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Believing in Kindness

I was on a long drive this past weekend and stopped for a rest break.  I noticed a man in a wheelchair sitting by the stop sign.  He was holding a sign that read, "trying to make it home for the holidays".  I quickly dismissed it because I had no cash to give him. I watched as people drove by and either ignored him or stared at him like he was a curiosity of sorts.  I felt really badly for him. I started to drive away but turned around and asked him if he was hungry.  For some reason, I seem to be called to feed hungry people lately.  He seemed shocked that someone was interested in his well-being and said yes, he would like a sandwich and a soda. I know some people balk at the idea of giving money to strangers because they may use that money for drugs or alcohol ... Read Full Story >>

Chocolate Insanity

It was a routine trip. We, my wife and I, are walking back home from the grocery store when we spontaneously decide to walk into a coffee shop. As my wife orders a small cup of coffee at the counter, I huddle our grocery bags under our table and get ready to share some hot coffee on this unusually cold day. Just then, my eyes catch glimpse of a young woman in her thirties escorting a rather frail Mexican woman into the shop. Maybe it was the gentleness of their encounter or a vague familiarity with the circumstances, but something about them grabs my full attention. I immediately feel an impulse to do something for them. Anything. Unfortunately, before I can gather my wits, they leave the coffee shop without ordering anything! When my wife returns, I tell her of my silent encounter. "But I ... Read Full Story >>

Tagging the Whole Entire Plane!

What better way to start a journey than to tag the passengers on my flight? What to tag them with was the next question. The kids were easy. I went out to a party supply store and picked up a variety of goodies- bubbles, mini mazes, cards, candy, notebooks and pens. It was perfect, the store had smiley face bouncy balls and smiley face bags. But what of the adults, the day before my trip, I realized the perfect solution was in front of my eyes for weeks. For graduation, I had received a bag of smile stones. If you haven't had the pleasure of finding a smile stone, I hope you come across one. Smooth glass stones in a myriad of colours with smiley faces drawn on in permanent black. Mid-flight a child behind came crying to her family, it was time to begin. I pulled ... Read Full Story >>

Turning Rain Into Sunshine - For A Dollar!

I go to one of those "everything's a dollar" stores and purchase several umbrellas to keep in my car. When I am driving somewhere in the rain and see someone stranded without any shelter I pull up by the roadside and hand them an umbrella. 

A Different Kind of Pep Rally

A group of us decided to start a Kindness Pep Rally, where we hold signs with messages like, "Honk if you love someone," "You Are Awesome," "Kindness is Good for the Heart," and "Dont Give Up, Ok?" We are well into the third week of it, and still going strong! Our "Pep Squad" began two weeks ago with two friends, and today something amazing happened! An hour into our "Pep Rally," a total stranger stopped by to chat. During the conversation, the stranger revealed that her name was Amanda and that she had just moved to the area. She said that she was touched by what we were trying to accomplish.  "This may sound strange, but I believe that meeting you and seeing the amazing thing that you both are doing is a sign that I belong here in this city. I want to become part of this."  We shared that our next event would be holding signs that ... Read Full Story >>

Frodo, Sam and the KindSpring Family

I’ve been thinking lately about my visits to the KS community, about how much I enjoy coming here and about the different types of messages which are posted here. I like to participate in some way too as I feel that it’s only fair to give as well as to receive encouragement from all of you however, I’m often at a loss as to what sort of thing to share. Should I post a pretty picture of a flower, an inspirational quote or should I tell a kindness story? When I first came to KindSpring I had recovered from depression and anxiety attacks, KS helped me to see beyond my immediate field of vision, and the inspirational stories of kindness renewed my outlook on life and the world in general. I had come from a period in my life which was pretty much summed up by these words from Tolkien which I ... Read Full Story >>

A Family Tradition Lives On

Every morning my friend would stop on the way to work to grab a quick breakfast for herself and her son, before dropping him off at school. They tended to frequent the same eatery every morning grabbing an egg sandwich, juice, coffee for her, milk for him.   One day she ordered an additional breakfast. Once they had eaten and were headed out the door, she stopped, said good morning to a homeless man sitting outside of the restaurant and handed him the additional breakfast she had ordered. He thanked her profusely, grinning, telling her it was the first meal he had in a great many days. She couldn't help but feel good and was glad she finally took action. She told her son that she had seen him every day that week outside the restaurant and that no one, herself included, had stopped to offer him support, food, drink, comfort, etc. She further explained that homelessness ... Read Full Story >>

Tedi the Love Clown

I go to the Hospital every Saturday, in my bright costume, and long eyelashes,and an august clown face.  I hand the patient a 4" Love Pillow.. hand made by myself, and a couple of friends.

