Search Results for 'popular' (3455 matches)

Match: Sort By:


Setting up an Apartment for a Girl in Need

Several months ago, at the beginning of the school year, I heard from a friend about a young lady who had recently moved to our area. She was a student from another country with only her small stipend to make do and had just rented a small apartment. My friend told me that she had very little in the way of possessions. I got the young lady's telephone number and called her, explaining that I was a friend of a friend and I heard she might be able to use a few household items. She said, "Yes, thank you!" and mentioned that she had slept on the floor of the apartment the night before with only her coat to cover her and that it was a bit chilly. As every mother knows, when our children are away at school we constantly worry about their welfare, and, everyone's child is my child, ... Read Full Story >>

5416 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
  • Share Story

Groceries Bought And Left Behind

The other day I was in the grocery store. I was hurrying to get a few things I needed in between soccer games. In the line behind me was the sweetest lady who was quietly searching through her wallet to find the money she needed to purchase the seven or eight items she had in her cart. I imagined she probably lived on a limited income and might benefit, even just a little, from having her groceries paid for her.   I turned to the cashier and said, "Go ahead. Run her items through. I'd like to pay for her groceries."    My children, aged twelve, seven and three, quietly watched what was going on.   "I can't let you do that," the lady said.    "But I just did," I replied. "Have a great day!" And then, smiling, I walked with my children out the doors.   As I walked away, I heard her ask the cashier, "Did he just ... Read Full Story >>

6415 Reads
  • Posted by PiTeacher
  • May 30, 2012
  • 25 Comments
  • Share Story

Before My Head Gets In Front Of My Heart

I do a lot of kind things on an impulse, mostly because I know that if I think about them I will probably will let my head get in front of my heart and then regret not having acted.

Today I woke up with the clear idea that I had to send a certain amount of cash to someone I know who is indirectly related to me. The amount  was exactly half of what I had in my already very slim bank account. 

As you can imagine all sorts of thoughts went through my head but - I can't explain - I just knew I have to do it and do it anonymously. 

All I know is that this person has three children around the same age as my daughter and her husband is an alcoholic with an autistic personality, which makes her life very difficult.

Why I had to do this now and not another time I might never know. But I feel it was the right thing to do.

3379 Reads

A Box of Smiles With A Letter

A few months ago I posted a story about a woman struggling with alcoholism who reached out to me. I sent her a care pack full of smiles, encouraging words and some treats to help her out, along with a special letter I wrote to her. It has been almost 3 months and she is still doing great. She sends me updates and I send her encouraging notes. But, as I have said before, you never know how much something you say or do means to someone else. What happened next reminds me of how true that is. She read a story that another woman posted about being an alcoholic and how she needed to stop drinking, if only for her children. I read it too but she was quick to act. She e-mailed me and asked if I would put a "box of smiles" together for this woman and send ... Read Full Story >>

5090 Reads

Encounter at a Trash Bin

My 25 year old daughter had just purchased a home in San Diego, near San Diego State University, and I wasn't too fond of the neighborhood at night.   We pulled into a gas station near her home around 8 PM. I was sitting in the passenger seat of her SUV, and noticed an old guy with a white beard taking trash out of the cans on the gas island. He picked out a smoothie container, half full, held it up to the light, and took a swig. He shuddered, and then put the lid on it and popped it in his bag. He repeated the procedure with a bottle of Sprite. I looked away, embarrassed for him that he didn't care who was watching (although he couldn't see me through the window) and so sad for him and for all of us, that we could let this happen in such an ... Read Full Story >>

7352 Reads
  • Posted by caroline2
  • Sep 27, 2012
  • 25 Comments
  • Share Story

Let Someone Know You Are There

My son’s kindergarten class did a performance yesterday for the parents and rest of the school. It was great but one particular thing made me think a little more about life in general. I was in the back videotaping it since my wife could not attend. About 10 minutes into the program, I could see the change at the exact moment my son saw that I was there. He was doing great and being a wonderful participant before that moment, but I could tell how seeing me there made such a difference and meant so much to him. His smile, wave, and frequent “thumbs up” directed to me, made me laugh as I was able to relive them over and over later. It made me think. Sometimes just letting someone know you are there for them can make all the difference. They may not call on you or ask anything of ... Read Full Story >>

9633 Reads

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 >>

10.9K Reads

57 Cents That Made History

A young girl, Hattie, stood outside a small church from which she had been turned away because 'it was too crowded'. "I can't go to Sunday School," she said to the pastor as he walked by. The pastor carried the child inside and found a place for her to sit in the back. The next time the pastor met her he said "Hattie, we are going to have a larger Sunday school room soon. When we get the money with which to erect a school building we are going to construct one large enough to get all the little children in, and we are going to begin very soon to raise the money for it."   The pastor did not see Hattie again, until  he heard from her parents some two years later.  Hattie had sadly died her parents called for the kind-hearted pastor, who had befriended their daughter, to handle the ... Read Full Story >>

