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Homeschooled in Kindness

We homeschool our children so we sometimes have the flexibility of adjusting our schedule to fit in special things. Today, as part of our 'Kindness Klub' we decided we would head out for an afternoon of giving back. Each of my kids chose from a list of kind things that they wanted to do. I ran down to the local store, picked up a few potted  flowers and attached Smile Cards. We then put a few dollars in a plastic bag with a Smile Card.  Before we set off on our mission, we read a verse from the Bible about kindness and said a prayer that our efforts would be well-received and help brighten someone's day! First, we stopped off at the local bus stop. We taped the plastic bag to a post inside the bus stop and quickly left ;) Second, my 10 year old daughter said she had seen a house she wanted to drop her flowers off at.  She directed me to it. ... Read Full Story >>

The traffic that made me smile

Today, I was late for work. All because I got stuck behind a mini bus on the narrow streets of my neighborhood. As I sat there fuming, I looked up to see a crooked little man, wearing a uniform and carrying a lunch box, coming out of a house. I could tell by the slow way he walked and the crooked bend of his body that he had special needs and that the bus blocking my way was for him. He turned around and waved good bye to his very elderly mother who was watching him from the porch of the house. Then, as he was about to board the bus, he turned, smiled, and waved at me. My anger left and the tears were rolling as I smiled and waved back. That smile made me late for work and I had the best day ever! I smiled at everyone I saw. 

I Choose Kindness!

I can't stand the thought of people being forced to beg for money, even though a good number of them may be swindlers. That won't stop my kindness. One Sunday afternoon, I was on my way to a bus stop. When I walked on the sidewalk, someone blocked my way. It was a man. His face was dirty and his hair was not very neat. His clothes were rather grungy. I was terribly frightened by this man. In a low voice, he said to me, "I have run out of all my money, and now I can't go back home. Could you please give me some money?" I wondered if he was telling the truth. But despite my doubts, I just couldn't stop my heart from going out to him. From the looks of his face, I guessed that he had been refused by others many times. So I gave him some money ... Read Full Story >>

Money Flows - Let It

After a sick-day on the couch I was walking around the block to get some fresh air.  Just as I was turning back towards home I heard someone bawling. A kid, I thought at first. Then I saw it was an adult, a woman, looking lost, crying and calling out, walking on and off the sidewalk.   The woman who first crossed her path didn't stop or ask what was wrong. I guess that stopped me and made me turn around.    I took her arm and gently pulled her back from the road, asking her what had happened.   There was spit all around her mouth and tear streaks down her cheeks. Her eyes were swollen from crying. Sobbing, she told me she'd been on the bus with a friend. She'd given her "friend" the last of her money and then the friend had disappeared. She couldn't get the bus home now since she didn't want ... Read Full Story >>

Roses For Everyone!

The best way to feel love is to give love and today I'm feeling a lot of love. This morning I went to the supermarket and bought a dozen beautiful red roses. I then brought them to the hospital with me when I went to my fracture clinic appointment. Where better to give love than in a hospital setting? I gave roses to various women visiting loved ones as they walked through the parking lot. I gave roses to two elderly ladies who were waiting to be collected from reception. One had a badly bruised face (I think she had perhaps had a fall), and the other lady just looked sad. I gave a rose to Maria as well. She was in the shop being pushed in a wheelchair by her teenage daughter. I later saw her husband smile at me. Maria was admitted to the hospital yesterday. She was so touched by ... Read Full Story >>

Stop and Hug

My nine year old daughter has walked to school almost every day of her school life and each morning the same crossing guard, Ms. Leslie is there to help us safely cross the street. She and my daughter have a special ritual of hugging. My daughter runs to her, they hug, lock eyes and Ms. Leslie twirls her around once with the "stop" sign in one hand. Once, a neighbor driving her 3 children to school told me they feel lucky when they get the chance to witness this. Any fighting in the car that is going on, stops and they all share the joy between these two. This morning after watching them and having crossed the street to the other side, I said "That looked like so much fun can I have a hug too?" Ms. Leslie smiled and we embraced a full 5 seconds. I could feel our skin touching neck to neck and ... Read Full Story >>