I say, "This is a Love Pillow, It is to remind you that you have a Heavely Comforter,

God is still in charge, you know,

And He loves you so much,

He knows what your needs are even before you ask.

He will never leave you, He loves you with an Unending Love,  And I love you too !!!"

--Tedi the Love Clown

I have been clowning for 24 years now, and this has been my most important experience.  I see between 80 and 120 patients each week and wouldn't miss it for the life in me.

A Professor's Unforgettable Motto

I was priviledged to join a college which not only created an environment for attaining professional qualification but also ensured that each and every student left the college an all-rounded individual. Most of the colleges in my country were commercially oriented and students tended to come in, have their lectures and off they went.  The lecturers in the college I attended always embraced higher ideals and many of the kids coming straight from high school would dread this college on the basis that it was strict. It was no bother to me anyway and I often looked forward to my college days. One of the lecturers, in particular, captured my attention most, not because of his tutorial skills but by the way he would always walk and leave no dirt or paper behind him. He would always bend over and pick any piece of paper lying on the floor and throw it to the nearest dustbin. On ... Read Full Story >>

Literally Giving Away the Shirt Off of My Back

I've been traveling through Southeast Asia for a few months now, and I've learned how to be a minimalist and carry only what I really need. I thought I had reduced my backpack down to the bare essentials after a few months, when a RAOK opportunity presented itself to me and proved me wrong. It was laundry day in the mid-sized Indonesian city I happened to be in, meaning I was down to my last shirt, the least flattering shirt of my seven day collection: a ratty conference t-shirt of a well-known American company I've worn a hundred times. It's a shirt I don't feel particularly flattering in, so I try to stay indoors and use it as an opportunity to have a quiet, indoor day. I hadn't thought anything of the shirt until a young Indonesian man staying at my guest house saw me and immediately took notice of the corporate ... Read Full Story >>

The Waffle House Waitress

I was recently traveling with a friend when we decided to get something to eat. Being a huge Waffle House fan, we scouted out the area we were in, and found one. If you have never been in one, or have never heard of it, Waffle House is kinda like a chain of diners that serve the best waffles around! They won't be found at the top of any Zagat's list of Fine dining, but they are my favorite! Our waitress took a while to take our order, asking the same questions a few times. We made a few substitutions and "complicated" the order, but she wrote it all down. When the orders came, they were not right. When the bill came, it was not right either. The only thing that was right was the taste of the food and the smile of the waitress. She may not ... Read Full Story >>

The Sock Ministry

David the homeless man started to cry.   In order for the ER doctor to examine him, he needed to get undressed. With some coaxing, he undressed, explaining that removing his layers of Michigan winter clothing made him feel vulnerable.    He hesitated when I assisted him in taking off his socks, and once they were removed, I knew why. The socks were smelly, wet, and had not been changed in months. David also had a severe case of trench foot.   With soap and a pan of warm water I washed David's feet, recalling in my mind the biblical meaning of washing another feet. It was then I got the idea to start a Sock Ministry. Christmas was coming, and we encouraged people who received socks (again) for Christmas, to donate them to the Emergency Room. Within a few weeks we had hundreds of pairs of new socks. Word spread throughout the homeless population, and ... Read Full Story >>

A Gallon Of Gas And A Gift Card

My husband and I have six children and things have been tight financially.  He is a brick-mason and as a barter deal he agreed to build a sign base for a man who owns a sign company in return for a basset hound puppy.    The job was at the front of a cemetery. As we were working beside a busy road we noticed a well dressed man walking towards us. I looked beyond him and saw his car was parked on the roadside. When he reached us he asked if we had any gas he could have.    My husband reached into the back of the truck and handed him a gas can with a gallon or two of gas and a funnel and told him it should be enough to get him to the nearest gas station.    The man thanked him and walked back to his car. About twenty minutes passed and we finished ... Read Full Story >>

