I made a cake for a little girl who has been having a rough time lately with parents split...so she designed a cake and I made it and of course for nothing....just cause.......hoping it will bring her a sunny day for her birthday
Funny this thread is going. Just tonight I was driving back from taking my kids to VBS and needed to stop for some gas. As I was pumping gas a guy approached me with a gas can and asked if I could give him a gallon of gas so he could get to where he was going. At first I was thinking NO your freaking me out I have 2 kids in car and its dark!!! The fact is a gallon of gas cost me less than $4.00. I filled up his gas can and he was very thankfull and I was on my way. It's just nice to help people out when they need it.
Thanks fo this thread I love it!
Man you guys have me all teary eyed (and I'm not an emotional person!).
As you may know, my son was stillborn last year at 37 weeks. I ended up getting pregnant six months later and was a wreak emtionally - couldn't sleep, concentrate, or relax. One night I had a very bad night and keep trying to pray for my child but couldn't. The next day I had a sorority meeting. I walked in the meeting and one of my sorority sister's walked up to me without saying a word and placed her hand on my belly and started praying for my child. I was able to sleep that night because of her.
Although it's not something I advertise, in memory of my Grandmother, 100th birthday celebration cakes are n/c. Mostly, they're on the smaller side...10" or less or 1/2 sheet or less. Depending on the circumstances, they're bigger like the last one in my gallery. She'd outlived all but one of her kids, 2 husbands and 4 pastors and was in a nursing home. She was being "let out" for the day ...the church was giving her a surprise party.
After I'd had our first child, it was my turn at the register at Kroger. I'd taken X amount of money with me and didn't want to go over. I'd gotten like a thousand jars of baby food (I don't know when to stop). Anyway, I'd gone over my allotted amount by less than a quarter. I asked the cashier if she wouldn't mind taking off one or two of the jars of baby food (seriously, it wouldn't have been noticed...I'd gotten a LOT). The lady behind me in line, hands the cashier a $5 bill and tells her to take it out of that. I thanked her kindly! She then tells the cashier to give me the change! I insisted that she take the change and she refused. She sweetly said, "I've been blessed and I want to bless you. Now, you can bless someone else." I felt bad because I truly didn't need the help....but I truly needed the blessing...KWIM? I was blessed more by that blessing than I think even she could've imagined.
This thread is making teary. All of the stories are beautiful. It makes me remember the things that have been done for me and the way people have reacted when I have done things for them. I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE all the generosity being shown.
One very small thing I did for a friend (not a particularly close friend but someone I'd always liked) that completely overwhelmed her happened when she lost her son. We had babies 2 weeks apart and at 11 weeks her son died of SIDS and it killed me - everything about her family structure completely mirrored mine and I found the time so emotional as I would look at my daughter and think how easily it could be our family going through the worst grief we'd ever known. In wanting to do something I asked her to email me a photo of her son which I then used to get a porcelein star Christmas ornament made. I figured that way they would always be able to include him in their Christmas celebrations. She hadn't taken heaps of photos of her son at the stage as she figured there was time later. I didn't say anything about it, I just popped it into a Christmas card and left it in her letterbox. Both she and her husband have told me over and over that I will never understand what that little gesture meant to them. She never puts it away. Like people keep saying, it is the smallest of gestures that mean the most.
A few weeks ago, our family went out to dinner to celebrate my daughter's fourth birthday. As we waited for our food, we let her open a few gifts. It wasn't a lot, because we left her big present (a bike) at home for later. There was an older couple at a nearby table who watched her open the gifts. A few minutes later, they got up to leave and stopped by our table to tell us how beautiful our daughters were and how the girls had touched their hearts. Long after they left, our waiter told us that they had paid for our dinner! I just wish we could have thanked them.
I am so teary-eyed from reading this thread!! 
WOW - it really does restore your faith in humankind to read stuff like this!
