Your Stories
Kindness is a two way street: there is a recipient and the producer - the person who produces the act of kindness. This page is specifically dedicated those of you who have helped others. This page is for your deeds, your thoughts, and those (sometimes) emotional reactions we get when we give. This is about showing others how easy it is to be kind and how selfless we become just because of it. These are our examples and, hopefully, they just might become yours too.
If you've done something kind for someone, tell us about it!
Have a Samaritan story to share?
Homeless Heartache (October 1, 2011)
I have a thing about homeless women. Maybe that's not politically correct to say , but its true. I personally believe that any woman that I see who is homeless must truly be at her most desperate. I think as women we will try and put up with just about anything rather than be homeless and living on the streets. Its different for guys....it just is! They don't have to worry about the same things that women do when they are alone and vulnerable. Another thing I have noticed is that when its women they are usually either digging through dumpsters for empty bottles to return...which surely is harder and dirtier work than any other source of employment, or they are clearly physically or mentally handicapped. Whenever I see a woman in this situation I give her money if I have any on me. I will help men too but I generally will give the women more. Again, I know this may not be the politically correct thing to say or do but its how I feel.
We were in Italy and I was with my teenage son. We were being typical tourists wondering around taking pictures of random weird things, getting lost on purpose and generally annoying the locals with our butchering of their language and ordering of cappuccinos after noon (which apparently is considered the utmost in tackiness to the Italians ). I noticed that almost all the homeless I was seeing were women.
There was one that was sitting on some steps with an obviously infected huge gash on her leg. She was pretty old and definitely scary looking and was ranting in Italian. My son immediately crossed to the other side of the stairs to avoid her as did about 30 other people who passed by during that time. I went over and gave her some money. All I had was large Euro's so I gave her $100.00. She took it and then looked at it and froze. She looked up at me and started praying in Italian, at least I think that's what she was doing because she kept looking up and crossing herself. Her one eye was completely white with a cataract and she was either completely distraught or completely insane. I don't know, but I do know that the 100 Euros would be much more useful in her hands than mine for more Italian souvenirs or some more gelato or wine. It didn't ruin or trip or cause us any hardships and It gave me a chance to explain to my son what it must be like for her.
What woman would willingly sit in the heat with an injury all day to be looked down on, sneered at or avoided out of fear if she had any sort of choice? What if it was me or one of his sisters? Then, not two days later we saw a woman just outside of Vatican city with her daughter. The mom was sitting down with her legs outstretched leaning against a lamp post and her daughter who was probably 3 or 4 was lying asleep on the hot cement with her head resting on her moms legs. The little girl's hair was all wet and curled around her temples and forehead with sweat the way my own daughters get when they are sleeping. It was like I someone put a brick on my chest. I could hardly breathe. What luck, miracle, twist of fate gave me my life and this woman hers?? How would I survive if that was me and my daughter had to sleep in the street, hot and hungry... being stepped over by wealthy tourists and men and women of the church??
All I could think of was my babies and how even when things were at their worst for us we always had food, clothing shelter and people who loved us. This all went through my head in a matter of seconds while we were approaching her. My son grabbed my arm and I saw that he was looking at her too. I know we were thinking the same things and without a word I went over and gave her some money. A lot more than than I'd given the other woman but probably nowhere near what this woman and her daughter needed. I didn't make any eye contact with her because I didn't want her to be embarrassed or ashamed...but I think maybe it was more because I was the one embarrassed and ashamed that there wasn't more I was doing for her and that there were so many times in my life that I have had my priorities messed up and that I have complained about insignificant things. I don't know what I believe as far as Heaven or Hell or Reincarnation, but my definition of hell would be living in those kinds of conditions with my children and nobody caring.
- Anonymous, Idaho, USA
Tricky Ticket (September 26, 2011)
Accepting kindness from strangers - or having it offered - is unusual in Eastern Europe. I was heading out of town on vacation and, rather than toss my monthly subway pass in the trash, thought that I'd give it to someone in the ticket queue to use - saving them money.
I offered the fare card to five people before one cautiously accepted it. The others must have felt there would be a catch or some trick was involved. The woman who accepted the fare card asked, "Why?" I answered that I was leaving the city and wouldn't be needing it. She was still standing in line, carefully examining the card for some indication of a trick, as I walked out of the subway station.
