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Family Hosts 200 Homeless People for Dinner After Daughter's Wedding Gets Called Off

When an engaged couple calls off the wedding, it is usually a time of sadness and anger. But one family in Atlanta found a way to turn a terrible situation into a beautiful one. Carol and Willie Fowler's daughter Tamara was set to get married at the Villa Christina catering hall, when the wedding was called off just 40 days before the event. Initially the Fowlers were upset to hear that the lavish gathering they had planned and paid for was not going to happen. Then they had a genius and generous idea: They invited 200 of the city's homeless to feast on the four-course meal that would have been part of Tamara's wedding reception. The Fowler family called Elizabeth Omilami from the Hosea Feed the Hungry organization for her help in getting the group together. At first Omilami thought she was being pranked! Carol Fowler said that even daughter Tamara ... Read Full Story >>

Mom's Dinners in Sierra Leone

When I was growing up in Sierra Leone, Sunday dinners were special. My mom would spend hours making delicious food for dinner and the mouth-watering aroma would fill the house.

In between games, my siblings and I would anxiously check the kitchen to see if dinner was ready. When dinner was done, my mom filled several baskets of food for various families in the neighborhood.

Of course, we wanted to eat first and then deliver the baskets. But my mom would gently insist that we first deliver the food and when we got back, we could all sit down and eat dinner. She pointed out that if we waited to deliver the food after we had dinner, the food we delivered would be cold.

In a simple way, she taught us that giving is not just for when it’s convenient.

An Impromptu Wedding Present in Action

Two of my dear friends got married last Saturday, May 2nd -- a special date for the wonderful souls. But what it was even more special was their intention: "We would like our wedding, and in fact our entire marriage to be about creating more good in the world." When I got their *personalized* wedding invitation exuding love, creativity and inspiration, my heart was instantaneously filled with gratitude and joy. Circumstances didn't allow me to attend their wedding in person, but I tried to celebrate their union in a unique way. Ever since I received their invitation, two and half months ago, I thought about this wonderful couple -- every day, twice a day actually.  I thought of the fusion of these two beautiful hearts, and I sent along my secular blessings. (I guess I took the inscription on their wedding invite literally: "No gifts please - Your Blessings is our Gift"). That ... Read Full Story >>

Morning Walk

It was a beautiful morning and I decided to take advantage of the lovely weather and go out for a walk.  I was feeling grateful for the fresh air, sun shining, and birds chirping and all of a sudden came across this sign on the sidewalk!  It said "good morning, go on an adventure, make a stranger smile".  

What a wonderful and unexpected message to read!  Random acts of kindness come in so many different shapes and forms, I'm scheming of how to pay it forward this week! 

Easter Kindness Amongst the HelpOthers Community

Some beautiful stories of Easter acts of kindness, as reported by Smile Group members of HelpOthers.org ... trionafaye shared: "Made some Easter sugar cookies. Shared them with the staff at the nursing home for the great care they provide for my mother but to offer them a little treat, as they have worked the Easter holiday." wooka85257 shared:"made my 93 year old mother an Easter basket and set it on her walker to find in the morning. She was like a little kid... exclaiming over all the chocolates and the goodies inside. Happy, happy!" HappinessCountsT shared:"Helped my mom to set up my little sisters princess Easter basket. I also gave her old pink Easter basket cause she's turning four years old on Tuesday" HappyDae shared:"Put a little Easter Basket of candy on the kitchen table with an "I love you" card for my sweet husband to find. He was so surprised...Big Smile!!" Jennypoo shared:"My son and I hid colorful plastic eggs filled ... Read Full Story >>

Power of Flowers

While at the supermarket this morning, waiting on line to pay for my groceries, I noticed the flowers by the counter  (because of my DailyGood reminder which suggested buying flowers for the cashier!).   All of a sudden, I remembered that it had been months since I have been wanting to do something special for my downstairs neighbor who has climbed the stairs numerous times to let me know that I left my car lights on!   So I decided to buy her a bouquet of flowers to thank her, and bought a second one for myself.    As I got back home, I found the Waste Management truck in my parking spot, with the garbage man picking up the building's trash.  My first reaction was to feel annoyed that I had to wait till he was done before I could park and get upstairs (I was feeling hungry and looking forward ... Read Full Story >>

Video: Are You Somebody's Favorite Person?

A subtle, poignant and charming film about the need for deeper connections in our lives.

If you ask yourself, are you somebody's favorite person, what would be your response?  Perhaps you can forward this video to your favorite person.

