Tag Archives: kindness

superior service.

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while recently at my friend’s lake house

we made this beautiful puzzle

of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

 she purchased during her recent visit to the northern regions

 beautifully made of wood, precision cut, and challenging

but together we managed to complete the puzzle

except

for one piece

that I tried to jam in

 I broke it

our ‘gluer’ didn’t put it back together quite right

so we accepted that it was finished without it

but I felt bad

so I wrote to the company

to see if they could possibly replace the piece

I took photos of it and where it was supposed to be

always worth a shot

the artist who made the puzzle

also the company owner

said she would replace it

(talk  about customer service!)

 I thanked her

 excitedly waited for the piece to arrive

within days it showed up at my house

 what should arrive at my house

all the way from the upper peninsula

but an entire puzzle

at no charge

from the artist herself

as her and her husband

are the small business owners

of their own family owned company

she is a Ukranian artist

who makes the puzzles

among many other things

 he is an American veteran

 I was so amazed by their kindness

that I’d like to publicly thank them here

by sharing a connection to their business

I will certainly buy puzzles from them myself

thank you again for reminding me

that there are wonderful people out there in the world

and for your beautiful work

(all links are below)

Artist, Kateryna Nelson

https://www.facebook.com/artfactorytwinportsWIMNMI

https://www.artfactorytwinports.com/shopall

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtFactoryTwinPorts

artfactorytwinports.com

Gwinn, MI, United States
artfactorysuperior@Gmail.com

“customer service is an opportunity to exceed your customer’s expectations.”

-John Jantsch

*John Jantsch is an author, speaker, and marketing consultant who specializes in assisting small businesses. He is the author of Duct Tape Marketing, The Referral Engine, and The Commitment Engine.

message.

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this shirt, worn by a man in front of me in our recent march,

had a very simple message that really moved me

‘to become a deeper man is the privilege of those who have suffered.’

-oscar wilde

a little more gentle.

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so kind and unexpected

  handwritten positive affirmations

in the restroom of a little local diner

‘wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all be a little more gentle with each other?’

-judy garland

 

what wisdom.

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BBC A triangular roadworks sign which normally features a man digging has been changed to show a man helping up another from the ground, with the words "Be Kind" replacing the word "Roadworks".
A road sign advocating kindness appeared on a street in Hull in July last year – BBC

Kindness has been chosen as Children’s Word of the Year for 2024 after a survey of thousands of young people.

Oxford University Press (OUP) said “artificial intelligence” and “conflict” were also among the most common suggestions.

It follows 2023’s winning phrase “climate change”, and “Queen”, which was the winner in 2022 following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

More than 3,000 children aged six to 14 were asked for their suggestions, with the top three then put to vote by a further 2,000 children.

Andrea Quincey, a director at OUP, said the choice was “encouraging” and reflected children’s increasing awareness of mental health. “We know from previous years that young people are very conscious of the big issues that can divide us as a society and attuned to the important role which language can play in bringing people together.”

“It tells us that empathy and tolerance and the language we use matter, and that kindness is not only a solution to so many problems but is something everyone and anyone can do to make a difference.”

The final vote kindness had been chosen by 61% of children.

‘what wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?”

– Jean-Jacques Rousseau

to look forward and not back, to look out and not in, and to lend a hand. -edward e. hale

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wi,

this past weekend i took part in a ‘shop with a cop’ event

sponsored by

mott children’s hospital,

the  county sheriff department, local police departments, state troopers,

u.s. marines, and the university of michigan police department

everyone volunteered their time

to take underserved children and their families

 back to school shopping at a local meijer store.

it was beautifully organized

we all met in the morning at the stadium

set up food, games, drinks, tables

met our law enforcement partners for the day

families arrived

we shared a meal with our family and created our shopping team

loaded up on university busses

accompanied by motorcycle cops with lights flashing

the kids were really excited.

when we arrived

we descended upon the store

 masses of uniformed officers and children

must have caused some shoppers to wonder

but everyone got right to work

helping the kids find the things on their lists

along with lots of  extras

at checkout everything was covered

headed back to the stadium

for kona ice, more food, build-a-bear projects, face-painting

checking out the team locker room and playing on the field

by the end of the day

we had shared our stories with each other

learned so much

everyone had bonded

no matter their age, rank, or status.

people were tired and smiling

as they walked out the door

ready for school

headed for home

happy to know

people in the community support them

as a volunteer

this day

was also a gift to me from my community.

