Stories Matching 'Smile Cards' Tag (121)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 Simple Surprise For Sister--posted by Jen Davies, on Feb 20, 2006 I plan to put one in each of my sisters lunches with a special surprise snack and note of love. I will then give them 4 more cards to encouarge them to take part in their own acts of kindness, while I use the remaining cards with random acts when I see a need. I hope encouranging my sisters when they are young will help them and their friends discover a joy of helping others that they will carry on throughout there lives. comments (5) | email this | print | permalink Carnations with a Smile at a Supermarket--posted by Kat C., on Mar 23, 2006 Every since I was little I loved doing things for other people. As I got older I began doing random things for people. For example, during holidays, such as Christmas, I would make out an extra card along with the ones for my relatives. Then I would go and find someone in the grocery store and just hand it to them and walk away! It was so much fun. Although I admit, the first time I did it I was so nervous. I didn't know who to give the card to. So I said a little prayer and knew that ... comments (25) | email this | print | permalink A Tattoo Named Lost--posted by singlestep, on Apr 17, 2008 Got on the plane in Minneapolis for the two hour and nine minute flight to NY. Spent the first nine minutes of it talking to the young curly-brown-haired passenger with long sideburns. In the first three minutes of talking to him I noticed on the back of his hand a ball-point-pen tattoo. One word. "Lost". And for some reason that touched me. In the same inexplicable way that "Help Wanted" signs in store windows do sometimes. That people would be so honest, so open about their vulnerability. I wonder what he is going through. This fellow passenger with his friendly manner who freelances ... comments (56) | email this | print | permalink A Neighbor's Blessings--posted by Agnes Haddaway, on Apr 10, 2006
comments (9) | email this | print | permalink On Grey Days of the Soul--posted by Pavi, on Apr 11, 2006
The three of us met this morning at a crowded cafe in downtown Manhattan. The streets outside wet-gleaming in the rain and blossoming with umbrellas. Me, and K and M. K a young woman I'd met only just this morning. A person with a wonderful spirit working towards finding balance through a challenging period in her life. M a woman I met two years ago in the park. A writer struggling with comments (3) | email this | print | permalink Art with heart...--posted by Trishna and Deep, on Apr 19, 2006 Last week, I arrived back home to our flat in London from my trip to visit my family in California to find a "mystery package", which someone had left with the porter in our building some time while my husband and I were both away. It was a large envelope with a wooden backing, and a small note on top reading "Deep and Trishna, Enjoy!" As soon as I opened the flap, I discovered a Smile Card attached, and I knew instantly that someone had anonymously reached out to us with an act of kindness. As I reached into the envelope, ... comments (5) | email this | print | permalink Chocolate Insanity--posted by Anon, on Apr 22, 2006 It was a routine trip. We, my wife and I, are walking back home from the grocery store when we spontaneously decide to walk into a coffee shop. As my wife orders a small cup of coffee at the counter, I huddle our grocery bags under our table and get ready to share some hot coffee on this unusually cold day. Just then, my eyes catch glimpse of a young woman in her thirties escorting a rather frail Mexican woman into the shop. Maybe it was the gentleness of their encounter or a vague familiarity with the circumstances, ... comments (16) | email this | print | permalink A Kindness Lesson in Action at Dinner--posted by Kim, on Apr 26, 2006
comments (17) | email this | print | permalink The Karma of Kindness--posted by VM, on Apr 28, 2006 My wife and I were at the bookstore the other day and we were helped by a young woman in finding a book, and something about this woman just told me she needed to get tagged! So my wife wrote a beautiful note addressed "To the woman in the light green sweater and curly, brown hair" with a quote that said "Sometimes our joy is the reason for our smile, and sometimes our smile is the reason for our joy," along with a small box of Godiva chocolates ... We gave it to another employee who read the whole thing and left it for her to come back to. Now they say that in giving we receive, and maybe it was a coincidence, but minutes later, I ran into one of my best friends from high school, who I hadn't seen for about a decade! comments (10) | email this | print | permalink One Size Fits All--posted by Camilion, on May 1, 2006
