Stories of Kindness from Around the World

A Lift That Gave Me Joy


--by JeanneHo, posted Nov 25, 2009

Last fall, before Thanksgiving, I was making my way in my car out of the shopping center parking lot.  I was all alone in the car.  I noticed a woman laden with bags and her two boys, one carrying a pumpkin and the other another bag.

I assumed that they were headed to the bus stop across the major road, since it was too far to walk with all those purchases to any of the nearby apartment communities.  On a random impulse, I rolled down my window and asked if they were indeed headed to the bus stop.  “Yes,” the mother responded.  I asked "Would you like a ride?"  "Oh yes!” was their excited reaction.

I was delighted, and, after manoeuvering over to the side out of the way of other traffic, I stopped and the boys piled into the back seat.  The mother started to push in beside them.  I stopped her by saying, “Oh, you come on up here by me. I’m not a taxi!”  So off we went.

Right away, I decided to take them the mile and a half to their home, since I had time and they had all those bundles.  The boys chattered away telling me about themselves, and I had just a fine time listening and talking with all of them.  It felt so good to be able to do this little trip and know that with such a small effort I could make a big difference to a tired mother.  I’m not sure who got the most out of it.

Incidentally, this was special for me because, as a handicapped person, I’m often on the receiving end of help and now know how especially good it feels to be useful.

9025 Reads

Readers Comments

Mtalii wrote:

Thats a great act of kindness. True, helping others gives one a sense of satisfaction and happiness. I wish it was possible to do such an act, giving a person in need a ride, in every society. Here in kenya, it has turned out to be risky to do so-'the people in need' often turn out to be kidnappers or robbers; your kindness turns out sour. Its very disheartening because you can only help some one who you know or trust. Kindness is however supposed to be random, is that not so?

God bless.
Kathy W wrote: Our lives are all about energy. Yin/yang. We are like a cup, only when we pour out some of ourselves will we be able to receive again. Thank you for sharing and inspiring us to step up.
josephat wrote: Helping others make you live happy life. Others will help you too
Jagdish Kaviraj wrote: A person went to a saint and asked "how can we get happines”? The answer was "by making others happy".


Nature gives us an opportunity to make others happy but we usually miss that.


You realized the difficulty the mother and her daughter were experiencing in walking with luggage and so you offered them to come in and sit in your vehicle. They readily accepted your request.


If one is interested in helping others he can always find the ways to do that.


akhileshwari.ram wrote: Lovely act of generosity and kindness. To oneself! Because the giver is always rewarded more because only s/he knows the satisfaction and happiness after giving!
emersun wrote: An act of kindness benefits the giver, the receiver and anyone who witnesses it. It's a scientific fact. Keep it up!
reddy wrote: I am a volunteer at a counselling center. It gives immense satisfaction to help others. I have always observed that the less fortunate are the one's who are more thoughtful and tend to reach out to others more skilfully.

Reddy from
Www. Support4grief. In
sethi wrote: Thanks for being who you are.
Avinash, India wrote: An urge makes one to do something and without urge even a physically fit person becomes handicapped. Thats why it is said, where there is a wish there is a way
Angel3 wrote: That was very sweet of you. God bless you always.

Add A Comment