“there isn’t anyone you couldn’t love once you’ve heard their story.”

-mary lou kownacki

 

 

 

 

(Luck I.)

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this very moving page popped up on my screen recently

proof once again

that one person’s simple act

can have a huge impact on another

often without  them ever knowing.

profound and quiet kindness

yes.

 

source credit: Luck (I), by Joy Sullivan

Joy lives in Portland, Oregon and is a poet and educator. She has a masters degree in poetry and served as the poet-in-residence for the Wexner Center for the Arts. She also leads live transformative writing workshops for individuals who have experienced trauma and has guest-lectured in classrooms from Stanford to Florida State University.

Joy’s work is a part of The San Marcos Writing Project and is one of over 200 writing project sites in the country devoted to developing teacher leaders that improve the writing and learning of all students.

csusm.edu/education/outreach/smwp.html

the time of my life.

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what a wonderful retirement celebration

with sweet surprises galore

very kind words from friends/colleagues

comedy, a musical serenade, lunch together

 songs i wrote with our music teacher made into a beautiful book

a fab dance act from my favorite movie

an explosion of glitter

book of words, poems, haiku, photos, glittered pages, memories, hopes

and of course

so many wonderful pinatas

you can never have too many

filled with special things for my journeys ahead.

they know me so very well

thank you one and all

i had the time of my life.

 

==

“always surround yourself with people who inspire you to be a better person.”

-d. denise dianty

 

bear belly.

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this gentle, big belly bear

is just waiting to find a home with someone who will love him exactly as he is. 

even though he sometimes wears his shoes backwards

and enjoys climbing trees and pretend like he’s a monkey.

 

“misfits aren’t misfits, among other misfits.”

-barry manilow

good things happen.

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 yet another

delightful encounter

with a stranger

at trader joe’s

when checking out

my cashier

put the chocolate i was buying

into my hand

 ‘i know this isn’t going far.’

 spot on.

working there a long time

knows what chocolate means to some people

  rarely looks them in the eye

 the chocolate gave him a reason to do so

i told him to

have a good day

he told me to

have a good life.

‘good things happen when you meet strangers’

-yo-yo ma

mistaken.

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A worried animal lover was left red-faced when the baby hedgehog she carefully nursed overnight and rushed to an animal hospital turned out to be a fluffy HAT BOBBLE.
The pom-pom next to its bowl of food 

A wildlife hospital just solved a hilarious case of mistaken identity.

On Thursday, a woman brought in a baby hedgehog to the Lower Moss Nature Reserve and Wildlife Hospital in Cheshire, England — only to be told it wasn’t an animal in need,  but a beanie hat pop-pom.

The caring woman had picked up the ‘hedgehog’ from the side of the road after she noticed it “hadn’t moved or pooped all night,” reported U.K. newspaper The Independent.

“From a distance, you take it at face value. She didn’t handle it at all — she scooped it in a box with some cat food and left it alone in a warm, dark place,” veterinarian Janet Kotze, told the paper.

“She did everything so well. She barely peeked at it because she didn’t want to stress it out.”

“It was pretty obvious to us but I can also see how she was mistaken,” she recalled. “She said, ‘You’re joking! Oh my goodness, how did I do that?’ ”

“She was so concentrated on doing the right thing. She was concerned it hadn’t moved or even pooed — that would be spooky if it had,” Kotze added.

Hedgehog
A real-life hedgehog

The wildlife hospital wrote of the rescue attempt on  Facebook, “Our hearts melted as a kind soul thought she was rescuing a baby hedgehog,” as they jokingly nicknamed the pop-pom ‘hoglet.’

Despite the mistake, the reserve shared that the “adorable” new visitor “still got all the love, complete with some cozy TLC.”

“Remember, kindness knows no bounds, even when it’s to a faux furry friend! 🐾,” the wildlife hospital added while highlighting the importance of rescuing hedgehogs in vulnerable situations.

“Please remember, if you spot a hedgehog out during the day, it’s a sign something’s not right. Pop them in a box with a warm source and seek help from your local vets. Let’s keep our prickly friends safe!”

“he was so benevolent, so merciful a man that, in his mistaken passion, he

would have held an umbrella over a duck in a shower of rain.”

-douglas william jerrold

p.s. confession:  this could have easily been me. especially if i didn’t have my glasses on. 

source credits: escher walcott, people, the independent, kennedy news media photo,
brandi ettis, getty images, lower moss nature reserve