comments (3) | email this | print | permalink Flowers That She Couldn't Smell--posted by bluebuddha, on Jul 1, 2011 “Everyone says the flowers smell good but I don’t smell anything. Nothing. Do you smell them?” she asks, in her heavily accented voice. After walking around a busy street looking to do a random act of kindness, I had stumbled into this flower shop. Even though my mind was busy devising possible scenarios, I had a gut feeling that something was going to present itself. A little startled by the flower lady’s question, I tell her that “the flowers smell ah-mazing and perhaps you should take a break once in a while so you can enjoy them too.” Before ... comments (70) | email this | print | permalink Gift of Motherhood, Gift of Kindness--posted by VM, on May 18, 2008
comments (5) | email this | print | permalink Wear Smiles--posted by JZ, on Jan 26, 2008 In the middle of lunch, we get a phone call. "Sir, I've got a special package for you." "Special package? Um, ok, I'll come down to get it." "This is for you," the slim, twenty-something guy says with a mischevious smile. "Who is it from?" "It's from an anonymous friend." Actually, in all my excitement I couldn't tell if he said "friend" or "friends" but it didn't matter. With radiant joy for having kind friends, I took a peek inside the box. "Thank you." The kid rushes off as if ... comments (17) | email this | print | permalink 40 'Left Over' Carnations From Graduation--posted by Kat Callaway, on Jun 21, 2007 Recently I graduated from high school, and as a gift I recieved a huge bouquet of carnations; 40 to be exact! I had so many that I didn't know what to do with them. The next weekend my niece and nephew came (ages 4 and 5) and we took every single carnation and tied a smile card to it's stem. We then went to our local Dillions Store and I gave each of them one flower at a time. I explained that these flowers would make other people smile, and then they could take the cards and do something nice ... comments (34) | email this | print | permalink What I'm Doing With Smile Cards--posted by KC, on Jun 5, 2006
comments (3) | email this | print | permalink For whom the bell tolls--posted by vinay, on Jun 3, 2006
One of my favorite tags has been to pay for the person behined me on a bridge toll, and to ask the toll booth operator to give them a smile card. add comment | email this | print | permalink Comic Angels!--posted by nisha, on Jun 8, 2006
As I pulled out the usual looking junk mail from my mail box, I noticed a huge envelope still stuck in the slot. There was something really special about it - the size, the art work in front that surrounded my name and address, an unknown, out-of-town From address..this was no ordinary mail. comments (2) | email this | print | permalink Spreading Smiles in Calcutta--posted by Pavi, on Jun 15, 2006
comments (3) | email this | print | permalink A Pen With A Smile--posted by Kat Callaway, on Jul 29, 2006
I recently went to the bank to cash a check that I had. I really didn't want to go, but I knew that I had to so I decided that I would make the trip to the bank worthwhile and fun! comments (5) | email this | print | permalink My Grandma's Breakfast at IHOP--posted by Kat Callaway, on Jul 26, 2006
I have been using the smile cards for quite a while, and I try to get my family members to do it with me. It is a lot of fun. comments (1) | email this | print | permalink A Day At Bell Mobility--posted by Christina, on Aug 9, 2006
I work for Bell Mobility. comments (4) | email this | print | permalink The Almond Paw--posted by twocents, on Aug 11, 2006
comments (6) | email this | print | permalink 10th Birthday, Car Washes, and $62.82--posted by JZ, on Sep 2, 2006
comments (41) | email this | print | permalink Kindness on my Doorstep--posted by mrgreen, on Sep 14, 2006
I came home from work one day to find some business cards and a card holder in the street. Not much, but I figured the person might want them so I called the number only to find out the person was a seasonal employee. No worries, I thought I would just throw the cards out since they didn't seem to be of much value. comments (5) | email this | print | permalink Kindness with my Son--posted by Karen, on Sep 22, 2006
