Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Lemon Tree

I would like to share a kindness story that my grandmother recollected about her father (my great-grandfather). He was supposed to have been kindness personified.

He had a couple of lemon trees in his yard in his little town. When they were in season, the trees would be heavy with fruit. Since he had ten children to feed, it was a real treat  for the family.

His wife, an extremely shrewd and clever lady, saw that several unknown women from the neighbourhood were plucking her fruit and leaving very little on the tree.

After mentioning this to her husband, she was very surprised to find that for some time he stopped occupying his usual morning seat near the front porch. When asked why, he replied saying that he did not want the women to stop plucking the fruit in case they saw him near the yard!

His large-heart would not let him prevent even people who steal from sharing his fruits!

Because I Had It

Louise M. Davies was the principal donor for the building of the very beautiful symphony hall in San Francisco. It’s named for her. A newspaper story, just after the building was inaugurated, quoted her response to an interviewer’s question:  ‘Why did you give this gift of six million dollars?’ She was said to have replied, ‘Because I had it.’

Her answer was wonderful. It was so uncomplicated. It was stating the obvious. And although she could have offered an opinion (‘San Francisco needs a symphony hall with modern acoustics’) or a personal reflection (‘I’ve always loved music. It’s important to me’), she didn’t do that either. She just said, ‘I had it.’

So simple.

Not feeling needy is what allows generosity to happen, but it doesn’t obligate it to happen. The impulse to do something has to be present.  Recognizing the possibility of creating delight or of alleviating suffering are both sources of that impulse. Both are responses to people other than ourselves. Both provide pleasure.

The Welcome Wagon

Does anyone remember the welcome wagon?  When I was young and we moved into the suburbs, their was a great and fun way to meet and be introduced to the new neighborhood.  It was called the welcome wagon.  It really was a true old fashion wagon pulled by horses. 

We got to ride in the wagon around the new neighborhood and meet the other children on the block.  My mom received coupons and freebies from the local market.  The women on the block would make dishes to welcome her as a new neighbor.  I remember this act of kindness as though it was just yesterday. 

What happened in our society that we no longer have the welcome wagon?  These days it is a miracle if you know your next door neighbors.  I make sure that I keep in contact with my fellow neighbors.  When the mail comes, I meet and say hello to them.  A small act of kindness goes a long way.

Please Take A Seat

I usually travel back home in a very crowded bus with several people hanging out on the footboard(steps) and others standing and crushing each other.

Today when I was travelling, comfortably seated near a window, I saw this really old lady accompanied by her son. Seeing that no one was willing to make way for her, I signalled to her son and asked her to take my seat.

Surprise from my fellow passengers and stares all around turned into warmth as strangers began to smile at me.

I didn't mind standing for the remaining one hour of my journey since the old lady looked very pleased.

Weekly Grocery Shopping

When we do our weekly grocery shopping, our daughter Sarah selects one item to purchase, which will then be put aside to give to the local food bank.We are teaching Sarah that not everyone is as fortunate as we are.

During our family’s Friday night observance of the Sabbath, we put coins into our box. Sarah takes a handful of coins and, after telling us something she is thankful for or has enjoyed that day, she places a coin in her homemade box. When the box is full, we donate the money to a local charity selected by Sarah.

Being thankful for the simple things

I have a very simple story this time. I just decided to take a break from my hectic life and be present/fully engaged with my infant son and husband.  Usually, I am multi-tasking work/mommyhood/wife/household stuff.  And I lost site of my priorities, my family. 

Today, I really stopped and absorbed myself as my 9 month old tried sitting in a crawling position or cried about something or just wanted to sleep (without mommy running off for a work engagement or thinking about that next thing that had to be done).  And I made amends with my husband for being crabby and losing my temper. And just tried to be grateful for a change. Sometimes I find I forget to be kind to my own family.  Isn't this ironic, on a site devoted to kindness to others.

Bracelet From a Child

I was waiting at the doctor’s office with my infant son. A little girl came up several times to talk to me. I looked down and saw that the girl had three bright and shiny bracelets on her. I said, ‘Oh, what lovely bracelets.’ The girl grinned from ear to ear and said they were a birthday present from her mother. She then took one of them off and handed it to me. At first I thought, “Oh, I can’t accept this from such a little girl.” But what would I be saying to the little girl if I refused her generosity? So I took the bracelet, thanking the little girl profusely. The child skipped off, obviously thrilled that her gift had been received with such pleasure. For weeks afterward, I always made sure I had the bracelet on as I left the house, to remind me of the little girl’s ... Read Full Story >>

Praying for Clear Skies

Last week, the festival of Pongal was being celebrated in South India.

