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Vulnerability Brings New Appreciation for Kindness

I think my mom raised me to be considerate. Growing up in a rather well-off family, where in a material sense I was wanting for nothing, kindness wasn't something I especially noted. I might have taken it for granted. As a teenager, to cope with some emotional challenges in my family, I taught myself to be a perfectionist, and developed a rather negative attitude towards myself. I always saw what was lacking in myself, or what I imagined to be lacking, in others, and in my life. You might gather it was difficult being this way. I lived this way well into my 30s.  Due to health problems, I left college without a degree, tried for an apprenticeship, fell ill again and left my employer.  After sick pay ran out, I ended up drawing something closer to welfare than unemployment benefits, though it was technically the latter. The family lore was ringing in ... Read Full Story >>

7045 Reads

An Unexpected Blessing From Beautiful Blue Eyes

I saw him sitting on the grass at my local strip mall.  His hair was matted, his clothes were dirty, and he was talking but I don’t know who to because there was no one near him. People passed by but they didn't seem to see him and they didn't seem to care.  The day was sunny and warm, perhaps they were all busy taking in the beauty in that the day had to give. But I saw him.  His name was David.  As I watched him, he moved my heart a little. I felt a little of his loneliness and isolation. I wanted to reach out to him, to make it a little better. I went into the nearby grocery store and bought him a cold drink and a sandwich and got some extra cash from the ATM.  I then drove back to where this lonely soul was resting, on the grass, ... Read Full Story >>

4883 Reads

Flowers For a Gardner

An elderly lady who lives near me keeps her garden so beautiful. It has an abundance of flowers and colours. The weather is not too good here at the moment, it's actually raining. I drove past this elderly lady's house and the garden is showing signs of winter with very little by way of flowers or colour. I knocked on her door and she came out. She doesn't know me and I told her I had flowers for her. Dear love, she said she couldn't imagine who would be giving her flowers. I told her it was me and I was giving them to her because she works so hard in her garden and we all get to enjoy the beauty of it. She was totally gobsmacked. All she could say was 'I don't know what to say.' Her name is Elizabeth. Tears ran down Elizabeth's face and you would truly ... Read Full Story >>

3299 Reads

Pay It Forward Coffee Day

I don't drink coffee. It's not that I don't like coffee, because just the smell is heaven to me, but coffee doesn't seem to agree with my body. I can drink decaffeinated coffee every once in awhile if I'm lucky, but only on rare occasions. So this story is not actually about me, but about my husband, who definitely drinks coffee. In fact, he drinks so much coffee that he is on a first name basis with every employee that works at our local coffee house. They even gave him a Christmas card last year with a free coffee gift card inside. Well, maybe they gave him the gift card because he's such a friendly guy. :) Anyway, each Friday, the person behind him gets their coffee gifted to them. If there's no one behind him then the next person to walk in the door will receive the pleasant surprise. He decided ... Read Full Story >>

4270 Reads
  • Posted by adoulamom
  • Jun 25, 2013
  • 26 Comments
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Jasmine the Greyhound

In 2003, police in Warwickshire, England, opened a garden shed and found a whimpering, cowering dog.. It had been locked in the shed and abandoned. It was dirty and malnourished, and had clearly been abused. In an act of kindness, the police took the dog, which was a Greyhound female, to the nearby Nuneaton Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary, run by a man named Geoff Grewcock and known as a willing haven for Animals abandoned, orphaned or otherwise in need. Geoffand the other sanctuary staff went to work with two aims to restore the dog to full health, and to win her trust. It took several weeks, but eventually both goals were achieved. They named her Jasmine, and they started to think about finding her an adoptive home. But Jasmine had other ideas. No-one remembers now how it began, but she started welcoming all Animal arrivals ... Read Full Story >>

76.5K Reads

The Echo Of Life

The Echo of Life A son and his father were walking on the mountains. Suddenly, the son falls, hurts himself and screams, "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!" To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!" Curious, he yells, "Who are you?" He receives the answer, "Who are you?" Angered at the response, he screams, "Coward!" He receives the answer, "Coward!" He looks to his father and asks, "What's going on?" The father smiles and says, "My son, pay attention." And then he screams to the mountain, "I admire you!" The voice answers, "I admire you!" Again the father screams, "You are a champion!" The voice answers, "You are a champion!" The boy is surprised, but does not understand. Then the father explains: "People call this ECHO, but really this is LIFE. It gives you back everything you say or do. Our life is simply a reflection of our actions. If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart. If ... Read Full Story >>

17.2K Reads

From a Child to the "People Without Houses"

About a year ago, I was packing to move myself and my son in with my fiance and his daughter.  My son was finally weaning off baby foods, so as I was packing up the kitchen things, I packed up his old baby food. My step-daughter came into the kitchen to see what I was doing. When she saw me packing up her little brother's food, she squealed!  Why was I taking away all his food???!!! I laughed and told her that her little brother was big enough now to eat big people food, just like she does. I then told her that I was going to give all his jars of baby food to the shelter up the street. I explained that some people don't have jobs, clothes, food or houses and that she and her brother were very lucky that her Daddy and I make enough money to give them ... Read Full Story >>

