I’m back. The suitcase is unpacked. The mail has been sorted and the gas tank is full so I can resume taxi driving duties for my children.
I was on a 14 day book tour from Fargo to LA. Okay, actually it was Fargo and LA, but since they were back-to-back, it sounds more fun to say Fargo to LA, ... Read More
Some people say I have a new book out. I say you have a new book out.
Two years ago, I took 100 of my favorite kindness stories, the ones you have been sending in since 2011, and I put them in a book. We called that book “Kindness is Contagious: 100 Stories to Remind You God is Good and So ... Read More
If it had rained one hot July day in 2011, I would not be writing this column.
If I had felt too tired by depression to take my kids to the city pool, I would not have a found my purpose.
If one teenage mom in a shiny gold bikini had been too proud to accept the money I offered, I would ... Read More
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 ... Read More
The things that break our hearts are often the things that make us powerful. I am regularly reminding my children and their friends that someday they will have the opportunity to use each hurt to help another human.
A dear friend shared the following story with me, and although I was sad for her younger self, I know it is these ... Read More
Just when Darcy Barry should have been enjoying her senior year of high school and looking forward to future adventures, life threw her a fast-pitch curveball.
On Dec. 23, 1981, she was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis, a condition that causes tumors to form in the brain, spinal cord and nerves.
Step by step, Darcy has gone on to live a full, beautiful ... Read More
There is a woman in my town who does a lot of good. I mean A LOT. She and her husband have been blessed with a successful local business, and they are constantly pouring into the community. The thing is, they do it so quietly, unless you’re really paying attention and perhaps digging a little, you’d never know the identities ... Read More
Danette Jensen lives in Goodridge, Minn., about 70 miles from the Canadian border. She and her husband run DJ’s K9 Country, a boarding facility with more than 20 kennels and a large training room.
I guess you could say Danette is dog crazy. She is certainly an expert in the field. She has a radio show and people call in with ... Read More
I have yet to meet someone who says, “Nope. I’m not a kind person and I have no intention of changing.”
We might agree that we have a little work to be done in the kindness area, but generally people seem to think they are doing a pretty good job of treating others well.
In a study of 100 young people with ... Read More
Our lives often intersect for a reason, but isn’t it amazing when we they do, and we actually notice?
Two men, one from Twin Valley, Minn., and the other from Loveland, Colo., have never met in person, but their paths crossed 20 years ago, leading to a beautiful act of kindness today.
Here is their story:
“In October 1998, I was traveling to ... Read More
