Search Results for 'popular' (3455 matches)

A Wonderful Way to Start the Day

Every morning when I wake up, I kid you not, the first thing I do is check my email for comments from you guys. What a wonderful way to start my days. So I just wanted to take a moment and say thank you to all of you guys and your kind words. They inspire me in ways unimaginable. The responses I get on my childhood stories are therapeutic. I have stopped keeping my journal; I write everything now on HO and I can tell you it’s a lot better than tucking my feelings away. Thank you and I will continue to make you guys proud with my pay-it-forward reports.

A Few Bucks In NYC

My family and I were in the dining plaza of New York's Grand Central Station. We were sharing a happy chat, coffee and some ice-cream. Hardly subsistence level dining. Then my daughter drew my attention to something I hadn't noticed. A man in a suit had been enjoying a meal, perhaps before heading home, when another man, who looked liked he might have been a "rough sleeper" wandered by. He stopped by the table, looked down wistfully and eventually said, "That sure looks good." Then he walked away and found a seat . A few seconds later the man in the suit picked up his meal, walked over to the homeless guy and presented him with it. As he cleared the coffee cup and napkins from his table into a bin near us I said, "Excuse me, sir. That was a kind thing you did." He smiled, blushed and shrugged. "I didn't know what ... Read Full Story >>

Thank You Dad !

Smiles,
Ramya . . .

Sweet Love

I normally get 4 of my grandaughters on Saturdays and they spend the night to go to church with me. The plan was for them to finish their Valentine's Day cards up for the special ones in church. Of course, everyone is special, but they can only make so many. We were to make and bake some heart shaped cookies and spread the love but due to circumstances the girls arrived late. I had already decided to go ahead and bake the cookies. They came into a home filed with the smell of homemade cookies which was a plus. Next morning I gave each girl a wrapped plate of cookies to take into their Sunday School room and share with others. There were some left-overs because there were so many. After church service I allowed them to share the remaining cookies with whomever would like one. The girls smiled as they asked the church family if they would like one. They recieved so many compliments and smiles and hugs! It was so awesome to watch them. Alot of love was passed around in that small gesture....Happy Valentine's Day everybody !!! 

A Privilege To Listen

I was on my way to meet a friend as I was a little early, I popped into one of the charity shops. There was a woman with 3 children. She told the girls not to touch anything as they were both eating lollies. They left the shop before me and were waiting outside. I smiled at her and told how well she was doing. I also said raising children is hard. I listened to her for a couple of minutes. She thanked me for stopping and listening.

Personal Growth On The Freeway

This morning when I got in my car I said a prayer. I prayed that God would help me become a better person and I prayed He would allow me to experience personal growth.  As I pulled out and headed to work I said I was going to hold myself accountable for all the things that I know prevent me from being that better person.   As soon as I got on the freeway the madness started. People were driving crazily, not courteous at all. So I was getting mad and impatient. And then a car came out of nowhere and the driver cut in front of me so recklessly that I had to slam my foot on the brakes to avoid from crashing into him.   In that moment a string of curse words entered my mind and my arm raised in anticipation of blaring my horn! My other hand prepared to flash a ... Read Full Story >>

Shared Scrubs

I am a nurse who is required to wear a uniform we call "scrubs" at work. 

Cooking and Feeding With Love

I love cooking and food, so it's very natural for me to share the foods I make with my friends, family and co-workers.  It's such a profound way to show someone you care about them.  When I cook, I create meals of loving kindness, which I hope will nourish the recipients in body, mind and spirit. 

It is very important to me to use mainly organic and non-GMO ingredients so that when I deliver food to my friends and see them smile and enjoy my cooking, I am reminded that I have shared my love with them. It's nourishing on multiple levels and I am grateful they relish seeing me with my cooking creations.

Teelu The Puppy

Yesterday afternoon the sky was dark and the rain poured down. I went upstairs to catch the cool breeze. It was still moody, as if sky and the clouds were tired and decided to cry some rain. Yet the climate was awesome and the breeze cooled my body from head to toe.   I went onto the balcony and saw a small puppy near the gate of our apartment. He had been drenched by the rain.   I immediately ran downstairs with a towel in my hand. I rushed to the puppy and wrapped him in the towel.   I cleaned the mud from him, got into an auto, and took him to nearby veterinary doctor. He examined him and gave an injection for his health.    I brought him back home and made a place for him to sleep. I gave him a cup of milk and bread to keep his hunger away. He was good enough and ... Read Full Story >>

The Gift on the Sidewalk

Today, I was babysitting my two-year-old friend, Liam. He was feeling sad and wanted to stay inside with his mom and dad. I tried everything to get him interested in playing outside with me. Nothing worked. Finally, as a last resort, I took a shiny new penny out of my pocket. I tossed the penny down the sidewalk and then chased after it. It must have looked fun, because he joined right in! On one of my tosses, the shiny penny rolled down the sidewalk and appeared to stop near a Christmas tree that was laying next to the gutter, waiting to be picked up by the recycle truck. As I squatted near the tree to look for the penny, I spotted a small, lonely Christmas ornament attached to one of the branches. Scooping it up, I was struck by how delicate it was. Handmade, and crafted from felt, it was in the ... Read Full Story >>

A Simple but Meaningful Act of Gratitude

Every month, I write letters to two Marines serving in Afghanistan who I don't know.  I thank them for their service to our nation. While I don't know them, I hope that they know how much I appreciate them.