On one particular day of the festival, families are supposed to have a fun day out - it is the tradition. Nowadays, it is mostly those who are not all that wealthy and can't afford to go out every weekend who follow this tradition. So on this day there will be crowds from even remote rural areas, including people who live in real poverty, on beaches, in movie theatres, parks and zoos in the cities.

On this day, in the morning I spotted the vegetable vendor wheeling eight happy kids who were blowing balloons and having a lot of fun to the park. I mentioned this casually in the evening to someone  else. He said that he had seen them too, and in fact had spent some time in the morning praying that it wouldn't rain. He had seen dark clouds in the morning and didn't want the children to have their fun spoilt.

I know this sounds like something small but I don't know too many people who would care about unknown people in the same way.

It finally never rained and I saw the children being wheeled back, tired and happy.

Teaching with joy

My daughter has a Physics teacher that teachs with joy. She loves science and passes this passion on to her students. This is a High School Teacher. Can you imagine this age child enjoying a Physics class?

She is young and newly married and is devoted to teaching. Her family does not live close by, so we have adopted her in a secret way.

We send her notes telling her how much she inspires her students. We have sent her movie tickets, a New Years basket with Champagne, hats and noise makers encouraging her to take time to enjoy her new marriage and spend fun time with her husband.

 Recently in our part of the country it has finally gotten into the freezing temperatures, so we have treated her to a "Hot Chocolate  Kit" , encouraging her to keep warm.

 Small notes to encourage her to take care of herself, so that she can then take care of her students.

It is fun for us and we hope she enjoys it also.

Thank Someone Today

I find that everytime I thank someone--sincerely thank them--it brightens my mood. To the lady who serves me my sandwich at lunch, I smile and say, "Thank you very much." Same to the bus driver, a professor, or a friend. Letting someone know you care requires going beyond normal, everyday tones. You must say it with a smile and sincerely mean it. Try it...I guarantee it'll put a smile on others' faces, as well!

Little Sweet Somethings

A couple of days back, a Postman came knocking on my door with a postal package. Since it was the festival of Pongal, it is understood that we tip the postman, handing him some loose change. But I wanted to do something really nice for this little man who looked tired puffing on his bicycle.

I first thought of giving him some relatively new clothes but I hesitated since he seemed so dignified and proud and sometimes offering used clothing may seem insulting.

And then it struck me! I had a huge box of sweets (the bumper festival version) which some friends of my family had dropped off the previous day. I gave him the sweets , which he appreciated graciously. I imagined him eating a refreshing sweet on the hot roadside, and his little children and old parents enjoying the treat.

Later that night,when my father was sorting the post (I never check since I'm always sure that no one will send me any!), he saw that on that morning the postman had delivered an acceptance letter form a top university for my graduate studies. :)

Rush hour smiles

I have about an hour commute to my job. It is usually a stressful experience for most drivers since the traffic is thick and moves very slow. People don't practice too much kindness, cutting each other off and not letting people into their lane. As I creeped onto the freeway today, I decided to smile and wave at everyone as I went by. Whenever someone was trying to get into my lane, I gladly let them in and waved.

Their reactions were priceless and made my drive very entertaining. I'm sure many of them were wondering if I was on my way to the therapist. Hopefully it made their drive a little less stressful. I know it did for me!

Mom's Dinners in Sierra Leone

When I was growing up in Sierra Leone, Sunday dinners were special. My mom would spend hours making delicious food for dinner and the mouth-watering aroma would fill the house.

In between games, my siblings and I would anxiously check the kitchen to see if dinner was ready. When dinner was done, my mom filled several baskets of food for various families in the neighborhood.

Of course, we wanted to eat first and then deliver the baskets. But my mom would gently insist that we first deliver the food and when we got back, we could all sit down and eat dinner. She pointed out that if we waited to deliver the food after we had dinner, the food we delivered would be cold.

In a simple way, she taught us that giving is not just for when it’s convenient.

