Search Results for 'popular' (3006 matches)

The Man At The Market and His Mother's Wish

When the supermarket clerk tallied up my groceries, I was $12 over what I had on me. I began to remove items from the bags when another shopper handed me a $20 bill. “Please don’t put yourself out,” I told him.

“Let me tell you a story,” he said. “My mother is in the hospital with cancer. I visit her every day and bring her flowers. I went this morning, and she got mad at me for spending my money on more flowers. She demanded that I do something else with that money. So, here, please accept this. It is my mother’s flowers.”

Down In The Dumps

Very recently, I have had to move from my home and have been living in a hotel room with my son who is 17, my sister and her two children ages 4 and 8.  

Times have been hard and I have been still going to work and pretending every day that it is no big deal, that we will get through this.  But today I was really down until I logged on to this site .... and read everyone's stories!  It just brightened up my day.

From the bottom of my heart, I thank each and everyone  for their acts of kindness.

Even though times are hard for me right now, I am still going everyday to help my mother who has colon cancer and try to help others with their problems.  Compared to some others, my problems are not so terrible.

Thanks for reminding me.

A Rainy Day At The Carwash

One rainy cold day, I decided I didn't care anymore if it had been raining all week, I just wanted my car clean. Besides, if it was nice and I had it washed, it surely would rain anyway!   I went to the carwash around 1 p.m. and sat there a minute before a young attendant came out.  He seemed somewhat dejected.   After I pulled out of the carwash, I didn't get far before a thought occurred to me -- I had a bag of homemade cookies; they were meant to be for a friend but knowing the compassionate nature of my friends, I figured he would understand.  So I immediately made a "U'ey" and pulled back into the carwash.  The attendant seemed even more surprised to see me, again!   With a big smile, I handed him the cookies and the card that said "SMILE, you have been tagged" and he got a huge smile ... Read Full Story >>

Making Over A Room With Love And Kindness

I wrote earlier about my gift home makeover project - Etseth and I would like to tell you about a very special family that I have recently done a makeover for! The mum of this family, was a victim of severe domestic abuse 12 years ago. After years of the being subjected to violence, she summoned enough courage to leave, she moved from England to Wales with her three children and moved into a woman’s refuge. Further down the line, she met someone, got married and they eventually had two more children.  Their two oldest have moved out so they are left with three children who are 14,11 and 9 years old. My project was to plaster the lounge/dining room. Whilst I was doing this project, their oldest daughter returned from serving in Afghanistan. Unbeknownst to the family, the daughter had spent lots of her army pay to take the family away for a 2 week holiday. As the ... Read Full Story >>

Heaven and Hell Story

A man spoke with the God about heaven and hell. The God said to the man, "Come, I will show you hell."

They entered a room where a group of people sat around a huge pot of stew. Everyone was famished, desperate and starving. Each held a spoon that reached the pot, but each spoon had a handle so much longer than their own arm that it could not be used to get the stew into their own mouths. The suffering was terrible.

"Come, now I will show you heaven," the God said after a while. They entered another room, identical to the first -- the pot of stew, the group of people, the same long-handled spoons. But there everyone was happy and well-nourished. "I don't understand," said the man. "Why are they happy here when they were miserable in the other room and everything was the same?"

The God smiled, "Ah, it is simple," he said. "Here they have learned to feed each other."

My Neighbor's Encounter With Death

My neighbor was diagnosed with Leukemia.  He was told that he didn't have many days to live. While most would get depressed, he was as happy as ever!  I was confused and decided to ask him why. He was gardening when I finally asked the question.  With a smile, he responded, "Why be angry at the world when we are blessed with the knowledge of our death?  Why not embrace it give back something to our society?" The next day, I read in the newspaper that he was among the many who volunteered to help out the poverty stricken people in South Africa. He was already packing when I entered his house.  He said he want to go and enjoy the last few moments of his life helping people.   With his usual wisdom, he also noted, "It's better to live a life happily in the short amount of time then to live a ... Read Full Story >>