A Special Blessing That Lasted A Lifetime

Most of us have a few experiences each day that make us laugh or grin for a short period of time. If we are lucky, we may cross paths with something that makes us grin for a day or two. If we are truly blessed, somewhere on our path we are able to be part of something that will make us grin for the rest of our lives. I need to share such an event with you, with the hope that you would consider a similar project in your community. I am a building contractor from Lynchburg, Virginia. I have been volunteering with Greater Lynchburg Habitat For Humanity since our affiliate started in the late 1980’s. In the past 20 years, I have tried to give more to Habitat than I have received, but it is something I have not been able to accomplish. I have always said that if you look around, ... Read Full Story >>

Doing Something Out Of The Ordinary

I have just done something out of the ordinary, and it felt fantastic. 

I found myself with a couple of hours free and nothing to do so I  decided to go to a low cost supermarket and made up 3 bags of food costing about £10 each. I then proceeded to drive to a very deprived part of my town where I knocked on the three most shabby looking doors and waited.

Once the door was answered, I simply said: "I know things can be hard sometimes and we all need a little help, I hope this comes in handy." I handed over the shopping, smiled, turned around and walked away. The look on the people's faces was priceless. The food fed the people and the gesture fed my soul.

As always, "we make a living out of what we get but we make a life out of what we give!!"

 

A Name I Won't Forget

Tuesday night, at confession, Father gave me the usual penance: prayers. Then he hesitated and said, "I'm going to give you a second penance, a fun one, 'cause I know I can do this with you. You are to do an anonymous act of kindness for someone. It doesn't matter who it is, as long as they don't know about it." I decided to give a thank you card and a chocolate bunny to the cleaning woman at work. She's such a cheerful person and she does such a terrific job. The only problem was I didn't know her name! I asked my co-workers. None of them knew. I emailed my boss (I knew she would know), and as I was doing that, one of my co-workers started instant messaging everyone in the plant for her name. No one knew. It was pretty embarrassing for all of us! Finally, my coworker got a response from ... Read Full Story >>

Marvin's Prayer Book

A while back I started a prayer book for a very sick friend called Marvin. This morning I was collecting prayers and a man wrote something in Marvin's prayer book. Then he told me his story.    Like Marvin he too has cancer. He has been through chemotherapy three times. His cancer has returned after every chemo period and even a few surgeries. He is now stage 4 and terminal.   The reason I am sharing this is because he said all of this to me with a voice that was so hopeful. He seemed not concerned about his situation at all. Instead, he asked many questions about Marvin and even put his phone number in the prayer book for Marvin to call.   He said, "Tell Marvin, no matter what time of the day or night it is, he can call me. Tell him I want to hear from him in his darkest hour. You ... Read Full Story >>

Leaving the Door of Compassion Open

Two days ago I was woken up at 1 AM. My roomie stood at the door (she was returning from a club) along with a huge middle aged man with long hair.  "Please let him in", she told me, "He has been locked out of his apartment". She had seen him , cold and shivering (it had snowed the previous night) and immediately asked him to sleep at our place. He was a law student in his fifties who had been doing his homework at the laundromat when he found he had left his keys in his house. I'll be honest, I'm pretty square. I have never had a strange man sleep in my house before. My roommate and I are both less than 5 ft 3 and we have been asked to 'not speak to strangers' since we were kids.Not to mention we're in a new city that we have lived in ... Read Full Story >>

Run Shay, Run!

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?' The audience was stilled by the query. The father continued. 'I believe, that when a child like Shay, physically and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.' Then he told the following story: Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay ... Read Full Story >>

I Couldn't Ignore Her Wet Socks And Sandals

It was raining and chilly. I passed a homeless woman with wet socks and sandals. I asked her if she had any other shoes than that and she said she didn't. So I asked her if she would like a pair of shoes that would keep out the cold and damp. She was very eager, not surprisingly. Her feet were soggy though at least she had an umbrella and a hooded summer jacket on. It was my honour and pleasure to go with her to a shoe store there and then and do some shoe shopping. I don't have a lot of money so I told her the budget and she was like, "Oh, I can't spend that much any way. I just couldn't." In fact she chose a pair of rain repelling shoes which were on sale and the least expensive in that budget shoe store. She seemed grateful, and ... Read Full Story >>