What little kindness did you today?

Today my kids and I volunteered to play a second service at Church, this one on Christmas eve*. The other one is a normal Christmas day service. I didn't tell my kids that they had to do this, since they're already doing Christmas but they didn't even hesitate to say "yes" when I asked if they'd play with me. I always enjoy Christmas music. I hope it brightens everyone's holiday. They (my kids, obviously) don't read this board but great job kiddos! You do me proud!

* Technically this is just a commitment to do something nice, but I'm going to book it today because I didn't do anything else nice for anyone.
 
Last edited:
A number of years ago my wife and I decided that rather than give each other Christmas gifts, we would take "giving tree" tags and use the money we would otherwise spend on each other to give Christmas gifts to the needy. It's usually for kids. Sometimes it's practical stuff, in which case we always add a toy. Tonight my son and I went and got four tags/gifts (one from each member of our family). I like taking the kids shopping for the gifts with me so they know it's a tradition for my wife and me. Hopefully they'll continue the tradition when they're grown.

Edited to clarify that we don't expect our kids to live with our arrangement. They get gifts from us. It's just my wife and I that choose to give gifts to the less fortunate rather than between ourselves.
 
Last edited:
Something nice someone did for me: my son took out the trash without any prompting/reminders from me (or his dad). It was a really nice surprise to come home and see the can already curbside.

Something nice I did for someone else: today, I was dropping off some unwanted items at my local Goodwill when another donor drove up behind me. For whatever reason, he couldn't wait for the employee to finish helping me offload my donations and he began to unload his stuff into the collection shack himself. The only hitch is that non employees aren't allowed in there. Upon being so informed, the other donor snarkily asked, "What do you want me to do, leave it in the puddles?" Since it was obvious this guy couldn't/wouldn't cool his jets, I told the employee to take care of him and that I'd wait. In the grand scheme of things it's not much, but I'd like to think I made the employee's day a *little* less stressful.
 
I told the employee to take care of him and that I'd wait. In the grand scheme of things it's not much, but I'd like to think I made the employee's day a *little* less stressful.

I guess you did two good deeds in one, then :) If the guy behind you was in such a big hurry, you helped him get on his way with a little less stress too. Of course in reality he sounds like an impatient person but this is a thread about being nice :cool:
 
I just found this thread and I must say-- I adore it!!! Awesome idea!

Today, while at the grocery, my son was getting an Angry Birds toy and another child was almost in tears, yet not really whining or having a fit.. wanting the same thing. His mom was clearly upset that she wasn't able to buy it for him saying things were just too tight and maybe she could talk to Santa, she knew he had been such a good boy and she really hoped he would get it. So while our boys were talking about the stinking birds, I asked her if I could buy it for him. She was thrilled! I went to the self-check out, paid for the items and passed her the bag at the door, so Santa could give it to him.
 
Very well played, Cookie. You get a ... erm ... cookie. :D

My brother is a really great guy. Every time I have any sort of home project, he's here helping me. Not just me, but any of my siblings. Back before we all switched to artificial trees, he used to go cut everyone a tree for Christmas. He still buys himself a tree from the local lots because he loves having a real tree.

My son's boy scout troop goes out every year to cut a few trees for the church that sponsors us, as a service help decorate the church. We only take trees from areas that the Forest Service tells us need to be thinned. I can't take credit for the project, although I do donate the gas and my time. Today I drove to the mountains with the troop, paid my own fee to the Forest Service, and after we had the church's trees I wandered through the snow to find my brother the perfect Christmas tree. I sawed it (by hand), hauled it through the snow back to the truck, and delivered it to him when I got back to town. When he tried to pay me for the Forest Service fee, I told him thanks but I wanted to do this for him.
 
I am on business travel through tomorrow. This morning I left a generous tip for housekeeping. I'm sure she can use the money at Christmas. She left a thank you note in English and Spanish. I know it was a her because I passed her in the hall as I was leaving. I will leave another generous tip tomorrow morning as I check out with a "Merry Christmas" note.
 
pplwatching, i have to apologize as i haven't really read this thread until now and i think it's fucking brilliant. kudos, this is absolutely wonderful!

i've recently begun a new job as a recruiter and it's been positively wonderful to tell candidates that we want to talk more about their candidacy.

now, this isn't the little kindness: that's just my job.

i haven't done a kindness yet. but tomorrow is another day and that is what i strive for: doing better tomorrow than i did today.

great thread!

ed
 
I don't know if this counts or not. Today I was at the grocery store picking up some items for my bakeathon, when I noticed an elderly gentleman staring at the cans of soup. As I passed I could hear him muttering to himself the name of what he was looking for. Pausing, I noticed that the soup was at the bottom of the shelving. I smiled and pointed to it. It was as he was trying to fit his hands in the confounded soup can dispenser that I realized what an awkward position he was having to twist himself into. I joked that the dispenser was rigged and that maybe my smaller hands would have better luck.

It took me less than a minute to get the 3 cans that he needed. But the smile and simple 'thank you' made my day.
 
It took me less than a minute to get the 3 cans that he needed. But the smile and simple 'thank you' made my day.

Great story, and yes it absolutely counts. It's the little things that make someone's day.


As promised I left Christmas wishes along with a tip for housekeeping prior to checking out of my hotel this morning. I passed the maid in the hall and she gave me a big smile. I don't think she speaks much English.

After a morning of meetings, I got to the airport which was a zoo. As I was at the water fountains filling my water bottle an older woman walked up, and couldn't figure out the water fountain. For whatever reason some genious decided to install a push-button style fountain (the one I was using) next to an infra-red style (hers). The infra-red sensor looked like a broken button, and didn't work very well. I stopped filling my bottle, helped her work the fountain to fill hers, and then finsihed filling mine. She gave me a smile and a thank you.

