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To Doxie, With Love And Gratitude

  I met the most amazing person a few years ago. She has a wonderfuloutlook on life and she believes in the city of Detroit, even though many others have given up on.     My friend started an organization called Burners Without Borders and she focuses her efforts on helping the homeless in Detroit and the surrounding areas.    Every winter my husband and I help her with the Back-Pack Project. We fill back-packs with canned food, socks, gloves, hats, water, granola bars, a blanket. etc., and we give them to homeless people that we see on the streets.     People warn me that I could get hurt doing this but I don't feel in danger. I feel that these people are grateful and surprised that anyone cares. I am not reckless about it, I use common sense, but feel safe doing it that way.   Doing this simple thing for people has changed my life. I ... Read Full Story >>

A Mighty Effort For Might Max

After hearing about “Mighty” Max Low who is a 12-year-old boy with Leukemia I couldn’t help but get right in behind helping him and his family.     Max has been fighting with Leukemia for half his life and his big wish is to receive a million get well cards. It is his dream!   The sixth-grader was diagnosed with leukemia in kindergarten. Instead of letting the ailment get him down, in 2004, he and a friend thought of a cool way to pass the time while bedridden - get people to write him get well cards.    They set a goal of 1 million cards and while the word initially spread like wildfire the campaign began to peter out at the 24,000 card mark.   His story touched my heart and I longed to help him. I thought to myself, I can't just sit here. Let's set this wildfire off again and make his dream come true!   Firstly ... Read Full Story >>

A Flat Tire and an Unexpected Helper

Yesterday after work I went to get into my car and to my surprise, I had a flat tire. I have always been the type of person who remains calm no matter what situation I’m in. This time, I was perturbed; this was the second flat tire I have had in one week. As I struggled to get the spare out of my trunk, a car pulled up next to me. It was my boss Marvin. To give you a quick background, Marvin is seriously ill and receives chemotherapy three times a week which leaves him very tired and weak. He was in his car heading home to rest when he saw I was in need. He asked me for the tools and I almost said "no" because I did not think he was well enough for such a task. However, he wouldn’t take no for an answer so I handed ... Read Full Story >>

FEED SOMEONE IN NEED

My heart is overflowing with so much gratitude and love for my amazing life which is simply filled with lots of blessings, sunshine & flowers.

I still remember that one special day when I had just finished dropping off stuffed animals at the emergency room at the nearby hospital - so nurses can give away those cuddly teddy bears to hurting & sick children.I was on my way home and thought of a nice yummy organic salad for dinner.As I was about to walk into the store, I saw a young man sitting on the bench right in front of the store.

He looked fragile and hungry.I stopped right in front of him with a big smile and "hi my dear, how are you doing?" he smiled back and said that he was trying to sell his flutes so he could buy himself some dinner.I smiled and said "please join me - I'd love to buy you your dinner."

He smiled and opened his arms and gave me a big warm hug and then he said the most beautiful prayer for me before we entered the store... and this became another beautiful moment of heaven on earth... be kind to strangers because you never know you might entertain some angels... ;-)

Being Alive and Well Fed

This morning I asked myself a question: ‘What does being alive mean to me?’. The question eventually led me to this moment now. Well, isn’t it only to be in the now to be alive, anyways? Well, at this particular moment-right now - being alive means sharing the abundance of kindness in a story. Two years ago, I was hitchhiking and a friendly man in his mid-sixties pulled over. Curt was brimming over with stories spiced with his joy for living. My journey to the chiropractor didn’t take it’s usual 3 or so rides.  Curt altered his route to drop me off directly in front of the office 45 minutes later. During the ride, I learned that Curt was just dropping off a van-load of free food for people in my small town.  He did this weekly just because "It is so fun to bring people food which otherwise would have gone ... Read Full Story >>

When My Daughter Was Born

Exactly 10 years ago I gave birth to a little girl, now turning a big girl.

The day my daughter was born I was blessed with the company of my husband and 3 friends who kept me company from 16.30 in to 23.00 at night.  Due to the shortage of personel, I had to stay with my baby daughter in the corridor of the hospital just outside the bunch of the rooms where women give birth.

I can't forget the endless patience and efforts of my friends and family to keep me in good spirits for all those hours. To me,  this day is a celebration of my daughter's birthday and a celebration of the most beautiful friendship in times of need. They must have done a fantastic job because I don't remember being bored or annoyed while we waited all those hours!

This year I am going to write a thank you letter to each of them for being there for me.

