“She had been in there for hours and was trying everything she could think of to get her son out of there. He wasn’t coming down.

I smiled and told her what a good mom she was and I admired her.

True. He wasn’t listening but I could tell he was special needs in the way she spoke to him and he responded. She had so much patience and strength.




Later we tried to get my kids to coax him into leaving. I even suggested to mom we can bribe him with a later play date. With tears in her eyes, she said thank you. She told me most moms look at her like she has a disease.

How heartbreaking.

The next thing we knew other kids in the play area were offering up help.

Kids are amazing.

Eventually she was able to get him out praising him on his good choices.




So next time a mama is struggling… think about it.

Think about what you would want to hear in that instant.

Think of the courage it took.

Think. Then offer kindness. It matters. Every little bit matters.”

Story courtesy of 40 Wishes and Counting

If you have a story of an act of kindness or compassion that has touched your heart, please share it with us here and help inspire others to see how beautiful the world truly is. Showing Kindness Is Growing Kindness.

One act of kindness can bless the giver and the receiver, and in this case; the world too.

When working out at the gym, most men typically don’t like to be bothered as they are focused on their own training. While working out at Planet Fitness in Pascagoula, Mississippi a firefighter named Ricky Derouen witnessed a beautiful act of compassion and took a few quick photos to share it with social media.




While working out, a very muscular man was approached by a younger man with Down Syndrome roughly 10 times during the 45 minutes he observed. Each time, they met with handshakes, hugs, questions and advice. While one might expect intimidating behavior from a large man during his workout, love came through in the form of kindness and compassion for this very eager to learn young man.

This beautiful story was posted to Facebook by Ricky;

“If anyone recognizes this man in the orange shirt, you walk up to him and shake his hand. He doesn’t seem like the the bragging type so I’ll brag for him, while working out at Planet Fitness in Pascagoula a special needs man constantly approached him about 10 different times in a 45 minute time span with handshakes, hugs, questions, and interactions. Not only did this man smile, laugh, give him workout advice multiple times, and joke back with him while getting in his own workout but he didn’t care who was watching while doing it. His patience, compassion, and friendliness was next level admirable. Towards the end of the workout the special needs man approached me and pointed to the man in the orange shirt and said ‘that’s my friend’ with a huge smile on his face. The pics aren’t the best but they were the best creeper pics I could take at the time ? and this guy deserves recognition. The world needs more people like this man in the orange shirt, well done sir.”

After around 50,000 shares, the world found out that the gym man in orange is David Samuel, and while he hasn’t said much about the experience he has received praise and encouragement from people around the world. We are truly happy to see how many other gym-goers will be inspired by his act of kindness and compassion.

Photos courtesy of Ricky Derouen.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgVR14xgDQm/?taken-by=understanding_compassion

If you have a story of an act of kindness or compassion that has touched your heart, please share it with us here and help inspire others to see how beautiful the world truly is. Showing Kindness Is Growing Kindness.

Losing a loved one is one of the most difficult experiences one can have in life, especially when the loved one is a child. When a grieving Mom, Tricia Belstra, was on a flight to attend her son’s funeral, she was emotionally overwhelmed and needed an airline bag in case she felt sick. When a young flight attendant found out about her situation, he left her a deeply kind and moving note, written on a napkin. Tricia was so touched that she shared his note online, in hopes that he would hear her thank you.

Tricia shared her story online saying; “I couldn’t tell this story until now.. I flew in on Southwest Airlines flight 1076… I was not looking or feeling good. I sat in my seat between two strangers holding a barf bag down low between my legs. One of the flight attendants looked at me and asked if I was okay. I asked for some water and another person brought it to me. Then this young man came by; I wish I would have gotten his name.

He was getting drink requests. I asked for a diet coke and another glass of water. He leaned in and asked if I was okay. I told him I was flying back to bury my son. He said he was so sorry and brought me a can of water, a glass of ice and my diet coke. The girl next to me offered to pour the water for me because my hands were shaking. When we landed the girl helped me with my luggage. As I am leaving the plane the young man who waited on me was standing on the landing and as I walked off the plane he stopped me and handed me a napkin and said he was sorry for my loss and this wasn’t much. I said thank you and walked out. When I got to where I was out of the walkway I looked at the napkin he gave me and cried. I had Father Mike bless him and he said he was one of God’s soul angels. Please share this and I hope it gets back to him. Thank you so much for your kind words from a person that took the time to write this not even knowing me.”

The note reads, “In 2004, my family lost my older brother. As traumatic as it still is for me, I can’t even pretend to truly know the pain you feel as a mother. I did, however, watch my mother’s grieving process (a process that will never end),” he wrote.

“My mum struggled desperately chasing a far away goal of somehow lessening the pain. As she has realized now, the pain hardly lessens. Don’t expend your energy trying to chase this. Instead, go all out finding opportunities to experience joy. Visit family, get closer to those you’ve lost touch with, travel.”

“I won’t stop thinking about you anytime soon or how you’re doing or what you’re up to. You’ll come out of this a stronger person and I’ll be rooting for you the whole time.”

When someone is struggling, showing kindness, understanding and empathy can really provide the comfort that they need to help them get through. This kind flight attendant surely helped give Tricia some of the strength that she would need to face one of the most difficult experiences of her life, and she is forever grateful.

