Random and not so random acts of kindness

**imagine** · 07-08-2011, 10:22 AM

I was thinking about kindness. You know when people share something, their hand me downs, their excess, their time. Those things sure warm then heart.

Here are a few that happened to us this week.

The boys road to the dollar store to buy candy ( the friend's mom had given them some money for this and the boys each chipped in a bit to get what they wanted) The even picked out a candy for Little Miss and when they returned invited her outside on the porch to enjoy the candy and flavored water with them.

Our neighbor who works security downtown and gives parking tickets saw the boys down town with their bikes and ask what they were doing and how they were doing. ( locking up their bikes so they could go shop). Nice to know other adults look out for the children/teens when they are out and about.

The boys were 2 cents short at the store and the lady behind them in line ( they didn't know her) gave them the two cents.

I checked they did remember to say thank you to her or so they say they did I'm sure they did.

The awesome hand me down bag for Little Miss I believe was this week ( maybe last week)

We let people in front of us in line at the store that had less than us and when we had less (quick pick up trip) people invited us to go before them in line.

At the eye doc, the eye tech person invited us to pick out some bread in the back ( a relative delivers them and shares those he needs to get rid of with several places including the eye doc) she invited us to pick out some so I picked out a bag of bagels and said thank you. She kept encouraging me to pick out more. We ended up with a bag of plain bagels, a bag of everything bagels, flour tortillas, a bag of whole wheat hamburger buns, a bag of steak buns, and the kids favorite a bag of chocolate donuts.

Yes, when people share the world is a wonderful loving place.

Random and not so random acts of kindness are a wonderful thing.

**Shelli_wnj** · 07-08-2011, 10:53 AM

an awesome testimony of the goodness left in the world

the other day we were on a toll road, and the person in front of us had paid our toll. Then we went to the movies with the kids a few days ago with some money I had been able to save. the man at the ticket counter said the person in front of us had paid for not only our tickets, but for the three families behind us as well!
When I was at the store, I couldn't handle the bags, the kids, and the door, and someone who was still shopping put their stuff down to come to the door and help me out. She even helped me carry the bags so I could get the kids' hands.
I love this kinda stuff.

**frugal is fun** · 07-08-2011, 11:53 AM

I've noticed that my 6yr old has a very kind heart.

a couple of weeks ago my son went through his toys and decided to give a few things to the little girl across the street. He decorated a paper lunch bag, wrote her name on it and gave it to her as a present.

The father of the same little girl lent my son a wii game. My Son just bought a new wii game with money he had saved and only played it for a day or two before knocking on the neighbors door letting him borrow the new game.

**krbshappy71** · 07-08-2011, 01:25 PM

Kindness absolutely matters. What you give is what you receive. When I first moved here I raved to a close friend about how wonderful everyone was here. The person looked at me like I had 3 heads and said how they hated everyone here.

Um, I have been here 12 years since that conversation and still think its filled with the nicest people EVER and the same person still disagrees. I can't help but believe that its the kindness that I give out that I'm receiving back. You have to take that first step, you have to believe in goodness of others and look for goodness all around you. I hope I don't come off braggish, I just mean that kindness matters SO MUCH and there needs to be more of it. It starts with ourselves and definitely can be passed on to our children or other loved ones by leading by example.

**annymoll** · 07-08-2011, 01:36 PM

I saw the neatest example the other day. I was at the salvage store and they had a massive flat of bread come in. I heard the owner telling the clerk that they had no idea where it was going to go, they did not have room.Two days later I was at the thrift store. There were baskets and baskets of bread there with a sign that said" Help yourself. Limit 3."I asked where the bread came from and was told an anonymous donor. I knew where that bread came from.What a great place!!!

**max915** · 07-08-2011, 01:42 PM

Just love these stories!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**max915** · 07-08-2011, 01:45 PM

I guess I have mine own only it happen about 20 years ago and I still remember it...My husband and I had gone to a RV show in St louis it was a gift from my husband because I had just had a miscarrage and was feeling very down and he knew how I loved to go to those things..anyway we were in line like about 2-3 hundred other people and this man walks up and hands us two tickets to get in he said that he had won them from a radio giveaway. I aways thought why us out of all those people...but God moves in mysterious ways..

