random acts of kindness

[crosses]

One thing that I try to do is give away at least one random act of kindness each day. It's usually nothing big, but I feel it always comes back to me many times over in the long run. Do others do this and what was your latest act of kindness if you do?

[fiffer010]

Re: random acts of kindness

I always stop and get out of my car when there is an accident or flat tire and ask if they need help. Always open the door for people. Always say thank you, god bless, or other courtesous sayings. Tell me girlfriend and mom i love them every day. these are just to name a few. Here are a few lessons I came across. I know its a little bit of a read but its worth it.



1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady. During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?" Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade."Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say "hello." I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

2. - Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab. She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To hi s surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached.. It read: "Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away... God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others." Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.



3 - Third Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve. In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked. "Fifty cents," replied the waitress. The little boy pulled is hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it. "Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. "Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied. The little boy again counted his coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies.. You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

4 - Fourth Important Lesson. - The obstacle in Our Path. In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand! Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

5 - Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts...Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hspital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will save her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, see ing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away". Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

[frugalfarmwife]

Re: random acts of kindness

I don't get to town often, usually home alone with the animals all but once a week, but I always slow down and open the door at the bank for someone, make eye contact with as many people and smile and say hello, go out of my way to help shorter people/elderly reach things at the grocery, let the person in with fewer items go in front of me at the check out, smile and tell any cashier to have a good day, reassure any cashier/teller that I appreciate them being on the front line at work ( they are always the lowest paid employees and always take the most guff from people). I make sure to go out of my way going into and out of Aldis to make eye contact, smile and exchange my quarter for someones cart, or offer my cart as I'm leaving. I make sure to have a pack of cookies of some type to share with the guys that work at the feed store.

When we first moved back here (my home town) my husband had to adapt to doing for others, eye contact, slowing down, he's from the big city and grew up with the "protect yourself/look over your shoulder" mentality. Now he'll stop for someone with a flat tire, help put a cow back in the field, chat about the weather in the bank line, tell the cashiers to have a nice day.

This is my weekly contact with others and I hope that I can brighten their day a bit as they brighten mine.


I'm also working on being a more positive person, in the last year life has thrown me a lot of bad curves, rather than dwell on them I try to find the good in every single day, my bumper crop of green beans this year, stopping to play with the kittens in the barn, being thankful for all that we do have, etc.


I also appreciate all the good that people do for me and try to thank my husband and my mother daily for being there.

wow, lol, I ran on didn't I?

KJ

Just adding an apology for the way this post rambles on, I was up most of the night with hubby delivering a brand new heifer calf, yeahhhhh!!! What a wonderful site seeing a brand new baby look at the world and watching mama just melt with love for her offspring I LOVE my farmlife!

[fiffer010]

Re: random acts of kindness

wow, lol, I ran on didn't I?

!

I think we would rather see a post like this run long then it being short.

[DaveInPgh]

I think we would rather see a post like this run long then it being short.

I totally agree and this is the type of thread that should be active. Keep people in the spirit of being kind.

Have you performed a RAOK recently? If so, what was it?

[HundredK]

Small thing that no one ever knows about, but every day when I'm walking the dogs or heading to my car in a parking lot, I look for things on the pavement that could puncture tires, and I move them out of the way. I figure I must have saved more than a few people a flat tire. It's amazing how many screws and sharp things are scattered in the path of tires.

I also bought someone groceries the other week. But I kind of enjoy my secret tire hero role a bit more (that's the introvert in me shining).

[GoodSteward]

I'm always on the look out for a way to help someone. Treat others how you want to be treated

[QuarterMillionMan]

Live Aloha, anyone who has been to Hawaii or lived there for any length of time knows what I'm talking about when it comes to the Aloha spirit and the Hawaii people. In general it means to be kind or nice to others. I can't really explain it in words. You'd have to experience in real life.

[HundredK]

Live Aloha, anyone who has been to Hawaii or lived there for any length of time knows what I'm talking about when it comes to the Aloha spirit and the Hawaii people. In general it means to be kind or nice to others. I can't really explain it in words. You'd have to experience in real life.

So true. Such a mellow way of living. Love that.

[rennigade]

Live Aloha, anyone who has been to Hawaii or lived there for any length of time knows what I'm talking about when it comes to the Aloha spirit and the Hawaii people. In general it means to be kind or nice to others. I can't really explain it in words. You'd have to experience in real life.

I would agree with this. We just got back and people are much more relaxed on the islands. Besides oahu...this is what happens when there arent a lot of people living on top of each other...and the weather is always warm.

There arent a ton of major roads on the big island and Kauai...ive noticed time and time again people will stop on these "major" roads to allow someone to pull out or to cross traffic. This type of behavior would never happen where I live...in the DC area.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Good point by rennigade. Drivers in Hawaii actually wave in other drivers to pull in front of them. Los Angeles drivers step on the gas and look straight ahead as if you are not there when trying to change lanes (lol).

At sporting events Hawaii people cheer opposing players who return to Hawaii as an opponent. Other places "boo" those returning players.

Another thing I have noticed people in Hawaii do is let's say you're in a store and an elderly person is on an electric scooter and wants to get through. People will allow the elderly person on the scooter to get through and go ahead of them especially other elderly people (they can relate more I guess). I admit that I'm guilty and I've tried to walk faster than the elderly person on the scooter to try to get ahead of them. Not everyone will display this gesture of niceness but you would have to see it in real life to fully grasp the magnitude of this behavior. I encourage others to try this and allow the elderly person on the scooter to get past you instead of you walking in front of them. It'll take a lot of patience on your part but it is well worth the reward of being patient. Someday you or I might be that person in the scooter.

[creditcardfree]

I'm definitely one to let people with a few items go ahead of me, or wave a driver in. I wave to all the people driving by me while I'm walking in my neighborhood. Can't always tell if they wave back or not, but at least I was friendly.

I think after the election some in our nation really need to see the kindness in others. I'm all for keeping this thread going!

[bigdaddybus]

One thing I started doing a couple years ago was always keeping a gift card or two in my wallet for Panera or Jimmie Johns.

last Friday my 16 yr old daughters car battery died at school. I left work, jump started her car, and had her follow me to the local auto parts chain to get a new battery.
The sales associate walked us through the options they had and then she installed the battery for us. When she installed it for us she took great care to clean up the terminals, grease the battery posts, and make sure everything was installed correctly and the bolts were tight. It just left me with the thought, Wow, she installed that like it was for her daughters car with lots of care.
When she finished we went inside to pay. When leaving I gave her a gift card to and said "Thanks for your help, have lunch on us sometime."

I try to give away dozens of gift cards a year just to let people know they are appreciated. My wife initially thought it was a total waste of money, and now she has even asked me if I have any gift cards available as she has someone in mind to give one too. I am not a very social person and honestly I was terrified the first time I did it. I was dumbfounded the first time I made someone tear up, the world just needs more kindness IMO

[StormRichards]

Repo man felt terrible taking elderly couple's car. So he paid it off and returned it

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/good-news/repo-man-felt-terrible-taking-elderly-couples-car-so-he-paid-it-off-and-returned-it/ar-AAkC1Eq?li=BBnb4R7

[disneysteve]

One thing that I've tried to get in the habit of doing is calling people by their name if they are wearing a name tag. For example, the cashier at the supermarket. Rather than just saying, "Hi" when it's my turn, I say, "Hi Ashley. How's you're day going?" It's a really simple gesture but it sends the message that the person is an individual and not just some bot there to attend to you.