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A Generous Gesture That Made A Dream Come True

I had a dream for over a year, to attend the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December. I had even reserved a hostel room a year in advance  because I so wanted to be there. I had worked very hard to arrange things, but was having trouble raising money for the trip. I asked one of my MBA professors who is connected in investing circles to ask, if I were to write an appeal letter, would he please send it to his contacts? He apologized, because he said there is not much money available right now because of the economy. Then he paused, and asked me where I was flying from. When I told him, he asked me if he could help me out with flight miles to Copenhagen for the trip. I was awestruck by the offer. I hurried to tell him that I had not mentioned this to ask ... Read Full Story >>

Memorable Kindness

Today is the seventh anniversary of my Dad's death. While missing him, I am reminded of the incredible acts of kindness given to me that day. 

A friend I met while waiting for my emergency cab ride home from work who prayed with me on the street. The cabby who offered to take me all the way to the hospital, rather than the parking lot where my car was, and then tried to refuse my tip.

The close family friend and minister who, while going through a loss in his own family, joined us at the hospital to give my Dad a last blessing and to share stories with us over Dad's bed. And many more.

Feeling blessed, even this many years later, for all the support that was placed in my path during that difficult time. And so very thankful.

A Little Library...

I started a small neighborhood book exchange. My husband put the shelves together for me and we supplied the "seed" books to get things rolling. I also designed and printed free bookmarks for patrons to take with them. My hope is that people will choose a book, enjoy it and return it for another...along with contributing a few books of their own to share with their neighbors and friends.

Three Feet of Snow and a Very Kind Neighbor

It's no secret that we've had some pretty crazy weather in the Maryland area this past winter. We had 15 inches of snow during one month followed by 28 more inches. Whenever it snowed like that, I packed my things up and stayed at my mom's house, both to help her with shoveling and for the ease of getting my car out of the driveway to get to work rather than attempting it from my mountain side driveway. I did about 4 hours of shovelling one day and only managed to dig us out of the house and a small walking path to and around 3 sides of my car.  To make better headway the next day, I set the alarm and got out there preparing to do the necessary 3 or 4 shovelling rounds before being able to relax and watch the Super Bowl. My whole body was in pain from the ... Read Full Story >>

What Makes a Grumpy Bus Driver Laugh?

I often take the bus for my daily commutes, and one of the drivers on the route to my house isn't known to be very nice. In fact, not many people like him at all. It doesn't take much for him to turn up his nose, or to ignore members of the community who are stranded when he drives by. That didn't bother me, though.  I decided that, no matter what his mood is on a given day, I would continue to greet and smile at him. Unconditionally.  Now, after awhile of doing this, I've noticed that his overall demeanor towards me has changed.  He not only smiles at me, but he cracks jokes, too!  One time, I fell asleep on his bus, and when I woke, I said, jokingly, "Why didn't you wake me? You know where I live!" We both laughed hard, and since then it has been an on-going joke ... Read Full Story >>

Small Gestures in the Workplace

One day, while I was walking to work, I decided to bring some flowers that I had picked from my garden that morning. I came across a random stranger, and was inspired to give the bunch to him with a smile card.  Struck by the sense of joy I felt from giving flowers to another person, and maybe brightening his day, I wanted to do it again. When I got to my office, I had the idea of anonymously leaving flowers around the workplace. Sometimes, the impersonal atmosphere of the building where I work numbs my spirits a little. It's a nice building, with great light, but it just feels a little sterile sometimes. I figured lots of people might feel the same way, so why not put a little beauty there, and throw in an inspirational quote while I'm at it? After all, who doesn't like flowers? So, for the past month, I've been putting flowers ... Read Full Story >>

Chapatis and Chili

My mother has always had a soft heart for beggars and anyone in need. When she lived in India, people would come to see her from far off villages. They would bring herbs and some organic home grown vegetables. She always cherished such gifts, and cooked them at home with love. After reading a kindness story, I was reminded of her and a story she told me once: Years ago, when my mother was in the early months of her pregnancy with me, she was very sick. She could not eat anything-- any food or drink would make her nauseous, and give her an upset stomach. In this condition, sleepy and hungry, she yearned to eat and drink--even just water. One afternoon, there was a knock at the door. When she went to open it, she found herself facing an extremely scorching hot day-- the temperature was probably around 40 degrees Celsius. Then she ... Read Full Story >>

Painted Rock Treasure Hunt

My sister-in-law just sent me an invitation to participate in this fun activity that is taking place in our community. It sounds like fun and is something that any community or group could do! You can change the "rules" to suit your group or situation.

