Stories Matching 'OnThe Road' Tag (90)Environment Research New Ideas Public Transportation Children Inspiration Teachers Seniors OnThe Road Grocery Store Money Workplace Animals At Home Anonymous Friendship Kindness Kindness of Strangers Courage Small Acts of Kindness Health and Wellness Generosity Sharing Family Respect Neighbors Reconciliation Smile Cards Advice Good Samaritan Giving Money Giving Ability School Church Youth Collective Arts Creative Kindness Random Act of Kindness Homeless Travel/Vacation College/University Holidays Internet Birthday Sharing Food Emergency/Disaster Community Relationships Paying-It-Forward Coffee Shop/Restaurants $100 Kindness Idea Smile Decks Thank You Serendipity Offering More Love, Less Fear--posted by DoNothing, on Feb 16, 2010
comments (15) | email this | print | permalink Rescued By A Cluster Of Goodness--posted by timcollardey, on Mar 28, 2010 Yesterday was the Mother of All Bad Days for me, but I was rescued by a cluster of unrelated kind people/angels. My head's still spinning from the experience. Our house is up for sale and my wife and I agreed to have an open house yesterday. Before it was to start, I had to take our dog, who's been suffering from some unknown liver problem for over two months, to the vet. The appointment was timed just right to get back home and help host the open house. That plan soured in a heartbeat! Our dog had been making some progress with ... comments (15) | email this | print | permalink Three Hours and Three Beaming Smiles--posted by monkeyinpajamas, on Apr 9, 2010 It was a hot weekday afternoon and I was on my way to volunteer at a reading session with visually impaired girls. I got in to a rickshaw and immediately struck up a conversation with the rickshaw driver. The rickshaw driver started telling me the story of his life. He related that he had grown up very poor and he and his siblings didn’t have much. He said he worked very hard so that he could make sure that his children had the opportunity to attend a decent school. He said that there were many nights when he would skip dinner ... comments (12) | email this | print | permalink A 15 Year Blessing From A Homeless Person--posted by Blessed66, on Apr 30, 2010
comments (82) | email this | print | permalink A Silent Connection in a Beautiful Moment--posted by AnuJain, on May 6, 2010
comments (24) | email this | print | permalink Two Quick Judo-Joy-Chops--posted by richard1, on May 13, 2010
comments (18) | email this | print | permalink A Little Girl's Lesson in Love and Compassion--posted by Blissinme, on Jun 12, 2010
comments (13) | email this | print | permalink A Regular Person's Christmas Compassion--posted by MissDre, on Jun 22, 2010 This was written by a Metro Denver Hospice Physician: I was driving home from a meeting this evening about 5, stuck in traffic on Colorado Blvd., and the car started to choke and splutter and die - I barely managed to coast into a gas station, glad only that I would not be blocking traffic and would have a somewhat warm spot to wait for the tow truck. It wouldn't even turn over. Before I could make the call, I saw a woman walking out of the "quickie mart" building, and it looked like she slipped on some ice and fell ... comments (12) | email this | print | permalink Two Thanksgiving Smile Cards--posted by Bosslady31, on Jul 1, 2010
comments (8) | email this | print | permalink A Lost Wallet Returned, Across 3 Continents--posted by twocents, on Jul 29, 2010
comments (17) | email this | print | permalink Acting On The Voice Of Kindness--posted by twocents, on Aug 3, 2010 I was riding my bike around lunch time today and passed a man sitting just off the sidewalk with his face in his hands. My first thought was: "Stop! See if he needs help." But I was riding fast. I slowed down and looked back. It looked as though he was either praying or crying, maybe both. I decided that meant that I had to turn around. I rode up and asked if he was ok. No response. For a second, I thought he might be a drunk or a bum. But I asked again. He looked up with clear eyes and bright ... comments (11) | email this | print | permalink Three Strangers Come Together to Help--posted by bluebuddha, on Aug 24, 2010 It was a busy and stressful day at work. I decided that I had done what I could do and it was time to face the hour-long commute to the East Bay. It was stop-and-go as usual when I finally braved through the Bay Bridge traffic and reached the Powell Street exit ten minutes from my home in Berkeley. About to exit the freeway, I noticed a large black pick-up truck parked a bit abruptly to the right shoulder. A small Hispanic woman got out of the driver seat and opened the back door. I could barely see her through the ... comments (18) | email this | print | permalink Grabbing the Opportunity Before it Passed--posted by nicrobalex, on Oct 14, 2010
comments (10) | email this | print | permalink Kindness "To Go" At This McDonalds--posted by marisaosti, on Oct 16, 2010
