Search Results for 'popular' (3005 matches)

Extra Care For A Teacher Going Through A Difficult Time

On Monday, my fiancee and I heard that our astronomy teacher's mother had died.  We were surprised that he was still teaching in school. My fiancee was telling me that as the teacher was teaching, he had felt such empathy for the man, because as he was lecturing, you can sense he was trying to be strong, in the midist of teaching. We came up with an idea. The teacher is such a passionate and warm hearted person, and we figured that, he could use a good dose of  love and cheer. That night after school, we meditated for our teacher as well as his beloved mother. We like to meditate using Metta and Tonglen, both very loving spiritual meditation practices ;) When we went back to school (yesterday), we gave him cheer up cards which we had take time to decorate with flowers, hearts and peace signs. As we had handed the cards to him, we both could see the ... Read Full Story >>

What I Never Want To Forget

My family comes first - not work. Why? Because no matter how long you live, life is short. And people, especially family, are precious.

My mum in law died last week at the grand age of 88 and she clung to life (despite having advanced cancer) with every fibre of her being. One of her last days, she sat, even though she could barely move, outside, in the really strong gusty wind, just being alive. She just plain refused to go inside. Stubborn, yes. Breathing, yes. Alive - absolutely.

When it comes down to it, no-one cares about your work achievements at the end of your life (really, they don't), they care about how kind you were, how you made them laugh, how you listened or were there for them, what you did for others and those quirky little things that you didn't realise people noticed about you that made you special to them.

The last week has been a huge eye-opener for me. I hope it's changed me forever.

Fruit And Friendship Make My Day

There is a pregnant woman that works in the building adjacent to mine. I started work here a few months ago and every morning I would see her taking a nice walk. Then one day I greeted her and asked about her baby. She was very kind and smiled a lot.

On our first meeting she said she was having trouble picking a name so we brainstormed together and came up with some ideas.

Our chats became regular whenever she was on her walk and on the days that she did not show I would go by her office to see about her and the baby. I noticed that when ever she went on her walk she had a bottle of water; she told me that she got hungry a lot. So I started bringing some fruit to work with me and every time I saw her I gave her one.

We have now been friends for a few weeks and I still bring her a fruit every morning during her walk. The satisfaction it gives me to see her gratefully smile at me makes my day! Funny how a piece of fruit given in kindness can transform my whole day.

The baby is due in two months and she is as excited as can be. And I couldn’t be happier to have a new friend in my life. I look forward to meeting her little angle too.

Seeing The Smile On Their Face

I am so glad I found this site and I can't wait to use my smile cards.  I went to the mall on my lunch hour from work, and  wrapped a smile card with a five dollar bill and left it on a pole in the middle of the mall.  I had some time so I wanted to sit back and watch who would take it. I couldn't believe how many people walked by and didn't see it!  I prayed that just the right person would find it, that really needed some encouragement today.  My lunch was almost over so I was almost out of time.  I really wanted to see the person's face who found it.  Then all of a sudden two ladies walked by and one of them took the money rather quickly, and then I saw her and her friend read the smile card and then turn it over ... Read Full Story >>

A Wonderful Way to Start the Day

Every morning when I wake up, I kid you not, the first thing I do is check my email for comments from you guys. What a wonderful way to start my days. So I just wanted to take a moment and say thank you to all of you guys and your kind words. They inspire me in ways unimaginable. The responses I get on my childhood stories are therapeutic. I have stopped keeping my journal; I write everything now on HO and I can tell you it’s a lot better than tucking my feelings away. Thank you and I will continue to make you guys proud with my pay-it-forward reports.

Thank You Dad !

Smiles,
Ramya . . .