A Day Full Of Blessings

Some days are just so full of blessings you don't know what to do! Today was one of those. My neighbor needed to avoid a utility shut-off, so I helped her round up the money to cover it. It was mutually beneficial and not really a favor but she appreciated the help. (I bought some stuff from her that she had no use for but I would have probably purchased anyway.)      When I got home I found a wet $20 bill plastered to the ground in the street.    Another friend had coupons and rewards and treated me to a good movie and wonderful dinner at a little cafe. At the diner, I saw a man and his three adorable little girls having a frugal meal. He looked a little stressed, so I used the $20 bill I had found and paid for their meal.    The waitress was so surprised by this that she ... Read Full Story >>

Starting A New Life With Smile Cards

I have been trying recently to help a young girl who begs on the street. Well, a few days ago she shared some good news with me. She has been offered a job in another town! It's about 150 km away and she will be moving there in a week or so.   Realizing that moving and starting a new job would require several things she couldn't afford I picked up a $50 Walmart gift card and gave it to her along with ten Smile cards.   I explained that this was actually two gifts. The Walmart card was one gift but the smile cards were her way to pay it forward in thanks for all who had helped her. I explained that the best gift of all would be the joy she would find in using those cards.    Her smile, the heart felt thank you, and the sincere look of gratitude on her face were ... Read Full Story >>

Smile Cards Take Australia By A Storm

On Sunday 30th of September 2007 over 70 beautiful people in my life (family and friends) staged a Random Act of Kindness Project in our local community. We distributed over 600 SMILE cards on the day and the project is now set to be an annual event!   The day was perfect and we had plenty of volunteers. Over 30 businesses and individuals sponsored and donated and supported in one way or another. The day started off with a brief welcome from me, followed by a poem written by my 9 year old son about Random Acts of Kindness. He read this out aloud for all volunteers to hear which surely got everyone into the spirit of things! My gorgeous fiancé Steven took the reigns and lead the day.   We surprised our community with a free car and window wash, coffee, balloons, sweets, biscuits, gift vouchers, BBQ and lawn mowing. We also fed the homeless, visited local rest homes ... Read Full Story >>

Victim Treats His Mugger Right

Julio Diaz has a daily routine. Every night, the 31-year-old social worker ends his hour-long subway commute to the Bronx one stop early, just so he can eat at his favorite diner. But one night last month, as Diaz stepped off the No. 6 train and onto a nearly empty platform, his evening took an unexpected turn. He was walking toward the stairs when a teenage boy approached and pulled out a knife. "He wants my money, so I just gave him my wallet and told him, 'Here you go,'" Diaz says. As the teen began to walk away, Diaz told him, "Hey, wait a minute. You forgot something. If you're going to be robbing people for the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep you warm." The would-be robber looked at his would-be victim, "like what's going on here?" Diaz says. "He asked me, 'Why are you doing ... Read Full Story >>

Spreading Smiles, Smile Cards And Chocolate :)

Yesterday afternoon, I bought a few things from the supermarket. I decided to buy a chocolate bar for the checkout operator, and gift it with a smile card. The woman at the check-out counter was an older lady, and at first, she seemed very grumpy. After paying, I was nervous to give my gift to her, because for the whole time we interacted, she didn't smile at all. Nevertheless, I picked up the courage and gave it to her, explaining that it was for her.   It was the most amazing reaction ever! :) She seemed shocked at first but then a huuuge smile spread across her face, and she was so happy and thankful! She told me that no customers had ever done anything nice for her before. I felt so happy that I was able to make her smile! :) Then I went out to wait for the bus at the bus ... Read Full Story >>

What I Want on My Birthday

I'm a Director overseeing 5 departments, at work. Last Friday was my birthday. After lunch, I walked with my administrative assistant over to the cafeteria to get a soda only to find all of my staff currently on shift was there, waiting for me. They got me a cake and made my whole afternoon better. I choked up a bit when they sang me happy Birthday.

I know it's late - but here's what I ask of everyone each year for my birthday (from my post on FB):

"My birthday message is the same as last year: For my Birthday this year, I once again ask for something from each of you. Do something nice for somebody today. Stranger, friend, I don't care. Just something nice with no need of a reward or thank you. No need to tell me, I'd rather not know. That feeling afterward? That's my gift to you"

 

Take A Smile

My husband was away on detachment with the Royal Air Force. My parents were away too and although I have some good friends on this particular day I felt totally alone. 

