Stories of Kindness from Around the World

My friend Liz works as a paralegal for a small downtown law firm. She is also a trained and licenced Massage Therapist.

This woman has one of the warmest and kindest hearts that I’ve ever witnessed. She effortlessly spreads smiles and joy to most everyone she meets. At her favourite Starbuck’s watering hole she leaves generous tips for the young baristas and frequently buys them pizza for supper. She gives gift cards for food to hard-lucked strangers. Once she even gifted a stranger a new bicycle so he wouldn't lose a new job and, at Christmas-time, she passed along presents and food for his family. She has sponsored soldiers overseas and schoolchildren in low-income areas and she still strives daily to be a ‘better’ person'.

Liz’s giving nature was on display recently at a hospital fund-raising event sponsored by the Chicago Police Academy. She read that officers were planning to shave their heads in order to raise money for hospital care and research in order to help find a cure for childhood cancer. Liz contacted the event organizer and volunteered to provide complimentary 10 minute chair massages to anyone who endured the ordeal of having their head shaved. Naturally, this unsolicited good fortune was quickly accepted.

That night, Liz gave massages to more than 20 newly hairless police officers and their efforts raised over $110,000 for the charity. And Liz wished she could have done even more! 

Even though she doesn't believe herself to be doing anything special, Liz is the epitome of selfless giving and her warmth touches all who come in contact with her.