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dont lose it be active

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We are really loving the creative ways the theater community is coming together these days! Over 70 talented performers from West End shows have recorded and released a very special version of the Les Misérables anthem, "Do You Hear The People Sing"-from the comfort of their homes, of course! In addition to enjoying the powerful video, viewers are also encouraged to donate to the charity Acting for Others to help provide support to theater workers during this difficult time or to contribute to support National Health Service workers and volunteers. Watch this beautiful reminder that "even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise."

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Watch 70 West End Stars Come Together for Moving Performance of 'Do You Hear the People Sing' from Les Miz

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We are really loving the creative ways the theater community is coming together these days! Over 70 talented performers from West End shows have recorded and released a very special version of the Les Misérables anthem, "Do You Hear The People Sing"-from the comfort of their homes, of course!

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The way the child doesn’t get to the point is so accurate... 😂

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The way the child doesn’t get to the point is so accurate... 😂

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https://www.facebook.com/1161598583/posts/10219024626944229/?d=n

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They have special discount menu too & German bakery.

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Shout-out to you educators for all you do.

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Back by popular demand, Fearne dials up Russell Brand to hear how the comedian and writer has approached the sudden change in all our lives - this is one chat that will leave you feeling more positive about the future...Russell’s own podcast, ‘Under the Skin’ is available exclusively on Luminary. An…

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Actual footage of my social distancing boredom level... 🤪

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Actual footage of my social distancing boredom level... 🤪

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https://youtu.be/0yxK24PJcsE

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This is supposed to release natural serotonin. So take a 15 minute break away from the computer and enjoy the soothing sounds :)

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Serotonin Release - Alpha Waves for Serotonin & Endorphins - Binaural Beats - Meditation Music

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You've all been Rick Rolled!  Everyone Dance!

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You've all been Rick Rolled!  Everyone Dance!

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Post with 575 votes and 25036 views. Tagged with birthday, coronavirus, goodfriendsmaketheworldgoround; Shared by floridaman22. Quarantine Birthday Parade

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My first attempt I got 58!

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1to50 : Just touch the numbers 1 to 50 in order.

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While many of us are inconvenienced by the lockdowns mandated by states to stop the spread of coronavirus, the illness has really impacted the elderly. Because they are highly susceptible to COVID-19, senior citizens have had to make sure they stay very isolated, especially if they live in nursing homes. Coronavirus has swept through nursing homes with devastating results, so many are now not allowing visitors to prevent that from happening again. Some don't even allow residents to meet up with each other. This means that the folks living at the homes can get very lonely, but one nursing home has found a way to combat it - they've started an "Adopt A Grandparent" program.

CHD Living, which owns 13 nursing homes around London, are inviting English-speaking people from around the world to apply online and become a virtual volunteer who will engage with their assigned "grandparents" through video calls. The company hopes to keep their residents mentally stimulated during this hard time. A representative for the company explained:

"The nature of care means that we're looking after some of the most vulnerable members of society at the moment. We are however keen to keep spirits in the homes high and so have been thinking of ways that we can continue to enrich the lives of our residents whilst providing them with stimulation and companionship. It made sense at this time to digitize the Adopt a Grandparent campaign and to recruit further volunteers who might like to help keep our residents company over the coming weeks."

The home asks applicants about how they like to spend their time, and pairs them with residents who share those interests. Each home will get a Facebook Portal TV for the virtual hangouts too, and the employees will be trained on how to help the residents with the technology.

The homes also welcome drawings, letters and poetry, and suggest that children send some as well while they are home schooling.

If you are interested in applying to adopt a grandparent, you can here.
Photo: Getty Images

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Nursing Home Lets You 'Adopt' A Lonely Grandparent In Isolation | JAM'N 94.5

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While many of us are inconvenienced by the lockdowns mandated by states to stop the spread of coronavirus, the illness has really impacted the elderly. Because they are highly susceptible to COVID-19, senior citizens have had to make sure they stay very isolated, especially if they live in nursing homes.

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https://youtu.be/Py3A99os9SU

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Comfort food!

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Rome went into lockdown 17 days ago. With news of what was happening in the north of Italy ringing in our ears, we were told to stay at home, leave the house as little as possible and to do so only for essential shopping.

