Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Puppy Love

"Charlie" was a Boxer dog whose life was turned upside-down by divorce. His human parents split, and he went to live with the husband, while his female companion went to live with the wife. After a few months, the husband left Charlie with friends and left town. After a few weeks, the friends tracked down the wife and she took Charlie to live with her. Unfortunately, the wife lived with her elderly mother, who didn't like Charlie (probably because he belonged to her ex-son-in-law?). Charlie came into the rescue program that my husband and I volunteer for, and we became his foster family while he waited for his forever home to find him. At 5 years old, Charlie was pretty set in his ways. He was not a very happy dog, was somewhat overweight, not very active, and was rather bossy. Our two young dogs (both under 2) spent several weeks being ... Read Full Story >>

An Inspiring Comment: "I was tagged"

I was "tagged" at my current job and after visiting your website, I decided that I wanted to start spreading the word like many people are doing. In my part-time job, I have the occassion to meet many people and would like to start passing the smiley cards out as much as I can. At a recent outing over the Labor Day weekend with my part-time job, I made copies of the front of your card on plain typing paper, cut them out, and gave one to all the workers helping with the event. It brought happy faces to everyone throughout the day as they taped them to their terminals and in front of their desks for our customers to see. I will be joining the enterprise full-time very soon as I am leaving my current job. I will have the occasion to meet even more people as I will be covering quite a bit of the state of Arizona in my new position as the "Director of Marketing and Promotions".

Bridge Toll Tradition

My finace and I were approaching the toll bridge that we cross often as we go to visit her Mother. We paid our toll and the toll of the car behind us which we did not know. This is a custom that we had adopted from my mother that passed away in 2003. But I got tagged with a smile card the day before at the light rail staiton and had it in my front pocket. So we asked the toll attendant to please take our money for the car behind us and give them the smile card as they passed through. We hope they pass it on. I ordered cards and plan to use them to chear up staff at work and pass the message to as many people as possible.

Lugging Laptops

I never realized one tag would lead to another. I was in the midwest sometime back to help my friend pack and move (out of the country) and found out she had a couple of old laptops and cellphones she had to get rid of. I remembered that the recycle centers in CA are among the best for old electronics - they get dismantled only as the last resort - usually they find a new home for them. So I lugged back a couple of laptops and a cellphone - which will hopefully find use in someone else's  life :)

An Inspiring Comment

I was given a smile card a few weeks ago and I absoloutely love the idea. I really enjoy doing nice things for pepople, and its good to know there are other people who support it as well. I live in a dorm, and everyone on my floor uses the same microwave. Needless to say, it gets very dirty. The janitor is so sweet and never says anything negative about it. I was going to clean out the microwave and counter around it and leave some cookies and a card for her right before she gets there. also, I was going to leave quarters and a card in the washing machine and dryer for some people who may be short on money. My dog recently passed away, so I was going to donate a bunch of unused dog food, treats, and toys with a few cards to my local animal shelter. I'm always giving whatever food I have in my car (fast food, apples, soda, water, cookies, etc.) to homless people I see at intersections when I'm driving, and it would be nice to have cards to give them a smile as well. You guys are awesome! thanks for the cards.

Free Entrance to Football Games

When some young kids showed up at our doorsteps for a fundraiser for their sports team, my brother asked 'em which school they went to.  It turns out that both my brother and I are alumni for that same school, so we made a little donation. While we didn't expect anything in return, we got a little "gold card" that gave us entry into all football games. Now, no one in our family has time to go watch a  high school football but we didn't just want to throw the card away either.  So it was sitting nice and pretty on our staircase. Last week, I randomly meet a young girl who is aspiring to be the student-body president.  She was asking my advice on a few things (my brother was actually the ASB president during his years).  And then all of a sudden, a flash bulb turned on in my head ... Read Full Story >>

Use Your Talents

I love helping people who are depressed. I was abused for many years beginning from childhood, a 14 year abusive marriage to an alcoholic. He criticized me DAILY, was unfaithful & battered me, whenever his anger got to a certain point. I had absolutely no self-esteem. I constantly worried or was in fear. I was sad all the time. I felt I was lower than a rock sitting on the ground. I began to search for mental wellness, found it, did the hard work of re-training my mind. I actually have learned to choose not to feel upset in situations I would have fallen apart in the past. I have learned how to remain calm, not feel offended or attack, & actually begin to minister to those that get a kick out of belittling others. I have shared this knowledge with many people along the way, especially in ... Read Full Story >>

New town, new school, and Lady bugs!

