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Making Peace

Ever happened to have a stranger looking at you with eyes full of anger out of the blue? It was painful and confusing, but sure a great lesson. First thing that passed through my mind was that it must be a misunderstanding, such a look was not meant for me, but later I saw the old lady’s face changing every time she saw me, at least seven times, no more doubt that she was very angry with me. I was confused, shocked, and near anger, my brains were spinning, trying to figure out how’s and why’s but somehow managed to not show it on my face. Went home, slept a night over it and decided that I have to find a way to make peace with this lady. The very next day I bought some nice chocolate praying to see her again and when I caught sight of her, went straight to her ... Read Full Story >>

Two Sides of Wisdom

I was 16 years old, getting out of the train station with my father, and a woman came to him and said that her money had been stolen.  She asked if he could  lend her some money to go back home. My father gave her what she asked and told her not to worry about sending it back. I was shocked. How could my own father be so gullible? It was obvious to me that she was lying, staying in the station all day long to get the next patsy.  "She was lying!" I exclaimed. "Why did you give her anything at all?" My father looked at me and I could see he was a bit angry. "And what would you like me to do," he said, "Should I tell her that I am a college professor and I can see through her scam?" I did not understand him at all, so he told ... Read Full Story >>

Sandwich Mondays Feed Hungry People And Our Spirits

I am new to this group but not to the idea of helping others.  Funny thing is, I never really give helping others much thought, it is just something I do.  I am sure that most of those who find their way here are similar in nature and action.   The opportunities are all around us if we are open to them and not so caught up in our own routines. That being said, my first post here is not about something that would raise eyebrows, elicit sighs or gain a round of applause.  It is just a simple thing but I hope that it brings comfort to many and lets the recipients know that there ARE people out here who care about them. Following my aunt's death 5 years ago, I made a decision to hold on to her condo in the California desert .  It is a familiar and serene ... Read Full Story >>

Road Trip With Lasting Effects

“Smile!” I shouted, flashing a neon yellow poster at Seattle’s bustling crowd. We were three thousand miles away from home on a Random Acts of Kindness and Volunteerism Road Trip. Our funds were running low, so we had two goals today: 1. Try out our new "Smile!" signs and see how much kindness and joy we could spread in Pike Place Market. 2. Raise a meager $20 a piece by doing street performances. Singing, drawing caricatures, storytelling -- we'd be like real life bards! Since there were four of us, this would total $80, enough for gas to Portland and a small hotel room. We weren't sure how people would react to our signs. It's so easy to walk past a busy crowd, lost in your own world, refusing to make eye-contact with strangers, and feeling alone despite being surrounded by hundreds of people just like you. I nervously raised up our signs and ... Read Full Story >>

Kind Words That Touched a Young Mother

I was on the bus with two of my young children this morning. My daughter was chatting away to me.

When the bus came to its next stop an older lady was getting off. As she passed me, she smiled and said, "You're a good mum."  I thanked her and was a little bit embarassed.

Then, after she got off, tears came into my eyes. It meant so much to me because no one ever really says that -- probably most mum's don't hear that very much!  I'm really grateful to her for taking the time to say it.  Having said all that, I don't know what I was doing that made her want to say it!!

Kindness "To Go" At This McDonalds

As a substitute teacher, my daily routine invoves driving to a new school almost every day so I'm usually unable to anticipate the days events, good or bad! On one particular day, I was teaching in a very difficult classroom. I was managing behaviour all morning and by lunch time, I knew I needed a coffee to even consider surviving the afternoon. So on my lunch break, I drove to a nearby plaza to get a coffee. Upon returning to the car I realized I had locked my keys and my phone inside! I had about 15 minutes to get back to the school which was a good four or five-minute  drive away. I contemplated sprinting back, but it being winter, I thought a nasty fall on ice would only make the situation that much worse. So I ran into a McDonald's which was in the same plaza and asked the man ... Read Full Story >>

Picking Up the Tab for Breakfast

After church this Sunday morning, my daughter and I went to a local restaurant for late breakfast.. An older woman was seated next to us at an adjoining booth. What drew my attention is that when she came in and seated herself , she walked straight toward us with a smile, as though she was going to sit with us and knew us, but then turned to her table and took a seat by herself. I thought to myself that I should have invited her to sit with us. When we were done with our food, my daughter and I left our booth (the woman was still seated at her table) and whispered to the waitress to put the woman's breakfast on our tab.   The waitress seemed surprised at what I was doing for a stranger. So I told her of a card I had received the previous day from a complete stranger, ... Read Full Story >>