In a non-cake related story....a few weeks ago I had taken my kids to swim lessons and after hanging out by the pool for a little while, we headed out. I loaded the kids and before loading the rest of the stuff, I went to start the car...nothing. The battery was dead. Not even enough juice to open the windows, and it was over 90 degrees that day. I left the car doors open so the kids could have some air (I have 3 kids - 5, 3 and 10 mos) and frantically called DH. A woman who had just pulled into the lot overheard me talking to him and asked if I needed help. She pulled into the spot next to me, and happened to have extra-long jumper cables. (I have a big SUV that most cables won't reach) We thought we were all cool and had it all figured out and hooked up, and a man came across the lot and said, "well, looks like you ladies have it under control..." We laughed, and asked him to confirm it (luckily...we had one cable wrong! oops!) He helped out and I was able to get home with the kids and into the a/c within 10 minutes. I was so grateful!!!
I try to help people out when I can...little things - like when it's raining, I ALWAYS let people cross the street, crosswalk or not...I'm dry in my car, they're not...
...cake wise, I recently did a wedding cake as a gift for a couple who is very tight on money...she was merely hoping for a small cake to cut for pictures and some sheet cakes to cut for the guests. I make her a 3 tiered cake in her Hawaiian theme. She was so happy when she saw it!! It still makes me smile!
I am a Wilton instructor at AC Moore. My first set of students were very close. I had one lady that could not afford to pay for section 2 let alone get her supplies. It really hurts my heart to see someone go with out, even the smallest thing. So, I paid for her class and since I also worked at the store I was able to get her supplies cheaper. Even though I do not have much, I love to see the smile on someone's face when they know that someone cares.
I've already posted ONE of my stories but I wanted to say how touching and wonderful it is to hear all of these incredible stories of generosity, kindness and love. We have got to make sure we pass these kind of actions onto the younger generations. A little act of kindness and self-sacrifice really does go a long way and at times we may never know how it affects the others involved but it's not the attention received for doing something like this is the blessing of giving of yourself and resources.
Thank you everyone for sharing!
Omg I need a big dose of Tylenol sinus meds right away.
(sinus headache from blubbering)
My daughter has a childrens birthday party business. Last year she heard about a lady who does birthday parties for children in homeless shelters. In our city there are several shelters. My wonderful daughter has since partnered with the organization (Birthday Blessings) and makes sure that at least one of the shelters has a great birthday party for these children every month. You know that when a mom is in an abusive situation, the last thing thought about is a birthday party...so now the children get a party and presents. One of the shelters is a battered womens shelter. I have started helping during these parties for the kids, only I am doing something for the moms...we make bracelets! You can't imagine how in the last few months these precious ladies so look forward to forgetting for a brief time why they are there...and instead get to do something just for them (although half the time they make the bracelets for their daughters!). Whenever there are fundraisers for this organization, I always donate at least 2 sheet cakes. If you really want to make someones day, take a cake to the homeless shelter, the smiles melt your heart! Doing something for someone else is awesome, but I know that I am the one who is really blessed to be ABLE to do for others...
every year the local radio stations around here host a "radiothon" for the children's hospital in our area. The money raised stays right here in our community. I work for a small construction company and every year we make a donation to the hospital. Whatever we can raise as a staff, my employers will match ( they help with the staff portion also). A jar sits on my filing cabinet and the guys will toss their spare change into the jar, or buy treats and place the money in the jar. Most of our guys are in their twenties so a fairly young staff. Last week someone broke into our office and stole our donation jar even though it was clearly marked for the children's hospital. Needless to say I was very upset that someone could steal money that was meant to help sick children. Friday was pay day and the boys rallied together and came through my office putting twenty dollar bills into the jar. My employer then told me to make out a cheque in the amount that was stolen! Now we have more than what we started out with! I work with such a great bunch of guys!
Can I share a few?
1. In 1993, my three sisters and I were in a car accident on Father's Day. We had all been at the lake w/other families and my sister fell asleep at the wheel on the way home. Our car flipped over. My mom has said that she thought she had lost all of her daughters that day. As I mentioned we were with other families, so they all pulled over, but it was this one stranger that helped get us out of the car and attended to all of us. She saw that we were Mexican and kept asking for "agua" (water) so she could clean us up. None of ever knew her name, but we have never forgotten her face. She was our angel that day.