4744 Reads

Boxes Filled With Compassion

Today we spent the morning going through our personal belongings. We were looking for items to give away for free, at a local park. Not just any items but things people really needed. We came up with blankets, soaps, food, and clothing. Our aim was not to find things we no longer wanted, but things we use everyday that would be useful to others. For some of the items we used and needed we split the amounts in half.  We kept one half and added the other half to the pile of things to give away. We made up boxes with the things we believed would be useful and added some small toys.  We added a list of local addresses and phone numbers of local helping agencies. Inside the boxes a simple letter was placed. It read….. “Please take these items and know that your life is important. Times are difficult but these days will pass. ... Read Full Story >>

13.9K Reads

A Lift That Gave Me Joy

Last fall, before Thanksgiving, I was making my way in my car out of the shopping center parking lot.  I was all alone in the car.  I noticed a woman laden with bags and her two boys, one carrying a pumpkin and the other another bag. I assumed that they were headed to the bus stop across the major road, since it was too far to walk with all those purchases to any of the nearby apartment communities.  On a random impulse, I rolled down my window and asked if they were indeed headed to the bus stop.  “Yes,” the mother responded.  I asked "Would you like a ride?"  "Oh yes!” was their excited reaction. I was delighted, and, after manoeuvering over to the side out of the way of other traffic, I stopped and the boys piled into the back seat.  The mother started to push in beside them.  I ... Read Full Story >>

9111 Reads
  • Posted by JeanneHo
  • Nov 25, 2009
  • 26 Comments
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Remembering Why It's Worth Helping

Just recently I had been wondering if there was much point in doing little acts of kindness. So often they get ignored, and occasionally they come back to bite you! Then, just last week, after a long day of travelling, dragging suitcases behind me, I found myself delayed at a bus station. The bus was running four hours late! So, I guess I wasn’t in the best of moods. That’s when a woman asked me if I had any spare change to help her get a bus ticket. “Oh, sure,” I said, more than a little sarcastically. “How much would you like?” As I spoke I mentally kicked myself for my attitude and reached into my bag for some money. As I handed her five dollars I heard her stomach rumble. This was no gentle, ladylike murmer. This had the growl of real hunger! I reached back into my bag and brought out a Danish ... Read Full Story >>

7040 Reads
  • Posted by Kalooeh
  • Apr 19, 2011
  • 26 Comments
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Where's The Jelly?

I just came in from the grocery store. I only needed one item but the woman in line before me had spent more than the money she had in her hand.  As she checked out her 2-3 packed bags, she asked the cashier to put the jelly back so she would have enough money to cover the bill. As she paid, I looked at her and told her I was going to buy that jelly for her. She said, "Oh no, you don't have to. I just didn't grab enough money when I left my home." I looked at her and happily said, "That's okay.  Perhaps you could return the favor to someone else."  Caught up in the spirit of generosity, she tried to offer me something else until she landed upon an idea -- "Can I give you some of my "Turkey points?"   At this store, they give you Turkey ... Read Full Story >>

6117 Reads

Signal to Help a New Mom

While shopping at my local Walmart  I noticed a young girl ahead of me.  She had with her what looked like a newborn infant in the cart along with diapers, formula, and other food items.  This young mother wasn't the average mom shopping at Walmart.  The pierced nose and tongue might have discouraged others from helping her.   The cashier rung up her items and the girl gave the cashier her credit card.  The credit card was declined and the girl looked at the cashier embarassed and horrified.  The cashier gave the girl the option of keeping her items in the cart while  the girl went to get the necessary money.  I wasn't sure if this was the person I was supposed to help, after all there seemed to be a lot of stuff in her cart, and I am a single parent myself.  The girl left, supposedly to go get ... Read Full Story >>

5574 Reads
  • Posted by Marianna
  • Sep 17, 2008
  • 26 Comments
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Free Hugs in Paris

It is said that we need four hugs a day, just to maintain our sanity. Many of us are not meeting our quota. I didn't think that was right. So I began to share and organize Free Hugs Around the World. Free Hugs make people smile and feel good. Hugs release endorphins. Through these free hugs, I've noticed that people often share deep details of their lives.  We are desperate to connect to each other.  My most powerful hug ever, was from a severely autistic boy in Paris. He saw us hugging and asked his mom what we were doing. To our relief, she did not say we were crazy. Instead, she explained that we were hugging people and it was very kind. They left. A few moments later, that boy came running towards me, leaped into my arms, hugged me tight, and looked me right in the eyes. Then I saw his mother.  She was crying. I gently set ... Read Full Story >>