That night, I looked in my cupboards and freezer and made a list of recipes. While words like "resourceful" and "ingenious" spun through my head, the recipes that formed from the packets of pasta, bags of peas and lentils, tins of tomatoes and oily peppers, chickpeas and chickpea flour, the lonely carrot, and the frozen chicken, were some of the things I like to cook and eat most, the recipes I have so enjoyed writing about here.

The other day, standing by the wall outside a local shop, I realised it was my neighbour behind the pale blue mask two metres in front of me. We talked about lunch and it turned out we were both making minestrone, then chicken for supper: certain recipes for uncertain times, she said. I can't put it better than that.

1. Pasta e broccoli

Not only a great recipe that we make every week, but a great principle: almost all vegetables, if cooked in this way - until soft and saucy - form a pasta sauce.

2. Puttanesca

Four jars, a tin and a packet. Again, an idea as much as a recipe, one that can be shaped according to the ingredients you have in your fridge and cupboard - and how much you like each of them.

3. Spaghetti with garlic, oil and chilli

A Roman classic, and not just for midnight after an evening out.

4. Minestrone

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Photograph: Rachel Roddy/The Guardian

The big soup: endlessly versatile, endlessly good.

5. Lentils with potato, greens and optional sausage

I make a variation of this dish at least once a week, trying to make enough so the next day there are leftovers that can be mixed with short pasta.

6. Chickpea pancakes

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Photograph: Rachel Roddy/The Guardian

I have come to feel about bags of chickpea flour the way I once did about packets of cigarettes: one on the go, one spare at all times. There are endless ways you could top these pancakes.

The chicken is browned and then simmered until tender with white wine and a great handful of finely chopped rosemary, chilli and garlic, and the dish finished with a spoonful of vinegar and some olives.

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Photograph: Rachel Roddy/The Guardian

Another great favourite and principle - making a thick soup and cooking pasta in it - that can be applied to almost all pulses.

9. Linguine with courgette, egg and parmesan

The magic of pasta-cooking water is revealed in this favourite recipe. I am not calling it carbonara or even carbonara-like - but the idea is the same, the egg and parmesan mixture meeting the sautéed courgette and pasta, along with the starchy water, to make a sauce.

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Photograph: Rachel Roddy/The Guardian

How to bring out the best in cabbage: slice it, cook it gently in plenty of fat with salt for a long time to serve with sausages.
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Rachel Roddy's Italian recipes for lockdown

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Rome went into lockdown 17 days ago. With news of what was happening in the north of Italy ringing in our ears, we were told to stay at home, leave the house as little as possible and to do so only for essential shopping.

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Inspiring!

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In the age of Covid-19 confinement, Elisha Nochomovitz has figured out a way to keep occupied by running a marathon on his balcony.

Nochomovitz ran 42.2km (26.2 miles) back and forth, never leaving his 7 metre-long (23 feet) balcony.

He saw it as a physical and mental challenge, and also shared images of the feat online as a way to extend his support to medical personnel who were doing an "exceptional job", he told Associated Press from his apartment in Balma, a suburb of the southern French city of Toulouse.

Like athletes who ran around their Wuhan apartments or cyclists who found ways to train in their locked-down Abu Dhabi hotel rooms, Nochomovitz wanted to show that it's possible to stay fit as virus containment measures tighten around the world.

He also wanted to lighten the mood. "It was about launching a bit of a crazy challenge and bringing a bit of humour, to de-dramatise the confinement situation," he said.

He didn't exactly make record time. It took him six hours and 48 minutes. He got nauseous and worried the neighbours would complain about the pounding of his footsteps. But he did it.

Technically, the French authorities are still allowing people to go outside for exercise such as running, if they fill out and sign a form explaining their reasons for leaving their homes.

The number of joggers on French streets has multiplied in recent days, amid exceptionally balmy weather. And that has authorities worried that too many people are still out on the streets, threatening efforts to contain the virus.

"If everyone thinks the same way and does the same thing, we will all find ourselves outside and that won't help anything, and the message that we need to stay confined at home will have had no impact," said Nochomovitz.

