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 >>
- Posted by Happy7
- Sep 4, 2011
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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.
- Posted by hasifa
- Sep 8, 2011
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Thank You Dad !
For the good times that we share,
Thanks for always listening,
For trying to be fair.
Thank you for your comfort,
When things are going bad,
Thank you for the shoulder,
To cry on when I'm sad.
This poem is a reminder that
All my life through,
I'll be thanking Heaven
For a Special Dad like you."
Smiles,
Ramya . . .
- Posted by Redrose
- Nov 2, 2011
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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 >>
- Posted by Sajha
- Dec 21, 2011
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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 >>
- Posted by hasifa
- Feb 6, 2012
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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 >>
- Posted by sonshiney
- Mar 2, 2012
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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 >>
- Posted by Redrose
- May 13, 2012
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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 >>
- Posted by kath1
- Jun 19, 2013
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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.
- Posted by caroline.s.king
- Jul 15, 2013
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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 >>
- Posted by whitby98
- Jul 12, 2012
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Seeds That Blossom And Windows That Gleam
Today I received a lovely act of kindness from a seed I panted some time ago!
- Posted by Bluebell
- Jan 27, 2013
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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 >>
- Posted by Sundi
- Feb 24, 2013
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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 >>
- Posted by SmileADay
- Mar 8, 2013
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Service Area Sweets
This past holiday season, I drove with my parents to Boston to visit my distant cousin. On my way way back home, we stopped at service area for food. As we were stopped there, there was this old lady who was busy cleaning all the tables and chairs as people leaving, making sure everything is neat and clean. I just thought of gifting her with five dollars and a chocolate in my pocket. I wrote on a paper napkin: "Thank you and Merry Xmas." I wanted to leave it there for her but decided to walk up to her and give her. She asked me, "Is it a gift? Only then will I take it." I nodded, "Yes," and smiled at her. "Thank you," she replied, and I left to buy some stuff from the store inside. On my way back to car, the woman stopped me. "I make a lot of cookies and candies on ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by mbbb230
- Mar 27, 2013
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An Hour That Made All The Difference In My Life
There are a few people who have passed through my life who I say I would never be able to repay. One of them who left the most impact was my art teacher Mr. Cataldo.
I went to a very rough middle school and that is a difficult age to be in an unsafe environment. I was bullied and mistreated on a regular basis. Perhaps the other students could see the victim in me, but all of that changed the day that I came into art class.
Mr. Cataldo let every student of his know that this was a safe zone and no bullying or bad behavior could happen on his watch. He fostered a good environment for learning and growing. It was only an hour a day, but it saved my life at the time. So thanks, Mr.C for giving me a little haven of peace in an otherwise dark and disturbing middle school experience. I think about you often!
- Posted by kayazdani
- Jan 19, 2015
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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 >>
- Posted by cabbage
- Dec 2, 2013
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Do All, Feel Most
When you do an act of human kindness, you walk a step in someone else's shoes. This can change your life. It changed mine. I was in an awful job, 18hr days, getting reamed out by my boss. My new husband lived in another city and I saw him 1x a month, and even then we just had terrible, horrible fights. I was underweight, my hair thinning, I had eczema. But quitting was failure, simple as that. One day I was late for work and grabbed a taxi. I was on my computer when I noticed the driver. He was middle-aged Asian man wearing a nice golf polo and simply put, did not look like other cab drivers I'd seen in the city. I asked him where he was from. Korea, he's been here 25 years. I asked him how long he'd been driving a cab. A month. He said the reason he started driving was for money. His daughter ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by Anonymous
- Dec 5, 2013
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This Is Really Great!
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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.
- Posted by anonymous
- Jan 10, 2014
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One Of My Most Precious Memories
Again, this has to be from my Grand Mother. She keeps a journal in which she writes her prayers down for people in her family. She has done this every single day for the past 37 years. We were discussing them one day and she said, "you should go read them".
So I did. I found my name listed, every single day for 37 years. Sweet unconditional love for me no matter where I was, what I was doing or what dilemma I was facing.
One passage said, "Oh dear Lord, please protect Savannah from things that would destroy her". I realized that this prayer was the same time as a very volatile and dangerous person was destroying my life. She has always known. Just simply known, when I was in the deepest need.
This makes me smile and feel safe and cloaked by God and my Granny every single day.
- Posted by SavannahCaceres
- Feb 2, 2015
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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 >>
- Posted by anonymous
- May 11, 2014
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