Giving The Rent Money Away
My wife and I were on our way to the seaside just before sunrise to pray. On our way we headed to a community where squalor is king. I got an urge to drive into the impoverished community instead of past it and bless someone financially. My rent money was all I had and the rent was already one day overdue. Plus, my wife and I were experiencing one of the worst financial drought in our lives. As we approached the area I told my wife what I was thinking of. She said, "Follow your heart, sweetheart." We drove into the community and as we turned the corner we saw a woman with her half-slip pulled up over her breast and her hands atop her head. I walked over to her and held out a fist with the money inside.She stretched her right hand out and took the money into her fist to ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by BELLO
- Apr 29, 2013
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"Just A Smile, Sister!"
I was walking along a sidewalk in the city. A bit of a distance away I could see a woman walking along with a big signboard around her neck. I was naturally curious about what it said, so I deliberately slowed my pace so I could see.
She looked at me and said, "That's all I'm looking for ... just a smile, sister!"
- Posted by cabbage
- Aug 2, 2012
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More Than Just a Favour
I had an errand to do in Saltcoats today. I arrived early so I decided to go for a walk by the harbourside. It was pouring down with rain but I had my new waterproof jacket on so I didn't really mind. As I was walking along, I met someone who wasn't so lucky. He had swept back salt 'n' pepper hair, a bushy gray beard, sky blue eyes - and he was soaked through and through. "Could you do me a favour?" He held his hand out. "Probably not," I replied. Things had been tight financially and for the past fortnight I'd been telling my kids we can't do this and we can't afford that. "I've been trying to chase up the price of a beer," he continued. Well, I admired his honesty. If I'd been living on the street like he obviously had, a beer might have been important to me too. I ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by wayfarer
- Sep 20, 2009
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Kindness links growing
I used kindness links in my 3rd and 4th grade classrooms. Each time I saw a student being kind, they would write their kind act on the link and add it to the chain (the chain hung up in the classroom).
It was awesome to see how long our chain was by the end of the school year!
- Posted by mbpeterson3
- Apr 9, 2016
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Giving someone a chance to recharge
Good day, I was recently traveling and bad weather had surrounded the airport, causing many flights to get canceled or delayed. I was sitting by the gate, having changed my flight to another one already and was watching the unfortunate airline rep at the gate counter. She was being bombarded by a number of people who seemed to assume that the poor weather, flight cancellations and everything else causing them grief was her fault and each one in turn laid all of their grief on her and I could see she was being pushed to the brink. A little ah-ha light bulb flashed in my mind and since I am apt to follow my instinct, I stood up and took my place in the line of people intent on sharing their bad day with her. I patiently waited my turn and when I was finally standing in front of her, her weary ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by KingHartuc
- Jan 20, 2007
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Using Kindness to Hush the Noise Downstairs
Several years ago my young daughter and I moved into the upstairs apartment where we now live. While my loving, wonderful friends helped me move in, the downstairs neighbors began to complain about the noise. That did not bode well for living above them. After all, how can anyone move in quietly? As I suspected, the complaints continued on a daily basis -- well after that initial day. We walked "too loudly" down the stairs, we flushed the toilet too much ... Their child had problems with my child and they complained to me as well. I soon learned that they had driven out the last few families who had lived above them and that each situation had erupted into feuds and yelling. So, I had the information I needed and I tried to think of the situation from a spiritual point of view. I realized that I could fight with my ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by Sajha
- Jul 29, 2011
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It's Not Too Late To Talk
I am writing this story because it is not too late for me to talk to my parents. I realized this last night when visiting their house while they were away. I went to freshen it up for their return, and being at their house without them home made me sad. As I went into their bedroom, I saw little reminders of them -- some Christmas gifts still in boxes and family photos that must have a special meaning to them. What took my breath away was seeing my dad's tags from his military service to our country. My father never talked about the Korean War. As I looked at those tags hanging proudly with all the photos that he treasures, I realized that this was an important part of his life, and I never took the time to talk with him about it. The photos of my mom with friends made ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by crosby2126
- May 5, 2011
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Accepting a Blessing and Passing It On
Last Sunday, a woman told me that she felt led to give me twenty dollars. She wanted me to use the money for whatever I needed. I tried not to take it, but she insisted and so I took it and thanked her. I didn't need the money, but I knew there must be a reason for her giving it to me. The next day, Monday, I went to work. A different woman was walking by the store I worked at. She was limping, and didn't look to be very well. I knew her and called out, asking her how she was doing. She responded with her sad situation. Her husband had died recently, she had to quit her job because of her health, and on top of that, she wasn't drawing her disability benefits as yet. I told her the story about the $20, and asked her if she would ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by smiletoday
- Dec 7, 2009
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I Always Wanted To Be An Angel
I was walking from my office to my car during rush hour at the end of work day in San Francisco. As I waited at the corner of 3rd and Folsum for the light to change, I noticed a car about to go through the intersection. The driver looked harried and was talking on his cell phone.