Five Little Squirrels

Ever since I was a kid I've always been involved in animal rescue.  In a neighborhood I lived in several years ago I was known as the Animal Lady. One evening three little neighbor girls ran up to my door, exclaiming over a baby squirrel that was running around on the sidewalk. I quickly followed the kids and they led me to a tiny squirrel, frantically trying to run up to the various nervous neighbors who were screeching and dodging the baby squirrel. I accessed the youngster to be young enough to still have milk teeth and I realized that even if it bit me, it could do no damage. I scooped the little creature up and checked it for injuries. It seemed fine. Now, a baby squirrel has to be pretty desperate for milk to leave its nest and search the neighborhood for help. I figured the mother must have ... Read Full Story >>

Personal Growth On The Freeway

This morning when I got in my car I said a prayer. I prayed that God would help me become a better person and I prayed He would allow me to experience personal growth.  As I pulled out and headed to work I said I was going to hold myself accountable for all the things that I know prevent me from being that better person.   As soon as I got on the freeway the madness started. People were driving crazily, not courteous at all. So I was getting mad and impatient. And then a car came out of nowhere and the driver cut in front of me so recklessly that I had to slam my foot on the brakes to avoid from crashing into him.   In that moment a string of curse words entered my mind and my arm raised in anticipation of blaring my horn! My other hand prepared to flash a ... Read Full Story >>

Making Someone's Day - Cheaper Than A Latte!

I was in the check-out line at the store a few hours ago. The gal ahead of me asked the cashier to take two items off because she could tell by the subtotal she wasn't going to be able to afford them.     Off came a single-serve container of strawberry milk and a can of that La Choy Chunk King Chinese food stuff.    Once the cashier was done ringing everything else up, the woman looked at her significant other and said, "We have enough for one but not the other. Should we get the milk or the La Choy?"   He said, "The milk. I'm REALLY thirsty!" So, the cashier added the milk and the gal handed her the payment.    I reached into my purse, grabbed one of my Smile cards and some cash, then I looked at the woman customer and asked, "Can I buy the other thing for you?"     She gave me a ... Read Full Story >>

Teelu The Puppy

Yesterday afternoon the sky was dark and the rain poured down. I went upstairs to catch the cool breeze. It was still moody, as if sky and the clouds were tired and decided to cry some rain. Yet the climate was awesome and the breeze cooled my body from head to toe.   I went onto the balcony and saw a small puppy near the gate of our apartment. He had been drenched by the rain.   I immediately ran downstairs with a towel in my hand. I rushed to the puppy and wrapped him in the towel.   I cleaned the mud from him, got into an auto, and took him to nearby veterinary doctor. He examined him and gave an injection for his health.    I brought him back home and made a place for him to sleep. I gave him a cup of milk and bread to keep his hunger away. He was good enough and ... Read Full Story >>

The Gift on the Sidewalk

Today, I was babysitting my two-year-old friend, Liam. He was feeling sad and wanted to stay inside with his mom and dad. I tried everything to get him interested in playing outside with me. Nothing worked. Finally, as a last resort, I took a shiny new penny out of my pocket. I tossed the penny down the sidewalk and then chased after it. It must have looked fun, because he joined right in! On one of my tosses, the shiny penny rolled down the sidewalk and appeared to stop near a Christmas tree that was laying next to the gutter, waiting to be picked up by the recycle truck. As I squatted near the tree to look for the penny, I spotted a small, lonely Christmas ornament attached to one of the branches. Scooping it up, I was struck by how delicate it was. Handmade, and crafted from felt, it was in the ... Read Full Story >>

A Simple but Meaningful Act of Gratitude

Every month, I write letters to two Marines serving in Afghanistan who I don't know.  I thank them for their service to our nation. While I don't know them, I hope that they know how much I appreciate them.

The Veteran Who Wants To Make Folk Smile

Last weekend I was navigating my way through a Good-will store as I do every Saturday. I was absorbed in my own thoughts when I overheard an employee say, "Let me shake your hand to thank you for your service!"   I looked up and saw the employee, a man in his 30s, shaking the hand of an elderly man wearing a "WW II Veteran" hat. As they started talking I stood and listened in.   The veteran said he was 85 and when the employee and I expressed surprised he fished out his driver's license to prove it. This man was sharp as a tack and looked to be in great physical shape. And, boy, did he have a sense of humor!   The three of us stood there for about 15 minutes, just chatting away about the veteran's war experiences. He described the feeling he had when Germany surrendered in the war, how ... Read Full Story >>

Seeds That Blossom And Windows That Gleam

Today I received a lovely act of kindness from a seed I panted some time ago!