Always Remember Those Who Serve

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" the child asked. "Fifty cents," replied the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied a number of coins in it. "How much is a dish of plain ice cream?" he inquired. Some people were now waiting for a table and the waitress was a bit impatient. "Thirt-five cents," she said brusquely. The little boy again counted the coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and departed. When the waitress came back, she began wiping down the table and then swallowed hard at ... Read Full Story >>

Generosity "Grande" at the Cafe

So, here's a long story made short. I love Starbucks, but I tend to get fattening items when I go, other than my usual soy chai tea latte. So, that's why I immediately gifted a $25 Starbucks gift card to my friend Cathy who, interestingly, had been teasing me about being part of this "goofy smile card experiment." Nevertheless, I gave it to her and said, "Don't pay me back, but pay it forward." Cathy went to a Starbucks in Lake Oswego and as she was paying for her own drink, she gave some money and my smile card to a lady standing behind her. Much to Cathy's surprise, the lady lit up like a Christmas Tree. She was very excited and said she was going to immediately "pay it forward" and surprise the lady behind her. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I was feeling rather down this morning but this has completely brightened my day!! Witnessing her joy, Cathy immediately caught the bug and saw how much fun it is to be a part of this experiment. When Cathy told me the story, I wish I had a camera to show you her enthusiasm. It made me feel great and I hope it does you, too.

Late Night in the Company Cab

I was then working in a BPO in the evening shift. It was a tough day for me and was I waiting to go home and sleep. The time was 10pm.  I got into my company cab and was glad to see that I was the only person in it, so that I could reach home in the next 30 minutes. Just then another girl got into the company cab. She told the driver where she wanted to go and it was in the opposite direction to where I was headed. The driver decided to drop me home first as he felt my place was closer to the office and I was happy.  When the company vehicle moved out of my office campus, the other girl got a call on her mobile. From the conversation, I figured out that her husband was not keeping well. She was trying to tell him to eat some light food. ... Read Full Story >>

Goodness Everywhere

This one isn't a commentary on the words of some great philospher, it's not words of wisdom passed down from bygone generations - it's just the story of my morning so far! It's a grey, blustery Wednesday morning here on the west of Scotland. A nothing-much kind-of-day. The plan was, I would take the "weans" to school, walk out to the supermarket, pick up a few things, and then my day could begin. Well the walk to the supermarket takes you, literally, across the forecourt of a Fire Station. As I came up to it I heard sirens. Not fire sirens though.  Two lanes of traffic, car drivers, bus drivers, a truck driver or two, put their journeys on hold and pulled over to the side of the road.  With sirens wailing and blue lights flashing the ambulance tore up the white line in the centre of the road. I caught sight of the ... Read Full Story >>

The More I Understand, The Less I Know

After a couple of decades on this planet, many years of soul searching, and studying the "self," I feel that I am finally closer to knowing myself which ironically seems to be a journey which tells me that the more I understand myself, the less it is that I know. I now can say I have truly felt the difference between the deepest agony of the human condition and the highest state of joy. I know from my own experience that the main difference that lies between "you" and "me" is just a feeling, a feeling of being separate, isolated, lonely, lost, versus a feeling of being whole, connected, at home, and loved. I think most people, if not all, live with a kind of homesickness, a sweet nostalgia which they can't quite put their finger on as if they were once in a place that they can't quite remember but desperately, somehow, want to get back to. The mystics have said for over a millennia that in existence there ... Read Full Story >>

Peace Pole ...

Just wanted to give you an update on our Peace Pole Planting. The village school has accepted the pole and has got the Council to agree that it can be planted on a grassy area directly across from the school in a very prominent place which is passed by all who enter and leave the village (think of all those Peace Prayer wishes going out!).
They have invited uor MP, MSP and lots of dignitaries as well as local newspapers. The children are going to be writing about what Peace means to them and having a Peace Pole Party to celebrate –with Peace Cakes! How amazing is that! It won’t be for a couple of weeks yet, mid-may, but I’ll keep you all informed.
 

A Radio for Dancing and Singing

I was conducting an auction for a non-profit to help our senior citizens in need.  There was an old battery-operated radio, never used, and an older woman came up with her friend. 

