kindness

After living with bipolar disorder and autism all of his life, 10-year-old Haden Edwards has finally discovered one thing that can calm him down: taking care of his little brother Max. Max, who is a 7-year-old struggling with a genetic disorder called neurofibromatosis, usually suffers from many symptoms, such as gastrointestinal cramps, motor tics, and a weakened immune system. He underwent an unsuccessful brain surgery in August 2016 and the time is quickly approaching where his parents must decide to try again or start chemotherapy. When Haden started escorting Max to his doctor’s appointments, he started to realize how tough his baby brother really was. So, he asked his mother, Cynthia Davis, if he could have money to buy some toys for Max. Though she said that he could mow the lawn or do the dishes for allowance money, Haden decided he would use his skills as an artist instead. Haden set up a table on the family’s front lawn with a sign saying “Selling Drawings For Mad Max: $1”. When his mother put out a plea on Facebook for friends to take Haden up on his offer, 30 people arrived in under 30 minutes to request a picture from the young artist. Haden has since raised over $1,000 through his special drawings. All of the money he earns, he puts towards Max; whether it’s taking him out for ice cream or buying him LEGOs. His compassion has also infected the rest of his life; he now volunteers at Meals on Wheels, buys meals for local police officers, holds fundraisers for organizations in need, and grows out his hair so he can donate it to Locks of Love. The positive thing about kindness, the shockwaves of its impact travel far, reaching distance and spaces unexpected.

Looking at this, one would really need to appreciate the fact that if we open up our minds to being kind, compassionate and loving, not even age can dampen our resolve to impact lives positively. If there was any doubt that Kamden Houshan and Paul Burnett would be friends forever, there certainly is not anymore. The soon-to-be 3rd graders do everything together: from munching on McDonald’s happy meals, to playing at the park. The two have been nearly inseparable since they met in kindergarten several years ago. So when Paul noticed that Kamden was struggling with his wheelchair, he didn’t hesitate to help. Kamden became a paraplegic when he was born with a massive tumor embedded in his spine. Though doctors were able to remove the tumor in surgery, the 8-year-old boy was left paralyzed. Kamden’s last wheelchair was so heavy and bulky, it prevented the youth from being able to freely maneuver household doorways. Since it could not fit into the bathroom, Kamden’s mother always had to carry him, which put excessive stress on her body. Then in August, Kamden was able to test drive a lighter wheelchair model – and he was astounded by how much of a positive difference it made in his life. Unfortunately, insurance could not cover the cost of another wheelchair for another few years. Meanwhile, Paul had learned about GoFundMe from watching YouTube videos. Upon hearing about his friend’s troubles, he asked his parents if he could start a campaign for his Kamden. In a matter of weeks, Kamden’s page had raised $5,500 – roughly $2,000 more than their original goal. “Thank you all for being part of this wonderful journey to get Kamden his wheelchair … Paul and Kamden have been all smiles knowing that Kamden is getting what he needs,” wrote Paul’s mother.

It was none of his business, maybe, but Malyk Bonnet didn’t like the way the guy at the bus stop was treating the woman he was with. And she looked scared. He thought maybe he should intervene, but how? Bonnet decided to keep his eye on the couple and follow his instincts. The 17-year-old cook had just completed a shift at work in Montreal, Canada, and saw his chance to help when the man asked him for money, saying he and the woman needed bus fare to get to the town of Laval, some 25 miles (40km) away. Thinking on his feet, Bonnet not only got the money for them, but also announced that he, too, was headed to Laval. He hopped on the same bus as the couple, and when they stood up to get off, Bonnet stood up, too, and offered to buy them dinner. Pretending to go to the restroom, Bonnet instead borrowed a stranger’s cell phone to call police. So good was the teen’s facade that when law enforcement arrived to arrest the man and escort the woman to safety, the kidnapper had no idea it was Bonnet who had tipped them off. “The woman looked at me, and she was almost crying, and I said to myself, ‘I did good,’” Bonnet told News outlets. He did more than good, according to Laval Police Lieutenant Daniel Guérin, in his 24 years of policing, he’s never seen anything quite like what Bonnet did. Bonnet didn’t even know the police were already searching for the couple. The 29-year-old woman had reportedly been kidnapped a few hours earlier, and authorities were pretty sure they knew by whom—a dangerous ex-boyfriend who was under a court order to stay away from her. The Laval cops were so impressed with Bonnet’s decision-making, which they said probably saved the woman’s life, that they took up a collection to reimburse him for the money he spent. They raised $255 for the quick-witted young hero. Bonnet was delighted to have his cash returned, and his proud mother bought up eight newspapers as keepsakes. For the greater good of humanity, there should be boundaries to how we mind our own business. In all our endeavors, let us prioritize humanity above all other interests.