When I got back home I tipped the parking shuttle driver well, and wished him a Merry Christmas.
 
Last edited:
I let a friend know how much I appreciated their help over the year for unasked participation and support in a group that I was having a hard time keeping together.

Happy Holidays everyone!
 
I let a friend know how much I appreciated their help over the year for unasked participation and support in a group that I was having a hard time keeping together.

I'm sure that made them feel good :) Words of kindness are just as important as acts of kindness.
 
..........................................
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I gave my friends some homemade beer. :)

I'll be giving some of my pumpkin ale to my best friend for Christmas. I'd be happy to swap recipes with you sometime.

Does swapping beer recipes with a fellow homebrew lover count as a "little kindness"? :D
 
I drove across town (half an hour) this morning to take a christmas card to wife who had forgotten it (which is easy to do at 5 a.m.).

It was for the barista that works in the starbucks where she works and really takes care of them. And i guess it really made her day.

which in turn made my day to hear how happy she was that someone was thoughtful enough to get her a card.

So remember to thank people even if it is just the barista that makes you your favorite coffee everyday. you will probably make their day and it will probably make your day a little better knowing you made their day.
 
I made oodles of candy and spent the morning delivering it to my child's teachers (she's a junior in high school...they don't get many treats anymore!), my daughter's music teacher, the bus driver, and a separate delivery to the guys who handle all my maintenance at work. This afternoon I drove to the bus stop in the rain and picked up my neighbor's kids and took them home, even though my own kid wasn't on the bus!

My car broke down tonight and I had to have it towed. I tipped the tow truck driver and also gave him two containers of the candy to take home. I just received the most wonderful thank you note from his wife, who took the time to find my name on facebook and send a thank you note! It really made my day. :)
 
I really don't do many kind things for people. Nothing noteworthy worth reporting, anyways. But this is a sweet thread and I'm glad I subscribed and will continue lurking. :)

Every kindness is noteworthy. Maybe there's a little kindness in you just waiting to burst out ;-) Anyway, happy to have you along.

Does swapping beer recipes with a fellow homebrew lover count as a "little kindness"? :D

I suppose that depends on the context. If you're using a drain snake helping to clear his plugged up john at the time, then it does :)

I gave my friends some homemade beer. :)

Ahh, the fruits of your labor are most definately a kindness. A friend of mine once made a cranberry lambic. Unfortunately it tasted like paint thinner. Sometimes the kindness goes the other way when we sip and smile anyway. When he finally tasted it he said, "You didn't have to drink this."

I drove across town (half an hour) this morning to take a christmas card to wife who had forgotten it (which is easy to do at 5 a.m.).

It was for the barista that works in the starbucks where she works and really takes care of them. And i guess it really made her day.

So you did a kindness and were an accomplice to a kindness. Very cool. :cool: Doing a kindness for your spouse gets you the gold star for the day.

I came home from work several hours early to help my wife with something that needed to be done. I'm still debating if it counts as a kindness, but it's all I've got for today.
 
I made oodles of candy and spent the morning delivering it to my child's teachers (she's a junior in high school...they don't get many treats anymore!).

My wife makes gifts for my kid's teachers, so your kindness is close to my heart.

This afternoon I drove to the bus stop in the rain and picked up my neighbor's kids and took them home, even though my own kid wasn't on the bus!

Very nice, indeed!

My car broke down tonight and I had to have it towed. I tipped the tow truck driver and also gave him two containers of the candy to take home.

You really went above and beyond here, Ella. I know the feeling of waiting for a tow all too well. Doing a kindness when you've been inconvenienced (through no fault of the driver) is truly outstanding. I already gave out the gold star for the day but in this case I'll make an exception and give out two. You did great, Ella!
 
Last edited:
I spent the weekend doing a number of things so that my wife wouldn't have to do them. When I started on Friday it probably didn't count, for reasons I won't go into here. It's a little complicated. As the weekend progressed I found myself doing it/them in the spirit of this thread. As of tonight she's got a lot less on her plate. Love you babe.
 
I drove across town (half an hour) this morning to take a christmas card to wife who had forgotten it (which is easy to do at 5 a.m.).

It was for the barista that works in the starbucks where she works and really takes care of them. And i guess it really made her day.

which in turn made my day to hear how happy she was that someone was thoughtful enough to get her a card.

So remember to thank people even if it is just the barista that makes you your favorite coffee everyday. you will probably make their day and it will probably make your day a little better knowing you made their day.
OK, in answer to this, I suppose that I should backtrack a couple of days. The day BB spoke of, a few of my fellow nurses and I had decided to give our Starbucks lady a card with cash in it. (No Starbucks gift card jokes, please. lol) When I gave her the card, she didn't open it in front of me, so she didn't know it had cash in it. The look on her face was amazing. She had tears in her eyes. I got the distinct impression that we were the only ones who thought of her. That's truly a shame, because she is Service Excellence personified. We only have to call and tell her who wants an order; she knows our favorite drinks AND she brings them to us. How many Starbucks baristas do that? She is our sanity 260 days a year. A few weeks ago, when I had laryngitis, she designed a drink for me to soothe my throat - AND delivered it to my floor. She takes care of us; it doesn't hurt us to repay her kindness, even in a small way.

Thanks, BB. I owe ya one. You're a nice, good man - even though you'd deny it with your last breath. :)

The next day, err, Saturday, I found myself in line behind a deputy at the Starbucks drive through. As I placed my order, I told the drive through lady that I wanted to pay for the car in front of me as well. It felt good to be kind to someone who probably doesn't have a lot of kindnesses extended to him from strangers.
 
Back
Top