He said he had been training for a marathon, adding: ""I needed to assure myself that I could still run 40km."

He lost track of how many laps he did, but his pedometer kept track while his mind wandered. "I thought about many things, what's going to happen, when I see that the world has stopped, sports, economy, finance," he said. "We learned in history about wars between nations, men and weapons, but this is something that is beyond us."

He especially thought about medics, which he described as the real everyday heroes".

He had crucial support in his challenge. "I had my girlfriend here who was giving me drinks and M&Ms."

Outside, some onlookers stared in confusion. And his neighbours? "They were very understanding."
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Man runs marathon on 7-metre balcony during French lockdown

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In the age of Covid-19 confinement, Elisha Nochomovitz has figured out a way to keep occupied by running a marathon on his balcony. Nochomovitz ran 42.2km (26.2 miles) back and forth, never leaving his 7 metre-long (23 feet) balcony.

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Laura is right- yesterday I learned how to make lemon meringue pie! It was delicious 😋

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I've been watching/listening to this in the background. It's been really relaxing, especially with the window open.

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Situated in an area that was once the ancient ‘Ivory Route’ linking Mozambique and Zululand, Tembe Elephant Park is renowned for having the largest elephants in Africa – and the planet! The park is remote, lying deep in the sand forests and wetlands in northern Tongaland, right on the border between…

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How to work from home - guidance from UNICEF 

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How to work from home - guidance from UNICEF 

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Take a break and take part in one of these mindfulness activities. I recommend 'Breath and Body'.
Remember to enjoy the now :)

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MiSP's tracks

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Listen to MiSP | SoundCloud is an audio platform that lets you listen to what you love and share the sounds you create.. 16 Tracks. 58 Followers. Stream Tracks and Playlists from MiSP on your desktop or mobile device.

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Music has so many benefits for mental well being. I highly recommend checking out this guy, if you haven't heard of him already. Happy, uplifting, some funny and a couple sad to get you through the day. Enjoy 💖

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Do yoga with me- usually a subscription site has now opened up many online classes for free- they're amazing and some are in wonderful locations 

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Do yoga with me- usually a subscription site has now opened up many online classes for free- they're amazing and some are in wonderful locations 

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Free Online Yoga - Practice Anytime, Anywhere | DoYogaWithMe

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Online yoga videos from DoYogaWithMe. We offer tons of free yoga videos, including classes, yoga poses, breathing exercises, yoga challenges, and guided meditations.

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We can all be Harvard graduates by the time we meet again!

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The eight Ivy League schools are among the most prestigious colleges in the world. They include Brown, Harvard, Cornell, Princeton, Dartmouth, Yale, and Columbia Universities, and the University of Pennsylvania.

All eight schools place in the top fifteen of the U.S. News and World Report national university rankings.

These Ivy League schools are also highly selective and extremely hard to get into. But the good news is that all these universities now offer free online courses across multiple online platforms. These courses are know as MOOCs or Massive Open Online Courses.

So far, they've created 500 courses, of which around 450 are still active. Class Central has made a collection of all these, which you can explore below. I've split these courses into the following categories:

Computer Science

Data Science

Programming

Humanities

Business

Art & Design

Science

Social Sciences

Health & Medicine

Engineering

Mathematics

Education & Teaching

and Personal Development

I've also assembled these courses on Class Central's collection page for Ivy League MOOCs. This collection gets updated automatically as new courses are added. You can subscribe to receive updates by clicking the blue "follow" button there.

Note that some of the Coursera courses are a bit harder to access, so I wrote this guide to show you how. And if you are new to online learning, check out these 30 actionable tips to stay focused.

For a more in-depth overview of Data Science courses read this series:

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Here are 450 Ivy League courses you can take online right now for free

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The eight Ivy League schools are among the most prestigious colleges in the world. They include Brown, Harvard, Cornell, Princeton, Dartmouth, Yale, and Columbia Universities, and the University of Pennsylvania. All eight schools place in the top fifteen of the U.S. News and World Report national university rankings. These Ivy

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A blog post my friend wrote about the importance of emotional connection while we're physically keeping apart

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A blog post my friend wrote about the importance of emotional connection while we're physically keeping apart

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The current global situation has us all on lockdown, self isolating, and/or social distancing. First off- what exactly is social distancing?
Social distancing or physical distancing is a set of nonpharmaceutical infection control actions intended to stop or slow down the spread of a contagious disease.
So, effectively, keeping the fuck away from people.

