What's Your "Love and Kindness" Story?

The most memorable part of my trips is always the moment I encountered great acts of kindness on the road. The feeling is just overwhelming. It reminds me that Im blessed, Im never alone, and I need to pay this goodness forward. I love sharing stories of this kind and I'd love to hear your stories too. I asked some of my friends to share theirs. Here it goes:

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In 2004, I was sent to Thailand for training with fellow Hitachi officemates. Sabi ng mga naunang batch samin, meron daw supercheap na shabu-shabu style na OK doon sa may area ng hotel where we will be staying. But they couldn’t tell us how to commute going there kasi sinama lang sila dun ng mga Thais nung farewell party nila. Hindi na namin mahintay yung farewell party namin, gusto na namin matry na! Nagdecide kami magcommute kami, to get there we had to ride a motorcycle (yes, hawak-hawak kami sa bewang ng driver)

Okay nga restaurant! Less than P100 unlimited shabu-shabu ng kung anu-ano, unlimited ice cream, mangga, pakwan. We took advantage of the buffet kaya medyo nagtagal kami dun. Sobrang napatagal ata kami, kasi wala na kami masakyan pauwi. Nag attempt kami na maglakad nalang pabalik, pero malayo parin.

So we stopped at a store to ask kung anong tawag sa lugar where we were, para tatawag kami sa hotel para sunduin kami (we didn’t have the hotel number..tsk.tsk) The owner offered na sila nalang maghatid. Meron silang motor na meron carriage. Lima kami, ewan pano kami nagkasya =)

So when we reached the hotel, we were so thankful. We asked him how much. His reply was “no, its okay. Enjoy your stay in Thailand!”

Wow! We all wondered if Pinoys would do that to a foreigner.
I hope so! ---> Jamie

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Isang batang babae na nasa edad pito, may payat na pangangatawan, at madungis na damit ang tumapat sa sinasakyan ko pauwi ng Bulacan ng matraffic ito sa EDSA. Gamit ang dalawang bato bilang instrumento, habang bitbit ang ilang pirasong sampaguita ay sumasabay ang kanyang paos na tinig sa isang awiting pamasko na matamlay niyang inaawit. Bagamat pagod ang katawan ko noon ay unti-unting nagising ang diwa ko at napatingin sa bata. Binaba ko ang bintana at inabot sa batang nagkakaroling ang limang pisong barya na nasa bulsa ko. Wala kahit anong reaksyon akong nakita sa mukha niya, wala man lang kahit "thank you!". Sinara ko ang bintana at ibinalik ang atensyon sa daan.

Ilang sandali pa ay narinig kong kinakatok niya ang bintana ng sinssakyan ko. Inis akong sumenyas na wala na akong ibibigay
subalit patuloy parin ang bata sa pagkatok. Para tumigil ay ibinaba ko ulit
ang bintana at dinukot ang piso na natitirang barya sa bulsa ko. Hindi ko
pa man kumpletong naibababa ang bintana ay nagulat ako ng iabot sa akin ng
bata ang dala niyang sampaguita kasabay ng isang matamis na ngiti.

Halos malusaw ang puso ko ng abutin ko ang sampaguita. Bago pa man ako makapagsalita kahit man lang "thank you" ay tumakbo na siya papalayo...
---> Lloyd

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In 2004, I participated on a four-week medical mission in a remote community in Quirino Province.

I cannot forget how the people from that place treated our group so kindly. Nadiyan yung pagsalok ka ng tubig, yung pagluto ka ng ulam at yung pag gising mo ng umaga may nilagang saging na naghihintay sa harap ng pintuan ng tinitirhan namin. To think that these people are mostly farmers, they live a very simple life but you know they are happy. They never asked anything from us, sila pa nga ang nagbigay sa amin.

We had to part ways after the medical mission, people from the community were crying because we were about to leave! It was one-of-a-kind experience for me, I was so fortunate to have met them. ---> Rob

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In one of my travels, I distinctly remember a man that my mother called "an angel sent by God." This happened the first time I stepped in Europe. My sister and I landed in Amsterdam and had to go to our hotel, somewhere in the Red District (oh yes), and for that, we needed to buy train tickets. We were so excited to try buying from the ticket machine, marveling at the first world the Netherlands is. That is, until we actually got to the machine and tried buying the ticket. We were completely clueless as to how it works! We tried different tactics, pushed different buttons, but still no tickets.

We must have looked like idiots because this elderly man came to us and asked if we were having problems. We explained our situation (with a bit of embarrassment of course) and felt a sigh of relief when he taught us, step by step, how to buy tickets. He even used his discount card for us and we were able to avail of a 3-euro discount (that is a big deal when you are in a budget)! Hurray! Not only that, he went with us in the train and made sure we got off at the right station, which was actually two stops after his. If we hadn't thanked him profusely and told him we could manage on our own, he might have come with us all the way to the hotel! Imagine what that must have looked like...two young Filipino women and an elderly Dutch man! He he! Anyway, we said our goodbyes with him telling us to stay safe and to enjoy our trip (as he went back the two stations). After that "lesson", we NEVER had to ask someone how a ticket machine works, elsewhere in Europe. That man was truly an angel. ---> KG

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inferness, ang yayaman pala ng mga friends ko! ako lang ang hindi! hehe
okay, moving on..

