This post is inspired by Shot@Life, an initiative of the United Nations Foundation dedicated to using vaccines as a cost-effective way to save children’s lives in developing countries. (Image courtesy United Nations Foundation.)
Hi team, I need help. Here’s why:
For every comment on this post, Shot@Life gets $20 to vaccinate a kid.
Twenty. Dollars.
Twenty dollars is what it costs to give one child four vaccines that help protect them against measles, pneumonia, diarrhea, and polio. During Shot@Life’s Blogust: Blog Relay for Good, 31 bloggers have been helping to secure $200,000 in sponsor donations. We need 10,000 comments, and we’re about 1,000 away from that goal right now.
Over the years, your comments have shaped my life. Whether you were celebrating Hank’s birth with me, or cheering my Life List, or comforting me when things took a difficult turn. I know you guys care about helping other people because of how much help you’ve already heaped on me.
So let’s do this.
Can you comment twice? Yes. Yes you can. And if you have a means of spreading the word, please Tweet, Pin, link on Facebook, or post a quick link on your own site.
Let us know the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you in comments. And thanks to you for being so nice to other people. I like you.
Yesterday Fadra Nally of All Things Fadra wrote about the comments you never see. Tomorrow, I’m passing the baton to my friend Stacey Ferguson of Justice Fergie — so you can help us reach our final goal by commenting on her site as well. We have until August 31. Thanks again.
Mighty Girl 
What a great cause! And a great lady’s blog to support it through – so good luck!
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The nicest thing today: I have been helping a co-worker on a high visibility issue as she has been on business travel and didnt have computer access. She publicly thanked me for the support, copying my boss and all upper management. Very nice
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My friends accepted honorariums or volunteered weeks of their lives every summer to help me create and run a Young Artist Retreat for teenagers interested in theatre when I had no funding. We got little sleep and and worked non-stop, but we had time for an evening beer once the kids were “in bed” every night, and we laughed a LOT.
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This may be the best comment I’ll ever make!
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My dad, who worked construction to support me and help me with college, telling me that he didn’t care if I decided to be a barista after I got my degree. He just wanted me to be happy and have choices.
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My dad died suddenly when I was 25. My college friends just showed up at the viewing to take care of me. They drove 5 hours to spend a few hours with me. I am not in touch with them anymore but still think of that and am thankful for their love.
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And, since you said we could respond twice… my friend running eight ugly miles with me this morning and my other friend/ running/ life coach, having a gigantic, healthy breakfast ready after the run.
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The nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me….is my family and friends back home (1200 miles) still loving me despite how terrible I am at keeping in touch. And when I go home it’s like I never left.
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The nicest thing someone has ever done for me…my husband being right behind me when my brother created an irreparable rift in my family. It felt like a divorce, a death, and a break up all at once, and I was struggling to hold it together for my parents, and at home I just couldn’t anymore. My husband was there for me every night whether it was to let me rage, hold me while I cried, or to help my try to make sense of our new life. I can never thank him for all those nights.
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A few years ago, my boyfriend made a hand-knit scarf for me. It took him many hours to complete and the scarf is longer than I am tall!
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Thank you for this post. It’s awesome!
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There are so many blessings in my life. It is hard to choose just one. Keep up the acts of kindness.
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When my uncle (mom’s brother) passed away shortly after my parent’s divorce, I was across the country and didn’t have the funds to fly home. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to be with my family to grieve, or be there to support my mom. My dad, without my asking, paid for my flight home and back, and threw in a side trip to see my boyfriend (later fiance) who was unable to attend the funeral as well. It was an amazing thing to be able to be there for my mom at a really hard time for her.
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The man with the most beautiful blue eyes in the world said he loved me too, just as I am, and we decided to spend forever together.
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Too many to decide on one…the encouraging teacher, the welcoming new friend, the small kindnesses that make me feel blessed.
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My parents decided to pay for graduate school for me.
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I just love that the internet makes something like this possible. Woot for doing something good for children!
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This is the best comment I have ever made. =) It makes me want to go something really nice in person.
The nicest thing that anyone has ever done for me is this stranger who drove me across Nevada because my car broke down. I swear she was an angel.
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When my partner and I were struggling along our fertility journey – my mom jumped in and sent us enough money to cover a full round of IVF. The gift changed our life and gave us the opportunity to try again. Amazing beautiful generous nice gift. Thanks mom!
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And another for good measure and the good work!
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the kindest thing was the simplest thing, a thinking of you card from my aunt at a time when everyone else felt they should just stay radio silent in my life
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My girlfriend has stuck with me through the most tedious, frightening ongoing illness and never complains. She constantly offers me support and help, and I honestly didn’t know people were that nice in a practical way until we met.