Runaway Coffee Barrels and the 'Angel of Mercy'

Coming home from a coffee shop today, we had our old truck loaded down with three 50-gal. barrels of mostly coffee grounds that we use to make compost.  My husband had laid them down in the truck, and as we came up the ramp to a major intersection the tailgate hinge broke and all the barrels rolled out into the street behind us. Thank goodness there were no cars immediately behind us, which was a bit of a miracle since it was lunch hour. One barrel rolled right into a lane, and the two others were partially in a lane.  We slammed on the brakes, jumped out, and I retrieved the closest one while my husband started running back toward the ramp to get the other two. I knew that one of the ones he was going to get was extremely heavy; we had had a horrible time getting it into ... Read Full Story >>

The Blanket In The Dug-Out

In my new position as manager of parks and recreation in a small California mountain town I have the great privilege of being able to visit parks and playgrounds as part of my job responsibilities.  A month or so ago, on a cold autumn morning, I walked through a ball park near my office. In the dug-out I noticed some trash and an old blanket which I picked up and carried toward the trash bin. As I lifted the blanket to dispose of it I caught a whiff ... and it occurred to me that it was being used, probably by a homeless person. I stopped, thought about it, and reluctantly returned the blanket to the dug-out.   Over the next couple of weeks I would pop my head into the dug-out. The blanket was always there, always in a different place. As our maintenance men were in the park often I assumed ... Read Full Story >>

Lunchtime

Around lunchtime today my son and I were walking in our community's busy "downtown" area. We passed by a homeless man sitting on the street and since I had no cash on me, all we could give him was a smile and a good wish. As we walked on my son asked me didn't I have any money to give him--I said I don't have cash, but why don't we ask him if he would like something to eat. On our way back on that street after doing our errand we saw the same man and asked him if he would like us to get him some lunch. His face brightened up and when I asked what he would like, he just said "anything is fine". So then my son pointed to a rather fancy looking "parisian cafe" type of place across the street and we decided to go in there. ... Read Full Story >>

This Is Really Great!

Leaving Paris, I had no more use for my mobile SIM card, which still had quite a bit of talk-time on it.

So, after checking-in for my flight, I made a detour to the Arrival area, where I found a just-arrived, almost-elderly couple making enthusiastic enquiries in English at the Information Desk. I asked if they'd like my SIM card and talk-time.

The man replied, "We had just a moment ago asked where we could buy one." "Now you have one," I said, handing his wife a small, cellophane envelope containing the SIM and a Smile Card. "Wow," he said, "this is great!"

She removed the Smile Card and started to examine it as I turned to head-back to the Departure area. "Hey," she called after me, "THIS is REALLY great!" I simply kept-on walking, grinning as broadly as I hoped they were.

A Mother's Sacrifice

My mom only had one eye. I hated her... she was such an embarrassment. My mom ran a small shop at a flea market. She collected little weeds and such to sell... anything for the money we needed she was such an embarrassment. There was this one day during elementary school. I remember that it was field day, and my mom came. I was so embarrassed. How could she do this to me? I threw her a hateful look and ran out. The next day at school..."Your mom only has one eye?!" and they taunted me. I wished that my mom would just disappear from this world so I said to my mom, "Mom, why don't you have the other eye?! You're only going to make me a laughingstock. Why don't you just die?" My mom did not respond. I guess I felt a little bad, but at the same time, it ... Read Full Story >>

A Place to Stay

A friend of mine is having financial struggles and has been caught in a bad housing situation. Luckily, I have an apartment and have been able to invite her to stay with me for as long as she needs. I feel honored to be able to help her as she got me through a really bad time. Over the last few years, especially when I was very ill, she has been an amazing friend to me. It's good to be able to return the favor.