An Unexpected Tip from an Unlikely Customer

This happened to me years ago when I was a waitress, but I still remember this specific incident so vividly. As the end of the night was approaching, fifteen minutes before our restaurant closed, a gentleman came in.  I was the unfortunate waitress who got to stay after closing to take his order and serve him his food. The customer was impeccably difficult was quite openly upset with how his food was prepared, slightly overdone, perhaps a medium rare when he had requested rare. He sent his order back twice. When it eventually arrived to his liking, he needed a pot of coffee brewed fresh. Meanwhile, my managers and our cooks were breathing down my neck, as they wanted the last customer of the day to finally leave so that we could close up shop and go home.   At this point I was frustrated and tired. I had stayed 45 ... Read Full Story >>

Mending Hearts One at a Time

I visit with patients at a local hospital to talk. I am part of a cardiac support group called Mended Hearts. To belong to Mended Hearts and to visit patients you must have had a cardiac problem. I had a heart attack a while ago and by spending time with cardiac patients I can offer comfort and advice as to what I went through which offers some help to people who are about to undergo surgery or are recovering. It is very gratifying as so many patients appreciate the visit. - Mike 

My First Smile Card Experience - But Not the Last!

On a recent trip to California, I was introduced to Smile Cards. I promised myself to initiate an act of kindness before I left California. I kept thinking about it but I didn't know how or what to do.  I reached the airport and the boarding was about to begin, when something just suddenly clicked. I saw an ice-cream store and I went to the store and told the guy at the store (Jose) that I want to do an act of kindness. He looked confused. I kind of expected that! Then I told him I had just attended a conference, met an incredible and humble human being who inspired me to do an act of kindness, and told me about Smile Cards. Jose was intrigued, and was curious about what I was going to say next.  I told Jose, "Whoever is your next customer, treat them to a single scoop of ... Read Full Story >>

Anger Management Gift Economy Style

Several years ago I wrote a book entitled “Anger Work: How to Express Your Anger and Still Be Kind.” I am a clinical psychologist working in private practice and wanted to help people who struggle with emotional pain and trauma. Over years of working with children and adults, I had learned that anger, if expressed correctly, could help people to heal instead of causing more pain and suffering. After I wrote the book, I decided to offer to send it out for free to anyone who couldn’t afford it. Then, a couple of months ago, someone e-mailed and suggested that I offer my book for free as a download from my website. Last month, I thought I would try and see if I could create an unabridged audio recording of my book and offer this for free from my website (so many people prefer audio to print books). The company ... Read Full Story >>

Magnetically Attracting Kindness

I found a twenty dollar bill on the ground the other day. I've been on a tighter than usual budget the last month so thanked my lucky stars for the opportunity to spend more on others. First few bucks were spent opportunistically: anonymously adding to the funds of an older man who went into a gas station counting bills and asking for ten dollars if gas. That kind of thing.   Last night I walked down the street after work and saw a woman selling a newspaper published for homeless folks. She also had some fridge magnets for sale. "What's your most popular magnet?" I asked. "Oh, probably the Bob Marley. This John Coltrane one is really nice too," she said. "I'm surprised it hasn't gone yet. They're five dollars each."   I counted the remains of the cash. "Here's nine dollars," I said.   "Which one would you like?"    "I don't need one myself, but the next person that ... Read Full Story >>

Anything helps!

I was just stopping by the grocery store yesterday when I saw a guy outside with a sign that said, "Anything helps". As I turned my car around and he was just about to pack up and leave. I asked what he needed in the store. He asked for a can of ravioli. I picked him up ravioli, spaghetti, and beef stroganoff in the car. He seemed to be appreciative when I gave them to him. 

An Umbrella to Brighten a Day

On my way to work I would see this older man sitting beside the road and waving at everyone who passed by. I noticed that he sat there every day even if it was raining or very hot outside.  
 
One day while going to work I remembered that I had a beach umbrella at my house, so I turned around, got the umbrella, and took it to him. He was so happy and for about another six months I saw him sitting beside the road waving at people from under the umbrella. 
 
I later found out that the man had passed away, but I hope that the umbrella made his days more pleasant while he was making everyone else's days more pleasant.