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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 >>

2591 Reads

Kindness Received-Kindness Given

Kindness Received-Kindness Given. Sunday, the gentleman who donated our Sanctuary flowers gifted me with one of the arrangements as he said he appreciates all that I do. I was so touched and gladly thanked him and took them home. Today I took them up to my Dad. He loves flowers and he was so glad to have these in his room. Thought they were lovely, too, and I was so glad to share them with him!

2370 Reads

A Gift, 15 Years Later

Twenty years ago my eldest daughter celebrated her thirteenth birthday. I worked hard at the deli the week before and got a paycheck of about $125.  I went to the bank to cash my check and asked for one hundred one dollar bills, nice and clean and crispy if possible, please. I went home and grabbed a nice branch from a tree in my backyard and proceeded to use (almost) all of my paycheck to make my daughter a beautiful money tree with one hundred ones placed as carefully as I would have placed ornaments on the Christmas tree.  It was a joy to behold! My daughter was thrilled.  I wanted to take a picture of it, but all my money was gone and could not even afford a roll of film or a disposable camera.  I asked the birthday girl, Jess, if she would buy some film so we could get a picture.  ... Read Full Story >>

2295 Reads

Kindness of a Stranger

Monday, I was at my local Home Depot waiting to have paint samples mixed. A gentleman who worked there walked by and I said..."Excuse me, sir...I have a question." He said "sure, what can i help you with?"

I told him I have been trying to figure out how to make a wooden cross. He said "ok, what size?" I replied the size of the ones you see on the side of the road that marks where someone has died.

He asked me to show him the approximate size I was looking for. I showed him and he said, "wait right here, I will be right back." 15 minutes later, he came back -- with the cross, that he had made and even tapered the bottom so that it would go into the ground easier.

I was so taken back, and told him I lost my son in a motorcycle accident and I wanted to put the cross there. I hugged him and thanked him and went on my way. The kindness of this stranger has touched me so much. Time to pay it forward and encourage others to do the same.

2421 Reads
  • Posted by klittle115
  • Apr 12, 2015
  • 11 Comments
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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.

As I was walking a young man joked, "Hey, she got a smoothie for me!" 
 
I walked up to him and said, "You're right! Please have it." Of course, he was a bit taken aback and said no. I said, "It's okay. I have one for your friend too." 
 
They took them and we started walking and talking. He asked if I was a professor and I said I was but not at that college. We had a long conversation about their academic and career plans, etc., and I gave some mentoring advice to them.
 
It was so great to just connect for that time with those students who were new to their campus. It made my day!
 
 

 

3055 Reads

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 >>

4490 Reads

Love Goes Round, Round, Round

About a year ago I learned to knit on a loom, which is a circular device that lets you knit without needles. The yarn goes around and around just like love we give to others. I love making baby hats using the loom and giving them away as gifts. In my free time, I volunteer at a non-profit that assists children and families in need, and I noticed that many of the clients we served were mothers-to-be or mothers with newborn babies. Most of the families we serve need a great deal of help just to get through each day. As I worked with more and more these mothers and families, it struck me: Wouldn't it be nice to share my newfound skill and make hats for these precious little babies? I have since then been donating my hats, and I always attach a small note on the bag that reads "This handcrafted keepsake is ... Read Full Story >>

2129 Reads

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 >>

6011 Reads

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 >>

3023 Reads

Kids showing kindness to animals


A recent bunny article reminded me of more children's kindness. People in the house behind us moved out and left bunnies behind. The children in the neighboring houses were coming into the garden and feeding them (they spent their pocket money on the food). They asked for my help cleaning them out and I passed newspaper and hay over the fence to them. By the time I'd walked round, they'd cleaned the bunnies out themselves. They called the RSPCA (animal welfare) who came and took them to rehouse. I was so impressed by those children! 

3021 Reads

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 >>

2762 Reads

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 >>

12.0K Reads

An Angel In The Check-out Line

It was a busy day at the grocery store and two young ladies were in line behind me with birthday balloons.  They appeared to be stressed and in a hurry so I asked if they wanted to go ahead of me. They were very appreciative.   I asked what the balloons were for and one girl said they were for her nephew's second birthday.  She said it was a difficult day for her with lots of family drama and that her nephew had a twin and something bad happened to the baby at birth.  I noticed she had a small heart shaped tattoo on her neck with the a date in it. The date was exactly two years ago. So, I knew it had to be a significant day.  They were chatting together about their rush to get ready for the party, all the things left to do, and how nobody offered to ... Read Full Story >>

2203 Reads
  • Posted by kellyg724
  • Oct 14, 2014
  • 11 Comments
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French Kindness on Valentine's Day

France is a very special place.  It is the favorite tourist destination for people from all over the world.  As an American who has lived here for over 20 years it's been for me "a hard nut to crack."  In New York City it was easy to just strike up a conversation with people I'd never met and would never meet again.  Many French consider this type of interaction "superficial" or "invasive." Inspired by this website I decided to find my way to create openings on Valentine's Day.  The key is "when in France do like the French,"  or learn to respect their ways and their limits.  I went to Paris and searched for hours, a woman on a mission, to find just the right chocolate hearts.  The last "maison du chocolat" or chocolate store on my list had them.  Small chocolate hearts, a beautiful deep red color, filled with dark chocolate, ... Read Full Story >>

3797 Reads

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 >>

5572 Reads

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 >>

4131 Reads

Brand new beekeeper

I met what must be the world's most wonderful lady last summer - just being around her is like a soothing balm for my soul. I barely know her and after finding out that I've dreamt of having bees for several years she simply gave me a hive as a gift, including all the boxes, frames, gear, tools and a package of bees.

I'm now officially a brand new beekeeper

I kinda freaked out a little when we shook them into the hive though....10,000 bees buzzing around your body will do that to you even in beekeeping gear if you're new to this exciting hobby!

2432 Reads

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 >>

2251 Reads

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.

2207 Reads

Look Inside Yourself To Heal Others

Two years ago, I heard about a therapist in Hawaii who cured a complete ward of criminally insane patients--without ever seeing any of them. The psychologist would study an inmate's chart and then look within himself to see how he created that person's illness. As he improved himself, the patient improved. "When I first heard this story, I thought it was an urban legend. How could anyone heal anyone else by healing himself? How could even the best self-improvement master cure the criminally insane? It didn't make any sense. It wasn't logical, so I dismissed the story. "However, I heard it again a year later. I heard that the therapist had used a Hawaiian healing process called ho 'oponopono. I had never heard of it, yet I couldn't let it leave my mind. If the story was at all true, I had to know more. I had always understood "total responsibility" to mean that I am responsible ... Read Full Story >>

3671 Reads




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