Saga of a Blue Scarf

Last December, following the Friday night performance of our Winter Solstice Celebration, my wife Chez had gone to the Cathedral parking lot to get some gear before taking a taxi to our hotel. When I finally got to the hotel a couple of hours later, Chez realized she was missing a small bag and was sure she’d left it on the ground outside the car. So I said I’d go back and look for it.   It was quite a dark and wintry night, and when I arrived back at the Cathedral around 1:30am, the whole area was deserted. I found the all-night security guard and asked him to unlock the gate to the parking lot for me. We walked back to Amsterdam Ave. and up past the front of the Cathedral to the north lot entrance. We were about 50 yards into the lot when we heard a woman’s voice calling ... Read Full Story >>

The Top 10 Kindness Stories of 2012

"There is no need for temples, no need for complicated philosophies. My brain and my heart are my temples; my philosophy is kindness. " -- Dalai Lama  Ever year, we are amazed by every-day stories of kindness, compassion, warmth, and love that fills this space with inspiration and hope.  We are grateful for having such an amazing community to grow together with and spread ripples of kindness throughout the world.  Here are the top 10 stories of 2012!   My Sneaky Mirror of Kindness  High school is always full of girls who have little self-confidence and lots of negative thoughts relating to self-image. so, one lunch break, I did something to help! With the help of some friends I made a giant love heart on the girl's bathroom mirror!  It was made out of love heart shaped sticky notes with kind messages on each of them. The school was buzzing with chatter about the "Love Heart ... Read Full Story >>

1,000 Crisp Mohandases

It was late one night when I got an email from the states. It was my friend John who, as usual, had an idea. This one was about the power of connectedness. John was taken with the notion that he could, by sitting at his computer, with only a few small movements of his fingers, could affect change on the other side of the world. “In ten seconds,” he wrote, “I sent an email to my friend in Boston, asking him to go down to the street and give a watermelon to the first person he saw. And he did.” John, of course, wanted to illustrate the power of connectivity with a more compassionate experiment. “Please go find a needy person and give them $20 [1,000 Indian rupees, at the time]. If you can, try to see how it changes their life and let me know.” On our last afternoon in Ahmedabad, ... Read Full Story >>

Scientific Research on Kindness

Heather asks, "A friend mentioned to me that research shows that a certain number of acts of kindess a week "sticks"--creates the positive habit. Do you know of this, or similar, research?" So we thought we'd compile some useful resources for Heather and the rest of you, thanks to our friends at DailyGood. Altruism: a Neural Kick from Within: What motivates people to act anonymously kind? Researchers at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in Bethesda, Maryland, wanted to find exactly that -- the neural basis for unselfish acts. So they decided to peek into the brains of 19 volunteers who were choosing whether to give money to charity, or keep it for themselves. They found that the part of the brain that was active when a person donated happened to be the brain's reward center -- the mesolimbic pathway -- responsible for doling out the ... Read Full Story >>

Share Your Knowledge

"If you have knowledge, let others light their candles with it." What a fantastic quote from Winston Churchill. Each of us has tremendous resources, gained through years of learning and experience. Yet, how many of us realize the potential of what we know in helping others? So many people belittle themselves, believing that they don't really know enough to offer any advice to others. They underestimate the value of their experience, which is often vast. Yet, every single day, our experiences provide us with more useful knowledge and skills. Over time, this accumulates and makes us skilful and knowledgeable in many different areas. Yesterday, one of the readers of this blog sent me a personal e-mail. She asked me to keep her name private, however she spent 20 years as a full-time mum bringing up her two boys -- and didn't think she had much to offer the outside world. A friend of hers suggested that she ... Read Full Story >>

Dallas Cowboy's Gift to a Homeless Man

The Dallas Morning News reported a heartwarming story today, for all of us sports fans: A homeless man who goes by Doc was cashing in change at a Cinemark Theatre in Dallas when a guy walked up and offered to pay his way into the movie. He planned to spend his day passing out fliers and accepted a rain check before realizing that he recognized the generous gentleman. "Was that Tony Romo?" Doc asked the worker behind the counter. It sure was. Doc, who requested that his real name not be used, hustled across the street to the consignment store that paid him to occasionally pass out fliers and requested the day off. By the time he got back to the theater, Role Model had already started. Romo, who confirmed the story but didn't want to elaborate, waved Doc over to sit by him and his friend. Doc sheepishly mentioned that he hadn't showered ... Read Full Story >>

This I Believe, Robert Heinlein

This article has been taken offline by the request of Trustee of the Heinlein Prize Trust regarding infringement of a copyright.