Hello. I'd like to share a bit of kindness and the use of the Smile Cards my son who is 12 got to witness and be part of. comments (6) | email this | print | permalink Smile Stones, Mile Stones--posted by singlestep, on Jun 9, 2008
comments (46) | email this | print | permalink One Blessed Can of Coke--posted by courts, on Oct 12, 2006
My SMILE cards came in the mail last night. YAY! And I have been so excited to use them! comments (8) | email this | print | permalink The Japanese Man, Frank, and Michael--posted by keymaker, on Oct 6, 2006
comments (16) | email this | print | permalink Invisible Smiles In an Empty Flower Vase--posted by twiceblessed, on Oct 22, 2006
comments (9) | email this | print | permalink Three Smiles are Better Than One--posted by Danceman, on Oct 19, 2006
Saturday I was with my 8 year old son and we were in Boston at the Boston Commans. There was a manyelling out "spare change." He was a homeless man. comments (5) | email this | print | permalink
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Each week, I give my elderly neighbor a ride to the store, when I am going. She keeps trying to pay me, and I keep refusing. I tell her that it doesn't cost any more for her to ride with me. 
I love to do the random things like pay for the person behind me in the fast food drive thru.... This week after church we decided to go out to eat with our kids in tow. Our family consists of 6 children, some adopted. We went to a local restaurant. We were seated next to a family of 4 children, and I noticed the young mother had a bandana on her head and appeared to have a hair loss issue, it immediatly touched my heart.
I told my husband I want to pay their bill. He looked around, I think he was looking ... 
We were recently at a concert. The young artists were playing their hearts out but unfortunately, the audience was largely empty.
Two days before Mother's Day, I was at a Walmart with my wife, getting some gifts, and I saw a nice gift set of lavender-scented lotions and other stuff (Hey, I'm not supposed to know exactly what all comes in those sets :-)) And so I thought what the heck, I'll get one and we'll find someone to give it to.
So we're paying for everything, and the woman behind the counter is this cheery, middle-aged woman who remarks "Getting a gift for Mother's Day, huh? Nice set," or something. Somehow that set showed up for only half of the price, ... 
I was catching a flight from Calcutta to Madras and had arrived at the airport rather early. Have always thought of airports as rather happy places- everyone at the beginning or the end of a journey- or both- such a sense of adventure in the air- and warmth- because people travel to see people and you know as you look around that that's someone's daughtersonhusbandwifefriendgrandmotheruncle
Here's an idea that brings lots of smiles-- go to your neighborhood crafts store (I went to Michael's), pick up some polished colored stones, hand-draw some smiles, and leave those smile-stones with the following poem at coffee shop tables or just about any public venue.
Look a Smile Stone straight in the eye and you'll smile back not knowing why
It's something about their lopsided grins, their lack of noses and of chins
A twinkling something that's not-quite-art touches your heart
Like snowflakes and fingerprints no two are the same
But why? You ask- What's the point ... 
The Japanese man points to my airplane seat, right as I head to the bathroom. He didn't speak much English, so I just signal that I'll be back in couple minutes. When I return, we play charades to see if he wants to swap his aisle seat with my window seat. "Yes, yes," he says with a child-like glee.
I am more than happy to oblige. My window shutter has been down for couple hours of the flight already and I am hardly planning on making any further use of it.
Right before he changes seats, he folds his hands and bows ... 
About a dozen college kids gathered around me after a talk on the 'spirit of service'. The theme of the talk was small acts of selflessness; they will not only make someone smile but also shift your entire perspective on life. That instead of obliging the receiver with your act of service, it is actually your privilege to get an opportunity to be kind.
For some, these are common sense ideas but college students generally don't think about these things. When you're in college, you're more worried about YOUR grades, YOUR job interviews, paying off YOUR loans, meeting YOUR significant other ... | Home | About Us | Our Friends | Get Involved | Contact us |  |  |  |