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Vulnerability Brings New Appreciation for Kindness

I think my mom raised me to be considerate. Growing up in a rather well-off family, where in a material sense I was wanting for nothing, kindness wasn't something I especially noted. I might have taken it for granted. As a teenager, to cope with some emotional challenges in my family, I taught myself to be a perfectionist, and developed a rather negative attitude towards myself. I always saw what was lacking in myself, or what I imagined to be lacking, in others, and in my life. You might gather it was difficult being this way. I lived this way well into my 30s.  Due to health problems, I left college without a degree, tried for an apprenticeship, fell ill again and left my employer.  After sick pay ran out, I ended up drawing something closer to welfare than unemployment benefits, though it was technically the latter. The family lore was ringing in ... Read Full Story >>

7224 Reads

Remembering Why It's Worth Helping

Just recently I had been wondering if there was much point in doing little acts of kindness. So often they get ignored, and occasionally they come back to bite you! Then, just last week, after a long day of travelling, dragging suitcases behind me, I found myself delayed at a bus station. The bus was running four hours late! So, I guess I wasn’t in the best of moods. That’s when a woman asked me if I had any spare change to help her get a bus ticket. “Oh, sure,” I said, more than a little sarcastically. “How much would you like?” As I spoke I mentally kicked myself for my attitude and reached into my bag for some money. As I handed her five dollars I heard her stomach rumble. This was no gentle, ladylike murmer. This had the growl of real hunger! I reached back into my bag and brought out a Danish ... Read Full Story >>

7169 Reads
  • Posted by Kalooeh
  • Apr 19, 2011
  • 26 Comments
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Where's The Jelly?

I just came in from the grocery store. I only needed one item but the woman in line before me had spent more than the money she had in her hand.  As she checked out her 2-3 packed bags, she asked the cashier to put the jelly back so she would have enough money to cover the bill. As she paid, I looked at her and told her I was going to buy that jelly for her. She said, "Oh no, you don't have to. I just didn't grab enough money when I left my home." I looked at her and happily said, "That's okay.  Perhaps you could return the favor to someone else."  Caught up in the spirit of generosity, she tried to offer me something else until she landed upon an idea -- "Can I give you some of my "Turkey points?"   At this store, they give you Turkey ... Read Full Story >>

6316 Reads

From a Child to the "People Without Houses"

About a year ago, I was packing to move myself and my son in with my fiance and his daughter.  My son was finally weaning off baby foods, so as I was packing up the kitchen things, I packed up his old baby food. My step-daughter came into the kitchen to see what I was doing. When she saw me packing up her little brother's food, she squealed!  Why was I taking away all his food???!!! I laughed and told her that her little brother was big enough now to eat big people food, just like she does. I then told her that I was going to give all his jars of baby food to the shelter up the street. I explained that some people don't have jobs, clothes, food or houses and that she and her brother were very lucky that her Daddy and I make enough money to give them ... Read Full Story >>

4909 Reads

A Night With The Homeless

A Night With The Homeless by: Ellis Moore (Age 10)   Every Saturday or Sunday night my family and I go out and feed the homeless people in the city of Orlando. There are thousands of people across The United States without any food or shelter. My family and I have been doing this for several months.   We wanted to see what it was like in the life of a homeless person.  One special thing I like to mention is, my family and I do not eat before we begin our journey so we know how it feels to be hungry. All of the areas we go to are very dangerous. We go on streets such as, Orange blossom trail, Parramore, Gore street, Colonial Dr, and down town Orlando.   We all get together in the kitchen and prepare the food. Some of the meals are sandwiches and cookies and a bottle of water. ... Read Full Story >>

6153 Reads

How Much Are You Short?

A few weeks ago I walked into a Zenex Garage to buy some milk. When I turned around after taking milk out the fridge I saw an elderly man standing behind me with a small packet of mielie pap, a small bottle of Savlon, a small bottle of milk and a half loaf of bread. He was trying to hold everything and at the same time was counting his coins in his very shaky, bruised, cut hands. I walked up to him and asked him how much he was short.  Stunned, he could not even talk.  Almost apologetically, he told me he had not recieved his pension money yet and needed a few small things for his family(himself, his wife and two kids) for a week while he waited for his pension to come in. He did not know which of the items were most important to take but he clearly could ... Read Full Story >>

7059 Reads

A Silent Connection in a Beautiful Moment

My attention was divided between the book in my lap and the people passing by when  I saw her walking slowly towards my parked car.  She had a bright blue saree, a large nose pin, orange marigolds in snow-white hair, a large shoulder bag and a face that showed every wrinkle of her 70 or so years of age.  She stopped and put a hand out to rest against the car’s hood, gently closed her eyes, took a deep breath and wiped the sweat off her forehead. The sweltring day was taking its toll on her slight frame, and the large bag seemed to affect not just her gait, but also her breathing.  She reminded me of a delicate bird, struggling because of the weight someone had added to its wings.  Was there a way I could do something, anything, to stretch those wrinkles around her mouth to a smile?  But then, I wondered, ... Read Full Story >>

