A great idea for getting our students/kids involved
Smile Stones
(A wonderful idea. I’m definitely going to try this! See the original post at http://www.helpothers.org/story.php?sid=5490)
Here’s an idea that brings lots of smiles– go to your neighborhood crafts store, 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 of this game?
Somebody’s hand drawn those smiles for you,
To find and to keep and to give away too.
For when the smile fades from the stone, then you’ll find it within,
And this is where you get to begin,
To share that smile where there’s a lack,
All you’ll need is a pen (Permanent. Black.)
To draw a new smile in place of the old,
And send it off on its way to places untold.
Smilestone milestones marking the way
We each can reach out to make someone’s day.
Helping Make-A-Wish Come True
I hate change! It drives me nuts! It’s always falling out of my wallet and it seems like it ends up everywhere! I’ve never really known what to do with my change, which is probably why it often feels like it is taking over my life.
A great way to get rid of unwanted change!
My purse had tipped over so I had change all over the floor of my car. My husband, being the nice guy that he is, picked it all up for me and put it in the pocket of my purse (where it would not fall out!) I told him he was wasting his time, but it turns out by having the change all in one spot it was readily accessible should I have the opportunity to use it. While I was in Panera, I saw a change jar for Make-A-Wish. A young Indianapolis boy, Raashad, was hoping to go on a shopping spree in California. I put all of the change I had into the jar. Hopefully, his wish will come true. And my wish, to not have change all over the place, came true as well!
Another great story of kindness
Customers give waiter $5,000 to buy a car
http://www.chron.com/news/article/Customers-give-waiter-5-000-to-buy-a-car-3593940.php
A Blessing from a Homeless Person
(Story copied from a post on www.helpothers.org)
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. His eyes, I thought, represented the man in general. People say they can tell a lot from a person’s eyes. It was certainly true in his case. He always waved at every car, he was always happy and smiling and sometimes almost dancing.
Every day after work I would remember to gather any spare change, and put it aside to give to him if I saw him. A feeling of joy would come over me every time I saw him, as I came off the ramp. He had that effect.
I’d quickly roll down my window and give him the coins. Occasionally the red light would be on for a minute and we would ask each other about our day. His answer would always be the same, “I’m blessed!”.
I knew what his answer was going to be every time, yet I would still ask. It amazed me that even in his situation of being homeless he was so positive, and his answer would remind me of how blessed I was. A single mother of four amazing kids, with a place to call home and with a job to provide for my kids.
Then one day I was called into my boss’s office and was told that I was being laid off due to the economy. A feeling of worry engulfed me, and for the rest of that day all I could think of was “how am I going to provide for my kids, how am I going to pay rent, what am I going to do?”
Needless to say that on my way home that day I was very sad and upset. I didn’t remember to look for my spare change and keep it ready like I usually did. I wasn’t feeling the joy as I got off the ramp where the homeless man would be. Yet there he was as always, as I turned the ramp. He set his eyes on me, while still smiling and waving at others.
I’d hoped to catch the green light, but I missed it. While I was waiting for the red light to turn, he strolled over to my car. He had a big smile he looked me straight in the eyes and said “today I will give you a dollar”. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a dollar bill. I was blown away. I burst into tears. I wanted to jump out of my car and hug him!
You see that day he gave me more than a dollar bill, he taught me a valuable lesson. No matter what material things are taken from you, no one can take away your choice to be joyful. My ride home was smooth sailing, I had lost my job, had no savings, but I knew I was blessed!
Every time I’m faced with challenges, I think of the homeless man’s valuable lesson and remember that I am blessed.
30. Taking my dad out to dinner for my birthday
My dad and me on my wedding day
Our culture tends to focus on the individual when celebrating birthdays. Although I have had many great birthdays as a result of this, I wanted to spend my 30th birthday celebrating other people. So, for my 30th random act of kindness, my husband and I took my dad out for dinner on my birthday. After all, I wouldn’t have a birthday to celebrate if it wasn’t for him! I think we may have started a new tradition!
29. Reminding my husband that he’s amazing
I have the most incredible husband! People who know him know what a kind, considerate, caring man he is. He always thinks of others first and is the nicest person I have ever met. I’ve even been told on more than one occasion that he is a saint…I would have to agree!
My husband and I have been living apart for the past 11 months. We spent the last 7 years on the east coast, but our families and our hearts are in the Midwest. We were eager to move closer to home, although we had no idea that it would mean spending a year apart. (The good news is he will be moving to Indy in August!) I was offered an amazing opportunity in Indianapolis and he didn’t hesitate to support me in following my dream (I told you he was a great guy!)
Because we’ve been apart for so long, we appreciate our time together so much more and try harder to show how much we love each other. I put a poster up in the shower while he was running errands that reminded him just how thankful I am to have him in my life. I believe that we can never remind the people we love just how much they mean to us too often! I look forward to finding many more creative ways in the future to remind him just how special he is!
28. Sending a card to a stranger
Mailing my card to a total stranger
I always love getting mail; real mail that’s delivered to my door, not to my computer. My birthday is one of the few times a year that I actually receive mail that isn’t bills or advertisements. For my 28th RAK, I decided that I would share that joy with a total stranger. I purchased the brightest, happiest card I could find (I ended up with a card with a lot of bright colors and a ridiculous amount of smiley faces!) I wrote an inspiring message and sent the letter. Hopefully it brought a smile to someone’s face to have a card in the mail instead of just bills!