I recently moved to a new town...like a week ago...and started my first year in college! I didn't know anyone, but I met this girl while I was working on the school newspaper. She, like myself, is very clumsy! The third day of school, while I was at work, she came in and had this huge moon boot on. She had broken her toe. The next day they put a cast on it. She was really bummed out. So I offered to come over later that night, and hang out with her. What she didn't know was that I am an artist, so when I got there, we were talking and she kept talking about how ugly her cast was, and I said, "Well, let's change that!" I grabbed a permanant marker and within an hour her bright red cast was covered in lady bugs! Her favorite thing! We had so much fun, and guess what, now I have a friend! Just goes to prove that if you go out of your way to be nice to people, it can be rewarding!

An Inspiring Comment

I am the Manager of Hospital Operations, working steady nights in a busy metropolitan hospital. I plan to leave cards with coffee money, snack money, and anything else I can think of, to boost morale and cheer the very stressed staff in all the units and on all the floors. I found a card by our coffee machine in the Emergency Room. What a GREAT idea!!! I'll keep it going!!
God Bless!!!

All You Need is Little Bit of Love

With the recent floods in Gujarat, India, I've been busy with flood relief work in the affected slums.  We distribute medicines, food, clothing, etc. but what is the most important thing to give is love. There are countless stories of how love makes a difference.  One important part of our work is going out, cutting fingernails, combing hair and playing with kids.  There is no particular incidence that strikes me but rather the power of simply giving love.  The magnetic force that drew kids to the volunteers was love, pure and simple.  As we talked to the kids, they seemed to blossom, basking in the attention that each was receiving. At one point, a bunch of kids had gathered around me, while I was watching over some pots of food, while others were going house to house for distribution.  Soon I was teaching head and shoulders, knees and toes and Simon says.  ... Read Full Story >>

Gamblers Anonymous

Hi, my name is John. I am a recovering compulsive gambler. I was free from a bet for 10 years from 1986 till 1996 and I can honestly say those were the 10 best years of my life.I had a beautiful wife that i learned to love more then my gambling. I had a great house, great job, and 2 nice cars in the driveway. I was doing everything that Gamblers Anonymous was teaching me, how to stay free from a bet one day at a time. It was suggested for me to get a sponser and go to a lot of meetings and read the steps of recovery and do them. Ask for a higher power to be put in your life. So I ask God to be my higher power. Because i was the higher power for a long time and i was not doing anything right in ... Read Full Story >>

Encouraging a Pirate

My wife and I were at Disneyland taking the shuttle back to the hotel, when this boy -- I guess he must've been 4 or 5 years old -- gets on the shuttle bus with his pirate sword and eye patch.

He was looking real tough in his gear so I decided to yell out to every one on the bus, "Stand back! There is a pirate on the bus."

As fast as the words came out of my mouth the boy pulls off his eye patch, drops his swords, and yells back, "No, no, no. It's just me. I am a little kid, not a real pirate." Everyone on the bus had a great laugh.

The next day his mother saw me in the hotel lobby and stopped me to thank me. She told me that I had made her son's day and that he talked about scaring the big guy on the bus all that night.

P.S. I am 6'3" 280 lbs.

Nervous Girlscout

I was out of town at a relatives house for a party- when I heard the doorbell ring. I volunteered to help answer the door, since everyone was so busy. A nervous little girlscout came with her older brother.  I decided this felt like a moment to do something nice. 

I encouraged the shy little one to talk about her products, and cheered her on when she recommended items. At first I thought, it's probably not a big deal to be encouraging- and went ahead to order the "Smores" and other items that would be left as a surprise anonymously for the relative that I was staying with.

I shared my experiences as a young, nervous girlscout too. And then applauded the kids for doing their work- going door to door. I thought they were bound to get a lot of orders, and congratulated them on working so hard. 