2. My dad was in what could have been much worse accident Father's Day weekend. He was doing some remodeling and a section of the wall fell on him. My sister's BIL (who is normally kinda selfish and weird) and his son were the first to react to help my dad. His son called the ambulance. They saved my dad.
3. Something I did? I had told my niece I would take her to see the Hannah Montana movie back in April. Well, I never got around to it. It was at the dollar show a few weeks back, so I decided to surprise her. Tickets cost me $4 for both of us, but the look on her face and her overall joy was PRICELESS! She could of cared less that we were at the dollar theater she was SOOOOOOOOO happy to see this movie! That will forever be the best $4 I ever spent. 
ETA:
4. Oh, I forgot about this other one. My teenage cousin (good kid/cracks me up!) called me a while back to ask me to lend him some money for these rims he wanted to buy. I told him okay. When he went to get the money, I told him I was able to give him $50 than I had originally told him. He was so happy. He even gave me a hug! (And anyone with teenage boys knows that doesn't happen often) He was truly grateful. It felt so good 
I try to help people out when I can...little things - like when it's raining, I ALWAYS let people cross the street, crosswalk or not...I'm dry in my car, they're not...
I was walking out of walmart on a rainy day. A lady on crutches was waiting for her husband to pull the car up to the curb. As she struggled to get into the car, I held my umbrella over her until she was all tucked in.
Another really really snowy icy day, I was backing out of my parking space at walmart (yeah, I really DO live there!) and there was a man next to me loading his 3 small children into his car. I stopped and he waived me to go ahead and back out. I pulled back into my space, jumped out of the van and said, "I am not going to make your kids stand in the snow while I back out. Let me help." So I loaded his groceries while he loaded his kids. 2 of the 3 kids were practically brand new babies! I asked if they were twins. When he said yes, I told him, "God must love you very much!" He grinned and said, "Yes, I think he does!"
i was out yard sale'in the other day, trying to save some money on baby clothes for our little soon-to-be-here boy. it was late in the day, but i followed the signs for a sale. i looked around and only found some mystery books, paid for them, and was walking back up the driveway to my car when the homeowner loudly said that she had found something else for me. i walked back to her, and she handed me a thin booklet/pamphlet type publication...on the front was the twin towers destruction site and the words "never forgotten"...puzzled, i turned it over...there, printed on the back cover, was the fireman's prayer.
let me pause here to say that my brother, kenneth allen nickell, died april 6, 1999, along with his partner, kevin rex smith, when they got trapped fighting a wildland forest fire in the daniel boone national forest in eastern kentucky. i miss him every day, but most of all when i'm carrying a child that i know he will never get to hold. the fireman's prayer holds alot of meaning to my family since it was printed on his funeral cards, and is also chiseled into his headstone.
i know i had to have went somewhat white in color, and i couldn't think of anything to say except "why did you give this to me" with an odd look in my face...i think she must of thought that she offended me, so she explained that she had some extras and she gives them to who god leads her to...she said she noticed my shirt had a fire logo, and felt led to give it to me.
the odd thing: i looked down to see what shirt i had on that day...while i have several fire oriented shirts, the one i was wearing that day was actually my husband's and is very obviously star wars...not fire related in any way or even a hint at it. i'm not sure what she saw, but i am sure that someone up there knew i needed a small tap on my conscience just to say hello.
i got back in my car, and burst into tears. hello right back at ya, dear "skenney"!
if you want to hear something else odd, i was looking through a baby names website the other day and realize that my brother's name "kenneth" is gaelic and means "born of fire".
I really understand, now that its the smallest things that counts and make a different.
Well, mine is not cake related, but I went to a grocery store yesterday, Aldi's (some of you in the South might know it), but you have to put a quarter in a slot to get a cart......then when you return it, you get your quarter back (take a hint, WalMart!), anyway, I was going to get my cart, and this little elderly lady says "here, you can have mine", and I offered her a quarter, and she said "no, I always get more than a quarter back when I do this, I always get a smile, and smiles are worth way more than a quarter"! So, when I got to my car, and took my cart back, there were 2 ladies standing there, and I said "here, you can have this one"..........
pay it forward........