21.5K Reads

A Traveling Truck of Sweetness

I was on my school's campus the other day and there was an ice cream truck parked right in front of one of the main common areas of the school. Since I had primarily seen ice cream men drive their musical trucks around neighborhoods for elementary school kids, I never thought an ice cream man would circle our campus and come for us, overgrown kids, such as myself.  I was intrigued and was prompted to investigate further. I was quite surprised when the sweet and rather chubby man in the truck called out, "free ice cream!". I questioned him just to confirm his words saying, "I'm sorry, what did you say?" "Free ice cream, you have your choice of these four frozen treats: the rocket pop, the chocolate eclair, the strawberry shortcake, or the drumstick ." After I got the confirmation that this guy is just giving away free ice cream, I talked with the man for a while. He told me that his dream had always ... Read Full Story >>

7367 Reads

The Missing Cheese Bun Feeds Two Souls

Any passenger on the subway who caught a glimpse of me may have already thought that I was strange as I was smiling while reading Dostoyevsky’s Notes from Underground. In particular this one gentleman sitting diagonal from me was staring at me, at the cheese bun on the floor in front of me, and then back at me. “Next stop, St. Patrick Station” – my stop was quickly coming up.  I had minutes to either take the cheese bun, which nobody else was claiming (as a passenger probably dropped it by mistake and got off at a previous stop), or leave it there and hope that it didn’t go to waste. In those few minutes I felt my pride getting in the way. “What would other people on this subway think of me if I took the cheese bun? Would they think that I wanted it for myself? Would they think ... Read Full Story >>

5320 Reads
  • Posted by BigBearHugs
  • Nov 10, 2011
  • 24 Comments
  • Share Story

A Little Girl In Need

I was shopping at our little local shopping center the other day and I was just coming back to the underground car park with my bags when I heard a little girl shouting, "Mama, Mama!" I looked around and saw a 4 year-old's head stuck out of an SUV's open backseat window. I went over to ask her what was the matter and calm her down saying her mom would surely soon be back. But she said she needed to go to the bathroom urgently. With no mom in sight, I told her to get out and I would take her to the bathroom (the entrance of which was 20 meters from the car.)  She was very glad and ran with me to the bathroom explaining that she was not allowed to get out of the car by herself. Afterwards she washed her hands and I took her back to the car. Still, ... Read Full Story >>

4073 Reads

A Child's Response to Life's Unexpected Gusts

Last spring I was walking in a park. A short distance ahead of me was a Mom and her three-year-old daughter. The little girl was holding onto a string that was attached to a helium balloon. All of a sudden, a sharp gust of wind took the balloon from the little girl. I braced myself for some screaming and crying. But, no! As the little girl turned to watch her balloon go skyward, she gleefully shouted out, "Wow!" I didn’t realize it at that moment, but that little girl taught me something. Later that day, I received a phone call from a person with news of an unexpected problem. I felt like responding with, "Oh no, what should we do?"  But, remembering that little girl, I found myself saying, "Wow, that’s interesting! How can I help you?" One thing’s for sure - life’s always going to keep us off balance with its unexpected problems. That’s a ... Read Full Story >>

9362 Reads

A 'Grave' Situation

On my way into the city of Orillia today, the sun was shining bright.  It was a very hot, gorgeous day.  For me, it wasn't a very easy morning, but everything was falling into place and I felt good. Just then, I noticed some peculiar activity in a small graveyard just off the road.  As I got closer, I noticed that an elderly man was attempting to pick something up.  With a car parked on the small laneway in the graveyard, he was crouching beside one of the gravestones.  Upon closer inspection, it was clear that he was sobbing. After all that had gone on so far in my day, it was time to give something back.  I pulled into the small graveyard behind the lone car that was parked.  As I approached the fellow, I called out to ask if everything was ok. I noticed then what the fellow was trying to ... Read Full Story >>

5133 Reads

Kindness Returned After 35 Years

My grandfather was the head of his village for nearly 20 years until we moved to a different city. About a month back, my grandfather was out for his usual evening walk to a nearby garden and didn't return. We were worried and searched for him everywhere but we could not find him. Later in the morning, we got a call from a hospital from an unknown person who had remembered my grandfather.  All he remembered was his childhood nickname. We rushed to hospital to find that my grandfather had been hit by a vehicle and it was this person from 35 years ago who helped my grandfather reach the hospital.  This good samaritan had stayed with him the whole night and paid  for all his hospital bills (you can't get treatment unless you pay the bills first). All this, and he only knew my grandfather with his childhood nickname.  My grandfather was not even able to recognize that person.  We thanked him deeply, and offered him the money he ... Read Full Story >>