As someone who absolutely despises others being in my personal space, I am all for this social distancing, and would encourage us to follow suit once this whole crisis has passed; kindly stay 2m away from me at all times. Since I've been social distancing though, I've learnt one thing: it is vital that we don't practise emotional distancing too.

Right now, millions of us are laying low and staying at home, other than to get necessities from the shops, head to work if it's crucial, or go out to get medicine/visit the doctors. We are isolating ourselves in our homes and limiting social interaction to the absolute bare minimum.

As someone who generally enjoys my own company and being in my own space, I haven't yet found myself getting too lonely or bored. I'm used to it. However, I am having to consciously take action to keep myself busy, healthy, and occupied. It's the perfect time for projects and hobbies, and I realised I hadn't written a blog post in a fair while. When thinking about what to write, it was a little difficult coming up with a subject that wasn't about the current global pandemic we find ourselves in, because frankly everything else seems trivial. I ain't no expert on the matter though, clearly, and struggled to find something I could write about from my own personal viewpoint. Until I had to turn my phone onto silent because the beeping was getting too distracting. Then- lightbulb moment!

There is a vast difference between being alone and feeling lonely, and now is the time for us all to make sure we reach out and connect so that nobody in our lives spends this time feeling lonely and isolated. I have been so actively making contact with friends and family, reaching out to loved ones incessantly to check in on them, as they have with me. Countless messages on dealing with anxiety, sharing home workout videos, calls to family members just to hear their voices, and an abundance of memes.

No man is an island. Whether we're virtually or physically with our loved ones, we are living in an age of technology that allows us to stay connected at all times and means that none of us need to be lonely.

Practising kindness and gratitude is always a sure fire way to make us feel closer to others, and now more than ever is the perfect time to implement this. Whether you are able to order a gift or groceries online to a family member who is in self isolation, or simply calling up a friend to tell them you were thinking of them and that made you happy. Who doesn't want to know that they are loved or that somebody has gone out of their way to help them out, not seeking anything in return?

How beautiful a day can be, when kindness touches it!
George Elliston

Writing down a list of things you are grateful for in your life might not sound like much, but it's a ruddy great way to highlight the things you value most and appreciate. Your health, your imagination, your Mum, your Dad, a roof over your head, Dairy Milk. No matter how big or how small, there is plenty that we are all grateful for and with so much time on our hands, let's take just a hot minute to remind ourselves of them.

If we can all learn one thing from the current crisis, it is that all we really have is each other. How easy has it been for us to forego our nights out in fancy restaurants, our days at the beach, our monthly shopping sprees at the mall? However, it simply isn't that easy to cease communication with our loved ones, because we are all leaning on each other to get through to the other side.

So keep practising social distancing, but reach out to your tribe and remind them that they ain't alone. Here, have a few non-corona related memes to send on to them!

I'm a 27-year-old living in Abu Dhabi, UAE and working in marketing within the hospitality industry. I have always had a flair for creativity, from my imaginary husband as a child to bizarrely writing poems about every milestone in my life as an adult. I am venturing into the blogging world to pen my thoughts on literature, art; as well as, well, pretty much anything that takes my fancy. This blog is me, being a completely open book. View all posts by jessmacdonald

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Social Distancing NOT Emotional Distancing

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The current global situation has us all on lockdown, self isolating, and/or social distancing. First off- what exactly is social distancing? Social distancing or physical distancing is a set of nonpharmaceutical infection control actions intended to stop or slow down the spread of a contagious disease. So, effectively, keeping the fuck away from people.

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A little Adele to brighten our day!

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Something to reflect on...

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*** 24 stories about the kindness of strangers! ***

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*** 24 stories about the kindness of strangers! ***

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Yasu + Junko for Reader's Digest

We asked readers for firsthand accounts of compassion. Here are 24 stories that touched your lives-and our hearts.