Then to my surprise, the older brother piped in- we've been trying to sell for hours and barely anyone was buying!  I had no idea such a little act of encouragement would matter.  I may never see these little kids again since this wasn't my neighborhood- but I really felt good for what happened in our exchange. 

Keeping On With Smile Cards

I am part of a club called Random Acts of Kindness (R.A.K). Our group ordered a lot of smile cards throughout last school year and they worked wonders. Myself and the other club officers plan on ordering more cards for this year and just continue to pay it forward.

10th Birthday, Car Washes, and $62.82

It was Neil's 10th birthday party. After a dozen close friends super-soaked each other with water and stuffed themselves with food and cake, this sunny August morning party would be about a different kind of fun -- fun of giving. Today, we decided to "tag" people with free car washes. First up were the signs. Taking all the art supplies and glitter and fancy colored pens, the kids sprawled all over the ground to create couple of large "Free Car Wash" signs; no matter how hard they tried to color inside the lines, these signs had "we are kids" written all over it. Soon enough, we gathered up the sponges, towels and soap and headed to the driveway. "Free Car Wash," we practiced our cheer on practically every car that drove by. To get our act together, though, we rolled in one of our own cars on the driveway. ... Read Full Story >>

A Fond Legacy of Wise Woman

I am looking forward to using my smile cards. Many years ago a beautiful lady took my son and I under her wing. She was so loving and caring, and one day I said to her "how can I ever repay you". she looked at me in her wise way, just smiled and said "do something for someone else".

What a wonderful legacy she left us. I try to pay it forward wherever I can, in fond memory of her.

Making 12th Graders Smile

I just started 12th grade this year. Being stuck in school since I was 3 years old in preschool I know how hard it is on the teachers and the young people they teach.

I go to a high-school now and in my bag I always have pack of smile cards. A few years ago I was the one who gave the first smile card at my school and now it's going on strong.

So back to story. I was the one that hated talking to or going up to people that I don't know. Well lets say that I have changed that. Every person that I saw on the fist day of school, I would say something nice to them or help them out and give them a smile card. Now I have cupple of cards.

Now when I need help not only do I get it but sometimes I get a smile card too. And now at school I am known as the Smile 12th grader. When you need it the most I will be there. It's like I just know when somebody needs me.

Answering Prayers

I was on my way to get some books for school, when I saw two old men sitting and talking in the sun near the bus stand. What struck me about them was not their stance, but rather their attire. Both were wearing old and torn clothes, one was barefoot and the other had on broken sandals. As of late, I’ve been keeping my eyes and heart open for opportunities to serve. Stocked with some extra clothing, it’s my job to find these items an appropriate new home. The men were engrossed in their conversation and did not pay heed to me as I inched closer to hear their words. “In these winter months, we’re lucky that the sun shines so brightly in the day and offers some heat in the cold, but what are we going to do at night? My blanket is thin and torn and offers no protection from ... Read Full Story >>

Thirst Quencher On Busy Day

I was leaving my office late Saturday morning...a little bit grumpy because I had to get up early and go to work on the weekend, and was now running late for the next of my zillion obligations for the weekend...and the worst part was I had no time to eat a proper lunch. I was complaining about all of this to my husband on my cell phone, while I turned around from locking the door behind me, and then I spotted him. A man lying in the grass asleep. I said to my husband, "I'm sorry I've just been complaining. Thanks for listening. I have to go." I went back into my office, found a box, and went to my desk. I took every bag of snacks and protein bars I could and placed them in the box. Then I went to my mini fridge and put in two kinds of ... Read Full Story >>

An Interview With Sharon Salzberg

What does kindness mean to you? I think the associations people have with kindness are often things like meekness and sweetness and maybe sickly sweetness; whereas I do think of kindness as a force, as a power. When I look back over the instances, the encounters of my life, even when I just look around at the world, there's something that moves me so strongly that really is inspiring and uplifting about people just taking the time to pay attention to somebody or going a little bit out of their way to seek to help them. I can almost feel the palpable force of that. It reminds us of our own inner strength and our capacity to give, and it also reminds us of how connected we all are. In what way can kindness be a spiritual practice? It's both an internal spiritual practice and it's an external practice. I think one doesn't ... Read Full Story >>