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The nicest thing that was ever done for me was done before I was born. A scared, pregnant, 15 year old girl decided to reach out to her high school teacher, who connected her with the beautiful people who ended up being my parents. 23 years later, I have moved up to Oregon to get to know her, and my siblings. Open adoptions are a wonderful thing, which open doors, create families and increase the amount of love in the world.
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My grandparents have supported me (and my more than 20 cousins) unconditionally throughout my (and our) life. When my then fiance was working overseas, and I couldn’t join him, they let me live with them rent-free for over two years, most of which I spent unemployed. They fed me, housed me, and my grandpa gave me a $20+ a week “allowance” that allowed me to pay my student loan bill every month. I moved away a year ago (this week, actually), to marry my husband and move with him to another state. My husband is a student, and I struggled to find a job in our new town. Every few weeks, I get an envelope in the mail with a note “Here’s a little something to keep the wolf away from your door” and a random amount of cash, signed, “Love, Grandpa”.
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The nicest thing anyone ever did for me was say yes.
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She still says yes even with the slightest touch of her hand. I’m very lucky.
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Such a wonderful idea! Not only is it a great cause that will hopefully affect kids across the world, but its also a reminder about those small moments that remind us of the importance of kindness!
One of the nicest things I remember was when an old man I had never met before could tell I was having a bad day, so he told a joke to make me laugh and told me I had beautiful smile that brightned his day. But really he made that day for me!
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I don’t know what the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me is– I’m going to have to think about this more (and count my blessings). A couple years ago, I broke my foot and an acquaintance drove me to the ER rather than making me call a cab or hop across SF one-footed. That was pretty nice. But I bet I can go bigger if I give it a little thought.
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Thank you for this important post!
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The nicest thing anyone ever did for me was pay for my insulin when I couldn’t afford it.
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I was overwhelmed with the kindness of my friends and family when I got married. They were there for me every step of the way, helping me with everything that I needed.
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I think the nicest thing done for me was when my impoverished friend picked me up from work, drove me to a secret waterfront destination, and played acoustic Spanish guitar for me under the full moon. Anyway, it took my heart and breath away.
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Thank you for this partnership and all the other good you do.
The nicest thing anyone’s ever done is scare the pants off of me, a scant month after we began dating, with three little words. Now I’m married to my best friend.
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My brother sat with me when I was nine while I gave a statement to a police detective about a man who sexually molested me.
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My children are the best thing that anyone ever did for me!! That’s why I had to post a comment. Keep up the good work!
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The nicest thing anyone has ever done for me was every time I’ve moved around the country for work, people have come to visit. I appreciate those familiar faces so much.
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My ex-husband gave me my child. He might have been a subpar husband, but as a dad and person, he’s kind of amazing.
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Also, long distance high five for this one!
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I love all the little nice things that people do for others – anything that shows they are really listening, or really understand.
The other morning my husband made me bacon when I really needed it, and that was pretty awesome. 🙂
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I had surgery this past April. My brother and his wife came to the hospital and stayed with me and my husband before/during the surgery. This was a 3 hour drive for them and they stayed the night. No other family lives closer so this was super nice of them.
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My husband looked past the fact that I was separated and had 2 kids to give me the opportunity to meet and get to know me. He didn’t “assume” and pass me by. That was, by far, the nicest thing that anyone has ever done for me.
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I appreciate all the people that have forgiven me and stayed my friend even when I was completely obliviously self-centered.
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A friend was there, holding my hand during a moment in my life when I really did not want to be alone. This is big, because I know she did not want to be there any more than I did.
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Ok, I can’t think of one specific extra-nice thing that someone has done for me. In general, I think it’s nice when someone who has been in my shoes remember what that feels like, anticipates problems I might have, and takes steps in advance to head off those problems or at least make inevitable struggles easier. I am excited to think about all the nice things people have done for me over the next few days, so I can identify the nicest and leave my 2nd comment with that.
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Little things that go a long way 🙂
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The nicest thing is many nicest things from many nicest people! I was on medical leave, post-mastectomy and in the midst of chemo, and I got a steady flow of cards and letters from people I work with… including retirees who had left my workplace two or three years before. It helped keep me feeling like I had a wider world than my home and the hospital. But even better, after I came back to work and was doing well, it was a reminder of that people are more important than things!
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gosh! what a hard question – i really needed to stop and think about this one. i’ve been blessed with SO many nice things that i can’t think of just one.
most recently? being voted as the recipient of the Hallmark Card Shower at Mom 2.0 Summit. thanks @CiaoMom and @HelenJane!!!
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The 2nd thing I’d add would be the unconditional love, help and support my parents have given me for the almost 5 decades I’ve been on this earth.
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I was part of the first generation (1950’s) of American children lucky enough to be immunized against Polio. I remember standing in line at the town fire station waiting to get my sugar cube. I am so glad current and future generations will be protected from disease by receiving immunizations.
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Good begets good!
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