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KIND WORDS
"The Angel of Kindness"
The author wishes to remain anonymous
Edited by Shmuel Greenbaum
Printed with Permission of
My son Zach died on November 9, 2003. Since that time, a woman who I did not know, has done all sorts of kind things for me, in memory of my son.
She visits his grave and decorates it, she sends me little gifts, she brought me some wind chimes on my son's birthday.
She is truly an angel spirit and she has made my life a little brighter due to her great kindness. Her name is Karen.
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"Help The Same Person Over And Over Again"
From: Kindness: Making a Difference in People's Lives: Formulas, stories, and insights
By Zelig Pliskin
Printed with Permission of Shaar Press
My students related these stories:
I kept asking the same person to lend me money. I always paid back within a few days. I felt apprehensive about asking him again and again. After a while, I would apologize profusely, "I’m sorry for bothering you so often."
"It’s not a bother," he replied. "If someone owns a business, he makes the same profit if the old customers keep buying from him as he would if each day there were new customers. I’m glad to be able to lend you money whenever you need it. It’s a source of pleasure for me and I don’t consider it a bother at all. Please keep coming back to borrow whenever you need to. You don’t have to look for a new person to ask. On the contrary, your asking me is a sign that you believe in my wanting to help you and I consider this a compliment and vote of confidence.’’
I was immensely relieved by his attitude. I realized that I would get annoyed if the same person bothered me again and again. I now became aware that I considered this a bother. This encounter taught me to be grateful to those who give me opportunities to become a kinder person.
* * *
I was depressed and going through a long period of stressful situations. I needed to call people for encouragement and strength. When I called on the phone, I could tell if they were thinking, "Oh no, not another time." When someone sounded sincerely happy to help me even though I called numerous times, I was extremely grateful. It was these good-hearted souls who saved my life.
* * *
I had a close relative who was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. He would ask questions and forget the answers a few minutes later. I was finding it difficult to answer the same things over and over again.
I recalled an idea I heard about from an expert on self-improvement about a great sage who would repeat each idea to a slow student four hundred times. Once the student was distracted by someone who came to extend an invitation to his teacher. The sage said that he would go after he finished teaching his student. After the usual four hundred reviews, he asked his student if he understood that day’s lesson. The student said that the thought of his teacher’s imminent departure greatly distracted him and he couldn’t concentrate as well as he usually did.
"Don’t worry," the teacher replied. "I’ll repeat the idea even another four hundred times."
Why did this great teacher spend so much time with this limited student?
The expert on self-improvement
explained that the teacher was improving in the attribute of patience each and every time he repeated an idea. These were four hundred exercises to integrate the trait of patience.
This influenced me to become more patient with my relative both for his sake and my own. I felt good each time I repeated something. What was most amazing to me was the fact that I could now enjoy something that was previously a source of irritation. I hope to be able to apply this reframe in many areas of my life.
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