You know what’s super fun? Putting a post on social media asking people to share their favorite kindness stories.
Try it sometime. It’s an immediate boost to your day and a great way to remember there are a lot of kind things happening quietly behind the scenes in our world.
Here are a few stories people have shared with me recently.
From Beth Kern in Milwaukee, Wis.: “We have a partially finished basement that was clear and empty. A few weeks ago, we were out to brunch with friends who run the parish rummage sale. One of the gals got a phone call from a parishioner asking if they had any storage room to take boxes from a move. The parishioner was downsizing and the closing date was in a few days. Both of our friends have apartments, but we had the basement available. By 4 p.m. that afternoon and 20 boxes later, we made their day! It felt great!”
From Lindsay Schaller in Athens, Ohio: “I was rear-ended a few months ago. The officer who responded was incredibly kind, even taking a moment to calm my little girl who was in the car with me. A few weeks ago, who is in line behind me at a the drive-thru restaurant? The officer! I paid for his lunch. It wasn’t much, but felt good to be able to thank him!”
From Eddie Carter, who is on a Mormon mission near Columbus, Ohio: “My companion and I were biking to an appointment. It was hot, and not the most fun thing to do in general. I mean, with white shirts and ties…
“My bike chain kept falling apart and it was pretty frustrating. After the third or fourth time my chain was jammed, I got off my bike, and again turned it upside down so I could fix the problem. I flipped the bike too fast and bent the rear rim.
“Just a tad bit more annoyed, I hopped on my bike and somehow finished the journey. Our appointment fell through so we decided to walk down the street to a church member’s home. They took us right in! They tried to fix my bike, but couldn’t, so they gave me a bike to use while they figured out how to fix mine! They gave us water and even a ride to our next destination.
“The kindness and love eliminated all frustration. It tends to do that, huh?”
From Teresa Trussell in Athens, Ohio: “I was walking to a meeting, and I was thinking about some stressful things I have coming up. It must have showed on my face. A kind passerby stopped me to tell me to remember that whatever is stressful today will be a small blip on the radar in the future, and to smile in spite of things because I am beautiful. He made me feel beautiful even though I was a hot mess that day. Regardless, his kind words took seconds but left a long impression.”
Isn’t it fun to see how kindness shows up at just the right moment? I’d love to hear your story of kindness.
Email me at info@nicolejphillips.com. Or send a letter to Kindness is Contagious c/o Nicole J. Phillips, The Forum, 101 5th St. N., Box 2020, Fargo, ND 58107.
Nicole J. Phillips is a speaker, author and host of The Kindness Podcast. She lives in Athens, Ohio with her three children and her husband, Saul, who is the men’s head basketball coach at Ohio University. Her column runs every Friday.