The Man at the Market

When the supermarket clerk tallied up my groceries, I was $12 over what I had on me. I began to remove items from the bags, when another shopper handed me a $20 bill. "Please don't put yourself out," I told him. "Let me tell you a story," he said. "My mother is in the hospital with cancer. I visit her every day and bring her flowers. I went this morning, and she got mad at me for spending my money on more flowers. She demanded that I do something else with that money. So, here, please accept this. It is my mother's flowers." - Leslie Wagner, Peel, Arkansas. Here are 30 more acts of kindness you can do in two minutes or less.

Jim and the Job

My neighbor, Jim, had trouble deciding if he wanted to retire from the construction field, until he ran into a younger man he'd worked with previously. The young man had a wife and three children and was finding it difficult to make ends meet, since he hadn't worked in some time. The next morning, Jim went to the union office and submitted his retirement paperwork. As for his replacement, he gave them the name of the young man. That was six years ago, and that young husband and father has been employed ever since. - Miranda MacLean, Brutus, Michigan.

A Family's Food Angel

While going through a divorce, my mother fretted over her new worries: no income, the same bills, and no way to afford groceries. It was around this time that she started finding boxes of food outside our door every morning. This went on for months, until she was able to land a job. We never did find out who it was who left the groceries for us, but they truly saved our lives. - Jamie Boleyn, Emmett, Idaho. These 12 heartwarming stories will restore your faith in humanity.

Color Me Amazed
Yasu + Junko for Reader's Digest
I forgot about the rules on liquids in carry-on luggage, so when I hit security at the airport, I had to give up all my painting supplies. When I returned a week later, an attendant was at the baggage area with my paints. Not only had he kept them for me, but he'd looked up my return date and time in order to meet me. - Marilyn Kinsella, Canmore, Canada

Seven Miles For Me

Leaving a store, I returned to my car only to find that I'd locked my keys and cell phone inside. A teenager riding his bike saw me kick a tire and say a few choice words. "What's wrong?" he asked. I explained my situation. "But even if I could call my wife," I said, "she can't bring me her car key, since this is our only car." He handed me his cell phone. "Call your wife and tell her I'm coming to get her key." "That's seven miles round trip." "Don't worry about it." An hour later, he returned with the key. I offered him some money, but he refused. "Let's just say I needed the exercise," he said. Then, like a cowboy in the movies, he rode off into the sunset. - Clarence W. Stephens, Nicholasville, Kentucky. Take a look at these incredible photos of heartwarming moments.

The Little Lift

One evening, I left a restaurant just ahead of a woman assisting her elderly mom. I approached the curb and paused to see if my arthritic knees could climb it. To my right appeared an arm to assist. It was that of the elderly mom. My heart was so touched. - Donna Moerie, Goldsboro, North Carolina

Bounty For a Navy Wife

I was balancing caring for a toddler and working a full-time job, all while my Navy husband was on extended duty overseas. One evening, the doorbell rang. It was my neighbor, a retired chief petty officer, holding a breadboard loaded with a freshly cooked chicken and vegetable stew. "I've noticed you're getting a little skinny," he said. It was the best meal I'd had in months. - Patricia Fordney, Corvallis, Oregon. Here are 10 life-changing acts of kindness you can do right now.

My Granddaughter's Dress
Yasu + Junko for Reader's Digest
I saw a dress in a consignment shop that I knew my granddaughter would love. But money was tight, so I asked the store owner if she could hold it for me. "May I buy the dress for you?" asked another customer. "Thank you, but I can't accept such a gracious gift," I said. Then she told me why it was so important for her to help me. She'd been homeless for three years, she said, and had it not been for the kindness of strangers, she would not have been able to survive. "I'm no longer homeless, and my situation has improved," she said. "I promised myself that I would repay the kindness so many had shown me." She paid for the dress, and the only payment she would accept in return was a heartfelt hug. - Stacy Lee, Columbia, Maryland

White Shoulders

A woman at our yard sale wore a perfume that smelled heavenly and familiar. "What are you wearing?" I asked. "White Shoulders," she said. Suddenly, I was bowled over by a flood of memories. White Shoulders was the one gift I could count on at Christmas from my late mother. We chatted awhile, and she bought some things and left. A few hours later, she returned holding a new bottle of White Shoulders. I don't recall which one of us started crying first. - Media Stooksbury, Powell, Tennessee. Try these effortless ways to be nicer to people.

