People Are Good

I decided to make a place where good was easier to find. So when you need to be inspired or have your faith in humanity restored, to be reminded that we are all in this together, I hope you’ll come here and be comforted or cheered. Thanks for visiting ♥ Also Check Out PostItForward Tumblrs official project to reach out to people suffering or in need of support <3

[keepingcalmisoverratedgoddamnit]

Storytime...

Something amazing happened to me today.

If you have never been bottom-of-the-barrel broke for a decent length of time then you cannot truly understand that horrible feeling when the cashier tells you that you can’t use your loyalty points because the server is down. That sick sinking feeling that happens as you come to the realization that you have to pay full price when you were counting on having the extra $5 the points would have saved you to buy the meat for dinner. That if you want to eat now you won’t later or if you want to eat later you can’t eat now.

I experienced this feeling again today at the coffee shop. I only ordered a small coffee and a ham and cheese croissant. It’s all I could afford if I used the points I’d saved up to pay for the coffee. My total was only $10.90 but I had been counting on using my points to bring it down to $6. Then she told me the system was down.

Everything stopped. My heart sank and suddenly began racing 100ks an hour at the same time and I started shaking. In the space of about four seconds I thought several things at once.

“Do I say leave the coffee? The food is more vital than the caffeine”

“Do I just leave both? I need to buy the stuff for dinner tonight and I have to get to therapy tomorrow”

“Maybe I can borrow from Mum to do dinner and therapy”

“Oh god! They probably think I’m just angling for free stuff!”

“Fuck Georgia! Just pay by card and pray you make it to next week on what’s left”

“I’m going to throw up”

“Tell them it’s fine and pass your card over for fucks sake!”

So I take out my card and start to hand it over. I’m trying to put on a brave face but clearly I didn’t do much of a job of it. The cashier looks like a deer in headlights. She doesn’t know how to handle this kind of thing. She immediately tries to reassure me.

Then it happens.

I hear a gruff voice behind me ask,

“How much does she need?”

I turn and see the older lady who came in behind me and let me go ahead of her in the queue opening her wallet and looking at the cashier.

I’m still desperately trying to convince both women that it’s fine and I’ll pay but they don’t seem to hear me. By now I’m shaking and also crying. I can tell both women are uncomfortable so I desperately try to get myself under control. It’s not working. In the madness the cashier puts through the point discount and the Gruff Older Lady pays for my order. Now not only do I still have the $5 I was counting on from my points I have the other $6 I would have paid for my coffee too.

I move off to the side still loosing my shit and crying (embarrassingly) in a coffee shop, as the cashier takes Gruff Older Lady’s order and she pays and we all wait for our orders.

The whole shop has been watching this and not said a word. I think (it’s something of a blur) I may have hugged her. And I think it made her even more uncomfortable. Anyway, I’m still trying to get myself under control. Another patron comes over and asks if I’m ok and I tell her what’s just happened and she smiles and calmly chats to me till I’m calm and her order is called. She wishes me well and leaves.

My order is then called at the same time as Gruff Older Lady. I can barely look her in the eye. I’m so embarrassed. But I’m also so incredibly grateful so I look up and give a wobbly smile and thank her again as we put the lids on our coffees. She asks if I’m short of money and I admit that I am but I’m mostly coping without looking up from the counter. Next thing I know she is opening her wallet again and pushing the last of her cash, $30, into my hands. I try to refuse and tell her she doesn’t have to do that, I’m ok. Again the tears threaten.

“Don’t you cry again!”

She tells me in that same gruff voice she used at the counter.

“You’ll set me off! Just take it! I know what it’s like to be where you are. I’ve been there myself. I’m a bit flush this week so I can afford to do this.”

I can do nothing but stare at my shaking hand now holding $30 and thank her profusely while trying not to cry on her. She simply gives me a small smile and murmurs,

“I’ve done my kind thing for the day.”

And leaves before I can say another word.

It’s taken me an hour to write this and I’m still shaken and overwhelmed.

This woman was so kind. It wasn’t the stereotypical warm, beneficent old woman with a big hug and a cheery smile. She was real and my gratitude seemed to make her uncomfortable. Like she hadn’t realized how big of an impact she would have when she decided to do what she did. She was gruff and awkward and that is the only think that has me convinced that this really happened and I didn’t dream it.

Well, that and the lasting embarrassment from having had such a major breakdown in a public place.

I have now had breakfast and I’ll use the extra $30 for food. And it’s all thanks to that incredibly kind Gruff Older Lady.

I don’t know how to end this except to say again even though I am sure she’ll never see this…

Thank you. Paying for my breakfast the way you did has had a far bigger impact than I think you will ever know.