Teaching Kids Spiritual Harmony

Aikido, translated as “the way of spiritual harmony”, is a Japanese martial art. While it is a powerful system of self defense, the greatest benefit of Aikido training is that it provides a means to better yourself and become a happier, more balanced person. There is a piece of calligraphy authored by Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido, that reads “True victory is victory over oneself”. This concept and Aikido itself is suitable for people of all ages. For the last year or so, I have had the privilege of being an assistant instructor for the “Kid's Self Mastery” classes at my dojo; helping to teach children ranging in age from 5 to 10 years old. The classes themselves consist mostly of games and exercises allowing the students to learn Aikido, teamwork, respect, kindness, and other skills in a way that's fun to them. They also have “Mat Chats” in which ... Read Full Story >>

Best Servers

Recently I was on a retreat in a foreign country with some friends, some strangers, and many strangers who became friends!    We were all given duties to perform, such as cleaning and cooking. I was in the team serving meals.   On the first day I tried hard to please everyone, but it was hard to know how. Some people liked it when you were fast and just gave them their food, some people preferred it slow and steady so that they could choose exactly how much they wanted, some wanted, for example, stew without the carrots in it, some didn't know what I was serving and didn't speak English. If they weren't served in the way they wanted some grew irritable. As you can imagine, after an hour of this it started to get old.   So the next day, we tried a different tactic.   I learnt how to say "Would you like ..." in ... Read Full Story >>

Bowl Of Twisted Goodies

When my students came in from recess today, they all had a treat on their desks, a small bowl of pretzels, and a RAoK card to pass on and Pay It Forward. #AprilRAoK

Waiting for Parking; Learning a Lesson

I have been ill and in a lot of pain for quite some time.  So my trips away from home have been few and far between, mostly to the doctor's office.  Two weeks ago I decided to go to the local market for some fresh produce.  As I backed out of my driveway, I asked aloud in the car, "Please help me to show kindness to others today."  It was heartfelt and I was eagerly looking for ways I could be kind, for example by letting people into my lane.   I drove to the market, and as I drove up, I saw an elderly man get his wife settled into their car, and then go around the car to the driver's side.  They were in a handicapped parking spot, and as I have a handicapped plate, I waited for that close spot.  It would mean all the difference in being ... Read Full Story >>

An unfortunate bird gets the help it needs

Kite flying has unintended cruelty, to the the hapless birds who get entangled in the deadly string, attached to the kites.These days in India we have a religious kite flying festival. Last evening, just before dusk, I spotted a pigeon badly entangled in the razor sharp string, hitting the wall and the tree branches, to free itself the kite string. Fortunately, the same string was entangled on the building terrace. Immediately I sent my helper, Narain, to get to the terrace and try to pull up the hapless bird, gently. With a great patience, he pulled up the injured bird. With the help of scissors, we tried to disentangle the bird, by cutting the deadly thread.  We brought him to our flat, cleaned his badly bruised wings, applied the turmeric powder (Considered to to have medicinal values.) gave him the boiled rice and water. Placed the bird in a safe place hoping ... Read Full Story >>

A Lesson In Receiving Graciously

I often walk from work (near Pier 39 in San Francisco) to the Embarcadero BART station, where I catch a train back to the East Bay. Several times, I passed a gentleman who I presumed was homeless.  He had a lot of his possessions tied down to his bike and held a cardboard sign that said he was a vet who doesn't drink or do drugs, but would appreciate anything that could be given.  He usually has headphones on and is listening to the radio. He is always minding his own business, often reading as well.  I've never seen him actively "panhandling." Several times, while I was passing him, I realized I had some food with me, so I turned around and offered him that food (most recently, a blueberry muffin).  He took off his headphones, and said "Umm, blueberry muffins are my favorite!" with a big smile and a gleam in his eye.  ... Read Full Story >>

"What is Your Wish List?"

