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Healing the Hurt in Others

Five-and-a-half years ago my father was suddenly rushed to the hospital for open heart surgery.  At the time, we had no idea that he was gravely ill. The surgery did not go well and he remained unconscious. Due to the laws of our state, we were forced to keep him on a ventilator for 72 hours against his living will wishes. At the end of day two, I was sitting in the waiting room and was watching others walk their fathers around who had had similiar surgeries. Typically, I am very happy for others that are recovering, but this evening, I guess I was a little angry because I finally realized I would never be able to hold my father's hand and walk down the hall again. I had to jump up and run down the hall to get away from everyone. This is not in my nature but I just had to be ... Read Full Story >>

6245 Reads
  • Posted by smilingsusan
  • Mar 4, 2009
  • 24 Comments
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Compassionate Cakes for the Community

I entered the monthly Kindness contest, answering the question, "What would you do with $100 to help your community?" I said that I would buy 100 cake mixes and bake 100 cakes and deliver them to 100 different blocks in my community, encouraging the recipients to share their cakes with their neighbors! I wanted to deliver not only food for their bellies, but food for their souls! I wanted to show the love that I had for my community and encourage others to talk with or meet their neighbors! I named the idea, "Compassionate Cakes". To my surprise, my idea was chosen and a $100 check was sent to me to do my project! Now, I had to get to work. I bought the cake mixes and made "tags" telling the recipients about the project and encouraging them to visit the website, www.helpothers.org. I added a "tag" to each cake delivered. ... Read Full Story >>

4850 Reads
  • Posted by Harriet
  • Jun 29, 2010
  • 24 Comments
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Offering My Job to A Friend in Need

I was working for a company in Australia that has a high turnover of staff. I, too, had found a better position and was very aware that management would be dissapointed that I was leaving. I had recently become friends with a young man who had just migrated to Australia. He was unskilled and was finding life difficult being unemployed and married and having two young children. As I handed in my notice I was asked if I was aware of anyone who was looking for work and could do the job as well as I had done. I took this opportunity to line up an interview for my new friend. My friend was not offered the job after the interview. I had to serve a weeks notice and during this time I asked management the reasons why my friend was turned down. They claimed that his English was not good enough ... Read Full Story >>

4680 Reads

Being the Oldest and the Youngest

A few years ago, I wanted to do something special for my birthday.   I remembered how my parents gave me a very special treat when I was a child. I never enjoyed big parties so they decided to celebrate by organizing a party for the local orphans. And that was the most beautiful gift I ever had! With those memories in mind, ten days before my birthday I placed an order for a huge ribbon cake with lovely decorations. I also applied for a day’s leave from the office where I worked.   On the morning of my birthday I dashed to the cake shop. There it was! A grand, huge, ribbon cake with loads of beautiful decorations! I felt a kid myself!     I bought some other food stuff to go with the special cake then, smiling broadly, I drove to an orphanage.    There were now two differant buildings in the same compound. An ... Read Full Story >>

4643 Reads

A Traveling Truck of Sweetness

I was on my school's campus the other day and there was an ice cream truck parked right in front of one of the main common areas of the school. Since I had primarily seen ice cream men drive their musical trucks around neighborhoods for elementary school kids, I never thought an ice cream man would circle our campus and come for us, overgrown kids, such as myself.  I was intrigued and was prompted to investigate further. I was quite surprised when the sweet and rather chubby man in the truck called out, "free ice cream!". I questioned him just to confirm his words saying, "I'm sorry, what did you say?" "Free ice cream, you have your choice of these four frozen treats: the rocket pop, the chocolate eclair, the strawberry shortcake, or the drumstick ." After I got the confirmation that this guy is just giving away free ice cream, I talked with the man for a while. He told me that his dream had always ... Read Full Story >>

7177 Reads

Sometimes One Act of Kindness Goes A Long Way

My husband works for a company that provides 24/7 care and housing for people with mental, physical and developmental disabilities.  Here in Arizona, brutal budget cuts have slashed funds for those most in need.  My husband loves his job and knows he is serving an important purpose, but sometimes the cuts affect morale.  I decided to start sending a basket of goodies to work with my husband every Wednesday, which is the day that all staff members come in to pick up their checks.  I figured it might give them a little extra reason to smile.  On the first Wednesday, I sent these delicious maple leaf cookies I found that are made Canada.  I wrapped them individually in cellophane (because there are lots of employees and I wanted everyone to get at little something).  When my husband arrived home from work, he brought me the following note from one of his ... Read Full Story >>

8753 Reads

Glasses For Her First Day Of School

"I'm at Lens Crafters waiting to pick up my new pair of glasses. In walks a Mom & her little girl. Now Mom is probably in her late twenties & the little girl is maybe five. Both of their wardrobes are badly dated to say the least . It was obvious that the family’s financial windfall had not yet arrived. I overheard a comment the Mom made to the Sales Lady that she was in between job #1 and job #2 of the day, so she didn't have a lot of time. The little girl and the Mom proceeded around the store looking at these little tiny frames for this darling's face. The Sales Lady was helping them try on frames; pulling aside her favorites. You know how some little kids actually look ten times cuter in glasses...that was this little girl. She finds these cute little frames with a butterfly ... Read Full Story >>

