Small Things Make a Big Difference
by: Archana Kapoor Nagpal
“The conventional Happy New Year approach is to think of the New Year as something that happens outside of our selves. It is a good luck wish that the New Year, in some magical way, will bring us our heart’s desire. We look to the New Year to make us happy. When we expect happiness to come to us from the outside, we are usually disappointed. Happiness is not guaranteed by sunny weather, a raise in pay, a new car, a beautiful home or anything else of a material nature. External things are often possessed by very unhappy people. Happiness does not come out of a New Year, it comes out of men and women. Life does not change when we hang a new calendar on the wall or when the clock strikes midnight and a New Year begins. The only way life will change for us is when we change ourselves” – Wilferd A. Peterson
Very few people justify the meaning of their name. I hardly met anyone who has until I met Feroz.
I have known Feroz for the last 3 years. He is an employee of our society association and is supposed to take care of the walkways and horticulture. This is the job for someone very young but Feroz is quite aged and debilitated to do all this. It is a tough decision for the management to replace Feroz due to his allegiance.
1st January, 2012 – India was cold like dawn of every New Year. I have always been an early bird and my morning walks have been the routine for last 7 years. It was nothing unusual that day as well. (read more…)
P.S. I Love You
Author: Archana Kapoor Nagpal
“Love is the flower of life, and blossoms unexpectedly and without law, and must be plucked where it is found, and enjoyed for the brief hour of its duration.” – D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930) English Author
‘I love you’, three words we all would have said to someone at some point of time in our lives. These three words we would have heard or would be still waiting for someone to whisper into our ears.
I felt love, when I was 19 but I never realized that it is such an indispensable feeling without which there is no life, even if you are alive. I met him and he changed my definition of love. He made me understand that love is much above the bond between parent to a child, husband to a wife, man to a woman or brother to a sister. It is a color that can add millions of shades to someone’s life, someone who has lost all hopes to live or maybe that someone who is just living on a hope. (read more)
Finding Hope: Surviving Mesothelioma Cancer
Author: Heather Von St James
Having a baby can be a frightening experience. Parents, especially first-time mothers and fathers, are consumed with worry for the health and safety of their children; therefore, it is not uncommon for new parents to ignore symptoms of their own, or to neglect their own health completely.
I had my first child on August 4th 2005: a healthy, beautiful daughter named Lily. The weeks after Lily’s birth went pretty smoothly. I was exhausted all the time, but what new mother isn’t? I had gone back to work just four weeks after my daughter was born, so that also attributed to my fatigue. Also, I lost all of my baby weight very quickly. My doctor said this was due to breastfeeding and healthy eating, so there was no reason for me to be concerned. I assumed my symptoms were typical of all new mothers, so I tried my hardest to put it out of my mind. (read more)
The Smile
Author: Chris Gregory
Recently I was put in a nursing home to recover from a critically ill ailment. For the first time in my life I was totally dependent on others. I just lay there in the bed being pumped with antibiotics and fluids. It gave me a lot of time to reflect and slowly I become aware of my surroundings.
Over the course of a few days I started to really appreciate the housekeeper. She was an elderly lady who didn’t speak English. Every morning at 6:30 she would try to sneak into my room quietly so she wouldn’t disturb me. However, on every occasion I would awake and see her. She would try to apologize and at the same time gave this amazing smile. It got that I would be just waiting to see her come in and give that wonderful smile. (read more)
The Heat of Summers Past
Author: Shelley Madden
My Grandfather, Clarence Madden, had no life of luxury back in the late nineteen-thirties. Though he was born with a bad heart, he toiled relentlessly in the fields each day, coaxing crops from the parched soil to feed his wife and four children.
He owned sixty acres of farmland in the heart of Texas. His summer days were spent on an ancient kerosene tractor, which sported a metal seat and matching iron wheels, guaranteed to sizzle your blue jeans into your hide the moment you perched on its throne.
Kerosene in those days was a whopping twelve cents a gallon. It was used to fuel the tractor, and the little cook stove my Grandmother could often be found hovering near, as she dabbed the sweat from her brow. When lunchtime drew near, she’d throw a white pillow on the roof of the low-slung farmhouse porch, signaling granddad it was time to eat. (more…)
WATCH O’ER THE FIREFIGHTER*
Author: Shelley Madden
The mighty hawk raced down from the heavens, soaring high above the Texas plain, his keen eye overlooking the vast prairie. His feathers glistened gold in the afternoon sun as he circled above the parched grasses. Gusting southern winds tossed him upward; he was thrown off course and came crashing toward (more)
Whose Battle – His or Mine?
Author: Archana Kapoor Nagpal
“Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they’re supposed to help you discover who you are. – Bernice Johnson Reagon”
It is true that our experiences shape our views. My experiences made me feel my problem is bigger than yours and you might feel the other way round.
I was exasperated because my specialist made me wait for 6 hours. But the only good thing was it gave me an idea for this story. Maybe destiny wanted me to wait for the specialist and meet Jack. more
Are You Looking For Your Choir?
Author: Peter Nicholls
There was a time not long ago when life’s circumstances resulted in my self esteem and self confidence dropping to their lowest ebb. During this time I was approached to join a choir. Being totally consumed in my problems and wallowing in self pity, I automatically said no. more
Generosity Counteracting Adversity
Author: Maria Rattray
She’s affectionately called ‘The Soup Lady’. Now well into her eighties, she can be seen in the central district of Canberra, every Friday night, giving free soup and blankets, not only to the homeless, but to anyone in need. She sees Canberra’s student population as a somewhat disadvantaged group, and so they too share in her offerings. more
Pearls of Wisdom From The Dalai Lama
Author: Aazdak Alisimo
Regardless of religious beliefs or views, it is hard to find anyone that does not find the Dalai Lama reverent. Here are 15 nuggets of truth he has uttered over the years. Regardless of when they were stated, they still apply today. more
Feel The Joy
Author: Claudette Rowley
My grandmother died on January 1, 2007. She was my last living grandparent. Her name was Joy. She was 86.
The funeral was in a small Wisconsin town about two hours from Milwaukee. I debated about going – I live near Boston and it felt like a long flight and long drive. I’d miss being with my son for the weekend. Traveling to the funeral would jam up my work week. I knew I didn’t need to go for my own closure. more
Contribute your story to this site!
Do you have a story you would like to share? Please submit on the form below, and specify type of story, i.e. Tales of Kindness, Serendipity, Inspiring People, The Power of Kindness, or Animal Tales. Be sure and include information about yourself for the “About the Author” info box!
All submissions are reviewed for approval, and may be edited.
Other Topics
Pingback: Tales of Kindness