6355 Reads

Best Looking Yard in Town

My husband and I own a lawn care company and so many times we would pass this house that was very unkept as far as the lawn was concerned. Last week, we decided to stop in and see if we could help.  Nobody would come to the door for the longest time.  Finally, a little old lady came to the door, very reluctant to open the door.  We explained to her that we did not want to harm her in anyway.  After a few minutes of talking we asked her if we could cut her grass for her?  She was quick to answer, "I cannot pay for my grass to be cut, my sister is living with me dying of cancer and it takes everything we make combined to pay for her medicines etc."  We had indicated to her that we would just like to do this for her and her ... Read Full Story >>

5041 Reads
  • Posted by lazyonsundays
  • Jan 26, 2007
  • 26 Comments
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My Son, My Hero

Just after his first birthday my son Cameron was struck down with a rare blood illness.  In the following years he has needed four courses of chemotherapy, multiple blood and platelet transfusions, harsh immunosuppressive treatments, suffered a thrombosis in his leg and over 800 hospital visits, including stays of up to 3 weeks at a time.  All this has led to him now also being an insulin dependent diabetic. Cameron is now 9 years old and raised over £71,000 to support other sick children.  He has equipped his beloved children's hospital with books, televisions, game consoles, arts and crafts items, toys and games.  To the hospital school that taught him how to tell the time, he also gave laptops so the most poorly children could work in their beds, along with a music station, a libary, paints and crayons. A couple of years ago he found out that his hospital was closing and a new one was being built.  ... Read Full Story >>

7031 Reads
  • Posted by babdiane7
  • Jan 17, 2009
  • 26 Comments
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You Could Be My Son

The other day I was in town with my daughter and we saw this man sitting on the ground, looking sad and like he was under the influence of alcohol or drugs.  Before I could say anything my daughter asked if we could give him some money. (He had a hat on the ground with some coins in it.)    So, I gave her some change. At the same time an elderly gentleman bent down towards the man, said some words, and gave him some money.    I was very much touched by the gentleness of the gesture. It was as if the older man was saying, "I am helping you because you could be my son."    It was a very hot day, which is not very normal in our little town. We were going to the supermarket and my daughter asked me if we could get some water and something for the man to eat. ... Read Full Story >>

6326 Reads

Lost in the Airport

I was at the airport enroute to visit my parents over the holidays and was on the train heading to my terminal resting easy knowing that there was plenty of time before my flight. On the train I noticed that there was a gentleman helping a young mother who was travelling alone with a baby and didn't seem to know where she needed to go. The man asked me which gate I was going to and after realizing I was headed in the opposite direction decided he would help the mother. At our stop I realized the man had two young boys and his own share of carry on baggage to deal with, but he was still trying to help the mother so I offered to take her from there. The mother showed me her ticket and I noticed that her flight departed in 10 minutes and she had a ... Read Full Story >>

12.1K Reads
  • Posted by Smile Man
  • Jan 14, 2006
  • 25 Comments
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Overwhelmed by Unexpected Loving Kindness

The car went through the stop sign and into the intersection. With no where to go or time to get there, my taxi hit the car dead on. For the next three months I was out of work. I had no savings to speak of. No family to help me. I was in dire straights to be sure.  The lady who ran the stop sign had little insurance, barely enough to cover the medical expenses with little left over to pay my living expenses. Just after the accident Justin came to see me in the hospital. We had been co-drivers with the taxi company. We knew each other and worked well together. We were not what one might consider to be friends but we liked each other. He asked me what was going to happen and I told him I didn't know. I was in deep trouble financially until a settlement ... Read Full Story >>

6682 Reads

The Smile Card Exchange

About a month ago, while in the drive through at Starbucks, I noticed a woman in a car behind me who appeared to be having a bad day. There were two kids in the back who looked to have too much energy at 8am on a Sunday morning.  The line moved slowly and at one point while pulling forward, the woman behind me bumped my car. I could tell this worried and concerned her. The entire time that I waited in line for my coffee this woman didn't smile. Looking back at her I could tell she was looking at the side view mirror wondering "Why me? Why today?" When I pulled up and paid for my coffee I requested that the Starbucks barista give the woman behind me a Smile Card and paid for her muffin and latte. Just 30 mins ago I was again waiting in line at the Starbucks. I heard a car door ... Read Full Story >>

10.2K Reads
  • Posted by ClemDubois
  • Mar 16, 2010
  • 25 Comments
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1:30AM at the Grocery Store

I'm in line getting some groceries at the 24-hour grocery up the road from me.

