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SALT LAKE CITY — Many people dread Mondays and having to head back to the daily grind. But we want to remind everyone that there is good in the world and doing something for others can brighten your day.
Each Monday, we hope to share moments from our readers’ lives that made their days great. Whether it is a kind note from a loved one, an act of kindness or a person with an inspiring attitude, we want to hear about it. Here's to making Monday awesome.
Jan M.
On the thoughtfulness of strangers:
"We went to get my daughter new glasses. The ones she wanted were not covered by our insurance. I felt bad to have to tell her that we could not afford the price difference. She’s 16 and an "A" student. Without whining she put them back and chose another pair, assuring me that it was OK.
"A week later we went to pick up her glasses. The ones she really wanted were in the case. The clerk had taken care of the difference. I will be forever grateful for the small act of another that brought such joy to my daughter."
Rhonda W.
On doing the right thing:
Have you seen any moments of service or kindness? Do you want to share a story about something that made your day? Email a brief story (100 words or fewer) along with any photos or video to fheaton@ksl.com.
"One night, we were grabbing sandwiches on the way to a family activity and we found a driver's license in the street. We picked it up and talked about how sad this person would be when they discovered it was missing, what a pain and expense it would be to replace and the possibility of identity theft. We decided to be good citizens and mail it to the owner.
"About a week later, we got the nicest card from the owner declaring our awesomeness and sending us wishes for good karma to follow us. Knowing our small act was appreciated made an impact on my kids and showed them how much it means when you show gratitude to others. It chipped away a little bit of cynicism and made the world a smaller, friendlier place!"
Amy H.
"I took my 2-year-old to Olive Garden and two young women in prom dresses walked in. They were alone, no dates. One of them asked to eat with us and we had a nice conversation. She only ordered a salad. The waiter came to give us our bill and she told him that she was paying for our meals.
"A complete stranger who saw a mom and her little girl who she could inspire and help. She told me in return that if I ever saw anyone in need to go over and help them."
Amanda P.
“A couple of years ago, I signed up my boys for the local Little League baseball program. My older son, who was 8 years old at the time, has ADHD and sensory processing disorder, which makes him pretty uncoordinated and have low muscle tone. Because of this, I was worried I was setting him up for failure.
“At his first practice, one of the other assistant coaches took my son aside and practiced one-on-one with him for throwing, hitting and catching. He could tell so obviously my son’s difficulty level and incoordination. Never once did this coach nor either of the other two coaches ever show one ounce of frustration or impatience with my son. They gave him more than extra attention and help during practices and gave him chances to be in the game so that he felt success. They also had zero tolerance for any negativity between their team members so the other boys were great with my son too.
“Their team actually took first place at the end of the season, got the biggest trophies and had their picture in the local paper. My son still has his trophy on his shelf and his team photograph on his wall.
“In an activity which has the stereotype (and for good reason) of overactive and even violent parents and uncontrolled competition, I came out of the experience with so much respect for these men and gratitude for the love and kindness they showed my son.”
Melinda W.
"I was on a flight a couple of weeks ago that had been delayed over an hour. I happened to be on the plane with the BYU baseball team that had just come back from California. Getting into Salt Lake late Saturday night was stressful, but I was so impressed with how polite these men on the team were.
"Despite the late hour, two of the players even helped a mother traveling alone with her young child. One team member grabbed her luggage and another one her stroller, insisting that she let them help as we all traveled to pick up our luggage. I was so impressed with their kindness and positive attitudes that it helped remind me to look for opportunities to be kind, not be afraid to help others and that a positive attitude can really make a difference."
Have you seen any moments of service or kindness? Do you want to share a story about something that made your day? Email a brief story (100 words or fewer) along with any photos or video to fheaton@ksl.com.