Breaking Bread

Last December, before work, I stopped at a deli and ordered an everything bagel with cream cheese. It was toasty warm, and I couldn't wait to dig in. But as I left the store, I noticed an older indigent gentleman sitting at the bus stop. Knowing it would probably be his only warm meal of the day, I gave him the bagel. But all was not lost for me. Another customer from the deli offered me half of her bagel. I was so delighted because I realized that in one way or another, we are all looked after. - Liliana Figueroa, Phoenix, Arizona

"I Can Still Help"

As I walked through the parking lot, all I could think about was the dire diagnosis I had handed my patient Jimmy: pancreatic cancer. Just then, I noticed an elderly gentleman handing tools to someone working under his stalled car. That someone was Jimmy. "Jimmy, what are you doing?" I yelled out. Jimmy dusted off his pants. "My cancer didn't tell me not to help others, Doc," he said, before waving at the old man to start the car. The engine roared to life. The old man thanked Jimmy and drove off. Then Jimmy got into his car and took off as well. Take-home message: Kindness has no limits and no restrictions. - Mohammed Basha, Gainesville, Florida. Start giving these 10 little compliments to people every day.

Top Note

When my husband died unexpectedly, a coworker took me under her wing. Every week for an entire year, she would send me a card saying "Just Thinking of You" or "Hang in There." She saved my life. - Jerilynn Collette, Burnsville, Minnesota

He Kept an Eye on Me

Driving home in a blizzard, I noticed a vehicle trailing close behind me. Suddenly, my tire blew! I pulled off the road, and so did the other car. A man jumped out from behind the wheel and without hesitation changed the flat. "I was going to get off two miles back," he said. "But I didn't think that tire looked good." - Marilyn Attebery, Spokane Valley, Washington. Being kind to strangers is great, but don't forget these ways to be nicer to yourself.

My Commander's Call

It was one of my first missions on a gunship during the Vietnam War. I was scanning for enemy fire when I spotted a bright object that looked as if it were coming straight at us. "Missile! Missile!" I shouted into my interphone. The pilot jerked the airplane as hard as he could, dumping guys from one side of the craft to the next. Well, turns out the "missile" was a flare we had just dropped. Suffice it to say, the guys weren't pleased. Back at the base, my commander put an arm around my shoulder. "Sergeant Hunter," he said, "you keep calling them like you see them. Better safe than sorry." That kind act gave me the confidence to be one of the top gunners in my squadron. - Douglas Hunter, Fort Walton Beach, Florida

21 Apples From Max

When my grandson Max told his mother, Andrea, to donate any check she would give him for his 21st birthday, Andrea got an idea. She handed Max's brother Charlie a video camera. Then she took out 21 $10 bills from the bank and bought 21 apples at the supermarket. When they spotted a homeless man, Andrea told him, "Today is my son Max's 21st birthday, and he asked me to give a gift to someone to help him celebrate." She handed the man a $10 bill and an apple. The man smiled into the camera and announced, "Happy birthday, Max!" Soon, they passed out their booty to men and women waiting in line at a soup kitchen. In a unified chorus, they wished Max, "Happy birthday!" At a pizza parlor, Andrea left $50 and told the owners to feed the hungry. "Happy birthday, Max!" they shouted. With one last $10 bill and apple, they stopped at Andrea's sister's office. Unable to contain her laughter or her tears, she bellowed into the camera, "Happy birthday, Max!" - Dr. Donald Stoltz, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Don't miss these 21 acts of kindness that changed these people's lives.

How Did She Know?

I was driving cross-country to start a new job. What began as a fun adventure turned into a nightmare when I realized I had run through most of my money and still had a ways to go. I pulled over and let the tears flow. That's when I noticed the unopened farewell card my neighbor had shoved in my hand as I left. I pulled the card out of the envelope, and $100 dropped out-just enough to get me through the remainder of my trip. Later, I asked my neighbor why she had enclosed the money. She said, "I had a feeling it would help." - Nadine Chandler, Winthrop, Massachusetts

Raised Right

Children were playing at the recreation area of an IKEA store when my five-year-old granddaughter motioned for a small boy to stop. She knelt down before him and retied his flopping shoelaces-she had only just learned to tie her own. No words were spoken, but after she finished, both smiled shyly, then turned to race off in different directions. - Sheela Mayes, Olla, Louisiana. Take a look at these 8 acts of kindness that turned into good karma.

