Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Yesterday, I chopped hundreds of tomatoes to contribute to a massive, free vegetarian feast that took place today in a park.  As I departed my home to attend the feast, something felt a bit off.  I did not feel right leaving solely with the intention to receive.  Though I had worked many hours to prepare the food, I felt a strong compulsion to continue giving.  So I decided to make a gift out of some leftover vegetarian curry that I had cooked.  I filled a container with the curry and placed it in a plastic bag with a fork and napkin, creating a portable care package.

As I went through my day traveling to and from the festival, I kept a watchful eye out for someone who was sincerely hungry (the "sincerely" part is not always easy with many people begging for drug money).  On my way home, I saw a ragged man pushing a grocery cart full of possessions.  This cart turned out to be his only home, and he seemed to genuinely need any material sustenance he could get.  I told him that I had some vegetarian food that I was looking to give to someone who was hungry, and I offered it to him.  He immediately said yes.  After a brief conversation, he seemed genuinely thankful and grateful that another soul took the time and effort to reach out to him.

As I walked away, a random man walking in the street exclaimed, "That is so kind of you!"  This really caught me off guard because I was in a shady part of the city where people generally do not make outwardly friendly statements like that.  I felt a lightness afterward, as if a mission had been accomplished.  I wonder, though, if this really was a mission, who uploaded the orders into my mind?