[webofgoodnews]

Superhero Mom Feeds More Than 30,000 People With Extreme Couponing

[karadin]

make this woman the head of Housing and Urban Development

[thismachinekills]

her name is Lauren Puryear!

[gravityofstars]

My students give me hope.

As I mentioned previously, two brothers from our school passed away in a car wreck this past weekend. To assist the family with funeral expenses, our school promised to donate all of our ice cream proceeds from this week to the family. I announced this to my class and informed their parents as well.

For starters, my homeroom raised over $70 in three days because so many students brought in ice cream money. I typically have one or two students a day who pay for ice cream. Normally I’d be pressed to raise $10 in an entire week. So this alone is amazing, and I am incredibly proud of all of them.

But the amazingness doesn’t stop there.

First: one of my students brought $10 for ten days of ice cream. He told me it was his own money and that his mom had told him not to spend all his money on that, so he asked her, “What if it was me in that car and there was a kid wanting to do this for me?” I nearly cried.

There’s more.

Second: another student brought $2, which doesn’t seem like much, but her family doesn’t have much to spare. Instead of asking for two days of ice cream, she asked me who in our class never gets ice cream and donated one of her dollars to someone else in our class.

But wait!

Third: another student brought in $2 and told me she didn’t want the ice cream because she doesn’t like it, but she still wanted to help.

Still not done!

Fourth: another student brought in $10. Instead of asking for ten days of ice cream, she asked me to donate $5 to her best friend AND THEN she asked me who doesn’t usually get ice cream. I pointed out a couple of different students and she said, “Put $2 for *student 1* and $2 for *student 2*.” She only kept $1 for herself.

And then today!

Fifth: One of my students brought in $12 for twelve days of ice cream, but when she heard that her friend (second student up there ^^) didn’t have any ice cream left because she had donated $1 to another student, this student offered to donate $1 of her money to get her friend an ice cream AND THEN proceeded to donate two more of her dollars to the two boys sitting across the table from them.

Neither of the boys who passed away were in our grade. My students did not know them personally, and yet they came together to raise money for their family AND do all of these acts of kindness in the process. To say that I am one proud teacher is a huge understatement. They give me hope for a better, more compassionate and caring future.

[gaelforceplayroom]

Having a bad day?  The cure is Gaelforce’s Good News Positive Podcast!!!

[peoplearegood]

The True Meaning Of Christmas

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In our family we have a special way of transitioning the kids from receiving from Santa, to becoming Santa. This way, the Santa construct is not a lie that gets discovered, but an unfolding series of good deeds and Christmas spirit.

When they are 6 or 7, whenever you see that dawning suspicion that Santa may not be a material being, that means the child is ready.

I take them out “for coffee” at the local wherever. We get a booth, order our drinks, and the following pronouncement is made:

“You sure have grown an awful lot this year. Not only are you taller, but I can see that your heart has grown, too. [Point out 2-3 examples of empathetic behavior — consideration of people’s feelings, good deeds, acts of kindness etc., that the kid has done in the past year.] In fact, your heart has grown so much that I think you are ready to become a Santa Claus.

You probably have noticed that most of the Santas you see are people dressed up like him. Some of your friends might have even told you that there is no Santa. A lot of children think that, because they aren’t ready to BE a Santa yet, but YOU ARE.

Tell me the best things about Santa. What does Santa get for all of his trouble? [Lead the kid from “cookies” to the good feeling of having done something for someone else.] Well, now YOU are ready to do your first job as a Santa!”

Make sure you maintain the proper conspiratorial tone.

We then have the child choose someone they know – a neighbor, usually. The child’s mission is to secretly, deviously, find out something that the person needs, and then provide it, wrap it, deliver it –and never reveal to the target where it came from. Being a Santa isn’t about getting credit, you see. It’s unselfish giving.

My oldest chose the “witch lady” on the corner. She really was horrible – had a fence around the house and would never let the kids go in and get a stray ball or Frisbee. She’d yell at them to play quieter, etc.—a real pill. He noticed when we drove to school that she came out every morning to get her paper in bare feet, so he decided she needed slippers.

So then he had to go spy and decide how big her feet were. He hid in the bushes one Saturday, and decided she was a medium. We went to Kmart and bought warm slippers. He wrapped them up, and tagged it, “Merry Christmas from Santa.” After dinner one evening, he slipped down to her house, and slid the package under her driveway gate. The next morning, we watched her waddle out to get the paper, pick up the present, and go inside. My son was all excited, and couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. The next morning, as we drove off, there she was, out getting her paper—wearing the slippers. He was ecstatic. I had to remind him that NO ONE could ever know what he did or he wouldn’t be a Santa.