-Scott, Kyiv, UKRAINE
Give A Lot, Get A Lot (September 26, 2011)
My husband Dale and I had just moved to Gretna Manitoba in June of 2005, and I was seven months pregnant with our son Jaxon. We moved into a big two story home, with amazing fruit trees, and rhubarb galore. Besides the fruit I would randomly waddle out and pick just to satisfy my cravings and to make the occasional apple crisp, I knew that there was going to be alot of fruit that was going to go to waste, because I was very pregnant, hot, uncomfortable, and HUGE! I just knew there would be no canning or extreme preserving taking place in my kitchen.
I received a knock at the door one Saturday morning, and there stood a little older mennonite lady. She introduced herself, and informed me that she lived across the street, and we had a great little chit chat about her family, and our soon to be addition to ours.She then asked me if we were going to be using all the rhubarb that we had, and I told her no that I had just mentioned to Dale that most of the fruit and rhubarb would be going to waste. I told her to just come and help herself to everything! We had apples, plums, apricots, and rhubarb and the trees were loaded. She was so excited she put her arm around me and gave me a little pat on my shoulder. She left and was gone no more than 20 minutes only to return with her husband, a stack of pails and a step ladder. They got busy and picked and picked, I offered my help and they giggled and told me not to be silly( due to the fact I looked like I was pregnant with twins,and it was smokin hot out) I took them each a drink and they were so grateful! After that day I seen our neighbours only occasionally if we were out in our yards at the same time.
About three months had passed and our son Jaxon was almost four weeks old, we had a knock at the door. There stood my little mennonite neighbour with a big basket in her arms. I asked her in and she could only stay long enough to be introduced to Jaxon and she had to be on her way, she told me that she wanted to bring us a little something but wanted to wait until we had a few weeks with our new little one. She motioned towards this big basket, and I walked over and removed the dish towel and could not believe my eyes!! There had to of been 15 - 20 jars of jams, sauces, and jellies! She told me that my act of kindness towards them, had to be returned and that the jams ect, were all from our trees! I was not expecting that at all. So I am a believer of full circle acts of kindness!!
-Denise, Virden, Manitoba, CANADA
The Walmart Wallet (September 22, 2011)
One day probably about a month ago there was a young mom at Walmart and she had $53.00 worth of groceries in her cart. Her card was declined and she picked up her little one out of the cart and walked away! I was right behind her before the cashier cancelled her order. I paid for her groceries and pushed the cart outside, scanned the parking lot and could not see her. When I turned around to go back inside there she was sitting on the bench between the doors crying. I pushed the cart to her and said "I believe this is yours" and told her to have a good day! I went back inside and got my kids, paid for my stuff and left she caught me on the way out and gave me a big hug and all she could say was "you have no idea, thank you"! The greatest feeling in the world is when someone truely says THANK YOU!
- Darlene, Bruderheim, Alberta, CANADA
Women's Shelter Elves (September 22, 2011)
It was 3 days before Christmas about 4 years ago and we were feeling especially lucky and blessed. Our family was happy and healthy and we'd had a great year. I started thinking about the fact that there are so many families that aren't so lucky and how every child should be able to have something to be happy about at Christmas. We donate to charities all the time but it sometimes feels pretty faceless and you don't really know that its going directly to the people that need it most. I was trying to think of ways to help some local people who needed right at that moment. I then thought of the Women's Shelter. I called them and asked how many families they had staying there that would be there for Christmas. They told us and we went to work right away.
We did up Christmas cards for each family with a note to each mother telling her how strong she was for putting herself and her children first and for being brave enough to take this first tough step. We included some money in each card that they could put towards whatever they needed. We went and bought some toys, books, games, small household items that they would be able to use when they got their own places....dish towels, glasses, coffee pots, sheets etc...
Then we drove down to the shelter and dropped it all off. We just left it with security and the woman running the intake desk. She had to approve it through her manager (for security reasons) but they were thrilled and assured us that it would mean a lot to the families staying there who had basically just walked away from all of their possessions just to start over and be free from abuse.
We had our son with us who was 12 at the time and it was a huge experience for him. He asked a lot of questions on the way there and home. It was a perfect opportunity to teach him some incredibly valuable moral lessons and have him see first hand why and who benefit from charity and kindness.
There were so many emotions that we all experienced after doing this. Excitement at the idea and joy while buying the gifts. Sadness, empathy and support while writing the cards. An endorphin rush when dropping everything off.....mixed with anger towards the men that put their spouses and children in that situation...then the completely humbling feeling of realizing that it could have easily been me or one of my friends or family in that situation, had life dealt us some different cards....
I don't remember a single thing I got that year for Christmas and I'll bet you my husband and children don't either, but I know none of us will forget how great it felt to do that and how it was an instant Christmas spirit booster!
- Anonymous, Calgary, CANADA
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