Stories Matching 'At Home' Tag (45 matches)

Sharing Our Home With Children In Need

My husband and I have been hosting children in need of orthopedic surgery from Belize since 1993.  Our local Rotary district and Shriner's Hospital in St. Louis provide the air fare and medical care.  Some say that we are so wonderful to be host parents...maybe, but we are the ones who are blessed to have the privilege to care for these darling children. 

Our children have had the opportunity to see the world in a different view than most of their peers and we are all grateful for being chosen to share our home with others less fortunate. Now that that they are adults, our three children host these children too.

If you live within a few hours from a hospital, you too can help others with your immeasureable time and talent (and there are always other experienced volunteers to back you up if needed).

A Home Filled With Love This Christmas

Something happened today to make me realise just how much love I have in my house and I am so thankful for that. My husband used to work in a bank but during the credit crunch he lost his job. The economy wasn't looking good and he didn't have too many options to get another bank job.  It was incredibly difficult to see him go to the warehouse to look for work, hoping and praying that he would be offered a position (where he would be paid even less than his own teenage children were making).  Someone dear to me encouraged him to keep on "keeping on" and I was right behind them.  I told him to just "go for it".  He got the job and it brought us such a feeling of pride.  With his new job we were still able to pay our mortgage and buy our groceries.  But money ... Read Full Story >>

Change Of Heart

A mother and daughter living in my complex are two of the most unfriendly people I have ever come across in my life. They are totally withdrawn, mixing with no one. As they drive past neighbors they keep their eyes averted and make no sign of acknowledgement. The only fame they have is making a nuisance of themselves to the local police station by reporting music played too loud, dogs barking more than once a day and any other petty little gripe. On moving into this neighborhood, I was warned about these two but decided I would make up my own mind. This proved quite a challenge to me as more than once either the mother or the daughter would knock on my door and blast me with some complaint or other. My warfare? I always answered politely and made sure I waved as they went past my place and also made ... Read Full Story >>

One Last Visit To The Beach, On Her Doorstep

I need to share a powerful and strangely wonderful event in my life that involves death and cancer.  I am certain you are struggling with the fact that  I am using the words wonderful, cancer and death in the same sentence.  I think that after you hear this story you will agree that in this case it is an appropriate combination of words. A dear friend of mine was dying of cancer.  Shortly before she died she shared with me that she was very sad that she would never get to go to the beach again.  She grew up near the ocean and it was a special place for her.  The cancer had made her too weak to travel the 4-5 hours from her home to the ocean.  I shared this with several of her friends and we decided we had to do something about it. On a Saturday afternoon in June, while her family kept her distracted ... Read Full Story >>

A Gesture of Generosity that Healed a Life

I was in church one Sunday when my husband’s ex-wife requested the pastor and the church to pray for her.  She said that she was a drug addict and she wanted to stop using drugs.  She was crying and said that she needed God’s help because she knew that she couldn't do it alone. She was a beautiful woman with four children and they were all crying with her. After church I went to her and introduced myself. She said that she had heard about my marriage to her ex-husband. We talked for a little while and she told me that she did not have a car and that they were going to catch the bus home. I offered to give them a ride and we continued to talk in the car. She began to open up about how bad things really were in her life. I had heard rumours from ... Read Full Story >>

Filled With a New Sense of Hope

Moving can bring out the best and the worst in people, I'm finding.  They say that uprooting can really test a relationship, so, if that's the case, I think I'm passing with flying colors.  And  I've discovered where a very generous spirit lives: Defiance, Ohio. After suffering through many months of unemployment, my wife and I moved this week from Colorado to Ohio, where she's starting a new job.  Not knowing a soul there, we were pretty concerned about all the work involved, not only loading up our entire home and driving two big rental trucks 1,250 miles, but how we'd get all that stuff unloaded without killing ourselves in the process. We made a connection to hire a couple of college students to help with all the heavy lifting once we got there.  But, to our surprise, one neighbor after another stopped by and pitched in to help.  What!?!?  Have we ... Read Full Story >>

Paying Forward A Little Bicycle

A couple of weeks back, my friend had a yard sale, and she offered to sell some of our stuff for us.  I thought it would be a good opportunity to clean my 7 year old son's room and get rid of some toys that he had long outgrown.  We agreed that whatever we sold in toys would be his money. The night before the sale, we loaded up the truck with toys and a little bike that he was now too tall for.  He had taken the bike for a final spin before we left home but happily put it on the truck for the sale.  This little bike had had at least 2 previous owners that we knew of.  It was not in the best shape and it certainly was not shiny new but it was still a bike, and the tires were still good.  We put a price of $10 on it but it didn't sell.  So, after the ... Read Full Story >>