She was digging in her handbag to find 50 cents to buy a ticket and her friend asked what she would do with the radio if she won it.  I was eavesdropping because I was also curious.  She smiled and said, "I would sing and dance in my apartment." 

That really touched my heart, so when she left I found out her name and surprised her anonymously with gift cards so she could buy a radio and not have to worry about batteries.  I have never forgotten that. We take so many little things for granted!  And we can all make a difference!

A Lesson in Compassion From My Brother

It was my birthday so my wife, my brother and my child treated ourselves to dinner in a restaurant that we had never been to before. As we walked back to our car a very thin man approached my brother saying he hadn't eaten in a while and asking for money. Usually my wife and I treat such requests with suspicion but my brother took a different approach and he started talking with the man. The man said he was a singer and had come to Dubai from Pakistan to find work. His visa was expiring in three or four days. He  had no friends here, couldn't land a singing job, and was surviving hand to mouth. He had a return ticket that had to be confirmed. To do this he needed 70 Dirhams. My brother gave him 20 Dirhams for food and asked the man to give him a call from the airline's ticket office the next day. He also ... Read Full Story >>

Making Someone Happy

Today I donated a large bag of clothing and other assorted items . I placed money with a smiley face attached to the bill wishing someone a very Blessed Day! It made me feel really good as I watched the driver carrying the bag to his truck.

May all the care and kindness you give so freely to others come back to warm your heart.

A Small Gesture To Make Some Children Smile

A few years ago my family and I  decided to go to Kentucky Friced Chicken and grab a bite to eat.  In the line, in front of us, were three kids that looked to be in middle school.  I noticed they were scraping their purses and pockets to pay for their meals.  They managed to pay for it and I was glad.

However, I took it to an extra level. While they were quietly waiting for their food, I told the cashier that I wanted  three gift cards in the increments of $5.00 each. She handed me the gift cards and I went to the children and said: "You have been blessed today and your next lunch meal is on me."   I gave them each a $5 gift card.  They were so happy and thanked me. The girl that was in the group said,  "I have to tell my mom this about this one, I really do."  I just smiled and told them to enjoy their day.

They were so happy they were bursting with joy. You can tell they appreciated a stranger showing an act of kindness that day. Even a small gesture like this can make an impact in children's lives.

Grandpa's Investment Pays Off

When I was a student my family went through a few rough financial years. We got by, but only with much effort and many worries. I had a pick-up truck that was forever breaking down and the thought of the 600km drive to school in it was a worrisome one. As I drove away from home my uncle walked up. I stopped and he threw something onto my dashboard. He leaned in the window, speaking softly. "Years ago," he said, "when I was a poor student myself your grandfather once did this to me. I swore one day I would return the gift. And now I have."  Then he walked away without looking back, and I sensed he did so in order to hide his emotions.   A few miles later I opened the envelope. It contained a few bank notes. It was a gift returned more than two decades later to a second ... Read Full Story >>

A Few Little Gifts Add Up To A Lot Of Love

I want to tell you about a true story that happened this week on Veteran's Day. I wrote earlier about how our school had a "family day of service," in which about 100 middle school students volunteered all around our community.  One of the sites was a veteran's hospital. Due to swine flu outbreaks, the Veteran's Association said that kids under 16 would not be allowed to visit, so a few adults in the group met with veterans individually to ask them what gift they would like to receive for Veteran's Day. One veteran said he'd like a disposable camera -- his daughter was traveling that evening from far away to visit him, bringing his 1-year-old granddaughter whom he had never met. He said he never imagined he would get to meet her since he had gone through so many surgeries.  The volunteers decided that this gift couldn't wait until Veteran's Day, ... Read Full Story >>

Tumbling Food at Hand, Smile at Heart

At a large event, an elderly gentleman was carrying his food tray on his walker.

Suddenly, the tray tipped over and landed on the floor, and all the food tumbled around him. He was having difficulty bending over, so I bent down to retrieve the food for him.

He thanked me, and I immediately saw the gratitude in his eyes.

Such a simple gesture swept my heart into a smile. :)

World Kindness Week Day 4 - Smoothies On Campus

I was walking around a college campus today (not my own) and I picked up two smoothies with the intention of giving them away.