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"Hala naiwana ko po wallet ko!"
Bigla kong nasabi habang naglalagay nang pagkain ang tindera ng kainan sa may Edsa-Central. Di naman ako talaga natakot, alam ko na naiwanan ko ang wallet ko, pero namutla ako sa sobrang hiya.
"Okay lang. Sige bayaran mo na langpag nadaan ka."
"Ei pangalawang beses pa lang akong nakakain dito."
"Sige okay lang."

That moment I feel perfect.
Gumawa ako ng paraan dahil nakakahiya talaga, lalo na at nailapag na sa aking mesa ang tortang talong, isang tasang kanin, at gulay. Tapos dinalhan pa ako ng baso na may yelo at pitsel na tubig. Hindi matapos tapos ang thank you ko.

I texted my friend at since malapit lamang siya, sinabi ko ang situation. Di pa pala siya naliligo, pero pupuntahan niya na daw ako. Siyempre nahihiya na naman ako kaya naghalukay ulit ako sa bag at alas, natatakpan ng t-shirt na black ang aking wallet.

Oh Heaven, thanks for my friend and these people that keeps my faith in humanity even more. --> Dave

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Puerto Princesa. First time naming magsnorkeling sa buong buhay namin. Dream came true talaga. Hindi ako marunong lumangoy kaya umaasa lang talaga ako kay neiL at sa life jacket. Wala din kaming sariling snorkeling gear. Habang nagssnorkeling kami, aksidente kong nahulog ang goggles sa malalim na part! :| Sabi nila, P1500 daw bayad dun.

Buti na lang mabait si Kuya, sinisid niya iyong googles at kinuha. Tuloy ang saya! :) Kaya everytime na magssnorkeling kami, todo hawak na ako sa goggles ko, mahal pala iyon! :D ---> Nicole

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It happened when I was in second grade, 8 years old lang ako (O diba recently lang. hahaha!)
We don't have a yaya so everyday, iniiwan namin yung 10 months old brother ko sa neighbor because no one would look after him. One day nagmaganda ako at kinuha ko siya after school. Nagbaon ako ng gatas niya then we went.. dinala ko sa sementeryo. Hang out ko yun chaka yung mga batang kalye samin. Nangunguha kami ng paso pag lumayas ang dalaw. hahaha! Matumal ang benta. Naalala ko pa may nililibing nung hapon na yun.

Suddenly, umulan ng malakas. Wala akong payong ang saya. Just imagine an 8 year old girl, holding a crying baby brother trying hard to cover him up sa ulanan. Para akong pulubi. May naawang ale. Dinala niya ang pasong nakolekta ko, at pinayungan kami hanggang sa makauwi ng bahay. And mind you ang layo ng sementeryo samin promise. Sayang I forgot to ask who she was. I can't even recognize her face today. ---> Maricar

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Great things happen when you least expect it. Like the simple act of kindness that we got from this family who were on their way back home from spending the weekend also in Nayong Pilipino.

They let us ride their van for free when they saw us walking along the streets. So instead of us walking another 1KM just to get to the main road we were spared the added fatigue. We were already worned out with all the walking that we did inside Nayong Pilipino.

We admire this family especially the parents who showed us kindness. I know their children will grow up like them.
---> Marx

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My turn.

I'll never get tired of telling everybody my Ilocos Hysteria turned blessed birthday experience. It was an unexpected solo travel, and there I was- traveling with no sufficient money, no ATM card, and no cellphone on hand, and the best part it's all happening on my birthday! WTF! Wow, That's Fantastic! ♥

I know my remaining money wont make it. I have to cut my expenses so I can be able to go back to Manila. My tour guide Mang Arnel insisted that I must see Kabigan Falls. I told him I'd love too, but I cant afford the fees. What he did? He drove me to the site and paid P120 for my fees! He even accompanied me down the falls though for sure he has seen this falls a hundred times (wala daw kasi magpipicture sakin). I had goosebumps. Napakabuti nya for doing that. And I cant even treat him for some softdrinks.

Come lunch time, pucha gutom na gutom nako, pero wala na kong pera. Tiis nalang with my jellyace. Then Mang Arnel drove me to a small eatery. Sabi nya, "kain ka na, ako bahala sayo."

Grabe, I was teary eyed. That lunch may not even cost a lot, but that's the grandest birthday treat I ever had. I felt I received God's blessing on my birthday. read full story: http://www.chyngreyes.com/search/label/Ilocos

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Now it's your time to share. ^_^
Send me your stories + a picture of you to chyngreyes@gmail.com
I'll include your story in this compilation. Thank you!