I Always Wanted To Be An Angel
I was walking from my office to my car during rush hour at the end of work day in San Francisco. As I waited at the corner of 3rd and Folsum for the light to change, I noticed a car about to go through the intersection. The driver looked harried and was talking on his cell phone.
As he accelerated through the intersection, papers and a manilla folder began swirling and flying out the window. The driver was clearly dismayed, but given the traffic and the one-way street, he simply pulled over a few blocks down.
As the light changed, other pedestrians stomped the papers into mud puddles in their rush to cross the street. Looking at the drivers panic stricken face, I decided to try to pickup as many papers as possible before the light turned and cars started running them over. I noticed these paper looked like the papers I signed when I bought my house.
As the driver came up to me to get the papers he said "You are an angel, You are an angel."
Hearing that made me feel better than I had in weeks.
- Posted by doowyah
- Mar 28, 2007
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Using Kindness to Hush the Noise Downstairs
Several years ago my young daughter and I moved into the upstairs apartment where we now live. While my loving, wonderful friends helped me move in, the downstairs neighbors began to complain about the noise. That did not bode well for living above them. After all, how can anyone move in quietly? As I suspected, the complaints continued on a daily basis -- well after that initial day. We walked "too loudly" down the stairs, we flushed the toilet too much ... Their child had problems with my child and they complained to me as well. I soon learned that they had driven out the last few families who had lived above them and that each situation had erupted into feuds and yelling. So, I had the information I needed and I tried to think of the situation from a spiritual point of view. I realized that I could fight with my ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by Sajha
- Jul 29, 2011
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A Touching Gift From My Nurse
I was in hospital for 5 weeks and was diagnosed with Intracrainial Hypertension. I had to have surgery to have a shunt put in to drain excess fluid from my brain. Following the operations I had a problem with balance and walking was a huge problem. I had to have nurses help me with everything. It was a real difficult and emotional time because it was close to Christmas and I really missed my 3 children. While I was in the hospital, there was one nurse in particular who looked after me, who had a huge impact on my recovery. One day she came with a gift she had bought for me. I was deeply touched. It was a poster with a picture of an empty beach and a verse printed on it. On the back she wrote me a lovely note and signed it. Now I'm not very religious and I'd not seen this before but I was overcome with emotion when I read it. I ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by whatthe
- Feb 13, 2009
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Meeting Sid, my Valentine
As I do not have a significant other, I usually treat myself for Valentine's Day. Why should I have to do without? :) Well I was on my way to the supermarket when I spotted an elderly man who had not long left the shopping mall. He had a walking stick and could only walk a few steps before he tired and held the fence. I did an about turn, went to him and offered to take him home. He had a few other items to collect in the town centre, so I went with him. We went to the chemist then another food store where he only picked up two items. Total time with him was about half an hour. I am quite certain that if he'd been going it alone, he would have taken three hours or more. He got a taxi to the first shop, then he intended ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by RoseMarie
- Feb 28, 2016
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My V-Neck Sweater
Driving home from a movie I knew I was running out of gas. For some reason I passed up the nearest gas station and was compelled to drive well out of my way to gas up. As I pulled up I was captivated by the scene; fancy cars, hybrids, Mercedes and Hondas juxtaposed against two homeless men eating out of the trash can. Another man was asking customers if he could clean their windscreens for spare change. As I stepped the warm confines of my car I felt the frigid wind against my face. That's when a homeless man walked up to me with a desperate look in his eyes. He said, "Sir! Someone stole all my stuff! Can you believe that? Do you have an extra jacket or t-shirt I could have?" I was shocked to think that someone would steal from a homeless man, but I didn't have any spare garments ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by toanlam
- Jul 21, 2011
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Kindness links growing
I used kindness links in my 3rd and 4th grade classrooms. Each time I saw a student being kind, they would write their kind act on the link and add it to the chain (the chain hung up in the classroom).
It was awesome to see how long our chain was by the end of the school year!