2266 Reads

In Her Time Of Greatest Need

  I used to work in a hospital as a Pharmacy Technician. As part of our duties we would make rounds of all the nursing stations to pick up orders deliver medication, etc.    On one of my rounds I met an elderly lady. She was sitting outside a room crying. People walked past and saw her crying but nobody offered to help. I stopped and asked if she was okay. She said her husband was in the room - dying.     I asked if I could call anyone or do anything for her but she said she didn't have any family near-by and they never had any kids. So, I just sat there a while, holding her hand and listening to her.    This went on for weeks, me listening and hugging, and her waiting and crying.    Well one day on my rounds I saw her sitting there, not crying. So, I went to sit with ... Read Full Story >>

3900 Reads
  • Posted by gadgets
  • Aug 4, 2011
  • 26 Comments
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Best Looking Yard in Town

My husband and I own a lawn care company and so many times we would pass this house that was very unkept as far as the lawn was concerned. Last week, we decided to stop in and see if we could help.  Nobody would come to the door for the longest time.  Finally, a little old lady came to the door, very reluctant to open the door.  We explained to her that we did not want to harm her in anyway.  After a few minutes of talking we asked her if we could cut her grass for her?  She was quick to answer, "I cannot pay for my grass to be cut, my sister is living with me dying of cancer and it takes everything we make combined to pay for her medicines etc."  We had indicated to her that we would just like to do this for her and her ... Read Full Story >>

4792 Reads
  • Posted by lazyonsundays
  • Jan 26, 2007
  • 26 Comments
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Free Money At Walmart

I hand-designed some of my own Smile cards. One is for "hiding" money in unexpected places. It basically says I hope that this will be found by someone who really needs it.  So, I went to a local Walmart here in Hawaii and placed a $20 bill with the card behind a product. I then went to another aisle to see who found it. I so wanted to see how they reacted!    After a while a lady found the money and the note. Then she looked around to see if she could identify who left it. To my surprise she put it back! I guess she really didn't need it. She then went to another aisle to watch who would find the money!   After about another seven minutes a lady with a young boy found the money. They too started looking around and even at the ceiling! I guess they were looking for ... Read Full Story >>

3952 Reads

A Baby Girl's First Act of Kindness

We had our first child in January and were so overwhelmed by all the love and kind wishes that people from around the world shared with us and our little one.  She was showered with blessings, flowers and gifts from near and far and in some cases from people we didn't even know personally! :)  My husband's business friend had a shirt made with her name on it for the football team he supports, another lady in Ireland (who we have never even met!) had candles made with her name on them,  another friend in India had dresses made for her, our aunt knitted lovely hats and sweaters for her, friends bought her loads and loads of adorable clothes, another friend from New York had a blanket made with her name on it, another friend sent us cupcakes from a famous bakery that spelled out "Welcome Sareena," another friend gifted her ... Read Full Story >>

6161 Reads

You Could Be My Son

The other day I was in town with my daughter and we saw this man sitting on the ground, looking sad and like he was under the influence of alcohol or drugs.  Before I could say anything my daughter asked if we could give him some money. (He had a hat on the ground with some coins in it.)    So, I gave her some change. At the same time an elderly gentleman bent down towards the man, said some words, and gave him some money.    I was very much touched by the gentleness of the gesture. It was as if the older man was saying, "I am helping you because you could be my son."    It was a very hot day, which is not very normal in our little town. We were going to the supermarket and my daughter asked me if we could get some water and something for the man to eat. ... Read Full Story >>

6198 Reads

They'll Smile At Me... They'll Smile Not :)

The first week into our recent visit to US while standing in a long check-out line, my daughter, Meera observed, “Mom, most people here seem to be so friendly.   They smile even at strangers.   Nobody does that in India”.   She was right.   Subconsciously I had noticed that as well, though had never vocalized it out loud.   I asked Meera if she had noticed any similarities amongst people who smiled at her.   She thought about it; I thought about it; and we recalled that most often it was the older generation that was more generous with smiles.   Also that African-American store employees not just smiled at us, but also added, “How y’all doing today?” or “You have a good day now”.   Taking an early morning walk in a park with my sister, I noticed that almost everyone muttered, “Good morning”, or acknowledged us ... Read Full Story >>

9190 Reads

A Silent Connection in a Beautiful Moment

My attention was divided between the book in my lap and the people passing by when  I saw her walking slowly towards my parked car.  She had a bright blue saree, a large nose pin, orange marigolds in snow-white hair, a large shoulder bag and a face that showed every wrinkle of her 70 or so years of age.  She stopped and put a hand out to rest against the car’s hood, gently closed her eyes, took a deep breath and wiped the sweat off her forehead. The sweltring day was taking its toll on her slight frame, and the large bag seemed to affect not just her gait, but also her breathing.  She reminded me of a delicate bird, struggling because of the weight someone had added to its wings.  Was there a way I could do something, anything, to stretch those wrinkles around her mouth to a smile?  But then, I wondered, ... Read Full Story >>

6168 Reads




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