Thank you, LBMuskoka. That story restored some faith back in the human race on a day I was having trouble mustering much.

Wow, that's so heart-warming. Thanks for sharing, LB.

Glad to brighten a day.

It was interesting that the resident shared this during a Reading and Tea activity.  Usually I don't get to participate in this, a volunteer does it but she had an appointment.  The book they were reading is an autobiography written by an "ordinary" woman living in a small town in Southern Ontario.  I don't know if the rest of it was as doom filled as the chapter I read, but every other paragraph was either about her store being burgled, her son going to jail, her falling ill, etc.

Afterwards this other delightful little lady - little being a literal description because, believe me, she is big on joy - commented that we, the royal we, focus too much on the bad things of life and not enough on the good.

She told us about this news clip about a "banker" saving a group of baby ducks born on a window ledge in a busy city.  I found it on Youtube, give it a watch, it''ll make you smile too....

btw, this is the second year this fellow has done it.  Gives a whole new meaning to "Savings and Loan"

Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day.                From, P.S. I Love You

LB, thanks for sharing!

I's good to remind ourselves that it is a wonderful world.

LBMuskoka,

As I posted, I was having trouble mustering much faith in humanity. This thread was a gift.

I was in the pulpit on the 24th. My topic was "Grace".  I read this and knew there was no time to contact you, you contact your resident and get back to me whether I could or could not use this in my service.

By divine intervention, chaotic conincidence or simply because my eyes were open to see it... I got my own story about grace and random acts of kindness.

The cat had a vet appointment on the morning of the 23rd. We drove him into town. Not being a townee it means you do what needs done while there. So, the cat had to go to the grocery store with us. There were a few things on the list and the weather was very warm. I sat in the car with the cat and the window down (he just sits on your lap).

A little girl and her mom came out of the store to the car parked next to us. The little girl had opened her door and her mom was putting things in the trunk when I spoke to the cat. He had heard a little girl's voice and I imagine thought it was our god-daughter becauase he perked up and stood front feet on the window looking for her. The lady looked to see who I was talking to and told her daughter to come look at the cat.

She was 4-5. She came to the window wringing a little stuffed Pluto. It was one of those dirty, mangled toys that show they are either a security thing or the most loved belonging they have. After all, it had went in the car for the ride and went in shopping....

She told me she had 2 cats. She simply stood there wringing that stuffed toy, telling me she liked cats. I told her she could pet him if she wanted, that he was a nice cat. She petted his head. Then she asked why he was in the car, again just twisting that toy. I told her he had to go get a needle at the vets so he did not get fleas. So quickly that it startled me, she put both arms in the window and hugged his neck and said in a broken voice "I'm sooooo sorry kitty, needles hurt".  Anyone who knows me will know it is true when I say I was swallowing a lump and blinking back tears. What a gift!

We talked a bit more about her two cats, her friend's cat... then her mother told her they were almost ready. She pushed her toy towards me and said, "This is Pluto". I said "Yes, I know Pluto with Mickey Mouse". Then, she said "Would you like to hold him for a few minutes?" What a gift!

I did and thank goodness sunglasses hid my tears. I said thank you and they departed.

My sermon was about Grace and my theme time (children's time) talked about children teaching us if we let them.

Having had a stuffed raccoon with "Solomon" written down his belly (because he was a pre-owned yard sale raccoon), that I slept with until I was 15, I know very well what a gift of grace/ random act of kindness... I was given.

Yes, I teared up recounting it to my wife and I teared up in the pulpit and I teared up typing it here. 

***Sigh*** 

Whatever faith I had lost in the past days about humanity have been restored and I have some banked....

Oh geez, now I'm crying, StevieG!

Aww, Stevie, now I can't see the screen.

Kids and animals they always make me blubber.

My husband drives taxi.  Recently he was going through the drivethrough at Tim Hortons, ordered a coffee and maple (something), and when he went to pay the girl at the window said that the person in the car ahead had already paid for him.  He didn't recognize the car so took it for a random act of kindness.

Later that same day he picked up two drug dealers  (taxi-drivers, like cops, get to know these people).  As he drove out of a parking lot he noticed a scruffy old man going through a garbage container for recycables, and he heard from the back window going down and from the back seat "Hey Buddy."  A hand reached out the window and passed the man a $5.00 bill.  Another random act.  And a reminder of human kindness in the world.

Awwwww....wow.

LB, OMG - the Savings and Loans story, was awesome.  I'm reading these stories and I want to go out there and doing something right now.  As for paying for the coffee behind you at Tim's in Oakville is something that happens once in while it's great. 

I cleaned someone's car off one nite after work, the person didn't know, I just did it because I knew who's it was and it was parked next to mine. The next day this lady couldn't stop talking how nice it was that someone would have done that for her. Who knew a small thing could be a big thing.

It's true what they say about a smile isn't it. Thanks a Million for sharing, we need more stories like these.