After helping to rescue a young woman who had just escaped her kidnappers, this 65-year-old man then handed over his $7,000 reward because she was “the real hero”. Earl Melchert first saw 15-year-old Jasmine Block when he returned to his home in Alexandria, Minnesota last month in order to retrieve a diesel can that he had forgotten to grab earlier that day. The teen had only just escaped from a nearby abandoned house after her kidnappers had gone out to eat. After knocking on the doors of several neighboring homes without any luck, Block swam across a lake and started trekking across Melchert’s field when he spotted her. Melchert brought Block back to his home where they called the police and organized the arrest of her kidnappers. Ever since Block first disappeared, law enforcement officials had been offering $7,000 for any information on her whereabouts. When they handed Earl the check for the reward earlier this week, however, he immediately gave it to Block. “Today we witnessed an incredible example of kindness,” says Alexandria Police Chief Rick Wyffels. “Earl Melchert, the man who made the call everyone was waiting for … was presented with the reward money that had been offered by the Sarah Block family and an anonymous source.” “What no one expected was the kindness and generosity that came straight from Earl’s heart today. He believes that young lady that came running towards him that September day is the real hero and without hesitation, Earl handed the reward over to her, followed by a big hug.” “The family needs the money,” Melchert told the New York Times. “To me, yeah, that’s a lot of money, but they need it way more than I do.” How beautiful it is when we think kindly! How truly exhilarating when we learn to think selflessly.

Brennon Jones loves cutting hair, but there’s one thing he loves even more: cutting hair for the homeless. He’s been at it for a while now and knows how much of a difference it can make in each person’s life. In fact, he gives much more than haircuts as part of his Haircuts for the Homeless campaign in Philadelphia. According to News Outlets, Brennon says his haircuts are totally free. Additionally, he gives them food, clothing, and toiletries. The barber describes it as a makeover for the inside and outside, giving each homeless person a new look and newfound confidence. When a stranger named Sean Johnson found out about Brennon’s mission and the trouble he would have continuing into the winter, he decided to sacrifice the expansion of his own barbershop and opened up a new one — just for Brennon. In an interview with the news outlet, Sean explains: “It wasn’t about me giving a barbershop. I looked at it more as I built something and I want to see it keep going and I want to see it do a great thing.” Now, Brennon’s barbershop will feature days set exclusively for his homeless customers to come in and get their haircuts.

Some days unfold in unexpected ways, yet that shouldn’t excuse our emotional insensitivity towards the struggles of others. One man found himself having a particularly rough morning, consumed by self-pity. After running errands in Liberty, Missouri, and feeling overwhelmed by his ever-growing to-do list, he was leaving a store when something caught his eye. He noticed a woman, likely in her 60s, sitting in her car engrossed in a book—and she was bald. As he drove out of the parking lot, an overwhelming urge struck him to turn around, go back inside the store, and buy her some flowers. Despite feeling cranky and pressed for time, he decided to act on that impulse. He returned to the store and purchased a bouquet. Approaching the woman, he shared that he felt a “crazy urge” to bring her flowers, as if she “needed a smile.” To his surprise, she began to cry. As he drove past her car one last time, he glanced over and saw her in tears. Things may not be as dire as they seem. Let’s strive to cultivate a positive aura that can illuminate the lives of those around us.

You know those projects that make you feel as if you’re spinning your wheels and you’re going to lose whatever hair you have left? Cheryl Rice was working on one of those projects at work. She was frustrated. She felt stalled. She was dejected. Then a colleague gave her a card that changed everything. Often when we’re going through a rough time, we feel alone, and just having someone notice and understand makes all the difference between feeling invisible and feeling loved and supported. For Cheryl, that card bearing just two little words is what made her realize she wasn’t alone. The two words? You Matter. Cheryl couldn’t help but tear up when she read the message. “I’ve struggled at times with my own self-worth, and when I received the card, it felt like a question I carry around with me had been answered. I matter. That expression from her to me filled me up.” Cheryl was so touched by the gesture that she ordered 100 of her own cards to give away, first to family and friends and then to acquaintances. Eventually, she also started leaving cards in strategic locations to brighten strangers’ days—in the credit card holders at gas pumps, in library books, on car windshields. In these challenging times, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. However, instead of directing our frustrations toward those around us, we should take this opportunity to recognize and appreciate the people in our lives. Let’s open our hearts and lend a listening ear to others, offering comforting words and support. After all, just as we matter, so do they. Together, we can navigate these turbulent waters with compassion and understanding.