A Time for Kindness at KFC

Last summer, I was visiting my Dad in Texas.  One particular day, since he had already had lunch, he told me to go get something to eat.   I ventured out, found a KFC and got something warm at a good price.     While I was there enjoying my lunch a young man with a bottle of window spray, a squeegee and a backpack arrived. He must have known the people there because he waved, showed his water bottle, and filled it up.    I was wondering about him as he turned and smiled at me. He came over and asked if he could clean the windows of my van. At first I said "No" but then I had second thoughts. I knew he could use a tip so I told him it would be a good idea.     I finished my meal and got to the van as the young man was finishing with the ... Read Full Story >>

The Patient Patient

I had been waiting in the doctor's reception area for more than an hour and was getting little restless! 

I saw this frail lady trying to open the door to leave. I got up right away, opened the door, and took her out to the bus stop. As I was helping her climb the steps onto the bus the driver asked for a dollar. She was ready with the money in her hand but, before he could take it, I handed him a dollar of mine! 

The lady looked puzzled at first but then her eyes showed her gratitude. She thanked me several times. I just gave her a big hug and big smile! 

The driver just looked at me - and then smiled too. 

I returned to my seat in the reception area, smiling, and waited for my turn like a good patient ... patiently!

Taking the Extra Step to 'Pay-it-Forward'

I wanted to do a random act of kindness for my friend’s birthday, so on Friday I went to Walmart to carry out my gift to her because I think people who shop there do so to save money and could use a gift. My gift in honor of her birthday is a birthday cake!  I selected a cupcake birthday cake for which the recipient of the gift can pick any design they wish. My plan is for the next person who walks up to the bakery counter to purchase a cake to be told that someone has anonymously paid for their cake, and for them to then receive the receipt along with my handwritten message explaining the gift along with a Smile Card attached. It took some doing/convincing!  I had to speak to 2 members of the management and make 2 trips to the store.  I was turned down the first time ... Read Full Story >>

Kindness Cookies From A Conference

I'm attending a conference at a hotel this week. The hotel provides a continental breakfast as well as an afternoon snack selection.  When our session ended today I noticed there were still some cookies left. Knowing that the way home would take me through an area where there are homeless people I was inspired to pack up some of the extra cookies in napkins and take them with me to give away.     Granted, cookies are not the healthiest food but they are an indulgence I imagine few homeless people get to enjoy. And these cookies were really good!   I gave two to a homeless gentlemen, left two neatly wrapped on top of a container in another public place where I often see homeless people, and have two more with me to give away on the way back in tomorrow.   It's an idea you might consider if you happen to be staying at a ... Read Full Story >>

Passport To Europe

Someone I work with was asked to go to Europe to sing with her church choir! 

Kind Words Calm Mother and Child

One day I was shopping with my child after work to pick up supplies needed for an employee celebration. I was exhausted and wanted to get in and out quickly.

My child was tired and cranky and wanted out of the shopping cart. She was grabbing for every item we passed. I was losing my patience and temper when an elderly woman came over to us. She took my child's hand, and said, "what a lovely child."

My little girl was quiet immediately. The woman looked at me. She had an angelic smile and then said, "They are so wonderful at this age." At once I felt peaceful and in control of the situation.

After she walked away, I found a snack that pleased us and we had a pleasant shopping trip. That one moment of someone reminding me what a treasure I had turned my whole attitude around and made my shopping trip so much easier.

Tribute To A Very Dear Friend...

In early January I wrote about the fact that I was taking a trip to Portland to visit a very dear friend who was dying of aggressive lymphoma. That visit was important to me as I was able to be with her in person and share some amazing time with her. We held hands and talked and talked, about what we meant to each other, what we cherished about each other, some of the lessons we had learned together and/or with the support of the other. Her partner and our friend who had driven me there from Portland went out for a walk together, giving us this gift of time together.  We shared a simple lunch, all four of us, and talked about some of the logistics of care for my friend, the fabulous hospice nurse who came every day, my friend’s hope that her father would be able to come ... Read Full Story >>

I resisted being a slaggart:

I made a mental request of my Guide to direct me to help someone who badly needed it. A few days went by. Then I was caught in a massive 6-lane traffic jam at a stoplight. “Rush hour." I thought. But it was an overheated car, dead in the middle lane. With cars driving all around her I couldn’t stop anywhere without making things worse. I had to turn left in thick traffic and couldn't pull over for a couple blocks. I thought, "Maybe this is one I should let someone else take care of.” But I smacked myself down and mentally berated myself saying, "Don’t be a slaggart!" I turned around and parked on a far entrance ramp. How to even wade into this snarl of traffic and get her off the highway looked impossible. But then a miracle happened (akin to the parting of the Red Sea). Bumper to bumper ... Read Full Story >>