7995 Reads
  • Posted by sweetpulp2004
  • Jan 11, 2011
  • 24 Comments
  • Share Story

Gift for the Cashier

My friends and I recently returned from our annual week at the beach.  While we were there, a couple of us needed to pick up a few items at the grocery store. As we were checking out, the cashier complimented me on my necklace.  I thanked her, and she asked where I bought it.  I had gotten it at the department store just down the street, and told her that it was on sale for 40% off.  My friend suggested that she should walk over and purchase one during her break. But the cashier said she couldn't afford it right now.   As we left the grocery store, I told my friend I was tempted to buy one for her. She agreed, and offered to pay for half.  So we went back to the department store and picked out a matching necklace for the cashier. As we paid for it, the sales ... Read Full Story >>

7441 Reads
  • Posted by bjames3061
  • Sep 11, 2012
  • 24 Comments
  • Share Story

The Abundance of a Sacred Fund

Last year, I received a satchel of money on the front steps at my home. When that money arrived, I actually was out of town but my family called me and said that there was a lot of money left at the front door with a note.  When, I returned home I was touched most by the note, which read, "Thank you for all you do for the world." As I have shared on helpothers.org, I immediately placed all of this money into my sacred fund which keeps coming back to me again and again. All of the work I do which bring gifts of monetary value immediately goes into a fund in my home. This has enabled me to grow the initial gift from the universe of $1000 and I have attracted and given back at least two to three times this. The abundance just keeps going out to ... Read Full Story >>

5022 Reads
  • Posted by omtaratutare
  • Mar 29, 2009
  • 24 Comments
  • Share Story

Customer's Gift To An Employee

My husband and I have always been friendly with the clerks at the local convenience store where we often get gasoline. I don't think people appreciate what a difficult job these folks have sometimes. They work for a little over minimum wage and I often wonder how they make ends meet. One of the clerks, "Charlie," was missing her glasses one day. I commented on it and she said they'd been broken and that she couldn't afford a new pair. It was obvious that she was having a difficult time. We wondered how we could help, so turned to our own eye doctor for assistance with a plan. We had his secretary contact her, asking her to come in for an eye exam free of charge.  We told the doctor to let her order whatever glasses she wanted and that we would pay for them. Although Charlie questioned what was going on, ... Read Full Story >>

5125 Reads
  • Posted by jaybird
  • Jul 26, 2011
  • 24 Comments
  • Share Story

Rewarding One Good Deed With Another

We were having a mini heat wave yesterday and I was in the supermarket, stocking up on juice and ice-cream.  Now, I'm not much of a fan of the hot weather and I was enjoying the fact that it was cooler inside than outside, but the lady behind the checkout was suffering. I asked if she was looking forward to getting out in the sun after her shift was finished and she replied that she might not last that long. She was melting! She explained that she shouldn't have been working that day, but she had agreed to cover someone else's shift. Now she wished she hadn't. She felt like she might die! I paid for the shopping and headed for the exit. Half way there I remembered something I had wanted to get for Julie, so I went back in. On the way to where I wanted to go, I passed a rack of ... Read Full Story >>

8251 Reads

We All Have A Story

Last weekend I volunteered at our local shelter to serve meals to the hungry. I convinced a classmate of mine, a woman who is older like myself to come along for the experience. Her life consists of school, playing golf as a semi-pro, and generally living a very comfortable and protected lifestyle. I assume everyone has seen the hungry, the needy, the homeless, the less fortuanate in our society but the assortment of folks at the shelter seemed to trouble my friend. She was aprehensive about getting physically too  close when she was serving meals and she was also full of questions. She made observations such as, "They look like they do drugs", "I assume a lot of them have alcohol problems", "Some of them seem like they are retarded." Once everyone is fed, staff/volunteer's can also eat from the leftovers.  We were told there was enough and that we should ... Read Full Story >>

5524 Reads




Submit your own
story of Kindness

Search by keyword

Tags

Subscribe to the Kindness Newsletter

143K subscribers

About Us

KindSpring is a place to practice small acts of kindness. For over a decade the KindSpring user community has focused on inner transformation, while collectively changing the world with generosity, gratitude, and trust. The site is 100% volunteer-run and totally non-commercial. It is a shared labor of love.

Other servicespace Projects Include

KindSpring.org is a project of ServiceSpace. BY-NC-ND 4.0