Search Results for 'popular' (3612 matches)

I Just Can't Stop Smiling!

I haven't smiled this much in a long time.  I am reading many stories leaving comments and getting great ideas for Random Acts of Kindness.

I didn't even realize that I was smiling and feeling so good until I sat back and broke out in a big WIDE smile.  I feel so good and I wanted to write about it because within less than 48 hours I feel my life has changed.

I have always been one to give RAOK (Random Acts of Kindness)  usually without thinking about it.  But now I feel better because I have a plan.  I am doing things on purpose.  Makes me feel good to have a purpose in life other than work and paying the bills.

I feel I am doing things now to counter act the negativity that comes at me.  As long as i have RAOK to do then I am ok.

I Thank everyone for there stories.  I Thank HELP OTHERS for making this a place where we can come share. 

And guess what I am going to thank you right now.  Yes you who is taking the time to read this.  Because this is why i wrote it for YOU!

ARE YOU SMILING YET!

Raqui

Blanket Of Warmth

It's never too late to share a kindness story even when you are about to go on holiday. It begins with a hobby of mine...knitting. My nan and mum bless their hearts taught me to knit many years ago and it has always been a passion of mine making things for people and over the years I have made a few things for family and friends. I have always found it very therapeutic and relaxing. Now my biggest enjoyment of knitting is making large blankets..some square patterned and some embroidered. Over a long period of time I have managed to make about 15 and have kept them in storage but have always hoped one day I would be able to give them away free to people that needed them. A few years back I found out that Oxfam would not be able to take them off my hands for me and send ... Read Full Story >>

The Gift Of Time To An Upset Student

A student wanted to talk to me about a problem she had been having. She was due to meet me at 8.30am and I had a workshop to attend at 9. 

I was so "present" with her that I didn't even notice the clock. It was 10:30 when we'd finished going through everything! 

The Battle For Change

I am a New Yorker, born, raised and residing.  We know how much money beggers make a day.  One begger can get about a dollar per 20 people who pass, either in the form of a dollar or in change from several people.  In New York, you can easily get a minimum of 500 people within a 2 hour period passing you.  That is basically 40 dollars every 2 hours.  The number rises if you're in front of a restaurant , a really busy street, or in the subway. Do the math and you can see beggers make more money begging in a day than some people with jobs. I never give money to people -- never.  But last night around 3 am,  I stopped at a Mc Donalds in Harlem to use the bathroom.  I saw him in the door waiting for me to head over to him so he could open the door ... Read Full Story >>

What I learned from a little girl at a train station

Lately, I had become so cynical about finding goodness in people looking at the happenings around the world. But I have also been pleasantly surprised by goodness in unexpected people. I am beginning to realize that goodness still exists in the world if only we have the grace to be surprised by goodness from unexpected people. A few weeks ago I had gone back to my hometown and I was traveling by train to visit a friend in the comfort of a new air-conditioned coach while it was blisteringly hot outside. After a few stations, the delivery man from the cafeteria in the train came around to deliver the pre-booked hot meals and drinks. Just behind him rushed in a young girl, maybe 9 or 10 years old obviously used to begging and put out her hand pleading for some food just with her gestures but no words. The food supplier was ... Read Full Story >>

Kindness 2 Miles Away from Home

A few years ago when my daughter was about two years old, I went through a difficult time.  My marriage was in trouble, I was pregnant  and not particularly well and I didn't have much money.   Looking back I think I was also a bit depressed but I had to get on with taking care of my daughter the best I could. One day I thought I would take my daughter for a nice day out up at our allotment as she liked it up there, and I thought it was a nice, positive thing to do.  I decided to walk because the bus was expensive, so it took us a long time to get there.  When we finally got there, immediately my daughter began to cry.  She was cold, she was thirsty, she wanted to go home.  To be honest, I hadn't been thinking straight as I had not prepared properly.  I didn't ... Read Full Story >>

