Circle of kindness

Readers share little reminders of how much goodness there is in the world

“HE HAD LITTLE AND GAVE SO MUCH!” My friend and I went camping and hitchhiking through Argentina, a safe practice there. On one especially cold evening, we couldn’t get a ride. We were in the middle of nowhere, and it was getting late. Finally, a car stopped and the driver, Juan, not only picked us up, he insisted we spend the night with his family, even though they only had two rooms in their tiny house. The next morning, after feeding us breakfast, Juan drove us back to the highway and left us in a spot where we could easily get a ride. This was the greatest act of kindness that I have ever received. Juan had so little but gave so much! — Sara Araujo, Vancouver, British Columbia

“THEIR SMILES MADE MY DAY!” A woman and her husband were in line ahead of me at the grocery store. As their order was rung up, I noticed the husband appeared frustrated, and the wife was nearly in tears. They pushed their cart aside to allow me to go while they talked. I asked the clerk what the problem was. She told me they were $ 8 short. I told the clerk that I’d cover it. They were so grateful. The woman kept kissing me on the cheek, and her husband kept shaking my hand. They asked for my address so they could mail me the money, but I told them to just pass the kindness forward. Their smiles made my day. — Jeanette Newman, Needville, TX

“KINDNESS MADE MY HARD DAY BRIGHTER!” A few months before my little Maltipoo, Jane, passed away, I was blessed to get new neighbors who have a dog named Ozzy. Jane and Ozzy would meet at the fence every day for a fun little visit. Jane was much older than Ozzy, but she tried to keep up. I was so heartbroken losing Jane as she was my best friend for 14 years. On the one-year anniversary of her passing, I came home from work to find a bouquet of pink carnations on my porch with a note that read: Thinking of you today. Love, Ozzy xxoo. I cried and laughed. My neighbor’s kindness made a super-hard day brighter. — Michelle Gigolyk, Selkirk, Manitoba