Search Results for 'popular' (3007 matches)

Walk With New Amazement

When you measure the distance between towns on foot, walk to places you thought could only be reached by car, or talk to neighbors with whom you never felt necessary to interact, it will shift your mind! I live in the suburb north of San Francisco, driving is considered the main transportation option for most residents here. I still remember how excited I was when I first learned to drive 10 years ago. Driving at night, the headlights softly illuminating the road ahead, with music gently soothing my heart, I was filled with joy, a joy of independence in a foreign land! I had a photo taken of me hugging my white slender car and sent it to my family in China. I loved my car! Sometimes she was my only companion in lonely nights. Yet, as time went by, that excitement wore off. I dreaded driving, burning gas in bumper-to-bumper ... 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.

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.
 

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.

Just 1 Card To Say Happy Birthday...

I have a Aunt who is deaf and lives alone. To communicate with her when we visit we write in her notebook. Her birthday is in March. Last year she was 96 years old. I thought about things I could get her but aside from food there isn't much she needs. So, I decided to I send emails out to a few friends. I told everyone  about my Aunt and asked them if they could please take a few minutes and help celebrate her birthday by sending a card to her.  Little did I know how this one request would impact so many, especially my Aunt! My friends asked their own friends to join in. The cards started arriving every day for a month!! My Aunt was so excited! She couldn't believe so many people were thinking about her.  She recieved over 50 cards! Something so little, that takes just a few minutes ... Read Full Story >>

"Amma, Please See the Doctor"

After playing badminton, I was about to leave the facility when I saw Amma. She's the maid responsible for cleaning, an old lady in her late 60s, and she was talking to the owner, requesting some cash. Her hand was in pain and she wanted to see the doctor. The owner gave some excuses and escaped.

I felt bad for her, so although I was outside the facility and it was dark, I turned back and opened my wallet. I knew I didn't have much, but I gave her whatever came out into my hand. In my broken Tamil, I tried to say "Amma, please see a doctor" but I don't know if it was correct.

When I left for dinner to a nearby restaurant, surprisingly I had one bill which was more than enough for my meal.

I see Amma in the evenings, and even though it was pitch dark that day, she remembers me well and waves to me every time.
 

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 >>

Persistance Pays Off!

On my hands and knees on the floor of the airplane, searching for an old lady’s missing hearing aid during the flight from Sydney to Los Angeles, it occurred to me that this may not be the most dignified posture for a Buddhist nun. (With shaven head & long flowing orange robes, I stand out.) I had seen the old lady from the seat in front of me as she tottered up and down the aisle with a flashlight. I asked a few times what was wrong, but she didn’t answer at first — she couldn’t hear me. She spoke with a thick eastern European accent, wearing a vintage plaid tweed woolen coat.  Do you know what hearing aids cost? Thousands, especially for the new tiny hidden-in-the ear type she described. It takes a long time for an appointment to make a new one, and many doctor visits to get the thing ... Read Full Story >>

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 >>

Simply the Nudge

Two weeks ago, my daughter came to me a bit frantic. One of her school friends, nine months pregnant and about to give birth any day, was kicked out of her house because her mother wouldn't leave her husband (the girl's stepdad) who was hitting the girl. She fled to the home of her boyfriend's parents. They, however, were packing up to move to a larger house. Being in transition themselves, her boyfriend's family couldn't host her at that time, and she was at a loss for where to go. So, two weeks ago, my daughter came to me asking if her friend can come live with us until the boyfriend's family finished moving. Well, here's a girl in trouble. I talked it over with my husband, who gave his ok. So we got things ready for her. She must have told her mom what was going on, though, because before she had a chance to move ... 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 >>

Ever Been Nudged?

My husband and I were shopping in a local grocery store one day and as we were ready to leave, I had a nudge to go into the coffee shop they had added a few months before.  "Are you hungry?" Gene asked.   "No, but I just have a feeling we should go in for a cup of coffee or something".  As we neared the back corner table, I smiled at a lady sitting alone at the table next to ours and asked her how she was today.  She turned and began to tell me.  She talked for about 10 minutes of all that was going on in her life with very few words of encouragement from me.  She then smiled and thanked me for listening but she had to go.  I asked her if she needed a hug and I was immediately enveloped in the strongest yet tenderest hug I had ... Read Full Story >>

The Challenges of Travelling with Children

For my birthday, Julie booked a coach trip to Liverpool. It's where I went to college thirty years ago and I hadn't been back since. We had a great time!   Watching the passengers embark on the coach as we got ready to head to Liverpool, I was a little dismayed to see a couple get on with two boys, both under five. We were gonna be on the coach for four hours. Would they act up? Or be sick? Or would it just be too boring for them?  It turned out they were great!  No doubt about it. Travelling like that with two lively little boys would take both parents full attention. And they did seem to work well together. In the hotel (a hotel that was once the pride of the city, now a bit dowdy, but still spectacular!) the parents got through the meals by working as a tag-team and never leaving ... Read Full Story >>

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 >>

What I Am Grateful For

I learned to count my blessings a long the time ago. I believe that if any one stops for a minute he/she will find something to be grateful for.   I am grateful for a great number of things but I am especially grateful for NOW, for this moment in time.   I am grateful for the lovely town where I live.  In this town the number of charity shops almost equals the number of “normal” shops.  There are charities for almost everything you can imagine. Even the primary schools are charity orientated, with the Parents and Teachers Association taking responsibility for raising money through parties, discos, fairs and other events in order to be able to buy things like interactive white boards or sports gear for the school football team.  I think my town is very kind and it is very easy to live here.  People smile at you a lot, ... 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 >>

Nightshift at the Marriott

It had been a long, hot August day. We'd driven over six hundred miles and it was nearing 11 pm as we entered Kingman, Arizona. We pulled off and picked a motel. Much to my surprise, it being mid-week, the deskman informed me they were full. Next place, same story. This time, I asked the clerk for suggestions.      "Try the Hampton Inn."      At the Hampton we were greeted with, "We're booked. Sorry."     "What's going on?" I asked. "Is there some kind of convention in town?"     "A tour bus just pulled in with 60 people," he said. "Plus lots of people are heading up to the Grand Canyon. It's an unusual evening. You might try the Best Western. I think they had one room left about an hour ago."      We tried the Best Western. No luck.      By that time, we'd traveled to the west end of ... Read Full Story >>

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.

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. :)