Kindness Ripples Outward

I wrote a post on another site about the importance of human touch and how it is missing from the lives of so many. One of the forum members wrote:

What you say about human touch, Mama, is so right. It really hit home for me after my Dad died and we became Mom’s caregivers. We hugged and cuddled her all the time, but one thing I will never forget is hearing the sadness in her voice when she mentioned that she rarely ever heard her name anymore. We called her Mom, and because she was living in a new city, nobody knew her, so she had gone for months without hearing anyone call her by her first name. After that, my husband always used her first name. But it would never have occurred to me how important it is for people to hear themselves called by name.

Remember, our names are part of our identity and help us to feel recognized and, well, human! Why not take a moment to use someone’s name today…whether it be a family member or the person serving your meal or waiting on you at the store. A simple “Thank you Mary” could be all that person needs to brighten up their day!

Lots of love to all
Jerilynne (aka “MamaRed”)

Late one morning after a large snowstorm in the Midwest US, I was traveling down a not-completely- plowed divided highway to pick up my stepson from work and noticed a white SUV with emergency flashers going in the opposite lane.

I was early and drove around the parking lot for 10 minutes, picked him up and we drove across the road to the grocery store to pick up a few things. When we left and turned back on to the divided highway, we saw the same SUV, emergency flashers still going, pulled half off the road, half into the unplowed snow but, this time, there was lady standing in the snow behind the vehicle.

As we drove past her hand came up in shy wave and she tried to make eye contact. Twenty minutes had passed since I saw her, and I realized she needed help. I stopped into a partially plowed driveway ahead of her, got out and began to walk back to the car. She saw me and walked toward me. As we got within speaking distance, I asked, “Do you need help?” She replied in what sounded like Mandarin Chinese. I made the international sign for cell phone (tapped my index finger of my left hand into the palm of my right hand several times and held my right hand to my ear).

She replied in Mandarin, smiled and nodded. I called 911 and asked for help for her. She smiled, I squeezed her shoulder as we both turned and walked away pleased.

Gil Knight, Wauconda, Illinois, United States

After a way grumpy day I returned home from work even grumpier. In my “wonderful” mood I blessed that “great day” by throwing my bike to the corner and repeating some not very nice words
abou the day. When I walked to the front door of the house were I live (an apartment house) our caretaker had hung a piece of paper.

I stopped and read his message, seasonal greetings, “Frohe Weihnachten to all of you”.

I barely know him since I’m never at home when he works at the house to do some repair stuff. I don’t know if he even knows me.

That made me think “how many people in the house really know him?”.

Furthermore, I wondered who would return his greetings, or say thanks for taking care of our needs when a pipline ruptures in the middle of the night or a heater doesn’t work on weekends.

With that thought, I went upstairs to my apartment. I grabbed a Post-it and a pencil, returned back to the front door and wrote, “Frohe Weihnachten and a Happy New Year to you too”.

The simple two words in his seasonal greeting, and the fact that he took the time to do it…no matter whether he knows the people who live at the house or not…changed my mood immensely and I found it a wonderful gift from him.

Frohe Weihnachten and a Happy New Year to all visitors of this site too!

Silke, Munich, Germany

P.S.–Frohe Weihnachten means “Merry Christmas” in German!

A woman near to where I live who is in her eighties, broke her leg. She lives alone and has no relatives. Several neighbor women on our block have gathered together and gone in and cleaned her home so it sparkles, they take turns spending the night so she is never alone after her daytime nurse leaves. I have cooked and frozen in containers, stew, soups, stuffed cabbages, 2 small meatloaves, made ham salad ans tuna salad for snacks for her. Another lady brought in cookies, and a chocolate cake.

The strange part of this story that I think shows real kindness is the fact that this lady has lived among us for many years with never a word except a wave and occasional hello. She never attended any functions yet still when she was down and needed help everyone rallied around her. Its easy to be kind to those that are all warm and fuzzy, gushing with kindness themselves but when someone isn’t particularily receptive to others, I feel it even more important to show them that real kindness does exist, and without strings.

Having been around this woman now for awhile she has opened up more and told us some parts of her past that almost makes her unsociability understandable. One never knows what someone else has suffered in their past.

I was told just yesterday by her, that she is feeling more and more comfortable with these wonderful neighbors that are so kind and expect nothing but a smile in return.

Chatty