For Children, Kindness Is Impulsive

Yesterday while I was busy doing my housework, my daughter ran up to me and said, "Mommy there's someone at the gate."  I told her to ask who it was. It was an old man beggar. I heard my daughter yelling, "Mommy he wants money."  For a second I ignored her, but then it hit me what she just said. I found my daughter taking out money from her Dad's wallet. Instead of stopping her, I stood there amazed at her action and the realization: kids give without hesitation and their kindness is impulsive.  Then I murmured a little prayer to myself, "God, let my kids never outgrow such a value and let that value grow on us adults." Sure, we all want to do kindness acts as much as we can, but let's also be honest -- how many times have we acted on it in reality? How many times have we ... Read Full Story >>

The Best Gifts Of All

Last weekend I was out walking with my dog. She loves poking around investigating everything and loves seeing other folks we meet. So it becomes more a social walk rather than an exercise. This day we ran into our neighbor who was preparing to sell her home. She was busy getting ready for her 'open house' that afternoon.  After talking a little bit we went our separate ways. I could tell it was a stressful day for her. After I got home I quickly cut some of the fabulous lavender in my garden.  Gosh, it smelled good and the purple flowers were so pretty.  I wrapped some tissue paper around the bunch and brought it to my neighbor for her open house. I loved her expression when she saw me there with the bouquet of lavender! It completely made my day. It  made her stop and take a big deep breath and maybe reduced her stress for a second. The next ... Read Full Story >>

Helping Others Is The Best Medicine

Yes, helping others is wonderful. Feeling so good helping out. You know what I mean..It brightens your day, lifts your heart and that wonderful from the heart smile! Fabulous! And then some. In March we had to take Dad's license away. Our proud, independent Dad was going to have to ask for help and to depend on others!  Yikes! How does one do that? He had to ask/accept and we did too. Big changes. Now I celebrate the start each day with 'breakfast with Dad".  We share special time. We help lift each other. I leave with a tired body but a fabulous smile. I have to admit there have been days when I had to push myself but was always happy I did.  Now for the unexpected WOW! I've been coping with chronic but stable health issues for 10+ yrs. ..being told to pace myself, don't get stressed, take naps, blah ,blah.  Well, guess what?  My blood work is now the best in 2 yrs! Wow! All I could ... Read Full Story >>

Offering Me the Oportunity to Give

Yesterday we had a bunch of friends over to play some music and share a meal together. My husband and I had both made some special dishes and when everyone had left, there was some left over.  My husband started packing up a few containers of food to give to an older woman who lives in our neighborhood... and then he asked if I would deliver it because "I know how you like to do that!"

I left the house and walked over to the woman's house to give her the food. When I gave it to her, her eyes lit up and she was just thrilled. When I was leaving, she said that I had made her evening so much brighter-- it was how she said it that really touched my heart.

I walked home, gazing at the full moon, and thanking my husband for letting me be the "giver". He always does the right thing and never wants any credit!---I can learn from that.

An Easter Act to Remember

Two years ago, on the day before Easter, I had given my three children money instead of Easter baskets.  Later that evening, we were all sat watching TV,  when an infomercial came on about starving children. 

I couldn't help tearing up when my children said, "Mom, can we give our Easter money to these children?"  I told them yes and that God was going to bless them for this.  I wrote a cheque and sent it off in the mail.  I wanted to go get them Easter baskets for their kind act, but I didn't have any more money.

To my surprise, on Easter morning, a couple of ladies from a church we used to attend came over with a big box.  I didn't open it until they left, and when I did, tears started streaming down my and I fell to the floor with gratitude.  It contained Easter baskets for my children and a gas card for my family.

The universe is good and sometimes knocks you on your knees in tears from the way it works...

The Gift of the Magi

One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one's cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty- seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas. There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. So Della did it. Which instigates the moral reflection that life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating. While the mistress of the home is gradually subsiding from the first stage to the second, take a look at the home. A furnished flat at $8 per week. It did not exactly beggar description, but it certainly had that word on the lookout for the ... Read Full Story >>

A Schoolbag Full Of Love Makes A Difference

I must share a heart warming experience I enjoyed this week, both as a parent and a human being. My daughter, Emma (in 7th grade), started back to school last week. There is a young boy in her class (call him Jake) who is quite overweight. As you might expect  he is the butt of many jokes and is treated very badly by other kids (and even by the teachers). Jake gives the impression that he's not a nice guy, mostly because of the fact that he's constantly picked on. For several nights this week Emma came home from school upset about the fact that Jake gets picked on so much. She also mentioned that he had no school supplies as his family could not afford them. He was constantly asking to borrow paper, which just gives kids even more reason to pick on him. One night Emma was extremely upset about this situation, not only because ... Read Full Story >>

A Circle of Kindness From Our Neighbors

Last year my family was moving from New Hampshire to Washington State.  In the process of selling our house, giving away most of our belongings (we were moving to a much smaller house and didn't need most of it) and saying goodbye to all the friends we'd made over the past 22 years there; our 27-year-old daughter, who was living with us, became progressively more ill, eventually becoming unable to sit up or walk. Three weeks before we were supposed to close on our house, she was diagnosed with both Lyme disease and a brain tumor, which was pressing on her brainstem.  Her excellent neurosurgeon was able to remove the entire tumor, which was non-cancerous, and within days she could walk again and use her arms.  Intravenous antibiotics took care of the Lyme disease.  When we returned home from the hospital (after 11 days away), there was a big sign welcoming us home ... Read Full Story >>