comments (11) | email this | print | permalink A Small Gesture That Made My Day--posted by PrincessAungie, on Dec 30, 2010 My husband, my four-month old daughter and I set out on a five day driving journey from California to Washington. We had to stop frequently because oure little one needed to stretch from the car seat. One of our stops, once we crossed the Oregon border, was at a Black Bear Diner. Walking towards the front door we noticed a gentleman standing to one side. He was seriously dishelved, without shoes and wearing tattered clothing. We passed right by him and opened the restaurant door. Then something told me to go back. Holding my four-month old daughter I turned around and said to the gentleman, ... comments (20) | email this | print | permalink There is Always an Opportunity for Kindness--posted by momov3, on Jan 29, 2011
comments (12) | email this | print | permalink A Bus-Load of Appreciation--posted by churchofthePIF, on Feb 19, 2011
comments (17) | email this | print | permalink True Compassion in the Midst of Fear--posted by Sydney, on Mar 15, 2011 Instead of being a day I would like to forget as soon as possible, somehow, today became a day where I experienced the most incredible gesture of compassion that I’m pretty sure I’m going to want to remember for a long time... I live in London and I was on my way to visit my cousins in Wales. I was driving on the motorway at around 70 mph when somehow (probably black ice on the road), I lost control of my car. I was involved in a scary collision with a delivery lorry and then a smaller car. The smaller car had a family ... comments (28) | email this | print | permalink Overwhelmed by Unexpected Loving Kindness--posted by Jimpa, on Apr 1, 2011
comments (25) | email this | print | permalink Paying Forward My Gratitude--posted by dragonmyst77, on Apr 23, 2011 When I was 23 years old I was in a dangerous relationship with the man who was my financee at the time. I was being physically and verbally abused on a daily basis. I was financially tied to him (after he spent all my savings to pay his debts) but I wanted to be free! For the longest time I was too embarrassed to tell my mother about the situation. She had warned me about him. But, eventually, I worked up the courage to tell her and she sent me the money I needed to leave. Before the money arrived he found out what I ... comments (19) | email this | print | permalink Helping One Mother To Another--posted by sheiladbauman, on May 17, 2011 My husband stayed home with my daughter, and I took my son in to the ER after a fall off the slide, where he landed on his head. We were in the ER for observation for a couple of hours and when it was time to leave I realized I had no money with me to pay the toll to leave the emergency parking lot. It was late enough (10 p.m.) that the cafeteria wasn't open, and my credit card wasn't working in the ATM machine. The hospital volunteer told me to find a security guard who might help me with ... comments (16) | email this | print | permalink Kindness Karma Returned--posted by wooka85257, on May 21, 2011
comments (18) | email this | print | permalink A Beautiful Act of Pay-It-Forward--posted by Smiley70, on Jun 9, 2011
comments (28) | email this | print | permalink The Man I Will Never Forget--posted by hasifa, on Jul 17, 2011
comments (16) | email this | print | permalink Real Kindness On A Kenyan Street--posted by Sydney, on Aug 6, 2011
comments (17) | email this | print | permalink The Bridge We Were Meant To Cross--posted by donothing, on Aug 30, 2011 My brother and I were driving home together and became engrossed in a conversation. Because of this distraction my brother took a wrong turn. Unfortunately, the wrong turn took us towards a bridge and we had no way to turn back. Grudgingly, my brother paid the bridge toll and drove on. He was clearly frustrated by the mistake and the needless waste of $4. We eventually reached an exit slip-way and, as we took it, my brother noticed a beat-up black Mustang pulled over to the side or the road. A young guy was standing nearby trying to phone someone. I was ... comments (29) | email this | print | permalink Remembering an Anonymous Friend, 15 Years Later--posted by hrjamest, on Oct 20, 2011 I had just graduated college and couldnt find a job in Los Angeles. I ended up moving to Las Vegas but left my wife and two kids behind. I missed them all week, and I went home on most weekends to see them. Most of the time I rented a car because it was hard to get my beat up car over the pass to get to and from Vegas. Well, one time I decided to save money, and I took my car. It made it to California, but Sunday on the way back to Vegas it conked out in the broiling ... comments (22) | email this | print | permalink Top 10 Kindness Stories of 2011--posted by HelpOthers, on Jan 1, 2012
comments (12) | email this | print | permalink A Little 'Game of Good'--posted by kcsmiles, on Mar 24, 2012
comments (25) | email this | print | permalink Believing in Kindness--posted by whitby98, on Jun 21, 2012 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 ... comments (18) | email this | print | permalink
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I'm sort of new to this small acts of kindness game, so I'm not sure how people feel about picking up hitchhikers. I've always felt that as long as you don't put your self in a completely unsafe position, it is an OK thing to do. But I'd never done it before until this week.