21.6K Reads

Homeless Man Who Wouldn't Shoot

I watched from a distance as the homeless man bickered at those who did not leave money for him – the majority. I walked up to him and right on queue he asked me for a quarter. “I’ll give you a quarter if you tell me your story.” He laughed, “You’ll give me a quarter for my story?” I lay the quarter in front him and corrected myself – “Nah, here's the quarter but it would be nice to hear your story.” I followed his eyes to the quarter and for a brief moment I saw a glimmer of reflection. I sat down next to him and waited. “I was in the army,” he said. “Was a sniper – was supposed to shoot down the enemy from the distance.” I listened intently to his grizzly voice as he dwelled deeper into the story. He wore dirty old rags and smelled like a ... Read Full Story >>

19.7K Reads
  • Posted by RishiO
  • Jun 20, 2011
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We All Have A Story

Last weekend I volunteered at our local shelter to serve meals to the hungry. I convinced a classmate of mine, a woman who is older like myself to come along for the experience. Her life consists of school, playing golf as a semi-pro, and generally living a very comfortable and protected lifestyle. I assume everyone has seen the hungry, the needy, the homeless, the less fortuanate in our society but the assortment of folks at the shelter seemed to trouble my friend. She was aprehensive about getting physically too  close when she was serving meals and she was also full of questions. She made observations such as, "They look like they do drugs", "I assume a lot of them have alcohol problems", "Some of them seem like they are retarded." Once everyone is fed, staff/volunteer's can also eat from the leftovers.  We were told there was enough and that we should ... Read Full Story >>

5317 Reads

A Child's Response to Life's Unexpected Gusts

Last spring I was walking in a park. A short distance ahead of me was a Mom and her three-year-old daughter. The little girl was holding onto a string that was attached to a helium balloon. All of a sudden, a sharp gust of wind took the balloon from the little girl. I braced myself for some screaming and crying. But, no! As the little girl turned to watch her balloon go skyward, she gleefully shouted out, "Wow!" I didn’t realize it at that moment, but that little girl taught me something. Later that day, I received a phone call from a person with news of an unexpected problem. I felt like responding with, "Oh no, what should we do?"  But, remembering that little girl, I found myself saying, "Wow, that’s interesting! How can I help you?" One thing’s for sure - life’s always going to keep us off balance with its unexpected problems. That’s a ... Read Full Story >>

9171 Reads

A 'Grave' Situation

On my way into the city of Orillia today, the sun was shining bright.  It was a very hot, gorgeous day.  For me, it wasn't a very easy morning, but everything was falling into place and I felt good. Just then, I noticed some peculiar activity in a small graveyard just off the road.  As I got closer, I noticed that an elderly man was attempting to pick something up.  With a car parked on the small laneway in the graveyard, he was crouching beside one of the gravestones.  Upon closer inspection, it was clear that he was sobbing. After all that had gone on so far in my day, it was time to give something back.  I pulled into the small graveyard behind the lone car that was parked.  As I approached the fellow, I called out to ask if everything was ok. I noticed then what the fellow was trying to ... Read Full Story >>

4976 Reads

A Trail of Shells

I live in Florida in an area that is famous for its shells. Many tourists wake up at 5:00 in the morning to find the best shells.

Living here, we have learned where to find the best shells and how to look for them. A lot of tourists spend time walking up and down the shore on the same beach and they don't tend to find very interesting stuff. And I figure, since I live here, there's no real point in looking for shells for myself since I already have a big collection.

So, whenever I find really nice shells (and sand dollars- those are not easy to find but are in high demand), I go out at night and scatter them along the beach for some lucky tourist to find.

Once I saw a family find a really pretty sand dollar I had left and they were so excited! It made their vacation. Plus, they were from Europe and they had traveled a long way for their vacation. I was so glad that someone deserving got my little gift!

I'll continue to leave more shells along the beach whenever I can!

4294 Reads

Gift for the Cashier

My friends and I recently returned from our annual week at the beach.  While we were there, a couple of us needed to pick up a few items at the grocery store. As we were checking out, the cashier complimented me on my necklace.  I thanked her, and she asked where I bought it.  I had gotten it at the department store just down the street, and told her that it was on sale for 40% off.  My friend suggested that she should walk over and purchase one during her break. But the cashier said she couldn't afford it right now.   As we left the grocery store, I told my friend I was tempted to buy one for her. She agreed, and offered to pay for half.  So we went back to the department store and picked out a matching necklace for the cashier. As we paid for it, the sales ... Read Full Story >>

7221 Reads
  • Posted by bjames3061
  • Sep 11, 2012
  • 24 Comments
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The Gift Of A Bathroom

