The Best $20 You’ll Ever Spend

Every issue of The Sun magazine has a section called “Readers Write,” in which readers contribute personal stories related to the month’s theme. The theme for the May 2018 issue is “Broke.”

I loved this story because it shows how a small gesture can mean the world to someone who is struggling — and how it inspires those who read it to heighten their awareness about opportunities to help someone who’s struggling who they might have otherwise not noticed.

I’ve been on the receiving end of such kindness, and I can tell you that my gratitude for what I was given extended far beyond the material gift itself. And I can also affirm how tremendously rewarding it is to help others in this way.

That’s why I recommend that you always

A Few Caring Words

Who among us has not at times been out and about, feeling sad and lonely and in need of a kind word or comforting hand on our shoulder? How grateful would you be if someone passing by had stopped and, with genuine concern, asked, “Are you okay?” Such a simple, caring gesture would add a little more light, a little more hope to your day.

You can be that bringer of light, that beacon of hope, to others. All it takes is an awareness of others and a loving heart.

A person with the screen name Tomo840 shared how just a little effort made a big, big difference to a distressed man in a city park. Tomo840 was feeding deer when he saw the man in the photograph above sobbing uncontrollably. He wrote:

Families out walking and others in the park scuttled past him awkwardly trying to avoid him.

I watched

A Bullying Story with a Happy Ending

This lovely little story was posted by someone with the screen name mrsparkuhlah on the Kindness Blog, which celebrates the angels of kindness that walk among us every day. Never underestimate the power of kindness; even the smallest gesture can be tremendously healing and affirming for the recipient.

THE NOTE

My mother was an English teacher for several years. One day in one of her classes she began a discussion on bullying. This was actually well before bullying became a major topic, but my mom had experienced some bullying in her own life and didn’t want to see her students go through the same thing.

In the discussion she decided to open up and use a real-life example. She told the class about how she was a little chubbier when she was in junior high and had very few friends. Virtually the entire class picked on her.

One day she came back into class from recess and found a note on her desk.

It read in bold letters: “These people hate you,” and around the letters every single student in the classroom had signed their name.

Of course, this

Mission of Mercy

This poignant, uplifting story by Wayne Montgomery left me basking in the glow of a group of soldiers’ selfless act of kindness and compassion. It can be found in We Hear the Christmas Angels, a collection of inspiring true stories compiled by Evelyn Bence.

UNDELIVERED GIFTS
by Wayne Montgomery

Have you ever had the experience of almost not doing an act of thoughtfulness or charity, only to discover later that without this action on your part a very important experience would not have happened to someone else?

Whenever I am tempted to be lazy or indifferent in this way, I inevitably think back to that Christmas in Korea, in 1951.

It was late afternoon on December 24. After a cold, miserable ride by truck in the snow, I was back at our Command Post. Shedding wet clothing, I relaxed on a cot and dozed off. A young soldier came in and in my sleep-fogged condition I heard him say to the clerk, “I wish I could talk to the Sergeant about this.”

“Go ahead,” I mumbled, “I’m not asleep.”

The soldier then told me about a group of Korean civilians four miles to the north who had been forced

Nothing But Pain

I was moved by this story by Becky Lee, which was printed on Quora. It’s taken me a while but I’m getting better at looking past a person’s appearance and circumstances, perceiving their needs and, when appropriate, trying to connect with them on a meaningful level. Becky’s story reinforces  a great truth: every human being is in need of caring, comfort and kindness. Like Becky, I do what I can when I can, knowing that even the slightest bit of attention and loving concern can change a life.

Seek to do brave and lovely things which are left undone by the majority of people. Give gifts of love and peace to those whom others pass by.
Paramahansa Yogananda

JUST TAKE EVERYTHING
by Becky Lee

I was recently sitting in a doctor’s office waiting for an appointment. A man approached the reception desk with no shirt on, using it as a sling around his leg.

He was sweating profusely and he stunk. He was dirty. He looked like a bum. He was pleading with the receptionist to get a doctor to see him because he didn’t have any pain pills.

The receptionist and I smirked at each other and everyone in the waiting room shot each other a knowing glance . . . as if we were all thinking, “Oh, brother.”

