Do You Have a Story About an Act of Kindness (1 Viewer)

[Linda]

The idea of small acts of kindness popped up today. I've thought about recent ones and others from long ago. They were small things, but the emotions associated with them live on. I'll likely never see these people again, yet the effect of their actions stays as strong as the day they happened. There is something especially powerful about a stranger stepping closer for a brief point in time. All together, it feels like an elegant dance.

A long, long time ago I was helping a friend get the exterior of their office ready to paint. It was an old building and hard work. I was on a ladder, dirty and dusty, when an older man approached. I could see he was down on his luck, wearing a thread bare suit and worn hat. He was selling imitation flowers. He did not ask me to buy one, as I was on a ladder, but we chatted briefly. He came back in a couple of hours, bringing a red rose. He said he was able to sell all his flowers after he talked with me, and that he wanted me to have the rose because I brought him luck. I was dumbstruck, thanked him, and he went on his way. For 35 years that rose has traveled with me back and forth across the country and to all my homes. I'm looking at it now.​

​

I was leading a farm tour with second-graders, and there were a few boys who were quite active. So, I sat on the ground, and the children came closer and sat with me. After I finished with the lesson, I was getting up, which I do much more slowly these days, and one of the boys held out his hand to help me. Something inside said accept the help, and I did. I appreciated being acknowledged, but the big effect was with his mother. She was surprised that he saw a need and gallantly offered assistance. I could see the love and appreciated blossom between them - it was a heartwarming moment.​

These are two of those perfect moments engraved on my heart.

What are your stories?

 

[Krena]

Feeling isolated and contemplative (meaning kinda feh), I received an email from a student of mine at Harvard University from 39 years ago. He told me that he had finished a film, and it had won prizes in several local film festivals. He wanted to acknowledge my influence on him. He was in my screenwriting class. That was so very kind of him. I watched the film. It was excellent. A character in the film, a waitress, was called Angeline who delivered messages to someone who needed them.

 

[Linda]

A character in the film, a waitress, was called Angeline who delivered messages to someone who needed them.

It seems to work this way, doesn't it. Messages, info comes when needed. Sometimes we are the givers and others, the receivers - a nice dance.

 

[Krena]

You are so right, Linda.

 

[Tania]

Online, 20 years ago I met a girl from Brooklyn, we really connected, and shared birth signs, but haven`t kept much in touch, even though i did spent most of my formative years in Brooklyn, she moved to Philly, However we just started talking like last week again and i had noticed she had become a healer, so she asked if she could heal me and connect with my spirit guides, so over the weekend she did and cleared my aura, and said what is true I am carrying the weight of someone else on my back. Anyways since she came out of no where and gifted me this - which is very moving when you as i have a hard time asking for anything, i was so touched, and since we do share birthday months (july) i will write her a song...

 

[Linda]

Anyways since she came out of no where and gifted me this - which is very moving when you as i have a hard time asking for anything,

The thread of unconditional love flows through all these stories.

 

[June]

I’ve received many acts of kindness over the years, one that stand out is while visiting the Hawaiian Islands I booked a cultural tour and decided to have a personal tour guide as I was on my own. When I entered the waiting room I found a family also waiting. Mum, Dad and two 20 something offspring from Indiana USA
They smiled, said hello and introduced themselves, the guide came and ushered us out and they effortlessly gathered me into their midst, making me one of the family.
I spent the whole day with them, whether it was sitting to watch a pageant or walking they made sure I was included and it was so natural.
. I have never forgotten the unconditional love they showered on me, they saw I was alone and simply gathered me up

The following Christmas we exchanged cards and a letter and are still doing so 25 years later.

 

[Linda]

they saw I was alone and simply gathered me up

A profound statement - we have opportunities to gather and be gathered all the time. Keeping up communications after all those years - I believe it was a profound experience for them, as well.

 

[Tania]

A profound statement - we have opportunities to gather and be gathered all the time. Keeping up communications after all those years - I believe it was a profound experience for them, as well.

How could it not be

 

[Lila]

I have many moments of unconditional love to share. My favourites are the utterly unexpected ones.

I was very pregnant for the first time and it was Mother's Day. I was at the grocery store and dropped something. That something I'd dropped looked very far from around the edge of my very pregnant belly. I was eyeing when a woman came up from someplace and easily picked up the item, then handed it to me with a huge smile and "Happy Mother's Day".
She must have seen my surprise because she had the insight to say something like "Get used to it." implying that accepting help was going to be something I may as well get used to as I was going to need it. After all, it takes a village to raise a child, doesn't it?

When my eldest daughter was an infant we, too, were in Hawaii. She was sitting on my lap during dinner and moved unexpectedly. This caused my meal to tumble to the ground. I was in tears; hungry, tired, overwhelmed and without a hand available to do a thing as I had a precious infant in my lap that I needed my hands for, at least up to my elbows.
The staff came and cleared it all up with peace, quiet and a kind word or two. Then they served me up another meal of the same, freshly made up and told me it was on the house. I didn't cry at the time (I believe it was all too much at the time) but I am crying now to recall it. It was such a beautiful act of kindness and completely unexpected. I think I'd gotten used to being the one doing kind acts and this was one of my earlier acceptances of kindness in return.
Lol, I had my hands literally tied up with infant, so perhaps it took that to make it happen.

More recently, someone I was caring for told me very clearly and definitely how much they trusted me. How much my care of them meant after so much time not caring for self and how moving that was.
Again, I didn't cry at the time, though I came close; now feels more the time to do so.

 

[Linda]

Sharing these moments reminds us of how profound a simple act of kindness can be. It may seem a small and normal thing to do, but for the one receiving, it means everything in that moment. It is a bridge between our hearts.