The gentleman in front of me was waiting to pay. The cashier was busy scanning all of his items. Suddenly, he smiled and walked around me. He proceeded to help this woman load all the heavy items onto the conveyor belt.

After he got everything loaded, he smiled again, and stepped back just in time for the cashier to give him his total.

Then, I paid for all my stuff.

Then….

I noticed he was chatting with his wife and children near the check out area. I realized he was waiting for this woman to finish her purchase. As soon as she was done, he walked over and helped her load everything back into her cart. I didn’t notice if they all helped the woman to her car. I have a hunch they did.

Just a random act of goodwill. No big deal.

By the way, he smiled frequently. I think his mental well being is quite high. Being kind helps us all.

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Everyday Acts of Kinds is a section of Paperdolls.Today. Kindness helps ones mental well-being. The post from this series drops on Fridays. If you wish to subscribe or unsubscribe from any of the sections, please follow Substack’s Instructions.

Last year, one the anniversary of this substack launch, I gave away a free copy of the book to anyone who submitted a story of a random act of kindness they’d done. I was expecting things like, “I took the shopping cart back,” “A guy dropped his wallet and I picked it up for him,” “I held the door open for a family,” who dropped his wallet,” I got some of those—and those simple, everyday acts of kindness enhance ones mental well being.

However, I was blown away by some of the acts of kindness our subscribers did. I’ve been asking for permission for those who participated and sharing with you on Fridays. Here is another from one of our subscribers:

We had a light snow, I was walking in the house and noticed my neighbor’s car slipping as he pulled in his driveway. I talked to my husband, and we decided to try to help him out. My husband had a good relationship with the tire store. He told them about our neighbor. The manager of the tire store agreed to give him new tires.

There is a coffee shop next to the tire store, so we invited our neighbor to coffee. We asked if he could drive. When we got close, my husband and I told him to pull into the tire store. The manager came out and told our neighbor what we’d arranged.

Our neighbor was so appreciative. He kept calling us rascals and sneakers. We went in the coffee shop while they put four new tires on his car.

Everyday Acts of Kinds is a section of Paperdolls.Today. The post from this series drops on Fridays. If you wish to subscribe or unsubscribe from any of the sections, please follow Substack’s Instructions.

I was intrigued. The part that captivated me was that Mark Eastman conducted this test in Belfast—NOT HAPPY FINLAND.

This is well worth the minute and a half to restore your faith in humanity—and help get out of the strangers are bad mind set:

The entire article is here: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr72xep44kdo

People are good.

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Everyday Acts of Kinds is a section of Paperdolls.Today. This section is to illuminate, share and promote every day kindness which bonds us rather than divides. The post from this series drops on Fridays. If you wish to subscribe or unsubscribe from any of the sections, please follow Substack’s Instructions.

A very busy day at the grocery store. My cart was jammed and I was ready to check out. Behind me, a man with only two items. I nodded and said, “Why don’t you go ahead of me?”

He sighed, “Thank you.”

After he was in front of me he said, “I’m going through chemotherapy and I’m quite tired. Thank you.”

I blurted out, “Oh, of course, I hope it goes well.”

He paused, then met my eye, “My cancer is terminal. The treatments are to prolong, not cure.”

I blinked rapidly. My eyes watered. I mumbled, “I am so sorry.”

He nodded and proceeded to check out. He waved when he was done. He smiled then said, “Enjoy the rest of your day.”

After all my groceries were scanned and bagged, I reached in my purse to get my credit card. The clerk said, “Here’s your change.”

She continued, “The man before you paid $300 for your groceries. He told me to give you the change.”

I was the one trying to be kind to him. My big act of act kindness was to let him go in front of me. Instead, his words and gesture changed my life. I will never forget him. I try to enjoy my days, all of them. Especially since I know there will be many he will never have.

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Everyday Acts of Kinds is a section of Paperdolls.Today. The post from this series drops on Fridays. If you wish to subscribe or unsubscribe from any of the sections, please follow Substack’s Instructions.

Thank you for the email, "I am the one who is grateful." I have a daughter and a son, ages 7 and 10. I read your email to them. They both listened and asked questions. We had a conversation about helping others and how important it is to ask if you can help another. My son said, "Yeah, s…

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Our home is on a corner. The school bus picks up the kids on the street near the rear side of our front yard. Neighbors were complaining t…

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After I’d cleaned out a closet, I found a nice, but rarely worn coat. I put it in my car, so that the next time I was near the Salvation…

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Everyday Acts of Kinds is a section of Paperdolls.Today. If you wish to subscribe or unsubscribe from any of the sections, please follow Substack’s Instructions.

Instructions

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Last summer, I gave away free copies of Paperdolls & Cowboy Boots to any of our subscribers who shared a story of a random act of kindness they’d done. Here is another true act of kindness:

"I put up the money to buy a used car for a friend of mine who has been down on their luck for a long time."

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Here is one of th…

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I’d had a routine oil change, and apparently a tiny leaf got in the oil filter. My car drove fine, until it didn’t. Right in the middle of rush hour traffic, on…

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Instructions

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I walk ri…

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This is the very first post I sent out:

That first post shows a picture of the poem I had etched on glass. It is still prominently displayed in my home:

God within me God without
How shall I ever be in doubt?
There is no place where I may go
And not there see Gods face not know
I am Gods vision and Gods ears
So through the harvest of my years
I am the sower an…

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I relish statements such as:

"The best way to spot an idiot, look for the person who is cruel. Let me explain. When we see someone who doesn't look like us, or sound like us, or act like us, or love like us, or live li…

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Housekeeping and Biz Stuff:

To all who have ordered books: I'm waiting for another shipment. As soon as it's in, I'll get them signed and get them out of here, asap. You'll get a notice from the "Orders" email on the status. Thank you for your patience.

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Last week, I had a routine oil change for…

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