"A Joyful Day to Make Others Joyful"
The author wishes to remain anonymous
Edited by Shmuel Greenbaum
Printed with Permission of http://www.PartnersInKindness.org

On her wedding day, at the reception, my daughter remembered that a friend’s son was having his 12th birthday that day. My daughter took the time to go to the maitre d' and ask him if he could arrange to have a dessert and candle brought to the boy and have the staff sing when they brought it.

Her friend told me the next day that she was amazed, not only by the thoughtfulness, but by the fact that my daughter remembered her son on her wedding day, when 150 other guests were there.

My daughter is always trying to make others feel loved.


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"What Kind of Person Are You?"
From Kindness: Making a Difference in People's Lives: Formulas, stories, and insights
Zelig Pliskin
Printed with Permission of Shaar Press

With each action you take and with every word you say, you answer an important question. "What kind of person are you?"

Are you a giver or a taker? All takers must give and all givers must take. But there is a basic pattern of giving and a basic pattern of taking. A giver thinks about what he can do for others. He takes in order to give. A taker thinks about what others can do for him. Even when he gives, it is only because he wants to take. By increasing your giving, you become more of a giver.

Are you a person who loves to do acts of kindness? You answer this by the way you react when people ask you to do things for them. Are you pleased to have opportunities to help others or do you resent people bothering you? The more you increase your sense of joy for doing things for others, the more you become a lover of kindness.

As you respond compassionately to the plight of others, you become a compassionate person. Ignoring the plight of others gives a very different answer to the question, "What kind of person are you?"

When you go beyond the ordinary to do major things for another human being, you create an extraordinary person. There is no limit to the heights to which you can elevate yourself.

When you spend time thinking of creative ways to help others, your creativity is a work of art. There are many forms of creative artistry. The form that elevates you the most is creative kindness. You look for ways to help people who need help but are reluctant to take anything even time from others. You find creative ways to cheer up the despondent, to help people overcome their obstacles, and to make peace between people who quarrel. As you creatively find answers to people’s problems, the kind of person you become is an elevated creative artist. You are creating a better life for a fellow human being.

What kind of person do you really want to be? Writing this in the form of a mission statement or an essay has a powerful effect on one’s self-image. The act of writing that you want to be a kind and compassionate giver motivates positive action. And the actual way you answer: "What kind of person are you?" is answered by the way you speak to others and what you do for them.


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"I don't understand how this can be true:

I went to the supermarket owner to ask why two checks I had given them hadn't cleared yet. I was told that someone had come and paid the equivalent of the checks to the supermarket and torn them up. I was surprised and grateful.

The owner didn't know who the person was and neither did I. The owner also commented that it frequently happens that people come and pay towards the bills of other people they know are going through a hard time. So I also took some money and put it towards someone else's bill.

How can an anonymous person get access to checks given to the supermarket?"

The author in Israel responded:

"Religious Jewish people live in close knit communities where doing kindness for others is not only common but second nature. Also, because the community is close knit, everyone knows about everyone else's joys and tribulations. This is especially true in Israel where people are more open and friendly and it is common for neighbors and even strangers to anonymously help each other.

It was obvious to the supermarket manager that this was what the aim of the woman who asked for the checks."

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