Learning Kindness From A Neighbor

Last winter, I had tons of snow on my driveway. My mom asked me to help shovel, since dad was working. I shoveled and shoveled mounds of the white stuff, panting and sweating and silently complaining. My good neighbor saw that I was struggling, came over and helped me finish up. We chatted a few seconds. I can't remember what was said, but I suddenly felt bad for my rotten attitude. This man was pretty much a stranger helping me out without asking, and I couldn't shovel for my own family without feeling sore about it. The year passed and I didn't think much about his kindness, until yesterday. The neighbor was working on his house with a group of his buddies. It was a fairly mild day, but if you were moving about you would probably work up a bit of a sweat and a good thirst. I wrote a quick note, ran down to the ... Read Full Story >>

A Spin Cycle of Kindness

When I moved into my new house it already had a washing machine in it but I had just bought a new one so I wondered what to do with the machine already in the house.  I remembered two girls who regularly knocked at my door for religious reasons.  They never had or kept anything they didnt need.  If one of them needed something, say a winter coat, they would work for the amount of time it took to make the money they needed for the coat and then return to their religious work. They had just got their own house so I decided to give them all the things I didn't need when I was done unpacking. Whatever they didn't need, they could give to the charity store they helped support. I asked them if they needed a washing machine and they both looked at each other and smiled. It turns out that they had called ... Read Full Story >>

Making Over A Room With Love And Kindness

I wrote earlier about my gift home makeover project - Etseth and I would like to tell you about a very special family that I have recently done a makeover for! The mum of this family, was a victim of severe domestic abuse 12 years ago. After years of the being subjected to violence, she summoned enough courage to leave, she moved from England to Wales with her three children and moved into a woman’s refuge. Further down the line, she met someone, got married and they eventually had two more children.  Their two oldest have moved out so they are left with three children who are 14,11 and 9 years old. My project was to plaster the lounge/dining room. Whilst I was doing this project, their oldest daughter returned from serving in Afghanistan. Unbeknownst to the family, the daughter had spent lots of her army pay to take the family away for a 2 week holiday. As the ... Read Full Story >>

Community Compassion

Last Sunday, I walked into the house in the afternoon to find my brother scurrying around in a hurry.  As soon I had taken my coat off, he placed a bunch of papers in my hands and asked if I could start folding them up (so they could fit into an envelope) as quickly as possible.  He said it needed to get done quickly before it turned dark.  I assumed it was probably something for his business and just got right to it, although I was a little surprised that something could be so urgent on a Sunday.  It wasn’t until I was halfway through that I actually looked at what I was folding – and when I did – it put the biggest smile on my face!  It was a lovely letter to all the residents of my street and the nearby streets in my neighbourhood. My brother was asking everyone to ... Read Full Story >>

Neighbourly Kindness Starts A Commitment To Kindness

A couple of months ago I was renting a house to work from. I was fairly well set up, but didn't own a lawn mower and after a week or two realised I would have to find some way to deal with the growing grass! Funds were short, and I was on a fairly tight budget which didn't extend to paying a lawnmowing company. I was thinking about this one Sunday as the "Mr Whippy" ice cream van pulled up outside on the street. I hadn't had a Mr Whippy ice cream for years, and on impulse I grabbed my coin purse, shook it to gauge affordability, and headed outside. On the pavement were three young boys aged around 10 years playing. I think a couple of them may have been from next door, but I was new there and hadn't really met anyone yet. It was a hot day and I asked them if ... Read Full Story >>

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 >>

Trying To Help With An Open Heart

Cons happen a lot in our city and it can be hard to know who is really in need and who is trying to exploit other people's kindness.   Recently, I was finishing my work at home when the dog barked letting me know someone was at the gate. I rushed to see who it was and there I saw poor, fragile woman in her late fifties.   I said to her, "May I ask what you want?"   She replied, "Hello, ma'am, my name is Parvathy. My husband and I live in the slum nearby. We earn our living working at construction sites. A few days ago my husband tripped on the stairs while carrying a heavy load. He is badly hurt and hasn't been able to work for the past five days, and so we have no food. Now he is at home in bed with a high temperature. Please help me! I need to take ... Read Full Story >>

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 >>

One Good Turn....

I was a grateful recipient of kindness today. We are about to take in a Guatemalan woman and her infant child for three weeks, until the infant is healthy enough to move.

I was on FreeCycle.org this morning searching for a bassinet and car seat. Then I spent the afternoon harvesting the generosity of others, who will in turn allow us to provide much needed housing to this woman and her infant.

A Hot Mug of Tea and a Warm Heart

I walk my goats daily, basically just following them about to make sure they don't eat any of the young trees or break into the farm. At this time of year, it can be cold and damp. For the last couple of days, after about 40 minutes, when my fingers are freezing, my husband has shown up with a nice hot mug of tea for me. He then hangs around to chat until it's time to take them in. Little gestures are as special as big ones.