The good guys thread

[kuhio98]

[kuhio98]

A Marine Experiences Kindness
Kimberly R. Haagenson posted this touching story about her son, who joined the Marines in October 2010:

Zeb, 22, is back home now, attending college and "slowly domesticating himself," in the words of his mother. Part of that process is, obviously, the need for a washer and dryer. Jeb found a beautiful, front-loading washer/dryer set on E-bay, and was very excited to get it for an amazing $200. He was very excited, thrilled to have the set, and even pleased that the guy who sold it to him was such a nice person.

But then it got even better.

When Zeb arrived home, he has an e-mail from the seller: "Your Paypal has been refunded your $200. Thank you for serving our Country!"

What a perfect example of Kindness!

[kuhio98]

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. - A local high school will be sending every graduating senior to college next year. The senior class at Marywood Palm Valley School is sending all 24 students of the 2013 graduating class to a four-year university this fall.

Students will be attending colleges across the United States from USC to Vassar College in New York. Every student we talked to is ready excited for the next step of their life.

"Going out into a bigger environment, to where it's really just you and you are really able to explore who you are," said Ivan Kovalenko who will attend USC in the fall.

"Every face will be new. Every person will have a different personality or background that I'm not used to. The diversity will be a lot greater," said Daniel Stewart who will continue his education at UC Berkeley.

The 24 students were offered 3.5 million dollars in scholarship money combined.

[kuhio98]

From John: Flowers for Mom

When I was a young boy about 8 years old, my younger sisters and I got the idea to buy something for my mother for Mother's day. Money was hard to come by. We went around to the neighbors and asked for pop bottles. Back then, soda pop was sold in bottles, and they were washed and refilled. There was a deposit on the bottles of $.02. per bottle We were able to get three cartons, just 18 bottles, making a refund of $.36. I also had three cents saved.

So with a grand total of $.39 we walked uptown (about a mile) to where we knew a florist was located. When we went inside, someone asked what we wanted. We told them we wanted to buy flowers for Mothers Day. I reached into my pocket and pulled out our whole stash of cash, asking if that would be enough.

Another gentleman, who I am sure was the owner, came over, looked us over, and said "just a minute". He went in back and came out with a geranium plant with gold foil wrapping around the pot. He took my three dimes, a nickle, and four pennies, and said, "Thank you very much." I had no idea that the cost was about four times as much. And we went proudly home carrying a flower plant for Mom.

[kuhio98]

Important Life Lessons

During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?" Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper leaving the last question blank. Before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade. "Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say 'hello.'" I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

[kuhio98]

A Final Offering to a Furry Friend
An unforgettable true story of a grieving dog's gift to her buddy in heaven.
By Theresa Olive

Several years ago, our family rented a house that had a basement apartment under ours. The young couple who lived below us were quiet and unobtrusive. Their dog, however, was not.

Cody was a typical black lab; a big, tail thumping extrovert. He loved to greet us by planting his huge paws on our chest. Our dog Tasha, an English Setter mix, was a kindred spirit. Because she shared the yard with Cody, they soon became fast friends.

We often saw a blur of black and white fur as they raced neck and neck toward some hapless bird that had just landed in their territory. The only time I saw any conflict between the two dogs was when we fed Tasha. Cody would bound up, expecting to share in Tasha’s bounty. However, Tasha would bare her teeth and growl menacingly.

Cody would change his strategy, dropping to his belly and inching slowly toward Tasha’s dish. But this ingratiating behavior did not impress Tasha. The closer Cody got, the more Tasha snarled and snapped. Finally, Cody would slink away with his tail between his legs—until next mealtime, that is. Then Cody, ever the optimist, would replay the scene, with the same disappointing conclusion.

One day my husband Jeff came home visibly upset. He had just found Cody lying by the side of the road, killed by a speeding truck. Tasha sniffed at Cody’s glossy black fur and whined. Over the next few weeks, Tasha was listless, her tail drooping. She obviously missed her old friend.

At the same time, Tasha’s food dish disappeared. We replaced it with another, only to have that one vanish as well. There followed a steady succession of bowls, aluminum plates, even an old coffee can. They all disappeared. Finally, the mystery was solved when our neighbor knocked on our door, her arms loaded with the missing dishes, some still half-full of dog food.

"Are these yours?" she asked. When Jeff and I nodded, she explained, "I saw Tasha headed toward the road, so I shooed her back. Then I noticed all these dishes in a pile."

Puzzled, I asked, "Where were they?"

"Well, you know," she answered thoughtfully, "it was right by the place where Cody died. Isn’t that odd? Surely Tasha couldn’t..." Her voice trailed off in confusion.

Jeff and I exchanged glances. Could Tasha have been enticing her old friend back by offering him the one thing she withheld from him when he was alive? Even today, retelling the story gives me goose bumps. It raises questions about animals’ intelligence and emotions.

It also reminds me not to wait to show love to those around me. I need to share whatever blessings I’ve received with others—before it’s too late.

[kuhio98]

Organic Sock Bundles
Stay cozy and help someone in need with this cute bundle of socks. Each pack has three pairs of organic cotton socks to keep your loved ones warm all winter long. Men's and women's styles are available.

Each purchase benefits the Empowerment Plan, which provides comfort to the homeless in the form of warm winter jackets and coats.

Buy it now wearpact.com, $25