kateyb

Sometimes the simple courtesies can mean so much. Things like holding the door open for others, saying thank you when someone else does. (I especially appreciate it when I'm with my mom in her wheelchair. Having a door held open helps so much.)
I look at name tags on clerks and call people by their names, wish them a nice day.
Say nice things to strangers. Compliment a hair style, a scarf, their child,etc.
When I was in my teens I started looking at people and saying, Good morning or afternoon with a smile and meaning it. I figured it would make someone's day better. Yes, sometimes I get strange looks but that's OK.
My mom always let us bring someone home for the holidays. Someone with no family close by. Since there was already 13 of us she figured one or two more wasn't a big deal.
My daughter usually has Christmas dinner at her house. She'll ask people without family nearby. If I know ahead of time I try to have some kind of a gift for them... a warm scarf, etc. This year I divided a couple of plants Christmas Eve into nice pots and gave a couple of plants.
I once got a Secret Santa gift with a note thanking me for all I did. I hadn't signed up for the Secret Santa exchange that year because we were in the process of moving. A pleasant surprise.
If a waitress does an especially good job don't just thank her and give her a good tip - tell her boss. (I've been a waitress. You have no idea what we sometimes have to put up with. Aww the temptation.)
I have a friend temporarily in a nursing home in another state. I arranged to make her payments on a bill until she is better.
Three months ago my 33 year old daughter told me I need to be a better listener. That seems to be a problem for a lot us.

catrancher

I'm a social worker . . . it comes with the territory. I can't help myself, especially with those who least deserve it. I like watching their anger melt into a smile . . . killing them with kindness, you know.

Rhonda

I have worked many years in retail. I grew up in my Dad's service station and my mom worked in the high school and between them they knew everyone around. So I have strong feelings about dealing with the public. I do not suffer silently when the cashier ignores me to talk to her friends over my head. But I also alway make sure I tell the cashier or waitress who is caring that she does a good job and why. One time I was in a Casey's and I complimented the cashier on how quickly and efficiently she put people through the line. She flippantly said tell my boss that. and turned away but her boss came through the doors right behind her and I did tell her boss exactly what I had said to the cashier. I have been on both sides of the cashier and waitress jobs and I know how hard it is to do those jobs. It is important to me that they know that what they do and how they do it affects the customer good or bad.

My boss when I managed the book store had a little newspaper clipping on the desk that said --
Treat a customer right - he will tell ten friends and those ten friends will tell ten friends and so on and that is how your reputation is built - good or bad!

gangles

On the 23rd of December, my Grandson helped me deliver 22 lap quilts I had pieced and machine quilted to a nursing home for their residents. The administrator and activity director at the nursing home were thrilled! I had decided this year that I had more than enough quilts and quilt tops and that I should be making something more useful for others and the nursing home residents were what I chose.

littlebelle

Happy New Year to All,
This has been the greatest thread ever. I'm one of those people that returns the cart back to the store almost always there have been a few rare time when I just returned them to the corale. I try very hard every day to try and make some small difference in a person life evev if it in the smallest way like a smile or just listening.
It's been a rough year as my daughter was diaignost wirth Breast cancer she has undgone the surgery but still as a long way to go. The Friday before her durgery her husband stopped by and said that their marriage was over and the cancer really put an end to it. after making that anoncement he evicted me Merry Christmas I need to find a place to live. Ok I thought that maybe it will be a blessing is discise I work at a job I love I'm a personal aide for the exceptional education pay isn't great but the benifits are wonderful. So there is a very lovely lady that lives in a rooming house at the corner of the street and we where talking about Thanksgiving and I told her I was going to my son for dinner I asked what ar your plans. She said that she would be selling her Flowers and that she would have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when she got home, I thought that just won't do so I spoke with me daughter and she said that she would take her and Mr. Frank a plate down after they where done eating,I said geat I came home and pulled out of the freezer some stuffed cabbage rolls and some soup I had made ( which meant that I didn't have to eat it as many days) if I shared it with her. So on the night before Thanksgiving I share with her and on Thanksgiving she and Mr. Frank had a wonderful mea, which was greatly apperciated after standing on a corner selling her flowers she does make enough to meet the rentbut I worry about her as she walks and sometime its late when she returns home. I decided then that I would share my Christmas with her so I packed up a few things for her gave her a Tim Hortons gift card a sweater body cream and soap I was given and couldn't use as I allergis to Jasmin a few other thing a small box of candy a hat scarf and glove to keep her warm ansd another dinner so she wouldn't be eating a peanut butter sandwich
Well it did my heart good to make somebody elses day after receiving my onw bad news but the look on her face said all I needed to hear Thanks for letting me vent and then listening to my my story I hopr that everyone has a good New Year.


Pam,

sewer 55

Rhonda, I wouldn't worry about being on a soapbox; we all need to feel strongly about things or this world would really be in a mess. Yes, common sense, is the key in so many situations. People today just don't seem to have it, or have forgotten. What happened to the "magic words"--please and thank you??? Are we so self centered that we can't take the time to use these small words that mean so much.
My husband and I try, especially at holiday time, to be generous to those who "serve" us--the mailman, the waitress in the restaurant--well you get the message. And why not send a small check to one or two charaties. Yes, helping to pay one's bill in the grocery line is a great thing to do.
Let's all slow down just a bit and take a good look around us; there are so many small things that we can do to help make other people's lives a little easier and brighter.
There, that's my soapbox delivery for the day!

sewer 55

Rhonda, I wouldn't worry about being on a soapbox; we all need to feel strongly about things or this world would really be in a mess. Yes, common sense, is the key in so many situations. People today just don't seem to have it, or have forgotten. What happened to the "magic words"--please and thank you??? Are we so self centered that we can't take the time to use these small words that mean so much.
My husband and I try, especially at holiday time, to ge extra generous to those who "serve" us--the mailman, the waitress in the restaurant--well you get the message. And why not send a small check to one or two charaties. Yes, helping to pay one's bill in the grocery line is a great thing to do.
Let's all slow down just a bit and take a good look around us; there are so many small things that we can do to help make other people's lives a little easier and brighter.
There, that's my soapbox delivery for the day!

donnaree59

I agree! This has been the best thread on this forum I think I have read. So many nice stories, so many hearts warmed...inspirational for us all.

jitkaau

An old chap that I know could not remember the details of a medical appointment that he had to attend. He was anxious because the people had rung to remind him and he didn't remember any details.As I have the capacity, I rang around and found his details, wrote them down for him and ordered the taxi to come to pick him up.
Another person with little income had been told she needed to replace her sewing machine. I took it to my repair man who charged $40 to give it a service and it is running perfectly.
The next item was a gift of money given to me by a 90 year old who wrote on the bottom of the card,"You are not to use this to buy anything for me!" So it will be used to assist elsewhere...
I usually don't speak of these things that a lot of us do to work toward the common good and welfare of others. However, I think it has been a good exercise in actually sitting back and reflecting on the subject. Thanks for the opportunity to do so.
I am particularly interested in adopting the practice of our fellow board member who says she adopts a family.

BETTY62

I help the handicap and the elderly get items off the top shelve at the grocery store if I notice they are struggling. I also help them load groceries into their cars if I see them as I am going to my car in the parking lot.

Last week I helped a handicap man load his walker into his car because I noticed he wasn't able to do so as the wind was blowing so hard he couldn't keep the car door opened.

I make an effort to do something nice for someone every day but often I fail. I do this out of respect for my parents because that is how they raised me.