys) holding up a sign with a message pleading for help with food due to unemployment. I went to the Taco Bell nearby to buy the 12 pack of tacos, and grabbed the water bottles and three camp chairs from my trunk to give to them. Their smiles were heartwarming. What a great day!

Beanies For The Whole School!

I had a message from my friend. A lady on her Pay It Forward page, is knitting slouch beanies for the whole school I work with (92 kids). These are kids that don't often get extras or even RAOK. I can't wait to see their faces and warm heads in winter!

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 >>

A Warm Drink For A Homeless Man

There is an older, homeless man that stops into the local coffee shop with his cart that his pushes around, to rest for a little bit. I have seen him pull out a bag of change sometimes and have barely enough to cover a small cup of coffee. This morning the homeless man came into the coffee shop. When it was my turn in line I told the casher to put the man’s small coffee on my tab.

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 >>

This is How She Spends Quality Time With Her Aging Mother

I am feeling blessed to have my mom. I've been going on regular walks with my mom who is 75 years old. Spent most of her life in Vietnam under the rule of the communists whose husband was taken to prison for fighting with the South/American's side. Each walk, she would tell me some great story; one recent story made me teary. When she was pregnant with me and my dad was not around, she was struggling to raise 4 kids on her own, and had no money. She had to go borrow money from a friend when her water broke. She had to get herself to the hospital in a crowded bus. She was abandoned by the nurses because she had no money to bribe them. She was not allowed to see me for days after I was born because I was 3 months premature. Again, she had no family ... Read Full Story >>

A Mother's Patience and Love Offered Her Daugther Many Lessons

I helped my daughter to become unstuck as she begins the 'teen years' and projects become overwhelming. Our lesson was patience, organization and understanding that it is OK to ask for help.

I can't (won't) "do" the project, but I can help to create an easier journey for her. It's a learning lesson for me as well. It's easy to be reactive when others are struggling. It is easy to celebrate when things go well.  

My hope is that I can help her to see big projects can be broken down into smaller more manageable ones. That we are all here to help each other. I truly enjoyed the smile she had when together we completed part of the project and she could see the light was truly at the end of the tunnel. The project isn't done, but she is no longer stuck in the process. 

Just A Simple Thank You

Perfect Dresses For Prom Princesses

At The Bus Stop

I was waiting for a bus at the stop and I noticed one of the drivers got off and was walking around while waiting for its time to depart. The man looked tired and maybe a little sad, I imagine in his mid 60s. He looked at me and smiled gently so I smiled back. He stopped straight away and started talking. He told me all about his job and how difficult it is for him at his age. I listened and offered gentle encouragement. When the time was up he said he was very grateful for our conversation and we wished each other a good day. I hope I helped him feel better and have a better rest of the day. He definitely helped me. I felt grateful for my job, for his kind smile and for the opportunity to 'be there for him' for a brief moment.

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 >>