Stories of Kindness from Around the World

A Lesson In Kindness From My Mom


--by SmileSharer, posted Feb 22, 2013

When I was about twelve, I was headed to a restaurant for dinner with my family. It was winter, and on that particular night, the wind was really blowing.

As my mom and I headed towards the restaurant from our car, a girl about my age and her mother came up to us. They asked if we had any spare change. My mom immediately asked where they kept their things. They pointed to an old car in a parking lot across the street. The girl said there were six of them living in that car, which was the same size as my own family.

My mom said she had something to do, and after handing the people a few dollars, we said good-bye. Then, my mother sent me inside the restaurant with my dad and my three siblings. But she didn't come.

Later, I found out that she had gone home and practically emptied our cupboards into a few bags. Then, she brought that food over to the car and handed the bags to the family. I wasn't there when that part happened, but I can only imagine the joy it brought to their faces.

A few days, later, when I actually found out about what she had done, I asked her why she helped those people. She told me that we were lucky and that her family wasn't as lucky. I remember the face of that girl who had asked us for change-- how she was the same age as me, yet we looked so different.

Here I stood, dressed in almost new clothes, headed to dine in a restaurant and then back home to the bedroom I shared with my younger sister. I remember thinking that the other girl didn't have any food to eat, and she was headed back to a cold car shared with 5 other people.

After painting this picture in my mind, I understood why my mom had done what she did. I will never forget what she did that night, and how she taught me one of the best lessons I ever learned.

Thank you mom, I love you.

10.7K Reads

Readers Comments

StarBrite wrote: Your mom showed such kindness and at the same time respect to those less fortunate. Beautiful life's lesson.

*starbrite
Arvind wrote: Real service to god. Such unpararalled kindness & copmassion is legendary & closest to god. Really marvellous.
PEACHES wrote: I think we should never pass up the opportunity to help another on their journey in life. Not to cling and solve, but to share and bless them. What a lovely story
Joy wrote: How blessed you are to have a mother who taught you kindness. Many blessings and thanks for sharing.
Aung wrote: Now that's putting your money where your mouth is. She (your mom) didn't just talk about doing something that mattered. She did it!
Rads wrote: Kind acts kike these go a long way. God bless your mom.
Devram wrote: Every parents has to be do this and make their children to feel the pain of others and realise how much we all are blessed, should value the each and every living being.


Thank u for sharing this story
reikigardens wrote: Thank you for sharing a story that made a difference for a family. When we give from the heart it means that giving will have a rippling effect
Michael wrote: Just when one seems to feel that the world has changed for the worse, along comes a story like this that perks this 70 yr. Old man up enough to add many more years to his life. Thank you and thank your mom.
Darlene wrote: What a wonderful, thoughtful gesture. I am sure it made a lot of difference to that family. And what a nice lesson to teach all of you about sharing, by setting the example. God bless!

Add A Comment