As he accelerated through the intersection, papers and a manilla folder began swirling and flying out the window. The driver was clearly dismayed, but given the traffic and the one-way street, he simply pulled over a few blocks down.
As the light changed, other pedestrians stomped the papers into mud puddles in their rush to cross the street. Looking at the drivers panic stricken face, I decided to try to pickup as many papers as possible before the light turned and cars started running them over. I noticed these paper looked like the papers I signed when I bought my house.
As the driver came up to me to get the papers he said "You are an angel, You are an angel."
Hearing that made me feel better than I had in weeks.
- Posted by doowyah
- Mar 28, 2007
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Growing Seeds in Silence
Sometimes you read a story that just takes root in your heart. Many stories on the helpothers.org website have been like that for me: "I Wish You Enough" by BrightEyes and "An Unforgettable Fishing Experience" by Mike Delyria to name just two. Well this story I'm about to share with you has been growing in the heart of many people on Cape Ann, where I live. It is the story of Jude, a young deaf man with green thumbs and a big heart who recently opened a plant store in our community called The Silent Seed. I first heard about him from my friend Nana who had noticed the new store during one of her walks and was so inspired by the owner that she felt called to draw the whole neighborhood's attention to his work. A few days later, my friend Loretta who lives in a totally different part of ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by gipsysoul
- Oct 8, 2008
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Cat Calls Or Hot Chocolate
I am a sales rep and I travel all over England to visit my customers. I will frequently arrange to meet a client first thing in the morning and I usually have several visits to complete in a day. One cold February morning I was due to visit a store at 9am. I parked my car, bundled my scarf around me and headed up the street towards his shop front. The small lane where his store was located was partially blocked by two large, ruddy faced workmen who were tearing up the concrete. I braced myself for the expected cat calls. I was up early, out in the cold, and probably about to be made a spectacle of by two men I didn't even know. Then I stopped and remembered that my own father. Both he and my grandfather had spent much of their early careers working outside in similar jobs before ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by kristenh
- Feb 14, 2012
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Taken By Surprise By A Course In Miracles
Arriving in a new city last Thursday, I had the strangest first week of graduate school. I fell and broke my leg within 48 hours of arriving there! I was really amazed by the kindness shown by my new roommmate, someone who I had only just met. "We are family now", she said when she found me lying in my room with a swollen leg, unable to move, in a strange city with no family except across three oceans. She took me to the student health center by cab to get my leg examined. The cab driver was so nice and said to me how lucky I was to have a friend like that. After that, my roommate didn't stop helping me - she made me amazing meals and brought them to and made me comfortable despite my insistence that I could do things on my own. When I protested, "I really like helping people", she said , "I believe ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by monkeyinpajamas
- May 15, 2010
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Moment In The Pharmacy
I was in the pharmacy and I had to pay for my meds - but I didn't have enough money!