The receptionist patronizingly explained that he would have to make an appointment and the doctor was too busy to renew his prescription. She refused to ask. I felt like rolling my eyes at this man. I mean, HELLO DUDE, make an appointment and for God sakes put on a shirt and have some self-respect. He disgusted me.

At that moment the man dropped to the floor and looked up at the sky. He started to weep. I mean REALLY WEEP. I will never forget what he said.

He said,  

A Hero On and Off the Field

Mariano Rivera

Given the way I worshiped baseball players as a kid, it warms my heart to learn of players who accept the responsibility of being a role model and express it gracefully and with compassion. Mariano Rivera plays that role beautifully.

This article, Exit Sandman: Baseball bids adieu to Mariano Rivera, by Tom Verducci in the September 23, 2013 issue of Sports Illustrated.

EXIT SANDMAN: BASEBALL BIDS ADIEU TO MARIANO RIVERA
by Tom Verducci

Rivera thought about retiring last season, but when he blew out his knee shagging batting practice fly balls in Kansas City on May 3, 2012, he vowed he would not leave baseball on the back of a cart. Knowing this would be his final season, he approached Zillo with an idea: In each road city he wanted to personally meet “behind-the-scenes” people who had dedicated their lives to baseball or had known illness or tragedy. While baseball wanted to say goodbye to Rivera, with the attendant going-away gifts and photo ops, Rivera wanted to say goodbye to baseball, which for him meant all the people who toil in anonymity.

Mariano Rivera meeting the Bresette family in Kansas City on May 11, 2013.
(Photo courtesy of John Sleezer/Landov)

On May 11, Rivera met Ryan Bresette, his wife, Heather, and their three sons, Joe, 13, Sam, 9, and Tyler, 6, in the media room at Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium. (The Bresettes’ daughter, Anna, 14, was unable to attend the pregame gathering because of a soccer game.) Bresette worked as a clubhouse attendant for the Royals from 1982 to ’94 and had never met Rivera.

On March 22 the Bresettes, while returning home from a vacation in Florida, had been standing next to a mammoth flight-status display board in the -Birmingham, Ala., airport when the board, estimated to weigh more than 300 pounds, fell

A Very Good Day in Chelseaville

We all know people (or are people) who have struggled mightily just to keep their head and hopes above water until something breaks their way. It’s always heartwarming to see someone who is deserving of a break to get one.

Well, in the above video, a waitress named Chelsea had a very good start to her shift . . . and it kept getting better and better! The best part about stories like this is that

A Thank You Letter to a Grocery Store Angel

This blog post from Andrea’s blog, True Stories of a Midwest Yankee, powerfully illustrates the impact that a simple act of kindness can have on the lives of strangers. Let it serve as a reminder to stay alert for opportunities to help others. You are quite literally surrounded by opportunities to be somebody’s angel for the day; all you have to do it is hold the intention that you wish to help and stay aware for the right time to step forward.

 TO THE WOMAN BEHIND ME IN LINE AT THE GROCERY STORE

Dear woman behind me in line at the grocery store,

You don’t know me. You have no clue what my life has been like since October 1, 2013. You have no clue that my family has gone through the wringer. You have no clue that we have faced unbelievable hardship. You have no clue we have been humiliated, humbled, destitute.

You have no clue I have cried more days than not; that I fight against bitterness taking control of my heart. You have no clue that my husband’s pride was shattered. You have no clue my kids have had the worries of an adult on their shoulders. You have no clue their innocence was snatched from them for no good reason. You know none of this.

What you do know is I tried to buy my kids some food and that the EBT machine was down so I couldn’t buy that food. I didn’t have any cash or my debit card with me. I only had my SNAP card. All you heard was me saying “No, don’t hold it for me. My kids are hungry now and I have no other way of paying for this.” You didn’t judge me. You didn’t snarl “Maybe you should have less kids.” You didn’t say “Well, get a job and learn to support yourself.” You didn’t look away in embarrassment or shame for me. You didn’t make any assumptions at all.

What you did was you

George Saunders: “Err in the Direction of Kindness”

George Saunders

Novelist George Saunders’ stirring address at The College of Arts and Sciences’ undergraduate convocation ceremony on Saturday, May 11, 2013, at Syracuse University, where he is a professor of English, quickly went viral, and deservedly so.