Here's how it works: Just paint a rock with art inspirational quotes of your choosing, write "Go to PNW Rocks on Facebook" on the bottom, and be sure to seal it so it holds up in our wonderful rainy weather. Then, hide it around town where people can come across it in their daily activities. If you would like, post a picture of your rock art. Give a hint as to where people can find it.

If you find a PNW ROCKS painted rock, post a picture of your find on the Facebook page. You can choose to keep the rock or re-hide it. The whole point is to use art to brighten someone's day! Please note that there is no guarantee your painted rocks will be found, and they are given freely.

Sixth Graders and the Smile Deck

I teach a sixth grade religion class, and today I played the Smile Deck game with my students.  They each left with two kind acts to complete and were very enthusiastic as I handed them regular Smile Cards to go along with the Smile Deck Cards.

One student was able to complete one of her acts that day itself, when class ended.  She held the door for those leaving the building, handing out Smile Cards to those who would take them.  It was uncomfortable for her at first (12 years old is an awkward age, at best), but she got the hang of it and started to enjoy her 15 minutes as 'Door Woman'!

I am excited to hear about how the other children's acts of kindness go.

I hope that my take on the ways we can “take care of God's creation” will sink into these kids, and they will carry forward the idea of embracing kindness as a meaningful part of life.

This is just the beginning for me!!  Thanks for the forum of inspiration!

Gifts for My Birthday

At home all day today because of car getting serviced provided me with great opportunity for some birthday kindness :)).

Collected various household items, foodstuffs, books and clothes to donate...one item for each year of my birth! (Don't try and count! A few items are hidden...)

Bringing them to the appropriate donation locations tomorrow <3.

Truly a joy to be here another year on this wonderful Earth! Blessed and grateful.

A Moment of Calm

My husband and I were cleaning windows together yesterday. We  have the double-hung windows that you can pull forward and flip, allowing us to clean the inside and the outside surfaces. My husband was washing one window - and it popped out of its frame!  Well, our house is for sale and the last thing we needed was for something to break. He was so upset and tried with all his might to get it back together, using a few less than pleasant words (I am sorry to say). After twenty minutes he still could not get it fixed. That's when my 23 year old son told his dad to walk away for a minute and he would try to fix it with me. It's amazing how you can see things more clearly and do things more easily when you are calm. He and I fixed the window in three minutes! I called ... Read Full Story >>

How I learned [I'm]Perfect in Middle School

   When I think of the word perfect, I think of something only a few can achieve, like high beauty standards, the super-smart girl in my class, or anything that I can compare myself to. For a few weeks now, I have been noticing this one girl who is in a few of my middle school classes. She has fabulous long dark brown hair, big hazel eyes, and the most beautiful face. She always wears the prettiest outfits and seems to be the most popular girl in school, at least in my point of view. It seems like she has a perfect life, lots of friends, all A's, and everything anyone could ever want.    One day, I was in language arts talking to my teacher about one of the upcoming tests, when I saw the girl staring at me in this weird way. I immediately started to freak out and ... Read Full Story >>

It Is In Giving That You Get

It was one of those unexpected moments of generosity that just takes your breath away - I called up my favorite sandwich shop, ordered two veggie hoagies, and arranged to pick them up in ten minutes. Parking places are hard to find around there so my wife dropped me off, saying she would pick me up again in a few minutes.  I walk in and mention my order. "Ah yes! Here you go. That'll be $14.87," the burly man behind the counter said.  I gave him the cash and he handed me my change. As I picked up the napkins he handed me a giant empty glass. "Here you go," he said. "That's for your drink."  I took it, not really sure why he had given it to me. "Um, I actually didn't order a drink," I said and tried to hand him the glass back.  "Oh, I know. Go ahead, help yourself to a ... Read Full Story >>

Shoveling Snow The Canadian Way

  So, we were in the middle of a heavy snow storm, the kind where you need to shovel every couple hours otherwise it will pile up to the point where it's really hard to remove.   For the last couple of years whenever I've been out shoveling my place I would walk over to the house of a really nice elderly couple and shovel their driveway too. They knew it was happening - but never knew it was me!   Today, since I needed the exercise anyway, I shoveled all the walkways between my house and their house. About four other walkways. This time they caught me and realized I was the one doing the shoveling.      They were very thankful but kept insisting on giving me money. I refused and ended up  walking away because they were trying to shove money into my coat pockets.    Before I left, however, I pulled out a Smile card and ... Read Full Story >>