You are Loved.

See Also: Let’s Cheer For This Brave Toddler Who Is Celebrating After Beating Stage 4 Cancer

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0nK14VhZz8/

“Here I am on vacation away from my kids (who I absolutely love to death but sometimes you need a break from toddlers) and I’m flying with an infant on my lap. Why? Because I’m a decent human being. Listen…..it takes a village to raise kids ok? And as a mom of a 3 year old and 4 year old I KNOW this. And I also know that toddlers can be jerks……so first let me just tell you what happened.

I boarded my flight today at 5:45am in Seattle. Alaskan airlines flight 674 and I sat down in the middle seat. I sit down and there are some weight issues with the plane that need to be checked out. So everyone is sitting in this full packed plane. And a baby starts crying (oh God forbid right?)

Obviously I’m totally used to crying and whining so I tune it out. Everyone around me starts huffing and puffing and mumbling. Then……I hear 2 kids crying, this lady has her toddler having a full blown melt down over her seatbelt being on (toddlers are dramatic that’s nothing new) No problem…..I have mom powers and totally ignore it……BUT what I CAN’T ignore is this.

I hear a woman complaining to this mother (that’s alone with 2 crying kids) that her child needs to stop kicking her seat. THEN I hear the mother say ‘she’s 3 I can’t believe you just did that’ apparently the lady reached behind her and grabbed the child’s leg (aka “oh hell no”)

While this is happening the freaking flight attendant is just standing there…listening. Not even doing anything. And the older men beside me make remarks like ‘obviously her way of discipline isn’t working’ so I reply with ‘she’s probably afraid to do anything…you can’t do anything anymore’ and they stopped talking. Ok back to the lady in the back.




You guys….this is a full plane….and I sat here for 15 mins waiting on someone closer to this woman to offer her help…because I’m surrounded by caring adults, right? (Wrong) I turn around to see people mumbling and staring at this mother with her THREE kids ALONE….A screaming toddler / crying baby/ and a very well behaved older child. (one grown woman was holding her hands on her ears. SO….being a decent human being I couldn’t take letting this mother drown back there….(and let me tell you she was being so freaking calm you guys….like i would have already been crying but she was doing so good)

I get up out of my seat, go a few rows back and go ask her if she needs help; she immediately handed me her baby. (This lady was like HOLY HELL YESSSSSSSS!) So ya know I take her baby and then I have to go sit down for take off…….the crying stopped???(it’s a miracle?) so I’m sitting here holding this precious baby that so happens to fall asleep (swooooon)

My point???? Be nice and considerate. If someone needs help for God’s sake HELP THEM. Complaining and mumbling doesn’t do a thing except make the person that needs help feel worse (words hurt)……..How we can ignore a human in distress? Please be kind. Please be considerate. Help one another…it makes everything easier.”

Story courtesy of Kesha Shonet Photography.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgVR6G3gdeU/?taken-by=understanding_compassion

If you have a story of an act of kindness or compassion that has touched your heart, please share it with us here and help inspire others to see how beautiful the world truly is. Showing Kindness Is Growing Kindness.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, many dogs had been abandoned by their owners in areas affected by serious flooding. When the hurricane came, Betty Walter was working with several animal rescue groups. She had her four dogs and was caring for eleven other dogs from the rescue groups, as well as pet sitting for a friend.

Betty said, “One small dog came to my window earlier Saturday morning. Two are homeless people’s dogs that live around there. They asked me for help. Two are neighbors dogs that belong to people.”

In total she had 21 dogs in her care this week, and has been reaching out for help for them as well as other animals left in her community.

“I don’t think I will ever forget those cries for help from dogs in my neighborhood. A lot [of] people kept their dogs outside. I tried so hard to go rescue a couple. The water was too high. They cried for hours…I stayed [in my home] until I got help.”
As the flood waters kept rising, she found herself stuck in her attic with all of the dogs.

Rescuers made their first round through on Saturday but were only taking people, so Betty waited for help until Sunday.

After 14 hours in her attic above the flood waters, help came in the form of two men who had a boat and insisted on helping Betty and all of her dogs.

They were able to fit Betty and all of the 21 dogs in the boat and brought them to safety.

“To these amazing guys that help me and some of my neighbors dogs that I rescued. I was worried there was too many dogs on the boat and it would tipped over. I told them I would stay behind and for them to make 2 trips. They said NO we are taking all and you. We had 21 dogs on this boat. No place for any humans on this boat. We had to walk in water over my head to get out.” Betty said.

Rescuers cannot always help to rescue pets early on during natural disasters, so Betty urges people to have a plan and know what to do with your pets during such a situation;

“Have a plan together for your pets. Some first responders will not pick up big dogs. I was lucky these guys came by helping people with dogs.”

Betty’s compassionate and courageous heart helped save the lives of many of our furry friends, and their owners are surely grateful for all of her effort, as well as to the men from Deer Park who were kind enough to rescue her with all 21 of her dogs.

You are Loved.

See Also: Kind Couple Adopts 46 Shelter Dogs And Builds A Safe Sanctuary For Them To Run Freely

Photos courtesy of Betty Walter