Dishes for Nanna

Illness in the family is tough, but it is always helpful when family and friends do what they can to help make the recovery from illness a little easier.  That's what Sydney did..."My Nanna is recovering from cancer. While she was resting I decided to do all of the dishes for her. She works really hard for everyone in our home, even throughout treatment and now after. She deserves a break. I love her dearly and she is such a strong person, she brings a smile to everyone's face every day. I wanted to bring one to her's today." Great job Sydney!!!

Homemade Cookies in College

A family friend of mine sent me a care package to school with a letter inside that said "someone taught me how important random acts of kindness are".  We all know that food in college can be a rough deal.  That's why receiving a package of homemade cookies can feel like winning the lottery.  What a great way to make a new college student's day!

Tying a Shoe

A simple nice gesture can make all the difference in someone's day!  "Today, my friends and I were walking to 2nd block and my friend's shoe was untied. Her hands looked full with her belongings so I offered to tie her shoe. I feel like I helped her out in a good way so it was one last thing for her to worry about."  Great job Paige!

Free Tickets

Yesterday, my family attended a local minor league baseball game.  I had two extra tickets, so as we walked up to the stadium, I saw a Dad and his kid walking toward the ticket booth.  I told him that I had two extra tickets and handed them over.  I think the guy was a little shocked.  My kids and I love baseball, so it was cool to be able to give tickets to a guy who likely has the same bond with his kid.  I hope they enjoyed the game as much as we did!

Kona Ice and Some Awesome Teachers

"Each Friday during the summer, the Kona Ice truck stops by my kid's preschool/daycare and the kids get to pick out a shaved ice treat of their choice.  My five and three year olds were so excited this morning because "TODAY IS KONA ICE DAY!"  Each kid's parent needs to bring in $2 for the Kona Ice treat.  I meant to stop and get change so I would have the $2 for each of my kids, but in the rush of the morning, I forgot.  I told the teachers I didn't have the $2 today and said I could run and get change and be back.  But both of the teachers immediately offered to pay for my kids Kona Ice so that I wouldn't have to make a second trip back to the preschool.  I was so impressed with how quickly and matter-of-fact they were about offering to pay for the Kona Ice themselves.  My wife and I are lucky that our kids have such wonderful, kind, and caring teachers each day.  They truly love going to school and their teachers are the reason why.  Today was just another example of why these teachers are amazing!"

Balloons for Patients

What happens when you are in the hospital and your friends and family send so many balloons that the nurses have to cut you off due to fire code? You share, of course! Recently, one of our readers was told "no more balloons" during a recent hospital visit, so she decided to start redirecting balloons to other patients to make their day. You can just imagine the smiles on their faces as a nurse delivers this awesome random act of kindness!  Sometimes, we focus so much on our own needs that we fail to see the needs of others.  This person is a great example as she was having struggles of her own, but decided she could still make someone's day.  Great job, and we hope all the balloon recipients get well soon!!!

Return to Sender

"A few weeks ago on a Friday, I stopped at a nearby UPS Store to mail a package.  I rushed in a couple minutes before the store closed...just in the nick of time.  The address for the package was on my phone, so I set it down to write the address on the label provided by one of the workers.  She began to chat with me as she entered the info into the computer.  Despite me arriving just before closing for the weekend, she and the other clerk was very kind and helpful.  In a few minutes, I was all set to go, thanked the women for their help, and was on my way.  I drove all the home only to notice I had left my phone at the store.  I knew that the store was closed and that my phone would likely be locked in the store for the whole weekend."

"Shortly after contemplating what to do, a car pulled into my driveway.  It was the woman from the UPS store!  She explained that she knew how important some people's phones are to them and she didn't want me to go the whole weekend without mine.  So, she checked the return label and drove my phone to my house once she closed the store.  I was so happy, not because my phone was returned, but that someone was kind enough to think about me enough to go out of her way on the weekend to make me happy.  It made my weekend!"

It just goes to show that going a few minutes out of your way can have a lasting impact on a person.

A broken car and some help from Santa!

This Random Act of Kindness was shared with us a while back and is such a great example of people stepping up to help others in need!

"Years ago, when cell phones were only found in comic books, my husband and I were traveling to my parents with our two young children on a cold Christmas Eve. The streets were nearly empty, even on the Nation's Capitol beltway. We were taking the Braddok Road exit when our car suddenly decided to die. We were cold and alone and scared. After sitting a while, trying to figure out a plan, I looked up and my tired eyes saw a couple people with Santa hats heading our way, and they came bearing piping hot cocoa. Their first words were, "We saw you broken down, so we went to 7-11 to get cocoa to warm you up." They gave my husband a ride to 7-11 to call my parents, who were about five miles away. Unfortunately, I never got their names, but I've never forgotten their act of kindness, sacrificing their Christmas Eve when they could've been nestled by the fire, or decorating their tree. Who would've blamed them if they had just decided to keep driving? It was Christmas Eve!

The next morning when we went to retrieve our car from the side of the ramp, we discovered the windows were all smashed in. But the kindness of this couple overshadowed the act of violence toward our car. Even though I cannot offer names, I want those kind strangers to know we haven't forgotten them."

Compliments Can Make a Difference

We received an email from a Bettendorf High School student and thought we should share her insights with everyone...

"We all secretly like compliments, even if we disagree with the flattering remark. Think about how a simple compliment can change your whole attitude. How it positively impacts your self confidence, even if it's only for one second. Now, think about that one time someone complimented you, and you never forgot what they said, because it really meant something. Think about how it hit you hard, and how you can't seem to overlook it. So pass that good feeling forward. Sure, an appearance compliment is something nice to receive, but you wanna know what's even better? A compliment about what's on the inside, what you admire about their personality, or that they have a kind heart. When someone notices the unseen traits that one pertains, it's a more meaningful thought. So, go out and compliment the girl that has a unique mind. The boy that has a great sense of humor, but goes unnoticed. Tell her that you admire her positive attitude or his ambitious perspective on succeeding in life. A compliment that comes from the heart, goes to the heart.

I've decided to write thank you notes to teachers that have impacted my life in a positive way. I feel that it is important that they know, how they have given me guidance and advice. How they have encouraged me to become more confident and an even harder working student. Most importantly, how they support all of their students, and that their dedication to helping students strive, does not go unnoticed."

Encouraging Letters for Final Exam Week

This is a great story about one high school student named Mason, who tried to take some of the edge off of final exams. "The night before finals, I wrote words of encouragement onto pieces of paper and put them into envelopes. The next day I went around the school handing the letters out to random people so that they would have some determination for their tests. There were about 50 letters and everyone seemed to enjoy reading the small sentence of encouragement. I definitely plan on doing this act again next finals week!" Great job Mason!  Thanks for providing you classmates with an extra dose of optimism before their final exams!