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My 7 Year Old ...

My 7 year old daughter wanted to do some kind act for our mail man. So she made a thank you card, drew a picture. She also taped an organic fruit bar as a small gift. Also tagged him with a smile card. She is so excited:))seeing her smile makes me smile :)))

Kindness Inspired By A Car

As I was parking last weekend in the Los Angeles area, I experienced one of those "I know I'm in the right place at the right time" moments.  I happened to find a space next to a car which had the most inspirational back window I've ever seen.

It said "The fruit of the Spirit is" and then listed all these qualities (but not as a bullet point list; it was quite artistic and fun!)

• Love
• Joy
• Peace
• Patience
• Kindness
• Generosity
• Faithfulness
• Gentleness
• Self-Control

The best part of it was that they were not promoting a business or any particular religion -- it was just the message.

I just happened to have a SmileDeck on me, so I wrote a note saying how inspired I was and then put the note and the SmileDeck under their windshield wiper.

Finding My First Smile (Card) This Week

It was a Wednesday night, four days after my grandfathers birthday which he was not able to celebrate since he had died five days before. I was struggling with his death and was acting like he wasn't even gone. In addition to that, I was having a hard time because I was missing my sister who had been living with me until a month ago, before she decided to move in with her father. At first I was okay with the decision because she was a pain but soon after I missed her. This wednesday happened to be the Wednesday when I started a new job and I had been texting my sister about it. She called me a little bit before work and sounded really upset, she said she had gotten off the phone with our grandma and that I needed to call her. I had been avoiding it. I hadn't called my grandma ... Read Full Story >>

Joy From Unspoken Gratitude

It was afestival time in India and I had gone to buy some sweets.  Iwas sad that day and in no mood to celebrate. As I was purchasing the sweets I saw some slum children outside the shop looking at cake in the window with wide eyes.

The shopkeeper began to shoo them away. But I stopped him, purchased the cake and gave it to the children. This I do on many occassions at different places. But this particular event felt very special. As I was giving the cake to the children their eyes sparkled out of happiness and gratitude which  touched my heart. It made me sooooo delighted.  For a few minutes I felt like a Santa Claus.

This tour of paradise (for those few moments) didn't cost me the earth. Just less than Rs. 100/- .  More that I giving them anything special they had given joy to my sad heart by that unsaid thanks in their eyes.

Giving A Family The Gift Of Christmas

Leading The Blind

  I work in a major department store as a cashier. My area has four cash registers grouped in a square and I am not supposed to leave the immediate area unless it is to straighten clothing on the tables right next to my work station.   Yesterday, I was the only one working on the registers. I was straightening clothes up when these two ladies approached me. One had a walking frame with wheels and the other was holding her arm. When they got close to me, I could see that the lady with the walker was totally blind.    They asked me how to get back to the Mall from my store. I pointed and said, "Just go that way."    The next thing I knew they were headed in a totally wrong direction. I called to them and said, "Hello, you are going the wrong way!" They turned around and came back towards me. ... Read Full Story >>

Putting My Mother's Teaching Into Practice

This weekend I went clothes shopping. While I was looking through the garments I would put the ones I wanted to try on across my arm. 

Then a lady who worked in the shop approached me. She appeared to be about the same age as my grandmother. She said, "Hello. May I please have your items so I can set up a dressing room for you?” 

I looked at her with gratitude and said, “No thank you." She insisted and I told her that if my mother were to see me hand her my clothes for her to prepare a room for me she would ask where I had left my manners. She smiled and said, “You have a good mother,” and left to go help another customer. 

When I was done trying on the clothes she asked me to give them to her so that she could hang them back up; but I knew where I had found everything so I returned them myself. 

Before I left the store she said to me, “Thank you for being considerate. I’m very tired today."

I was glad I had put my mother's teaching into practice.

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 Thanksgiving Tradition

I'm starting to actually feel the "connect" that many here always talk about. Today we went out for Thanksgiving dinner with my husband's family (it's a new tradition. I don't like it, I'd prefer to cook but due to transportation problems that's just the best solution for now) And, same as last year, I think that if the waiters have to spend their holiday working, then I'm going to tip them as much as I possibly can to express my appreciation, and I put the tip in a handmade thank you card and I write them a short message. So that's what I did today. My husband gave the server the card and a few minutes later the server came over, and I saw his hands shake really bad. And he thanked us profusely and he said that holidays are traditionally "bad tip days" (he said because people go gift shopping right after) ... Read Full Story >>

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.

You Know What I ...

You know what I find so amazing is how these simple words can brighten another's day. I have been out all day and morning and at every exchange of service I had today, I said as I farewelled the person "Have a wonderful day". Each and every time the whole person's face lit up. I thought about this more as I walked away, wondering why it was so. Surely I wasn't the only person to wish them a sweet or beautiful day? Then I had the thought ... 'brindlegirl, but you meant it'. And I did. Each and every time I thank someone I do so from deep within. I feel it in my heart and speak from that place. That way when it's received by the other person, that is exactly where it is felt. I learnt this technique a year or two ago - speaking from your heart. It's simple too. All ... Read Full Story >>

Can You Go Overboard With Kindness?

This past weekend I had a bunch of charitable things I wanted to do. I took food to the animal shelter, I bought sweaters and a couple of sleeping bags to donate to the homeless, and I bought someone's breakfast at the drive-thru. On my way into the good-will shop I saw a couple of young teenagers huddled together; a boy and a girl, no more than 14 or 15. The girl had her head on the boy's shoulder and they were clinging to each other. No one paid them any attention. On my way out, I saw them still sitting there. I started to walk to my car but thought, 'No. What if these poor kids need something? What if they've run away and have nowhere to go? What if they're hungry?'     Imagining all sorts of awful scenarios I turned around and walked towards them, very proud of myself for my ... Read Full Story >>

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 >>

Flowers To The Rescue!

As an Insurance Agent I have to visit clients at their homes to collect their insurance premiums. I had an elderly client named Ms. Gooden. She is a sweet lady and always does her best to keep me at her home as long as she can. One day as I was leaving, she told me about the flowers she wished she had in her yard. She said that when she was growing up the only flowers she could remember seeing were the ones pictured on the large flour sacks. I asked her, "if you had flowers what colors would you have?" She answered me back in a sad voice that any color would be beautiful to her. One day when I knew she had a doctor's appointment I went to a nursery and bought many colorful and beautiful flowers. I went to her home and planted them in an area of ... 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.

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 >>

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 >>