- Posted by mbpeterson3
- Apr 9, 2016
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Serving Up Smiles at Baskin Robbins
I'm just a senior in high school who works for minimum wage at a local Baskin Robbins. In and outside of work, I always wear a smile and try to influence my amiable attitude towards others. But lately, I've been inspired by the stories here to reach out in kindness in other ways beyond just acting friendly. So, today, when I went to work, I decided I would take my first big step and truly help a complete stranger. Two young girls came into the store and looked around. I offered them my usual "Welcome to Baskin Robbins!" greeting. It was a couple of minutes later when one of them finally decided upon a flavor, chocolate chip. So then, I made a big scoop and put it upon a cone and handed it to her. Interestingly, though, the other girl didn't get anything even though I could tell she was eyeballing the variety of creams. So, I ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by MINtyfresh353
- Oct 17, 2008
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Touched by kindness
My daughter and myself were driving from Los Angeles to Dallas. We were running low on gas somewhere in New Mexico and figured we'd see a gas station soon enough to fill up. But that didn't happen and we realized we were not going to make it to the next town. So my daughter made up a sign that read "Low on gas. Can u help?" and held it outside her window in the hopes that a driver in the next lane would notice it and stop. There weren't too many vehicles passing us either at the time. It was a desolate stretch of road and about 3.30 pm on a weekday. A suburban was driving along happily in the neighboring lane ahead of us. We caught up with it in the hopes the driver would notice the sign. An elderly gentleman was driving it and after a brief expression of confusion on ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by preethivfm
- Apr 9, 2015
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An Unforgettable Fishing Experience
Several years ago, I worked for a trucking outfit as a driver. It was my habit to go in on Saturday and spend a couple hours maintaining my truck. As I was under the truck greasing it, I noticed the owner's elderly father making his way over to his grandson's truck next to mine. The old man was in his high eighties, had been an avid fisherman all his life, and had come out to ask the kid to take him fishing after work. The grandson told him all about how much he would love to do that, but, he just couldn't that day due to prior commitments. The old man accepted the answer and hobbled off to the house. A few minutes later, the father came out and asked his son what the old man had wanted. After telling the story, the kid ended it with telling his dad, ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by Mike Delyria
- Dec 12, 2008
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Lost & Found: Two Rings
After working out one day, in the locker room, I came across a gorgeous wedding ring studded with many diamonds and a ruby ring. I could tell they were very expensive, and by the color, the gold looked to be 24 carat. I looked around but there was no one in the gym or in the locker room. So I took the rings to our work Lost & Found in the Security department upstairs. After you fill out the tag, the items are kept for at least 30 days. I told the security guard that I did not want my name mentioned, as I wanted it to be a random act of kindness. I did not want the person to feel they needed to thank me or compensate me. And I was pretty sure that the rings would be claimed! Over the course of the day, I forgot all about turning in the rings but ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by brighteyes
- Jun 25, 2007
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A Flashlight From An Old Man
I recently went to a restaurant to buy a pie for a party. As I walked up the steps and opened the door, I saw a hunched-over old man with a cane walking toward me carrying a handled bag full of things he had just purchased there. I stepped back and opened the door widely so that he could pass through easily. As he did so, he stopped and said to me, "Wait!" He set down the bag, reached into one of his pants pockets, and retrieved a tiny plastic keychain flashlight still in its original plastic wrapping. He handed it to me and said, "Take this. I like to give things to people who have done something for me." I thanked him and told him he was very welcome. I was almost speechless as I watched this old man walk off to his car. I added his token to ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by gcampanella
- Jun 26, 2007
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"Just A Smile, Sister!"
I was walking along a sidewalk in the city. A bit of a distance away I could see a woman walking along with a big signboard around her neck. I was naturally curious about what it said, so I deliberately slowed my pace so I could see.
She looked at me and said, "That's all I'm looking for ... just a smile, sister!"
- Posted by cabbage
- Aug 2, 2012
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Moment In The Pharmacy
I was in the pharmacy and I had to pay for my meds - but I didn't have enough money!