My First Kindness Assignment

 
The first real "kindness assignment" I was ever given came when I was in 2nd grade. 
 
A small boy with red hair, freckles and pleading eyes asked me, "Would you please be my friend, because I don't have any?" 
 
This really scared me. This boy was disliked and shunned by the other students for some reason. I had a brief, scared, thought that I would also become an outcast and be disliked if I befriended him. I remember my heart pounding a second or two.
 
Then I remembered what this world was all about and I said, "Yes. I will be your friend." 
 
When you have to make a quick decision always choose love over fear. Kindness can be as easy as speaking one word!
 

The Veteran Who Wants To Make Folk Smile

Last weekend I was navigating my way through a Good-will store as I do every Saturday. I was absorbed in my own thoughts when I overheard an employee say, "Let me shake your hand to thank you for your service!"   I looked up and saw the employee, a man in his 30s, shaking the hand of an elderly man wearing a "WW II Veteran" hat. As they started talking I stood and listened in.   The veteran said he was 85 and when the employee and I expressed surprised he fished out his driver's license to prove it. This man was sharp as a tack and looked to be in great physical shape. And, boy, did he have a sense of humor!   The three of us stood there for about 15 minutes, just chatting away about the veteran's war experiences. He described the feeling he had when Germany surrendered in the war, how ... Read Full Story >>

Seeds That Blossom And Windows That Gleam

Today I received a lovely act of kindness from a seed I panted some time ago!

Runaway Coffee Barrels and the 'Angel of Mercy'

Coming home from a coffee shop today, we had our old truck loaded down with three 50-gal. barrels of mostly coffee grounds that we use to make compost.  My husband had laid them down in the truck, and as we came up the ramp to a major intersection the tailgate hinge broke and all the barrels rolled out into the street behind us. Thank goodness there were no cars immediately behind us, which was a bit of a miracle since it was lunch hour. One barrel rolled right into a lane, and the two others were partially in a lane.  We slammed on the brakes, jumped out, and I retrieved the closest one while my husband started running back toward the ramp to get the other two. I knew that one of the ones he was going to get was extremely heavy; we had had a horrible time getting it into ... Read Full Story >>

The Blanket In The Dug-Out

In my new position as manager of parks and recreation in a small California mountain town I have the great privilege of being able to visit parks and playgrounds as part of my job responsibilities.  A month or so ago, on a cold autumn morning, I walked through a ball park near my office. In the dug-out I noticed some trash and an old blanket which I picked up and carried toward the trash bin. As I lifted the blanket to dispose of it I caught a whiff ... and it occurred to me that it was being used, probably by a homeless person. I stopped, thought about it, and reluctantly returned the blanket to the dug-out.   Over the next couple of weeks I would pop my head into the dug-out. The blanket was always there, always in a different place. As our maintenance men were in the park often I assumed ... Read Full Story >>

Giving treats away at McDonalds

I was at McDonalds the other day and was trying to decide what snack to get to tide me till I rode the 2 bus home.

There was a young lady looking at the menu but just got a small soda. I decided to help and got 2 breakfast burritos for one dollar each and 2 apple pies which are 2 for a dollar. I shared a burrito and pie with her and you would have thought it was the best meal of all time.

She was happy and I was too. I was able to share a meal with someone . I told her I never like to eat alone and was happy for the company. Who knows maybe I will see her there again some day.

Found out she had lost her job and didn't have much money for food . I told her to go to my church and they would help her with some groceries to help out. So I know she will have something else to eat later on that day too. Its a blessing to help someone in need.

This Is Really Great!

Leaving Paris, I had no more use for my mobile SIM card, which still had quite a bit of talk-time on it.

So, after checking-in for my flight, I made a detour to the Arrival area, where I found a just-arrived, almost-elderly couple making enthusiastic enquiries in English at the Information Desk. I asked if they'd like my SIM card and talk-time.

The man replied, "We had just a moment ago asked where we could buy one." "Now you have one," I said, handing his wife a small, cellophane envelope containing the SIM and a Smile Card. "Wow," he said, "this is great!"

She removed the Smile Card and started to examine it as I turned to head-back to the Departure area. "Hey," she called after me, "THIS is REALLY great!" I simply kept-on walking, grinning as broadly as I hoped they were.

A Little Boy Wandering On the street

A little boy was wandering on the street in search of food. He was requesting strangers for some food. But no one was listening to him. He was walking from here to there. Road was busy but no one cared for him. After some time he sat down at the corner of the street. He was looking hopeless and tired. I was watching him from the other side of the street and I found him to be a very cute innocent little boy. I crossed the road and went to him and said hello dear. How are you? He just smiled. I said do you want food? He said yes. I took him to a restaurant and offered him food, sweets and ice cream. He looked so happy and ate all the food with full passion.

After eating, he was smiling and singing …

Thanks.

An Hour That Made All The Difference In My Life

There are a few people who have passed through my life who I say I would never be able to repay. One of them who left the most impact was my art teacher Mr. Cataldo.

I went to a very rough middle school and that is a difficult age to be in an unsafe environment. I was bullied and mistreated on a regular basis. Perhaps the other students could see the victim in me, but all of that changed the day that I came into art class.

Mr. Cataldo let every student of his know that this was a safe zone and no bullying or bad behavior could happen on his watch. He fostered a good environment for learning and growing. It was only an hour a day, but it saved my life at the time. So thanks, Mr.C for giving me a little haven of peace in an otherwise dark and disturbing middle school experience. I think about you often!