I had been shopping at Walmart and as I was comming out to go to my car, noticed a little old lady wandering around the parking lot and realized she had forgotten where she had parked her car (you know you've done it too!) LOL! It took about 10 minutes but I finally found it for her. I didnt get a thank you but I still felt really good for doing it.
#1 A couple years ago, I was in Walmart with one of my daughters. An elderly gentleman approached me and asked me if DD could have a piece of candy. I told him she could and started to tell her, "Look, this man..." I didn't get anymore said before he stopped me and told me to just take it and to teach her not to take things from strangers. That made such an impact on me. Here he was giving something and wanted no recognition. That's not a common thing.
#2 I was in line to pay for our lunch one day at our local pizza parlor. A young mother came in somewhat frantic and asked the cashier for some paper towels because on the way home from a dr. appt. her sick toddler had just thrown up in the car. He didn't have any paper towels close to him, so he just gave her a couple of kitchen towels and told her to just keep them. I watched her through the window trying to clean up the mess and her son had such a sad look on his face...big tears. I walked out there and offered to stand by the car while she went in to wash her hands. When she came out, I gave her a dollar for him. She started to tell him that I gave it, but I stopped her. I told her that I wanted her to teach him not to take things from strangers. He really doesn't need to know WHO gave it to him anyway.
#3 Where I used to work, one of my co-workers was a single mother trying to make it on limited funds and raise two daughters. July 4th was coming up and we were all talking about what we were going to do for our vacations. She mentioned that they weren't doing anything because they couldn't afford to. Later that evening, I mentioned it to my husband as we were going out to eat. Without a word, he went to the ATM and withdrew $100. He told me to give it to her and not tell her where it came from. I did just that the next morning (by way of an blank envelope on her desk). When she opened it, she just cried. I never told her it was from us, but she said she took the girls to an amusement park that they had been wanting to go to, but couldn't afford. I still smile when I remember how much that meant to her.
##3 Where I used to work, one of my co-workers was a single mother trying to make it on limited funds and raise two daughters. July 4th was coming up and we were all talking about what we were going to do for our vacations. She mentioned that they weren't doing anything because they couldn't afford to. Later that evening, I mentioned it to my husband as we were going out to eat. Without a word, he went to the ATM and withdrew $100. He told me to give it to her and not tell her where it came from. I did just that the next morning (by way of an blank envelope on her desk). When she opened it, she just cried. I never told her it was from us, but she said she took the girls to an amusement park that they had been wanting to go to, but couldn't afford. I still smile when I remember how much that meant to her.
I love that 
.
Now this is a thread I'd like to see get to a hundred plus pages!
[quote="mixinvixen"]i was out yard sale'in the other day, trying to save some money on baby clothes for our little soon-to-be-here boy. it was late in the day, but i followed the signs for a sale. i looked around and only found some mystery books, paid for them, and was walking back up the driveway to my car when the homeowner loudly said that she had found something else for me. i walked back to her, and she handed me a thin booklet/pamphlet type publication...on the front was the twin towers destruction site and the words "never forgotten"...puzzled, i turned it over...there, printed on the back cover, was the fireman's prayer.
let me pause here to say that my brother, kenneth allen nickell, died april 6, 1999, along with his partner, kevin rex smith, when they got trapped fighting a wildland forest fire in the daniel boone national forest in eastern kentucky. i miss him every day, but most of all when i'm carrying a child that i know he will never get to hold. the fireman's prayer holds alot of meaning to my family since it was printed on his funeral cards, and is also chiseled into his headstone.
i know i had to have went somewhat white in color, and i couldn't think of anything to say except "why did you give this to me" with an odd look in my face...i think she must of thought that she offended me, so she explained that she had some extras and she gives them to who god leads her to...she said she noticed my shirt had a fire logo, and felt led to give it to me.
the odd thing: i looked down to see what shirt i had on that day...while i have several fire oriented shirts, the one i was wearing that day was actually my husband's and is very obviously star wars...not fire related in any way or even a hint at it. i'm not sure what she saw, but i am sure that someone up there knew i needed a small tap on my conscience just to say hello.
i got back in my car, and burst into tears. hello right back at ya, dear "skenney"!
I got chills reading your story. Here is a hug from me (a firefighters wife) to you and your family!
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