Over the years, he chose a good number of targets, always coming up with a unique present just for them. One year, he polished up his bike, put a new seat on it, and gave it to one of our friend’s daughters. These people were and are very poor. We did ask the dad if it was ok. The look on her face, when she saw the bike on the patio with a big bow on it, was almost as good as the look on my son’s face.

When it came time for Son #2 to join the ranks, my oldest came along, and helped with the induction speech. They are both excellent gifters, by the way, and never felt that they had been lied to – because they were let in on the Secret of Being a Santa.

This story about the true meaning of Christmas was shared by an anonymous person. Thank you!

Here are 20 More Ideas for Holiday Kindness and 102 Random Acts of Kindness Ideas.

If you enjoyed this content, please consider clicking this link and liking my Facebook page. You’ll be helping me get my book published (Publishers said I need more Facebook fans) and you’ll get periodic good news posts in your Facebook feed from me. Thank you!

[amroyounes]

[peoplearegood]

Kids are given 2 gifts - one for themselves and one for their loved ones

- the catch - they can only take home ONE.

The results might surprise you.

[peoplearegood]

When Robin Williams Comforted Me in the Airport After My Husband's Suicide

"His eyes got a little glossy. His voice got softer. And he said to me..."

[peoplearegood]

Sudanese Refugee Overwhelmed With Gratitude in Texas Airport After Emotional Reunion With Family

Just watch. Get the tissues handy, this video comes with a 100% tears of joy guarantee. You will be a happy, slobbering mess after watching this — and it’s so worth it! What a beautiful reunion, especially just before Thanksgiving. Enjoy! Dyan comes home from Robert Fuqua on Vimeo.

[peoplearegood]

"Aria and I saw this man shopping while we were at Walmart this morning. She stopped him to ask if he was Santa. He said yes and wished her a Merry Christmas as he walked by. Her eyes lit up and she got a huge smile on her face and we continued shopping. A few minutes later, he found us in another aisle and asked if we had a couple minutes to talk. It's Santa, of course we have time to talk!!! He chatted with her a bit...asked her how old she was, her name, what she wanted for Christmas, etc. Then he grabbed some Christmas candy he had put in his basket and gave them to her along with $10 to purchase them. She even had enough extra that she was able to buy a chocolate surprise toy each for her sister and herself, that they've been eyeing by the register every time we go! Dear Santa, 🎅 THANK YOU for keeping the Christmas spirit alive, not only for the kids, but for us all!" ❤️ #LoveWhatMatters Credit: Ana-Marie Sandoval

[amroyounes]

[kdrama-leadingmen]

Just stopped at my local gas station on the way to work to pick up Monday morning essentials - Diet Coke, nicotine. 60ish dude was standing talking to the cashier - typical Midwestern “guy”. Cashier looks at me sheepishly and says “he wants to pay for your stuff.” I looked at him and said “Seriously?” He just nodded, looking a little abashed. A million thoughts washed over me after the crazy week we’ve had in this country, and I hate to say that my immediate instinct was to wonder what his ulterior motives were. But then I realized that I have been so angry and suspicious about everyone and everything lately that this simple act of kindness took me by absolute surprise. And I was so grateful to know that people are still just people, trying to make their little part of their world a kinder more loving place. So, I said, “Pay it forward, man.” And I will be looking today to find a way to make my little part of the world a kinder, more loving place. And I plan on doing so tomorrow and the days that follow as well. The little acts we can perform seem so small, but they ripple out in ways we can’t even know. So, be kind to each other. Underneath it all, our similarities outweigh our differences and you never know what your effect can be upon the world. #payitforward #randomactsofkindness #lookforthegoodinpeople

[inspirationwordslove]

My Faith In Humanity love positive words

[peoplearegood]

4-Year-Old At Grocery Store Calls Lonely Widower ‘Old,’ And Mom Is Floored By His Response

Tara Wood’s daughter, Norah, was gearing up to celebrate her fourth birthday. On the day before her big day, Norah happened to explain to Tara her affinity for elderly folks — their soft skin, their slow-moving gestures, and how — since they’re reaching the end of their lifespans — she wants to “love ‘em all up...

You have to read this ♥

[peoplearegood]

Iowan surprises hometown school by paying children’s overdue lunch bills

When Jerry Fenton stumbled across a story online about a young boy who brought two lunches to school so he could give one to a friend, Fenton thought: That's something nice that I could do, too.

[awwww-cute]

Sledders outside a children’s hospital leave a heartwarming message for the sick kiddos who can’t get out and play in the snow

[peoplearegood]

This is a video that will brighten your day and encourage you to brighten the days of the people around you.  One small act of kindness is such a powerful thing!