- Posted by phyllisstafford7
- Oct 4, 2012
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An Unforgettable Fishing Experience
Several years ago, I worked for a trucking outfit as a driver. It was my habit to go in on Saturday and spend a couple hours maintaining my truck. As I was under the truck greasing it, I noticed the owner's elderly father making his way over to his grandson's truck next to mine. The old man was in his high eighties, had been an avid fisherman all his life, and had come out to ask the kid to take him fishing after work. The grandson told him all about how much he would love to do that, but, he just couldn't that day due to prior commitments. The old man accepted the answer and hobbled off to the house. A few minutes later, the father came out and asked his son what the old man had wanted. After telling the story, the kid ended it with telling his dad, ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by Mike Delyria
- Dec 12, 2008
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Lost & Found: Two Rings
After working out one day, in the locker room, I came across a gorgeous wedding ring studded with many diamonds and a ruby ring. I could tell they were very expensive, and by the color, the gold looked to be 24 carat. I looked around but there was no one in the gym or in the locker room. So I took the rings to our work Lost & Found in the Security department upstairs. After you fill out the tag, the items are kept for at least 30 days. I told the security guard that I did not want my name mentioned, as I wanted it to be a random act of kindness. I did not want the person to feel they needed to thank me or compensate me. And I was pretty sure that the rings would be claimed! Over the course of the day, I forgot all about turning in the rings but ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by brighteyes
- Jun 25, 2007
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Meeting Sid, my Valentine
As I do not have a significant other, I usually treat myself for Valentine's Day. Why should I have to do without? :) Well I was on my way to the supermarket when I spotted an elderly man who had not long left the shopping mall. He had a walking stick and could only walk a few steps before he tired and held the fence. I did an about turn, went to him and offered to take him home. He had a few other items to collect in the town centre, so I went with him. We went to the chemist then another food store where he only picked up two items. Total time with him was about half an hour. I am quite certain that if he'd been going it alone, he would have taken three hours or more. He got a taxi to the first shop, then he intended ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by RoseMarie
- Feb 28, 2016
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A Secret Handshake Puts It Right
Yesterday was my step-mom’s birthday. I haven’t been home in a long time so I wanted to stop by the house to see her on this special day. I have been struggling financially so I was dreading the long trip. Gas is so expensive nowadays! Anyway, I filled my tank with gas and set off. I stopped at the shopping mall and found a present. It was the perfect gift and I knew she would love it. But when I got to the cashier my card was declined! I did not have enough money in my account to pay for the gift! So I pondered the issue for a few minutes. I could put it back and get something cheaper, but I knew there was nothing else in the store she would have liked as much. So, I got on my smart-phone and transferred some money from my savings account so I was ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by hasifa
- Feb 7, 2012
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My Usual Kindness Act ...
My usual kindness act I do whenever I stay in a hotel ... chocolate rose, card with beautiful words inside and either gift card or lotto ticket enclosed. The housekeepers do such a lovely job cleaning our rooms I always like to thank them. This time however I did a little extra kindness....
I made their job as easy as I could. I left our room spotless, emptied bins for them and loaded the dishwasher and washed dishes. A small gesture but one they'll appreciate ♥
- Posted by brindlegirl
- Sep 27, 2015
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Repaying a Stranger's Generosity
This story was brought to my mind after reading some of yours :) It happened several years ago but I have never forgotten it. My husband and I were going through some bad times financially. We had both lost our jobs and were trying to catch up on bills by cutting grass for extra money on the weekends. We got up one Saturday morning and loaded up the little flat bed trailer that we carried our lawnmower on and headed out. About 15 miles from the house the trailer started swerving and we realized that it had a flat tire. Luckily, we were close to a little store and pulled into the parking lot. The tire was in shreds, so my husband took the truck back to the house to see if he could find another tire for the trailer. I stayed with the trailer at the store. I had ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by megumi
- May 7, 2008
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A fast turn-around in spreading kindness
Last night I was about to leave work when I noticed an elderly, disabled man on his motorized scooter. It had broken down on the sidewalk in front of our school, which is in a somewhat seedy neighborhood. There was no way we could lift the scooter and move it, it was way too heavy. And, the man didn't want to leave the scooter because he was afraid it would be vandalized. The wind was icy cold and he had no money, no cell phone, and no family nearby. I thought to call the police - 311 - but they said they couldn't do anything about this. I wondered ... so they would rather wait to get a call that he's been assaulted? Then I called AAA roadside assistance. I offered to upgrade my account so that he could get help, but they said it would take 48 hours to clear unless it was ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by teresa3
- Nov 28, 2015
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