It is wonderful that you recieved such kindness today. It is funny that you mentioned this today. My son is homeschooled and one of the things we are working on this year is RAKS...random acts of kindness. I have had him make a list of some small things that he could do for someone that could make thier lives easier, or just simply make them smile. He is to take one thing on the list every week and follow through with it. I want to teach him how wonderful it feels to make someone else feel wonderful. I would like to see it become a habit for my kids to do kind things for others. I have done this for many years. It might consist of holding open a door for someone who has their hands full, or giving a card to someone who is having a bad day, or putting a coin into a dryer for someone. They are small things but they feel wonderful.

It is little things like this that can make such a difference in your day. Last weekend at my favorite Salvation Army store, a little spit of a girl (her mom told me earlier that she was only 3 pounds when she was born) held the bathroom door open for me so it was easier to get my walker through. I thought it was so sweet I had to go tell her mom. So many random acts of kindness are based upon good manners.

Thanks for sharing, Kathy! It is good to know there are still kind and considerate people out there.

I've gotten so that when a clerk is very nice or smiles & is pleasant that I thank them for "being so nice" They usually just beam!! I also occasionally thank the sour clerk by saying nicely " thanks for waiting on me, I appreciated it" they often stand there staring. My hope is that maybe they will be nicer to the next person. Several yrs ago I was in grocery store getting couple of items like milk & bread. My head was splitting & all I wanted to do was get home & go to bed. I barely looked at the man ahead of me but when I moved up & the clerk rang up my bill she handed me receipt & change for a $10 bill, she said the man had wanted to pay my bill. I tried to run after him to thank him but I couldn't see him in parking lot. That was so sweet, I guess I looked as bad as I felt but since then I often tell the person with couple of items to go ahead of me. I let a car ahead of me when street is suddenly narrowed because they are working on it & it always brings a smile on the other driver or a friendly wave. Jan

Too much its a kindness to start a thread like this! Micki what a wonderful way to teach your son.
Once my mil's car broke down. She was in her 70s and not close to home. Some young men immediately ran out of a restaurant to help her. And a couple stopped by in their car to offer assistance too. They told her that they always kept their eye out for anyone needing assistance on the road and always stopped to offer.
Once a front wheel came off our car during an ice storm late on a Sunday night in a little town far from home. It was kind of funny, it rolled down the street right toward a river and dh took off after it and fell on his butt. Fortunately the wheel didn't go in the river and dh wasn't hurt. We were wandering the street looking for the lug nuts and suddenly we were surrounded by helpers, people who were just drving by. A man opened up his shop and fixed a bent part that would have bumped the wheel. He charged us a normal rate, but he didn't have to open late on a Sunday. (And you can bet I made the garage that had just rotated the tires pay for it anyway!) This was before we had cell phones.
Its good to be reminded (for me at least lol) to practice more kindness as well.
kathy

Everytime I meet a polite teen I am so appreciative. It just flows all over me, how well some parents are doing. It gives me a renewed sense of hope for the future.

My foster dd has always been polite, and was even as a teen, thank goodness. Its good to be reminded to appreciate the good things in people, especially the ones who drive you nuts, lol.
kathy