A Mother's Legacy Of Unconditional Love

As I entered womanhood, Mom sat me down and told me that no matter what happened and no matter what I did, I could always come home. Because of what those words meant to me, I said the same thing to my sons.  My childhood was filled with affection—lots of kisses, lots of hugs, lots of spoken I love yous. I never wanted for physical affection, and because of what that affection meant to me, I gave the same thing to my sons.  I grew up in a home where love was openly talked about and warmly expressed. I can still picture myself in my attic bedroom, sitting on my bed and fuming at my parents. They had been mean to me and were totally unreasonable—at least that was my evaluation of the situation. They hadn't understood that I was a teenager and should be allowed certain freedoms. With eyes closed, lips ... Read Full Story >>

Can I Borrow Your Kids?

Years ago, after a rough divorce, we were invited to live with my aunt who lived in a rural area. We packed up our stuff and moved across the country to settle into our new "home".  Once there I was worried about the lack of extended family and thought I would miss the convenience of having relatives nearby. My aunt explained to my children (and myself) that there are many different kinds of family and not all of them have two parents in the home. I didn't think too much of this speech, being rather shell-shocked after the divorce, but her words stuck with me.   It wasn't too long after we settled in that friends and neighbors began to come over to meet us and extend invitations for outings. Many single ladies lived in this particular locale and were very loving and affectionate with my school-aged children.   After they got to know the ... Read Full Story >>

The Math of Sharing Meals

One day, I came across an elderly lady sharing her food with a dog. This made a lasting impression on me because she seemed like she didn't even have enough food for herself. Yet she still made the effort to share. This got me thinking.  In my entire life, I have always had enough. Neither my family nor I have ever gone hungry. I often give thanks before eating a meal, but just saying words of gratitude at dinner or lunch doesn't seem like enough. I felt the need to do more. I wanted to share my good fortune with others. As these thoughts brewed, I shared them out loud with my family. We did some math. There are four of us in my family. With two main meals a day, that multiplies up to about 56 meals every week.  Based on these calculations, we decided to prepare and give at least 60 ... Read Full Story >>

It Only Takes A Minute

My neighbor of thirty years is stressed out waiting for the results of a biopsy.

Listening to God's Voice

Several years ago, while on the job, I heard one of my co-workers saying that even after we would get our paycheck on that Friday, she would not have enough money left to buy groceries for her two boys and herself.  (Like me, she was a single mom at the time.)

When we got our paychecks that Friday, I counted up all my bills and had $30 left for my two children and myself, to last till the next week's paycheck.  God told me to give her $20 of my $30, but a part of me worried, "What will I do for my two children?"  Well, I listened to my inner voice and placed a $20 bill in an envelope, sealed it and put it in her van driver's seat, without her knowing it (to this day, she still doesn't know where it came from!).

About two years later, I needed money "very badly" and had been praying for the Lord's help and when I went out to my car one day, there was an envelope in the driver's seat of my car.  It had $50!

God is faithful to those who take the time to listen to that subtle voice inside us.

My first ever random act of kindness

I stumbled across Kindspring.org two days ago, and read the stories posted here for hours. They moved and inspired me so much that I just knew I had to be a part of this. I am a college student and work at the library here on campus, so I was able to print out dozens of Smile Cards and I spent over an hour cutting them all out. One of my "primary targets" that I came up with during my brainstorming was McDonald's, because the area around my college is economically depressed and I figured most of the people going to the McDonald's were probably strapped for cash. Unfortunately I don't have a car and I didn't know when I'd be able to have the opportunity to do some random acts of kindness there. As luck would have it that very night one of my friends asked me to go to ... Read Full Story >>

Receiving a Call From My Step-Son's Lost Cell Phone

As I sat down to dinner yesterday the phone rang. It was a child's voice on the other end that I didn't recognise. He explained that they had found the phone he was calling me on. They had looked up "Home" in the contacts file and so they were phoning the number that turned out to be me. From their description I recognised my step-son's phone. He'd left it at the football pitch where he'd been playing. I asked them to wait a few minutes, put my dinner in the oven, and headed over to the location they had given me.  When I arrived I saw a group of five children, aged about 7-9 years old. They came running over to meet me and were just charming and well-spoken kids. They told me how and where they'd found the phone. They also told me some bigger kids had tried to take it but they hadn't let ... Read Full Story >>