The woman in front of me looks to be about 72 years old, and very much reminds me so much my grandmother!  Her bill was about 170 , she halls out a stack of $5.00 bills and is about 22.00 short.  She starts trying to decide what she doesn't need and starts putting things back in her cart. 

I felt so bad for this woman that I gave the cashier 25.00 and told the lady not to worry about it.  She wanted my name, address, phone # to pay me back but I wanted nothing to do with it.  I just told her that the next time she's in a restaurant, or coffeeshop, perhaps she can pay for someone's order behind her and just to pass it along.

She got all teary eyed and wanted to give me a hug, so I said "why not". :)  It was a great hug, as if I was hugging my own grandmother.

This just made my day.  And it also made me wonder why there was a 70 year old woman at the grocery store at 1:30am in the morning.

2748 Reads

A Frustration Pinata

Someone I know was going through a tough time and feeling pretty depressed.

I knew I couldn't fix her problems, but I wanted to send her something that might bring a little brightness to her day. So, I decided to get a little creative.
 
I bought a pinata and filled it with chocolates and little pieces of paper with jokes and uplifting messages on them. I mailed it to her anonymously, including a little note saying that this was for her and not her children.
 
The note also instructed her that to hang it in her living room and wait for a day when she felt especially sad or angry. Then she was to grab a broom or a wooden spoon and whack it until all the little treats fell out.
 
I thought it was something a little different from your ordinary box of chocolates.

 

 

 

4619 Reads
  • Posted by kerryglass
  • Mar 7, 2013
  • 25 Comments
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The Girl Who Gave Me Apples

August 1942. Piotrkow, Poland. The sky was gloomy that morning as we waited anxiously. All the men, women and children of Piotrkow's Jewish ghetto had been herded into a square. Word had gotten around that we were being moved. My father had only recently died from typhus, which had run rampant through the crowded ghetto. My greatest fear was that our family would be separated. 'Whatever you do,' Isidore, my eldest brother, whispered to me, 'don't tell them your age. Say you're sixteen.' I was tall for a boy of 11, so I could pull it off. That way I might be deemed valuable as a worker. An SS man approached me, boots clicking against the cobblestones. He looked me up and down, then asked my age. 'Sixteen,' I said. He directed me to the left, where my three brothers and other healthy young men already stood. My mother was motioned to ... Read Full Story >>

11.0K Reads

Just Doing The Right Thing

I was on a walk with a friend yesterday when I found a BlackBerry cell phone in a puddle of melted snow.  I picked it up and it still worked!  I started scrolling through the contact list and calling numbers to see if I could figure out whose phone it was.  Unfortunately, only one person answered and she didn't recognize the number that I was calling from.  She made a comment of "It is just so nice that you are trying to find out whose phone it is."  Since that lady didn't know whose phone it was, my friend suggested that we go back to the street and the house that we found the BlackBerry in front of.  I knocked on the door and two college-age people answered.  They hadn't lost their phones, but as I told them the story and mentioned some names on the contact list, the young man said that he had those names ... Read Full Story >>

7792 Reads

She Ran To Give an Elderly Man Back His Walking Cane, And Received Far More In Return

I met a man yesterday. Didn't get his name. And I'm confident, I'll probably never ever see him again. And that's ok. The purpose of our meeting, it's destiny, and it's fate, was fulfilled in the 5 minutes we spoke. He was an elderly man. Quite elderly. I'd say with no more than a few years left in him, on this earth. If he's lucky. I didn't see him at first. Had to search for him. Search for the owner of a very worn and old wooden walking stick, which was left half hanging outside of a shopping cart. I called out to a man who was walking away. I knew it was his. Had to be. It was. And he returned (slowly) to get it. I was in a friendly mood so started a conversation. And that's when it happened. That's when this man blessed me, with his story. And what a story. I ... Read Full Story >>

4753 Reads

Life is Like Hot Chocolate

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired.  During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives.  Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups - porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate. When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said: "Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones.  While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of ... Read Full Story >>

40.2K Reads

Pass The Buck!

Few months ago, a friend of mine handed me an envelope. Intrigued, I opened it and found a dollar bill.. A dollar? For what? My friend launched into an animated articulation of how he received a gift of $20 and he decided to split it up and give a dollar to 20 of his friends to do random acts of kindness. Multiply all the goodness that comes with an offering twenty-fold! Last week I was walking in a nearby downtown to keep a baby entertained while the  rest of the family watched a movie. The downtown is really small so we ended up pacing up and down the same street many times over. There was this small ice cream shop, half-way between 2 blocks, that kept drawing me. I saw two girls, about fifteen years, doling out cones and cups with a great smile and attitude. The line was long and so ... Read Full Story >>

16.4K Reads
  • Posted by earthling
  • Oct 21, 2007
  • 25 Comments
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