It was about 9pm and I was walking in my school's campus from my office to my car. On the way, I ran into an fellow who was obviously lost. He asked me for directions, saying he needed to get to East Palo Alto. But the ... 
This is a story that happened 15 years ago but it has always stayed with me since then.
On the way back from work every evening, more often than not there would be a homeless man standing at the exit of the freeway. He looked to be in his late 40's but was probably a lot younger. He had shoulder length straight black hair a short beard, and he was of average stature.
His eyes were what struck me the most about him, they were brown and they had a sparkle. Like an inside light that was beaming out of his eyes. ... 
My attention was divided between the book in my lap and the people passing by when I saw her walking slowly towards my parked car. She had a bright blue saree, a large nose pin, orange marigolds in snow-white hair, a large shoulder bag and a face that showed every wrinkle of her 70 or so years of age.
She stopped and put a hand out to rest against the car’s hood, gently closed her eyes, took a deep breath and wiped the sweat off her forehead. The sweltring day was taking its toll on her slight frame, and the large bag ... 
I was on my way to the post office. I hadn’t found a parking place on my first pass up the street and was now making a left turn into a small parking lot in order to loop back towards the post office, in effect accomplishing a U-turn legally. It’s a tight space and there’s a mail box set up right inside the lot so people can pull in, roll down their window and reach out to stick a letter into the box without getting out of their cars.
As I completed my turn into the lot, I saw a four-door ... 
It was May in Bangkok, and even though I had arrived from India after 6 months of volunteer work, the heat and humidity was exhausting. After a long day of temple visiting, I fell asleep on the sky train for about 5 minutes, only to wake up seconds before the door was about to slam shut at my stop. As I rush out onto the platform, I realize that my wallet is gone!
First thought: I'd been pickpocketed while I slept on the train.
Second thought: Bravo to the pickpocket!
My wallet had been in my front pocket and I was sitting down ... 
The shuttle bus service I take to the airport is famously bad at customer service, but they are the only option for lots of travelers.
I was sitting on the bus one day feeling disappointed by their shoddy service when a young soldier got on. He was in full uniform with his duffle bag across his shoulder and a ticket in his hand. But, guess what? The driver wouldn't accept his ticket!
Apparently it was "the wrong format." It was probably a military issue travel pass but because the driver didn't recognise it or it hadn't been made out properly he was ... 
The car went through the stop sign and into the intersection. With no where to go or time to get there, my taxi hit the car dead on. For the next three months I was out of work. I had no savings to speak of. No family to help me. I was in dire straights to be sure. The lady who ran the stop sign had little insurance, barely enough to cover the medical expenses with little left over to pay my living expenses.
Just after the accident Justin came to see me in the hospital. We had been co-drivers with ... 
When I lived in Portland, I lived pretty much hand to mouth. I had injured my knee and couldn't work and my tiny early retirement check paid rent only. I was on food stamps so I could eat, and getting around on crutches made bus travel challenging. But it was my only recourse as my car had so many repairs needed, I couldn't afford to have it fixed.
Curiously, I would find money all the time, so I started a FOUND MONEY jar. It was the biggest jar I could find (a Mason quart jar), because I was always finding coins ... 
I truly believe in the power of paying it forward and I have always gotten enjoyment and fulfilment from it.
Last year, I was waiting at the traffic lights on my way to work, when my car was rammed from behind. After pulling over, a flustered young man admitted his fault and proceed to apologise and explain why he had not been ‘in the moment’ whilst driving. He told me that he had just been evicted and that his insurance had just run out. I could feel his genuine stress, and as he gave me his details and promised to find a way ... 
This morning, I remembered a childhood memory. It made realize that some of the acts of kindness that we might do spontaneously might never be forgotten by the recipients.
I was six years old and in foster care. My foster mother was not the kind of person I would have chosen to stay with. One morning she sent me to the store for a sack of flour. On the walk back home I was doing what any six year old would have been doing -- playing. Because of that I dropped the sack of flour and it burst open spilling the ... 
For the first time last year, we featured a top ten list of stories published by our members in 2010 and it was very well received, so we decided to do it again and compile this year's top ten kindness stories of 2011 to share the inspiration!
1. Today You, Tomorrow Me
During this past year I’ve had three instances of car trouble: a blowout on a freeway, a bunch of blown fuses and an out-of-gas situation. [...] Each time, when these things happened, I was disgusted with the way people didn’t bother to help. I was stuck on the side of ... | Home | About Us | Our Friends | Get Involved | Contact us |  |  |  |