**CrazyCat** · 07-08-2011, 02:46 PM

I'm love this thread.
I'm such a believer in 'paying it forward'~
the world does not have ENOUGH kindness in it.~

we can start by smiling at people. Just smiling.~see how it can brighten someone's day.
When I'm checking out at a store, and the clerk is 'not nice'~I kill them with kindness~compliment them on their hair...or clothes...anything that makes them feel special. Everyone deserves that~to feel special. You would be surprised at the outcome.

last year..when we were traveling~i included a hershey's kiss in the toll money that we paid.~You should have seen the surprise and thank you's~you would have thought I had given them a million bucks~but it was just a kiss~LOL!

**imagine** · 07-08-2011, 04:04 PM

Originally Posted by annymoll

I saw the neatest example the other day. I was at the salvage store and they had a massive flat of bread come in. I heard the owner telling the clerk that they had no idea where it was going to go, they did not have room.Two days later I was at the thrift store. There were baskets and baskets of bread there with a sign that said" Help yourself. Limit 3."I asked where the bread came from and was told an anonymous donor. I knew where that bread came from.What a great place!!!

The Walmart in our area give day old bread that didn't sell to the Salvation Army. Other stores must do this too. So at the SA thrift store there is almost always a cart of bread or produce etc that are free for the taking. No limit so far everyone just takes a fair share and leaves some for others.

**imagine** · 07-08-2011, 04:05 PM

Originally Posted by max915

Just love these stories!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Me too love to hear these stories. Hope others share more. They are wonderful.

**oheoh's momma** · 07-08-2011, 05:05 PM

These are so neat I leave coupons at walmart and foodcity for products I am not to use or extra. Last week I bought my neighbors child an ice cream cone. My neighbors gives me coupons all the time. I helped 2 elderly ladies find their products in the family dollar store. It so such a good feeling to do something nice for someone and to receive an act of kindness.

**mh3rdwheel** · 07-08-2011, 06:59 PM

At Christmas time last year, I came home from work and I checked the mail and found an envelope filled with $300 addressed to us but no name of sender.

Last week a lady was short $3 so I helped her out and she brought the money back a couple of days later.

Every month a gentleman comes in and buys 5 Cartons of Lucky Strikes and spends $65 a carton, he always drops off coupons for USA I love to give them to people who need them.

**frugalfoster** · 07-09-2011, 12:54 AM

The year I turned 50 I decided to change my life. I did it by performing 50 random acts of kindness and trying 50 new things. The 50 new things...well sometimes those are hard to remember to do, however, the 50 random acts of kindness...those were easy. It is those two things that have dramatically changed my life. Once I stepped outside myself and saw the world in different eyes, my life became soooo much better. I have many friends, not enough time for to spend with them unfortunately. But i'm not lonely...and I know that i'm loved. Try it for yourself...If you're 20, start with 20 of each and each year add one more of each.. I'm 54 now and perform 54 of each. (Actually i find that the kindness acts are fulfilled in a couple of months, so I actually perform way more than that). It doesn't have to cost money..all people really want to know is that someone cares....

**ruderring** · 07-09-2011, 08:18 AM

This is so nice to read. I always try to do something nice for others everyday. May it be a smile, chatting with a person I do not know or just giving an encouraging word to someone. I wish everyone in the world would do something nice for someone else. I read a book to my students that is called the Quilt Makers Gift to teach them about giving and how if you give not expecting anything in return you will get too. The point being that good things happen when you help others. It makes me cry just about every time I read it. I recommend this book for anyone. It teaches a valuable lesson to everyone. It has a prequel book also called The Quilt Makers Journey. An other awesome read. Keep up the good work everyone!!!

**imagine** · 07-09-2011, 09:16 AM

Originally Posted by ruderring

This is so nice to read. I always try to do something nice for others everyday. May it be a smile, chatting with a person I do not know or just giving an encouraging word to someone. I wish everyone in the world would do something nice for someone else. I read a book to my students that is called the Quilt Makers Gift to teach them about giving and how if you give not expecting anything in return you will get too. The point being that good things happen when you help others. It makes me cry just about every time I read it. I recommend this book for anyone. It teaches a valuable lesson to everyone. It has a prequel book also called The Quilt Makers Journey. An other awesome read. Keep up the good work everyone!!!

Which order do recommend reading the books?