- Posted by phyllisstafford7
- Oct 4, 2012
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A Simple Rule Since I was 12
Since I was 12, I've had a simple rule -- remember birthdays! So, if I know a person's name, I consider it my duty to remember the person's birthday (family, friend and otherwise). One characteristic EVERY human being has is the need to feel special, significant and appreciated, and what better way and time to make a friend, neighbor, client, co-worker, your child's teacher, or even the cashier at your neighborhood grocery store feel special than by simply remembering their birthday each year. Talk about putting an instant smile on that person's face, if only but once a year. It brightens their day and it brings so much personal joy to me each time I do it. And because I know so many people, I'm pretty much telling someone happy birthday every month of the year. I'm now 30-something, so I guess you could call me the "Happy B-Day Diva"! And here's a ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by peay_lewis
- Feb 13, 2008
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A Warm Embrace And Presence
It was a usual day at the hospital. I was running around doing what I needed to get done for my patients. Then I stopped in my tracks because I could feel my cell phone vibrating in my pocket. I almost always keep my phone on. In the event of an emergency my family and friends can that way get in touch with me. It was an emergency. There was a death in my family. I couldn't move. I couldn't think. I was excused early from work that day, but came home to an empty apartment and didn't know what to do next. I cried. I didn't know if I wanted to be alone or phone my close friend. I didn't know if I should have bothered my friend. Death is a sensitive subject for some people. Different people handle it in different ways. What does one say? What does one do? After deliberating for a ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by lovelightbug
- Jun 5, 2012
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All It Takes Is One
One song can spark a moment,
One flower can wake the dream.
One tree can start a forest,
One bird can herald spring.
One smile begins a friendship,
One handclasp lifts a soul.
One star can guide a ship at sea,
One word can frame the goal
One vote can change a nation,
One sunbeam lights a room
One candle wipes out darkness,
One laugh will conquer gloom.
One step must start each journey.
One word must start each prayer.
One hope will raise our spirits,
One touch can show you care.
One voice can speak with wisdom,
One heart can know what’s true,
One life can make a difference,
You see, it’s up to you!
- Posted by Shriraj
- Sep 17, 2007
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A Rainy Afternoon Brightened With Little Acts of Kindness
If you are on the lookout, you can almost always find an opportunity for kindness. I filled my afternoon with small gestures today, they didn't take much time or effort, but I hope they made a small difference to the people who received them. I was out and about because I had to do a few errands this afternoon. My first stop was the supermarket. I wanted to buy some croissants with chocolate on them for my daughter Rita. I also decided to get a few plain ones for my husband, my mum and me. Armed with the croissants, I went on to my second stop - a local charity bookshop. I wanted to see if they had any books on Unicorns, since Rita loves them (and, I have to admit, so do I). While I was there, I struck up a conversation with the lady at the counter during which she commented on the smell ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by Bluebell
- Jun 26, 2010
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Repaying a Stranger's Generosity
This story was brought to my mind after reading some of yours :) It happened several years ago but I have never forgotten it. My husband and I were going through some bad times financially. We had both lost our jobs and were trying to catch up on bills by cutting grass for extra money on the weekends. We got up one Saturday morning and loaded up the little flat bed trailer that we carried our lawnmower on and headed out. About 15 miles from the house the trailer started swerving and we realized that it had a flat tire. Luckily, we were close to a little store and pulled into the parking lot. The tire was in shreds, so my husband took the truck back to the house to see if he could find another tire for the trailer. I stayed with the trailer at the store. I had ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by megumi
- May 7, 2008
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Growing Seeds in Silence
Sometimes you read a story that just takes root in your heart. Many stories on the helpothers.org website have been like that for me: "I Wish You Enough" by BrightEyes and "An Unforgettable Fishing Experience" by Mike Delyria to name just two. Well this story I'm about to share with you has been growing in the heart of many people on Cape Ann, where I live. It is the story of Jude, a young deaf man with green thumbs and a big heart who recently opened a plant store in our community called The Silent Seed. I first heard about him from my friend Nana who had noticed the new store during one of her walks and was so inspired by the owner that she felt called to draw the whole neighborhood's attention to his work. A few days later, my friend Loretta who lives in a totally different part of ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by gipsysoul
- Oct 8, 2008
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A fast turn-around in spreading kindness
Last night I was about to leave work when I noticed an elderly, disabled man on his motorized scooter. It had broken down on the sidewalk in front of our school, which is in a somewhat seedy neighborhood. There was no way we could lift the scooter and move it, it was way too heavy. And, the man didn't want to leave the scooter because he was afraid it would be vandalized. The wind was icy cold and he had no money, no cell phone, and no family nearby. I thought to call the police - 311 - but they said they couldn't do anything about this. I wondered ... so they would rather wait to get a call that he's been assaulted? Then I called AAA roadside assistance. I offered to upgrade my account so that he could get help, but they said it would take 48 hours to clear unless it was ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by teresa3
- Nov 28, 2015
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