Family with Epileptic Son Touched After Stranger Pays For Dinner

A North Carolina family with an epileptic child was given a touching gift on Friday when an anonymous stranger paid for their dinner at a restaurant, leaving them a note that is, not surprisingly, going viral online. The note read: "God only gives special children to special people." The message was delivered to Ashley England and her family, including her 8-year-old son, Riley, at the Stag-N-Doe pizza restaurant in China Grove, N.C., on Friday by a waitress. "I'll try to do this without crying," the waitress told the family, according to WBTV.com. "But another customer has paid for your bill tonight and wanted me to give you this note." England said Riley, who is nonverbal, gets frustrated because he can't speak, and he had been especially rowdy during the meal. "He threw the phone and started screaming," England told WBTV. "The past few weeks have been very hard and trying for us, especially with public ... Read Full Story >>

Nothing Less of a Miracle

We have spent this year using our cards to pay for the car behind us in drive-thru's. Most usually this happens on a Sunday morning after we have all worked at our church. Then it comes back...here is our story: This past Sunday, after 3 of my kids had been with me from 7am-1pm, they were working in the childrens’ wing of our church and were starving. They voted for McDonalds. Not having a lot of money on me I hesistantly drove to McDonalds. Upon arrival, the drive thru line was wrapped around the building, hungry and being impatient, I decided just to give in and wait. At that time I also began to pray. God I don’t have a lot of money but if you want me to pay for the car behind me just give me a ... Read Full Story >>

Breakfast Kindness

I grew up in a very poor family. Both my parents worked various odd jobs just to pay the rent, so I rarely had breakfast.

I was in Grade 4 and I passed out in class. I woke up in the nurse's room and after answering many questions, they figured out that a poor nutrition was the cause of my fainting.

Two university students volunteered at our school to tutor us in English. After learning that many of the students didn't eat breakfast or lunch on a regular basis, they started a committee to fundraise for a breakfast and lunch program. After only a few weeks, I was able to eat healthy regular meals.

I am forever grateful to Keith and Helen, for making a difference in the lives of young children. I know that Keith went on to become a social worker, and Helen became a teacher. If they are reading this, I want to thank them again, for all they did for my classmates and me.

Acts of kindness don't have to hit the front pages of the newspapers, or receive awards. But I wanted to share this experience, because it really made a difference in my life.

The Mani Man

A prayer wheel, or mani wheel, is a wheel filled with innumerable mantras and inscriptions wrapped clockwise around a central axis. Some prayer wheels are tiny, like tops; others are huge, filling an entire room, and one turns the wheel by holding its handles and walking clockwise around it. Others are attached to running streams or waterfalls so that they can harness the natural energy and spread benedictions throughout the land. The faithful believe that spinning these prayer wheels or hanging prayer flags in the wind actualizes the inscribed prayers. The Tibetan province of Kham is akin to America’s Wild West. The people of Kham are great equestrians, and like all who ride regularly, they love their horses.  Until about a century ago, Kham was carved into dozens of smaller kingdoms, each of which had its own army, raised by forcible conscription. There was once an old man in far eastern Kham ... Read Full Story >>

Carrying A Kid Down the Stairs

Two years ago we took the kids to see a pantomime at a local theater.  As everyone was piling out of the theater after the show was over, I spotted a distressed mother at the top of the stairs with her teenage boy in a wheelchair. She seemed upset, insisting the theater staff had assured her they would have someone there to help her and her son down the stairs.

I offered to help and picked her son up in my arms while she followed with the folded down-chair. All the way I kept up a conversation with the boy despite not understanding a word he said. The poor boy didn't have control of his limbs and kicked me all the way down the narrow, crowded stairs.

After safely seeing the boy and his mother down the stairs, my wife expressed gratitude for what I had done.  Upon reflecting on her reaction, I realized that what I had done was not special or out of the ordinary. He was a human being and I was a human being and both deserved to be treated with the same degree of respect and compassion.  I hoped that someone would have extended me the same courtesy if I were in that position. 

Breaking My Six Week Streak

I'm a bit of an introvert. I've spent every weekend so far this year in my room or in the library working. It doesn't matter what kind of work, school work, debate work, just work that requires only a book, word document, and a quiet space. So yesterday when my friend asked me to go to an improv show with her after dinner I habitually retorted "No thanks, I have a lot of work to do." I didn't anticipate this being much of an argument, but 10 minutes and a few persuasive exchanges later I found myself saying "Ok I'll go, but just this once." I was still in a bit of shock about my response, to be honest. I had broken my streak of 6 straight weeks without socializing. But I couldn't say no to my friend this time.  I decided I would be a kind fellow and keep ... Read Full Story >>