They were a family of nine; the father, mother, two boys, and five girls. The father worked as kitchen cleaner at a local school and the rest of the family help supplement his income by cleaning people's yards. They were a very poor family. Then the father lost his job at the school!   He asked that I take him on to clean our yard. Realizing his situation, I offered him the job. He and his family came to our house three times a week to clean the yard.    Early one morning the father suffered a stroke and died in the hospital. The poor family had lost their main bread-winner. The oldest boy had just completed school and was getting ready to go to college. The others were just little kids.   We stepped up and did all our best to help make sure the family got their education, and provided some daily needs, like clothes, ... Read Full Story >>

5001 Reads

A Dog, a Gutter, and 2 Thank You's

During a recent trip to India, I introduced my cousin to smile cards and left a deck of smile cards that he has now integrated into his office routine :).  Every morning, after a circle of prayers with his employees, one person chooses a smile card from the deck. The next morning, that person shares the ripples of the smile card.  Here is one of the beautiful stories... A young woman picked a card that read, "Tell someone thank you for doing something nice."  Later that day, as she was standing on her balcony and wondering who she should thank, she noticed a vegetable seller below her and a small dog nearby, inching towards an open gutter.  The woman watched as the vegetable seller imagined what was about to unfold and immediately ran from his cart to save the dog from falling into the gutter. The woman was so overwhelmed by this ... Read Full Story >>

3776 Reads

A Day Of Miracles, Cupcakes And Smiles

One evening in July, a few friends and I decided we would get together to brainstorm an idea for a local Smile Card event in London -- something we could do as a group to share smiles anonymously and cultivate kindness in our hearts.  We came up with a few suggestions and then picked an idea that got everyone excited and moved ahead with planning it – we were going to bake and decorate 200 cupcakes, buy a bunch of sweets, make some fun smile posters and give it all away at Hyde Park!  Our little team of 6 people spent a month planning every fine detail from inviting friends to get involved, baking cupcakes ahead of time, buying supplies, getting t-shirts that say SMILE and a banner with a giant Smile Card on it and visiting the park ahead of time to find the perfect spot for the event.   A special thanks ... Read Full Story >>

6318 Reads

Chico The Wonder Dog!

I live in Los Angeles now.  I drive a car now. Driving a car in Los Angeles can be a bit like running with the bulls in Pamplona. Crowded.  Frenetic.  Lots of horns.  And my mind can race with it—race to things I have to do, things I want to see, people to help, money to make, bills to pay, runs to take, emails to write, life to live.  Fast, unfocused, noisy.  On the worst days, ungenerous and unkind.   And so it was as I drove down crowded Lincoln Boulevard not long ago.  I was driving the speed limit, on my way to a client--not late but not early—I needed to keep moving.  And suddenly, before I knew it, there was a small dog running out into the street.   Running right toward my car, I couldn’t swerve because of traffic—I slammed on the brakes, skidded, held my breath…and none of ... Read Full Story >>

6411 Reads

The Missing Cheese Bun Feeds Two Souls

Any passenger on the subway who caught a glimpse of me may have already thought that I was strange as I was smiling while reading Dostoyevsky’s Notes from Underground. In particular this one gentleman sitting diagonal from me was staring at me, at the cheese bun on the floor in front of me, and then back at me. “Next stop, St. Patrick Station” – my stop was quickly coming up.  I had minutes to either take the cheese bun, which nobody else was claiming (as a passenger probably dropped it by mistake and got off at a previous stop), or leave it there and hope that it didn’t go to waste. In those few minutes I felt my pride getting in the way. “What would other people on this subway think of me if I took the cheese bun? Would they think that I wanted it for myself? Would they think ... Read Full Story >>

5149 Reads
  • Posted by BigBearHugs
  • Nov 10, 2011
  • 24 Comments
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A Lovely Little Old Lady's 90th Birthday

Last year, around Labor Day, I read a "Happy Ad" in our local newspaper.  There was a lady in a local nursing home, who was celebrating her 90th birthday and her family wanted everyone to know about it.  It said that if you wanted to drop her a line, here was her address.  So I did.  I found a birthday card and dropped her a short note, wishing her a happy birthday. A week or so later, someone knocked at my front door.  I opened the door and found a middle-aged man standing on my doorstep.  He introduced himself as the son of this woman to whom I had sent the card.  He explained that he just wanted to drop by in person and thank me for sending such a nice card to his mom.  Apparently, like many older folks, she did not receive much mail and was quite excited to receive mine.  I ... Read Full Story >>

7925 Reads

Rewarding One Good Deed With Another

We were having a mini heat wave yesterday and I was in the supermarket, stocking up on juice and ice-cream.  Now, I'm not much of a fan of the hot weather and I was enjoying the fact that it was cooler inside than outside, but the lady behind the checkout was suffering. I asked if she was looking forward to getting out in the sun after her shift was finished and she replied that she might not last that long. She was melting! She explained that she shouldn't have been working that day, but she had agreed to cover someone else's shift. Now she wished she hadn't. She felt like she might die! I paid for the shopping and headed for the exit. Half way there I remembered something I had wanted to get for Julie, so I went back in. On the way to where I wanted to go, I passed a rack of ... Read Full Story >>

7856 Reads




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