Jessica Bell, an attorney and advocate in Chicago was riding the subway home late one Friday evening when she witnessed a spontaneous act of kindness that brought tears to her eyes. A homeless man, who later said he was from Louisiana, pulled his swollen feet from a flimsy pair of running shoes that were clearly not intended for a Midwestern winter. The shoe backs were folded down like slippers to leave enough room for a thick layer of socks to fit inside. “I don’t know how many pairs of socks he’s wearing in an attempt to keep his feet warm but there is blood seeping through,” she wrote on Facebook. 38-year-old Maurice Anderson was traveling back to his hometown to visit his daughter, like he does every weekend, when he saw the same heartbreaking scene unfold in front of him. He suddenly wanted to give his own boots, but started arguing with himself: He’d just bought the boots a few weeks ago, and paid $260 for the pair. But within 30 seconds he was unlacing them, and asking the man what size shoes he wore. Size 12, was his answer—Maurice is a 12-and-a-half. Bell continues, “Quietly in-a-blink-and-you’ll-miss-it fashion, the younger man takes off the boots he’s wearing and passes them to the old man… He opens his suitcase and gives him a pair of socks as well.” Maurice then pulls out a spare pair of shoes from the suitcase. “These shoes are nice too, but not as nice as the boots,” Jessica stated. “They would have fit the old man just as well, but they were not what this old man needed.” Especially because he believed his feet might already have frostbite. “If you’ve got 20 pairs of shoes, you can only wear one at a time,” Anderson told Good News Network. “I wished I’d had more socks.” “The reason I posted about Maurice is because we’ve all given, or see people give food, or money to the homeless, but I have never seen someone give the clothes off their back so unselfishly and so humbly,” Bell told Maurice said that when he was exiting the subway car, Jessica, who is the founder of Project Bleeding Love, which supplies homeless women with feminine hygiene products, approached him and almost burst into tears, saying, “I’ve never witnessed anything like that.” She gave him her card so they could keep in touch. Anderson, who had tried to find a job as a laborer with the city, finally needed to move to Cincinnati because he found work there. It would seem like a man with his integrity (and dedication to his daughter), would be a welcome addition to many companies in the Windy City. Maybe his newfound fame will land him a position with good pay, and he can continue warming the hearts of people in this icy town.

Ella Johannessen was overwhelmed by financial difficulties when a stranger learned of her troubles and decided to leave a little gift for the 23-year-old student while she was asleep. Johannessen was on a train from London King’s Cross Station to Leeds on Saturday morning when she called her mother and started venting about her money problems. As a Leeds Beckett University graduate, she reportedly fell into debt during her final year in college when she had to drop her part-time job and focus on her studies. “I was rather stressed and upset over my financial situation and was trying to locate what had happened to £35 that had been sent to me over a bank transfer,” Johannessen wrote on Facebook. “I spoke to her about how little money I had, how worried I was about my finances and I got upset.” After hanging up the phone, the 23-year-old fell asleep in her seat. When she awoke a half hour later, however, she found that someone had left her £100 ($141) tucked into a napkin on her lap. “I started to cry,” said the student. “After a terrible 18 months where I lost my father and both of his parents, it showed me that there is kindness and good people in the world.” According to the BBC, the money will keep Johannessen’s bank account from being over drafted. She hopes that her thank you note to the compassionate stranger will reach them on Facebook, and she plans on paying the good deed forward by volunteering for a charity in Leeds.

This Jewish nurse wasn’t about to let religion get in the way of a baby boy’s livelihood. The baby’s mother was injured in a head-on car collision in Jerusalem on Friday, while the father was killed instantly. The boy, Yaman Abu Ramila, was then taken to the hospital by paramedics for his lighter injuries. The aunts of the 9-month-old baby went to the Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital to claim Yaman – but when he cried for several hours, refusing to eat from a bottle, the women were distraught. Finally, a Jewish nurse named Ula Ostrowski-Zak volunteered to breast feed him herself. Since Ula has an 18-month-old child of her own, she said that it was like “feeding her own son”, even though the aunts were taken aback by her kind gesture. “His aunts were surprised that a Jew agreed to breastfeed him, but I told them that every mother would do it,” said Ula, according to News Outlet. “His aunts embraced me and thanked me.” Until the boy’s mother is fully healed, he will be staying with his grandparents in Hebron. When we’re determined to show compassion neither religion nor political differences would stand in our way.