Kindness Is The Medicine

One of my co-workers was recently stressed because his wife is struggling through a period of severe depression triggered by a rebounding of bodily pain from fibromyalgia.  She's also been on furlough from work for a number of years, and doesn't get much opportunity to maintain social ties and a sense of purpose which are often so essential and deeply nourishing.  After listening to him unload his burdens, I decided to do something small to support him and his wife. I don't know his wife very well at all, but wanted to express some warmth and kindness to her, since it so often feels like the universal balm to soothe every ailment. I found out that, like most people, she loves receiving handwritten mail.  So I purchased a card and wrote the following message to her: Dear Nxxxx, I want you to know that you have something very unique and beautiful to offer the ... Read Full Story >>

Top Ten Kindness Stories of 2012, Story #10 - 8 Things To Do Every Day That Will Make You Happier

1) Thank someone First thing in the morning, send an email thanking or praising someone. Research shows this can brighten your day.   2) Spend money — on someone else Harvard professor Michael Norton, author of Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending, explains how spending money on other people can generate more happiness than spending on yourself: 3) Give 5 hugs People assigned to give or receive hugs 5 times a day ended up happier than the control group. From Sonja Lyubomirsky’s very interesting book, The How of Happiness: In a one-of-a-kind study, students at Pennsylvania State University were assigned to two groups. The first group was instructed to give or receive a minimum of five hugs per day over the course of four weeks and to record the details. The hugs had to be front-to-front (nonsexual) hugs, using both arms of both participants; however, the length and strength of hug, as well as the placement of hands, were left ... Read Full Story >>

Making Sure to Thank the Referees

I spent my Saturday at the basketball court watching all three of our kids play their games.  My older two had playoffs as they worked to be in the championship game.  During the third game of the day I commented to my husband that these playoff games were getting a little overly rough and competitive and it was making me nervous. As my son's game continued, the fans around us starting making light-hearted comments about the refs' calls - or lack of.  These were the same ref's my son's team has had all season and I think they are a GREAT pair - which I said often during the game.  The refs had a sense of humor and grinned and nodded as the comments continued to come. It was an intense and physical game and I was cheering loudly!  It was a tight game to the end, but my son's team did end ... Read Full Story >>

The Christmas Bike Conundrum

The Enzian Art House in Florida was showing movies in the park. One evening, a few weeks before Christmas, they showed The Christmas Story and had a raffle with a girl's bike as the prize.  It was painfully cute with iridescent streamers, flowers, butterflies, an adorable bell, all designed to delight a five year old. But fifty year old me won it! This led to a bit of a conundrum as I didn't have kids or grand-kids to give it to.  I wanted the bike to go to someone who didn't have the opportunity to own such a wonderful thing. I contacted the shelter (where I occasionally volunteered in the kitchen) and while there was a big need for a sweet bike there was also the potential for it creating strife.  I sought else where until I found out about a couple in our church who had been going through hard times in their ... Read Full Story >>

My Heart Went Out To Him

It's a sad reality that there are many homeless people in the city which I call home.

People huddled on the sidewalk, struggling to stay warm, with no shelter or food. As I got off the bus near my workplace this morning I saw someone who was sleeping on the sidewalk.

I went to the convenience store to grab something for my breakfast and I got a warm drink and a sandwich for the stranger in need. I left it by his side. I hope it was a nice surprise for him.

"Meet la Bestia, the Beast"

One of the few freight networks that still makes the rounds on Mexico's rugged countryside. Immigrants from Central and South America board the trains in an attempt to reach Mexico's northern border quickly. The trail is dangerous: the travelers face mutilation and death from falling off the train. Criminal gangs stalk the southernmost lengths of the network, stopping the trains in their tracks. The travelers are lucky if they are left alive. The few women that board the trains' roofs are raped and kidnapped. On the central and northern lengths of the trail, narcos are always prowling, ready to scare the travelers into surrendering their belongings. Some of them are forcibly recruited into the narcos' ranks as slave footsoldiers. Some are killed in cold blood, their bodies ditched into mass graves. They are chased by inmigration officers and federal police, who have been known to commit shameless acts of human rights ... Read Full Story >>