Car Trouble at Staples

After classes yesterday, a friend and I drove to a local Staples store to pick up some school supplies. Getting whatever we needed, we headed outside and my friend unlocked his car by remote. I went over to drop off our bags when I noticed he was looking at a lady standing in front of her car, fiddling with her hood. It was getting dark, and after a record warm winter in New Jersey, the weather was getting bitter cold. We went over to ask if she needed help. Lo and behold, she had just replaced the antifreeze in her car, and somehow jammed her car's hood, making it unable to close. Not mechanics in any way, my friend and I offered to help her out. As we tried to figure out where it was jammed, tried to fit our hands under the hood to find the latch, using cell phones as ... Read Full Story >>

Making a Friend Smile

The other day, after returning to college, my friend had gone to the mailroom to get her mail. I had a smile card and unknowingly slipped it in her pile of envelopes in her room. Minutes later, she came into my room where a few girls were hanging out and asked if we had gotten a card in the mail.

Of course I said no, and she told everyone what it said. The next day, she found out that her grandmother died. Before we knew it, she was on a bus back home for the rest of the week. As she was leaving, I stopped by her room and saw on the wall the quote on the smile card, "The fragrance always remains on the hand that gives the rose." Somehow I knew that the card had meant something to her. I'm glad I chose to slip it in that pile so she wouldn't know it was from me.

Although this act of kindness could never move mountains in itself, I felt good afterwards, and so did she, which is what counts!

Pay-It-Forward Birthday Wishes

It was a good friend's birthday the other week and I wasn't going to be able to wish him in person.  I decided to pay-it-forward in honour of his birthday and started searching through the internet for ideas.  I came across a wonderful concept on the Give Foundation's site, whereby you can gift a donation for a particular item/cause in honor of a friend -- just what I was looking for.

They had lots of wonderful causes to support and I decided to support two causes with the theme of empowerment in mind.  Through one NGO, you could support the purchasing of books to create a rural library and the other  NGO purchased a wheelchair for someone in need.

It is such a wonderful feeling to pay-it-forward to honour people's birthdays -- I think I'm going to continue this for other friends too!

Project "Pay It Forward"

I am a part of a Christian club at my school. However this club can sometimes be unmotivated. I motivated them today! At our usual half hour meeting we usually discuss events we want to do or fundraising ideas and do a devotion. But today I started a new program for the club called ‘project pay it forward.’   I brought with me to the meeting a box of thank you cards, pens, and smile cards that I have been saving for this purpose. I announced to the club that we were going to start a new project. At first I could see the glares coming at me. But as I passed out the smile cards and thank you cards, I could see the group beginning to change. This wasn’t going to be a typical  meeting. I then told them that we were going to write thank you cards to faculty members ... Read Full Story >>

An Experiment in Teaching Children Philanthropy

Once a year, I give my two children money. The only hitch is, they have to give it away. I give them each $100. They know it is a lot of money, so they are careful how they use it. It is their job to find out who in our community is doing things that they feel good about, and then decide who will get the money, and why. Giving away money, even if it is only ten or twenty dollars, is a tremendous way to learn about the positive work people are doing right in your own neighborhood.  It makes us get out of our comfort zone, ask around, talk to people we wouldn’t normally talk to, and ask questions about what the problems are and what people are doing to make them better. Everyone wins. My kids learn about the community, about the power of giving, and people in ... Read Full Story >>

Say Thank You!

I had to go to the emergency room last night, and had the nicest nurse  care for me. I thought I would send a letter to the hospital praising her excellent care.

 I think we all should try and praise people that give us excellent service :)

Stones and Flowers

One afternoon, he discovered that if he tossed stones over his neighbor’s fence, he could create a crashing sound, the sound of breaking glass. So he would heave a stone and wait for the crash. Heave, crash. It was great fun and felt a little dangerous. He might get caught, after all, but that, to a small boy, was part of the excitement. As it happened, he did get caught. The man who lived next door came to his house and told his parents about the boy and the stones. ‘I would like Juan to come to my home so I can show him a few things,’ the man said, in a tone Juan found rather ominous. His parents, ashamed of and disappointed by their son’s behavior, readily sent their son to the neighbor’s house. Juan sheepishly followed the man into his house, through the back door, and out into the yard. ... Read Full Story >>