One stolen light projector and three friendly neighbors helped restore faith

I was just blown away with an act of kindness by three strangers, who are now friends. A few nights ago we had a light projector taken from our yard; it was my feeble attempt at decorating for Christmas. I made a posting on 'Nextdoor,' a neighborhood website. It wasn't a mean spirited post at all. I tried to muster all the love and compassion I could for whoever took it. In fact, many neighbors commented on how much they loved my approach. Then, out of the blue, I get a message of someone wanting to come over and introduce themselves to me. I drove up just in time and was approached by Cynthia and Ken, along with their son Nikhil. Cynthia had read my post and didn't want me to lose faith in humanity, so to show me that there are good people in our neighborhood they went out and ... Read Full Story >>

I Can Never Repay You...

When I was younger, my children and I went to live in a shelter. The day we arrived, we had five dollars and nothing more. I worried about what I was going to buy with that five dollars for my children to eat. I decided on boxed Mac and Cheese and lunch meat …the shelter was like an apartment and had a kitchen. I bundled my children up and got ready to walk to the supermarket. When I opened the door, someone had placed a food basket in front of it. There was pasta, a ham, and other assorted canned foods. There were toys for my children, pajamas, and bubble bath and slippers for me. I took the basket inside, cried and thanked whoever left me the basket, and made dinner for my babies. I found out after that a group of students from the high school up the block (Aquinas, in ... Read Full Story >>

Drive-Up Smiles

  I received a package of new Smile cards and decided that I would focus on people who work in drive-up businesses.     My first act was at the drive-up window of my bank. It was a new person I had never seen before. I thought to myself, 'This is kind of hokey but I'll try it.' So, I put a Smile card underneath the check I was cashing. She counted out my money and then, with a big smile on her face, inquired about the card. We had a nice chat and I gave her some additional cards to pass on. That was how my day started.   The next day I had worked late and stopped by a fast food restaurant drive-up window to collect a salad. A clear voice over the intercom took my order and I put a Smile card underneath my payment. The young girl smiled and asked me ... Read Full Story >>

More Kindness Inspired By A Homeless Man

  It was bitterly cold and I had been watching a homeless man make himself comfortable in a "shelter" next to a power unit on the canal bank. His "shelter" was a tarpaulin taped to the metal unit and anchored with rocks to keep the wind from blowing it away.  He had been living there for over a month in weather that often dipped below freezing. In all the times I passed that makeshift lean-to I never saw him with warm clothing or food. I knew what I wanted to do.   I was young, living at home, and when I told my parents what I wanted to do they were alarmed. I could be putting myself at risk, taking a box to a homeless person in the night time! But I knew, on some intrinsic level, that I would be safe.    I went to the grocery store and got an apple box with a solid top ... Read Full Story >>

Hot Burritos Warm My Heart

  The company I work for actually pay my public transportation costs on a yearly basis.  Because of this I travel to work every day on the MAX train which goes through the downtown area of the city, so I get to see homeless men, women and sometimes children sleeping in doorways along the way.    My heart just aches for these people and I knew I couldn't keep looking away - but I didn't know what I could do that would make any difference.     'Well,' I thought, 'I can cook!'  So I started making piping hot burritos and giving them out!   My income is not great and I can't afford to do it every day but most weeks I will pass out about two dozen burritos. The men and women are so appreciative and always say "Thank you" or "God bless you." And their words do bless me!   And now there is a co-worker ... Read Full Story >>

Cookies And Tea With An Extra Helping of Kindness

  I had just finished my shopping and was crossing the busy street when I saw an elderly man walking in my direction. He was leaning on a walking frame and I felt that he might need a little assistance crossing the street. So, I walked up to him and volunteered my help.    It seemed that my hunch was right. He wasn't aiming for the proper crossing place, he was keen on crossing the street from where he was to get to the bus stop on the other side.   I stepped out and waved my hand for the drivers to take notice of the man and slow down a little.   He got safely to the other side. But, somehow, I felt I could do more than just help him cross the street. So, I reassured him he was at the right stop, then I ran back across the road to get him some tea ... Read Full Story >>