Saunders, author of The New York Times bestseller, Tenth of December, implored his audience to prioritize kindness over self-interest, delivering his message with candor, authenticity and humor.

The speech proved to be so popular that an expanded version will soon be published in book form. Without further ado, here is Saunders’ speech:

GEORGE SAUNDERS’
CONVOCATION SPEECH AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY

Down through the ages, a traditional form has evolved for this type of speech, which is: Some old fart, his best years behind him, who, over the course of his life, has made a series of dreadful mistakes (that would be me), gives heartfelt advice to a group of shining, energetic young people, with all of their best years ahead of them (that would be you).

And I intend to

Walking on Holy Ground

If you’re looking for a way to transform the world by transforming lives, here’s a profound and powerful way to do just that:

In every interaction you have with another human being, do your best to genuinely and authentically convey that they are valued, cared for and appreciated.

How to do that? It can be as simple as listening with affection and excitement. Or it can take the form of a warm, sincere smile and an honest compliment. Today, instead of giving a friend of mine a quick hug goodbye, I felt that something more was called for because she was in despair. So I

A Debt Collector with a Heart

My only question after watching this video is why it took so long for someone to figure out how to collect money from people who have no money and no hope. The fact that the guy behind this “debt collection with a heart” approach collects twice as

Say It Now

Next time you’re at work, in church or at a neighborhood gathering, look around at all the people who surround you. You’re probably good friends with some of them and are acquainted with everyone else to varying degrees.

Now imagine if one of them unexpectedly left this world. Chances are you’d wish that you had offered them a kind word or a genuine compliment when you had the chance. Instead, those words were left unspoken because you just weren’t comfortable or confident enough to speak them.

Don’t let that happen. Starting right now, be

Kindness Is Hard to Give Away

This poignant commercial from Thailand-based True Corporation brought to mind this quote by author Cort R. Flint:

One of the most difficult things to give

The Compassionate Cop

You’re driving around with an expired registration sticker because you don’t have the money to renew it.

You hear the siren behind you and pull over, wondering how in the world you’re going to pay a traffic ticket.

You’re straightforward with the police officer. You tell him you chose

Father-to-Son Kindness Karma

“One good turn deserves another” may be a cliche, but it’s an accurate way to describe the karma of kindness. As Fulton J. Sheen noted:

Life is like a cash register in that every account, every thought, every deed, like every sale, is registered and recorded.

It is not ours to know when and how a debt will be repaid. Or that it’s even recorded in the ledger of life. As Buddy Shear of Cullman, Alabama, found out, it can take a generation to pay it forward. Buddy’s story appeared in the September 2013 issue of Guideposts.

ONE LAST BLESSING FROM DAD
He wanted to make his son’s wedding perfect, just as his father had made his.

Father of the groom didn’t quite have the same ring as mother of the bride, but I took my duties seriously. My oldest son, Josh, was getting married, and I wanted to do everything I could to make his wedding day the greatest, most perfect day of his life. Like my father did for my wedding.

Dad died years earlier and I still missed him. Maybe never more than I did now.

I stood outside the door of a shop I’d never been to and gave the shoes I was carrying another despairing glance. The shoes that went with my son’s tuxedo. That I had promised I’d take care of.

Josh and his bride-to-be, Tara, were about the same height. She planned to wear heels and Josh had confided to my wife, Debbie, and me that he didn’t want her to tower over him at the altar. Debbie had suggested putting stacked heels on his shoes.

I’d dropped the shoes off at the repair shop we usually used. I’d picked them up this morning and the heels were stacked, all right… into

You May Be Someone’s Only Angel

This poignant four-minute video produced by Cleveland Clinic is a good reminder to be other-centered instead of self-centered. That’s a powerful lesson to keep in mind because you never know if the next person you run into is having the best day of her life. Or the worst.

If you knew the man sitting at the next table was feeling utterly alone and desperate, would you take a moment to smile warmly and offer a kind word? Or would you sip your coffee, check your phone and ignore him?

Someone close to me told me he was in a dark place a few years back, struggling to find a reason to get up in the morning. At the checkout line in a grocery store, a woman smiled at him and