I currently work as the internal human resources manager for a large home improvement store. One of our core values is to give back to the community, and to make an emotional connection with our customers. One afternoon, a lady stopped by my store and dropped off a letter.  It was a very busy week for me so I did not get to the letter until a few days later. When I finally did, I noticed that it was from a nearby day care center. The director had written that they were low on funds, but needed certain things for the day care. I ran her letter by my store manager, and he agreed to a meeting with the day care director. When we arrived at the center, the director gave us a tour. The facility was really in bad shape. The walls needed to be repainted, the ceiling tiles needed to ... Read Full Story >>

The Woman at the Picnic Table

My husband and I were having a conversation a few weeks ago about how life flies by quicker than you can imagine. This conversation was unexpected, but I really took it to heart. As we sat and spoke about how it seemed like yesterday was the first day we met. We soon came to the realization that god has blessed us with three healthy years of marriage, a home, college educations, established careers and a loyal furry friend. We also came to the harsh reality that time does not slow down for anyone. Later that day we were on our way to a family event and as we pulled into the local gas station I noticed a woman sitting all alone at a picnic table. It was around 80 degrees and she was dressed in a winter jacket and long pants. As we pulled away from the gas station, I told my ... Read Full Story >>

It Was A Rainy Night In New Orleans

It was a rainy night in New Orleans At a bus station in the town, I watched a young girl weeping As her baggage was taken down. It seems she'd lost her ticket Changing buses in the night. She begged them not to leave her there With no sign of help in sight. The bus driver had a face of stone And his heart was surely the same. "Losing your ticket is like losing cash money," He said, and left her in the rain. Then an old Indian man stood up And blocked the driver's way And would not let him pass before He said what he had to say. "How can you leave that girl out there? Have you not had a moment of fear? You know she had a ticket. You can't just leave her here. You can't put her out in a city Where she doesn't have a friend. You will meet your schedule, But she might meet her end." The driver showed no sign That he'd heard or even cared About the ... Read Full Story >>

Forgiveness and Reconciliation

"When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in 7 years. ' Mark Twain My 23 year old daughter and I embody the female version of the above quote. When I left her father about 12 years ago she chose to stay with him. He was very acrimonious about the break up and unfortunately stoked her anger fire. She literally had nothing to do with me for about 5 years, no contact, no presents to me, no overnight stays. It broke my heart. Now she works near my home. She has often slept on the settee in my home and I so love this. Last Mother's Day she sent me the card below,  it says: To Mum Hope you have a nice Mother's Day Thanks ... Read Full Story >>

No Regrets: Living with Dying

[Author Kitty Edwards, left, and Patti Pansa, right] In May 2013, Patti Pansa, a professional engineer and life coach, contacted me to assist her in her journey towards death. She had taken care of all the literal preparations for death: she had spoken to her family members about her wishes for end-of-life care; her last will and testament, advanced health care directives, and medical durable power of attorney were all signed and delivered to the appropriate people; a list of her important accounts with passwords sat in a folder next to her computer. But Patti wanted more. She wanted to leave a legacy for her family and friends. Perhaps most of all, she wanted to discover ways to celebrate life while she still had time. I shared with Patti several articles on the regrets of the dying, chronicling how many regretted working too much, spending too little time with family, or living ... Read Full Story >>

Generosity That Goes Around Comes Around

The other day I noticed a young woman, very close to my own age, walking by the store front.  I thought she was a student at the local college, mainly due to the fact that she was carrying her books and supplies.  She stopped and looked through the window with a somewhat sad look on her face.  The next day, around the same time, she stopped by again, the same thing as the day previous. I came to the cafe this morning, after having made a comment of how cold it was outside.  The region experienced a drastic drop in temperature last night to around 27 degrees Fahrenheit.  I noticed the time was getting close to be around the same time as the previous two days when I had seen the young woman, so I looked for her.  I saw her slowly approach the store.  She looked as cold as ever.  ... Read Full Story >>

Sterling Performance For Your Eyes Only

There was once a skinny young boy who loved football. Practice after practice, he eagerly gave everything he had. But being half the size of the other boys, all his heart and effort couldn't make up for his physical shortcomings. At every game, this hopeful athlete sat on the bench and hardly ever got to play. However, the determined young man decided to hang in there.  He hoped that maybe his body would grow to match his heart and dedication.  All through high school, he never missed a practice nor game, but he remined a bench a bench warmer all four years.  His faithful father was always in the stands, always with words of encouragement for him . When the young man went to college, he decided to try out for the football team as a " walk on.".  Everyone doubted that he would make the team, but he did.  The coach ... Read Full Story >>