Blanket Statement

When I was seven, my family drove to the Grand Canyon. At one point, my favorite blanket flew out the window and was gone. I was devastated. Soon after, we stopped at a service station. Moping, I found a bench and was about to eat my sandwich when a biker gang pulled into the station. "Is that your blue Ford?" a huge, frightening man with a gray-and-black beard asked. Mom nodded reticently. The man pulled my blanket from his jacket pocket and handed it to her. He then returned to his motorcycle. I repaid him the only way I knew how: I ran up to him and gave him my sandwich.
Zena Hamilton, United Kingdom

Just Driving Through

When my friend and I were injured in a car accident, a family from out of state stopped to help. Seeing we were hurt, they drove us to the hospital and stayed there until we were released. They then took us home, got us food, and made sure we were settled in. Amazingly, they interrupted their vacation to help us. - Cindy Earls, Ada, Oklahoma. Check out this story of how this generous man let a stranger borrow his car.

Butterflies of Support

I was four months pregnant with our first child when our baby's heart stopped beating. I was devastated. As the days went on, I was nervous about returning to work. I'm a middle school teacher and didn't know how I could face kids. This past May, after four weeks of recovering, I walked into my empty classroom and turned on the lights. Glued to the wall were a hundred colored paper butterflies, each with a handwritten message on it from current and past students. All of them had encouraging messages: "Keep moving forward," "Don't give up on God," and "Know that we love you." It was exactly what I needed.
Jennifer Garcia-Esquivel, San Benito, Texas

Twice as Nice

Two firefighters were waiting in line at a fast-food restaurant when the siren sounded on their fire truck parked outside. As they turned to leave, a couple who had just received their order handed their food to the firefighters. The couple then got back in line to reorder. Doubling down on their selfless act, the manager refused to take their money. - JoAnn Sanderson, Brandon, Florida. These are the nicest places in America, according to our readers.

Designated Driver

I'd pulled over onto the side of a New Mexico road and was suffering a panic attack when a minivan full of kids pulled over. A woman got out and asked if I was OK. "No," I said. Then I laid out what had happened: I was delivering books for a publishing company. My next stop was way, way up this long and winding and, to me, very treacherous road. I couldn't do it. "I'll deliver the books for you," she said. She was a local, and the roads were nothing for her. I took her up on the offer and never forgot the simple kindness of a stranger. - Doreen Frick, Ord, Nebraska

A Christmas Story

In January 2006, a fire destroyed a family's home. In that fire were all the belongings of a six-year-old boy, including his Christmas presents. A classmate from his school who had a birthday around then asked her parents if she could give all her gifts to the boy. That act of kindness will forever warm my heart because the boy is my grandson. - Donna Kachnowski, Lebanon, Connecticut. Christmas stories are the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit.

She Gave Me Direction

As I left a party, I got on the wrong freeway and was immediately lost. I pulled over to the shoulder and called my roadside-assistance provider. She tried to connect me to the California Highway Patrol, but that call never went through. Hearing the panic in my voice, she came up with a plan B: "You're near this office," she said. "I'm about to go off shift. Stay put, and I'll find you." Ten minutes later, she rolled up. She guided me not only to the right freeway but all the way to the correct freeway exit. And then, with a wave goodbye, she drove back into the night. - Michelle Arnold, Santee, California. Next, check out these 50 random acts of kindness that don't cost a cent.

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24 Stories About the Touching Kindness of Strangers That'll Make You Tear Up

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Yasu + Junko for Reader's Digest We asked readers for firsthand accounts of compassion. Here are 24 stories that touched your lives-and our hearts. When the supermarket clerk tallied up my groceries, I was $12 over what I had on me. I began to remove items from the bags, when another shopper handed me a $20 bill.

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4 Minute Body Scan Meditation - Leslie Rohonczy