Stories of Kindness from Around the World

A Simple Yet Unforgettable Lesson In Helping Others


--by nirvjennymj, posted Mar 24, 2010

It's the middle of the night and I find writing this blog nothing short of imperative. As I've been sitting on the floor in my disheveled room, I began to recall such an important moment in my life. Some might pass it off as "dumb" or "unimportant", but for me, it has held a great magnitude of power over my mind and how I live my life. Something so simple, yet so precious has lingered inside my mind for years now. 

It was a very cold winter evening when a friend of mine had attempted suicide and was rushed to Westchester Medical Center where she stayed, unconscious for quite a while. FINALLY she awoke. A friend of mine and I decided to visit her, so we picked up some picturesque flowers and were on our way. We reached the hospital and dashed madly across the freezing parking lot through the hospitals automatic doors. After signing in, up and away in the elevator we went. We reached her room and only minutes were allowed with her, this beautiful, talented young girl, hardly able to speak and breathe, and probably so perplexed as to why she is alive and why we are sitting on her hospital bed holding a bouquet of fresh flowers. Pretty soon after our arrival, we were ushered to leave by the nurses.

We hopped back in the elevator and headed out to the car. Little did we know, being unprepared high-schoolers at the time and quite emotional considering the circumstances, that we had to pay for parking. We had no money aside from a spare dollar or two most likely left over from our lunch money that day. We had no idea what to do, so I attempted to run inside and try to pay with whatever money we had, but of course, I was way off.

A very sweet hearted, generous person cleared her throat and said "Excuse me" in order to grab my attention. She handed me a $20 bill. I pleaded with her that I couldn't take her money, or to give me her name and address and I will certainly pay her back. She persistently refused. I thanked her a million times over for her generosity and let her know how much it was appreciated. She turned to me and replied with one sentence, that will forever enforce my belief that there is good in all people, "Don't worry about it. Just help someone else out the next time you see they need it". 

It is a beautiful idea to "Pay it Forward". What she did might be considered a small act of kindness, but it is something I will never forget because I know that not many people would help someone out, even with something that minor.  I'm not a hippie that will sit here and preach peace to you, but I will be a human being preaching kindness. Put yourself in other people's shoes. Whether you would ever want to admit it or not, if you were in some other people's situations in this world, you'd want the help too.

I can't begin to tell you how many times I've seen people walk past homeless people in New York City. Yes, I'm fully aware of the stereotype associated with homeless people asking for money and buying booze with it, and that there is some truth to that.  But there are some people that just might have had a stroke of bad luck. For instance, a couple of friends and I were leisurely hanging out in NYC one day and saw this helpless homeless woman on the street forcing her pelvic area against a heater on the side of a building to relieve her pain. She was blatantly in pain and stopped us, and with eyes filled with embarrassment and helplessness, she asked if we had any spare money so she could run into the store nextdoor for some feminine products because she had her period. When I have my period, I think about how I have the luxury of soaking in a hot bath, or using a heating pad to alleviate my monthly pain. I don't have to find a heater on the side of a building in NYC. Imagining how she must have felt, we handed her some money. Do you know what she did with that money?  She went into the store and bought just what she said she needed. 

We have to have faith in people. Sometimes we will be wronged, but there's never a good enough reason to stop believing. It's the little things that count. One day you might be helped out in a big way when you really need it.

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Readers Comments

wayfarer wrote: Bless you, Jenny!
flowergirl wrote: you never know the difference a small act can make in someones life ,love and peace flowergirl
smileamile wrote: Thank you for caring and for sharing, nirvjennymj :-) smileamile
luckyman wrote: A very touching story! We need more people like you, who listen to the heart. It is the small things that count.

I was very happy to read your piece.

From india with love!
harvester wrote: I just pasted your last paragraph on my facebook. Simple ando the point. Words to keep you going when it all seems for naught1
Imperky wrote: It's good to remember that we aren't wise enough to be the judges of others' needs.
Sakthivel G wrote: A heart touching write. Thanks for sharing which teach us a lesson how important the helping is
Sakthivel G wrote: A heart touching write. Thanks for sharing which teach us a lesson how important the helping is
Isabel wrote: A couple of years ago, i had a problem with my car, so i was middle in the night, alone in a crossroad with my car broken. I did`t have batteries, so my car could not be seen in the darkness of that winter night. I phoned the insurance and they guaranteed that someone would show up within one hour. No later than 10 minutes afterwards a car appeared from nowhere. A young man step out and offered help. He started my engine with his, he accompanied me until my garage and even waited outside, just in case my car could break again inside the garage (and then no helping was covered from the insurance company). When i found him there, just waiting at something like 4 am, i said "thank you so much, you were my "angel" tonight. What can i do for you? " . He said, "no. I did what i had to. There is something you can do for me: help another person when you have the oppportunity to do so".

I will never forget. And i have it very present, so i offer my help any time i have the chance. Cheers,
nirvjennymj wrote: Thank you everyone for your kind words, and sharing of your own experiences.


Reading all that you have wrote has brought me much joy today. :-)



Always remember how easy it is to help so many of those around us. Never forget to view things from another's shoes.


There is good somewhere in everyone.


Never give up! :-)


I send much love and happiness to all of you!

Have a beautiful day!

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