The Secret To A Lasting Marriage

When I was a little girl, my Mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long hard day at work. On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burnt toast in front of my Dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed!  Yet all my Dad did was reach for his toast, smile at my Mom and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that toast and eat every bite! When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad,for burning the toast. And I'll never forget what he said, "Baby I love burnt toast."  ... Read Full Story >>

"If I Had Ten More Years"

Paul was dying of cancer.  It became clear to him that it was time for him to prepare for death. About a week before Paul died, I was visiting him one morning.  I found him sitting up, propped against a mound of pillows.  I sat on the edge of his bed.  His bedroom had a beautiful porch with French doors that were always open to the summer sun and gentle breezes.  Paul sat, silent, in the rays of the morning light. "I feel ready to go," he said finally.  There was quiet on his face.  "But sometimes," he reflected, "I just wish I had more time."  Paul's voice carried so much sadness mingled with acceptance, melancholy softened with a gentle peace.  In a moment like this, it is bittersweet.  Some of our dreams have come true, some have not.  There is a readiness to die, accompanied by an equally passionate wish to ... Read Full Story >>

A Flashlight From An Old Man

I recently went to a restaurant to buy a pie for a party.  As I walked up the steps and opened the door, I saw a hunched-over old man with a cane walking toward me carrying a handled bag full of things he had just purchased there.  I stepped back and opened the door widely so that he could pass through easily.  As he did so, he stopped and said to me, "Wait!"   He set down the bag, reached into one of his pants pockets, and retrieved a tiny plastic keychain flashlight still in its original plastic wrapping.  He handed it to me and said, "Take this.  I like to give things to people who have done something for me."  I thanked him and told him he was very welcome.  I was almost speechless as I watched this old man walk off to his car.  I added his token to ... Read Full Story >>

If Only President Lincoln Had Some Smile Cards...

Before he became president, Abraham Lincoln spent twenty years as an unsuccessful Illinois lawyer -- at least he was unsuccessful in financial terms. But when you measure the good he did, he was very rich indeed. Legends are often untrue, but Lincoln was the real thing. During his years as a lawyer, there were hundreds of documented examples of his kindness, honesty and decency. For example, Lincoln didn't like to charge people much who were as poor as he was. Once a man sent him twenty-five dollars, but Lincoln sent him back ten of it, saying he was being too generous. He was known at times to convince his clients to settle their issue out of court, saving them a lot of money and earning himself nothing. An old woman in dire poverty, the widow of a Revolutionary soldier, was charged $200 for getting her $400 pension. Lincoln sued the pension agent ... Read Full Story >>

Grandfather's Wooden Bowl

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. "We must do something about father," said the son. "I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor." So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. When ... Read Full Story >>

A Simple Wave, Many Years Ago

Last Christmas I was given a great gift.

As I checked out at a local Walgreen's pharmacy, the teen cashier asked me, "Are you Mrs. Peres?"   With a curious smile, I replied, "Yes."  Then he asked me, "Do you remember me?"  Being the joker I am, I looked at his tag and replied, "You're Josh."   This young man's face brightened up with such a smile that I had to tell him the truth -- I did not remember him.

He continued to tell me that when he was about 5 years old he would sit with my daughter on the school bus.  With a pause, he added, "You were the only person that waved at me each and everyday."

The minute he said that my heart sank and filled at the same time.

At first, I felt so very sad and wondered if his childhood was not a good one that a simple wave made his day. Then I filled with tears at the thought that that simple wave made him feel good and stayed with him all this time.

I was sooooo happy to be me at that moment and it was truly the best gift I received last year.

Playing Smile Tag

I happened upon HelpOthers.org a couple of weeks ago and immediately fell in love with the idea of Smile cards.