These folks took to Reddit to share the heartwarming moments they'll never forget. Some share stories of tiny gestures that restored their faith in the kindness of humanity. Some reveal bigger moments that helped them get through some pretty dark days. In all cases, they remind us that sometimes the simplest acts from loved ones—or even strangers—go a long way and make an incredible difference.
1. Paying It Forward From The Back
I am a cashier at Walmart. A lady (maybe in her 30s) who you could obviously tell didn't have much money, came through my line with groceries that added up to being just under $300. When she tried using her debit card, it kept getting declined. She got really embarrassed and started apologizing to those behind her and then to me, and she said she would just take all the food back because she couldn't afford them. Then a miracle happened.
A man that was three customers behind her in line started saying "excuse me" to those in front of him and he made his way to the front. He pulled out his debit card and paid for her groceries. She started crying (and I did, too). She began asking the man for his phone number so she could pay him back one day, but he refused. So, he paid with his own money—he didn't even use a credit card.
I've had a few different experiences like this while working as a cashier, but none like that. It touched my heart.
2. A New Outlet
I was driving home from work one day after a long, heavy rain. I had also been having a bad day for some reason, can't even remember now what had happened though. Anyway, three teenage boys were standing on the sidewalk waving for cars to drive through a huge puddle on the street, and there were so far, no takers.
They were waving at me now. We locked eyes. I gave a firm, satisfied smile and a single, knowing nod. They cheered and jumped up and down and moved right to the edge of the curb. I dropped into four-wheel drive and hit the puddle as fast as I could. I unleashed the entire puddle on them. They were still cheering as they passed out of sight in my rear-view mirror. I smiled the whole way home.
3. Playtime For Everyone
I used to work at a drive-thru window in Starbucks. A woman came through one day and ordered enough coffee to wake up a small nation. As I'm handing her the millionth cup of coffee, I see a little girl in a car seat in the back. I look at her (while the mother's head is down) and playfully stick out my tongue. Without missing a beat, the girl sticks her tongue out with force and then starts laughing hysterically and clapping.
Her mom looks up and says "Wow, she must really like you!" I just smiled (she still didn't know I stuck my tongue out) and as she drives away, I see the little girl waving at me with her tongue out. It did make my day.
4. Fair Is Fair
Once, I got the wrong amount of change from a little kid home alone while delivering pizza, which I hadn't noticed. On my way back to the shop, the manager called and said the kid had called in and requested that I go back to his house, so I could get my change from him. Most adults wouldn’t think twice about doing this to make sure I got paid properly.
It was truly beyond cool to know that this little guy took the opportunity to make sure I got my tip. It most definitely made my day.
5. Faith In Humanity Restored
Two days ago, I was rushed to the ER after taking too many pills in an attempt to end it all. I fell unconscious and woke up to a little girl holding my hand while I was on the hospital bed. She's the 7-year-old daughter of one of the nurses and someone had explained to her what I tried to do to myself. She wouldn't let go of my hand for anything and I just started bawling because it finally sunk in that I wasn't alone.
6. Karma Hits Like A Bus
Not today, but I once drove by a school bus full of elementary-aged school kids—probably ages 6-10. Just to be a bit of a joker, I made a super ugly face at the kids on the bus as I passed them. About 20 minutes later, I had forgotten about the bus. I had no idea what was coming. But then, I looked to my left and saw it passing me…and every little kid on that side of the bus was making the ugliest face back at me.
They had tongues out, eyes pulled down, fingers in their noses. They were basically telling me where to go! Don't tell me any “kids have a short attention span” nonsense. They planned and waited for that revenge like Russell Crowe in Gladiator!
Freepik, wayhomestudio
7. Some Special Company
I was in Pet Smart kneeling on the floor peering into an aquarium when a little girl who resembled my own sister (who I lost the year previously) scooted right next to me on the ground. What she did next made me burst into tears: She put both of her little hands on the aquarium glass and with her eyes huge in amazement, she did one of those super dramatic gasps like it was the prettiest thing she had ever seen.
8. One For The Books
This happened to me a few years ago and is making me tear up still thinking about it. My husband is in the navy, and due to deployment, he missed the birth of our son and would be missing his first Christmas, too. We were devastated by this. It was Thanksgiving week, and my husband had duty, so he had to spend the night on the boat. We had very little money, but I really wanted to decorate the house for Christmas a little and get a tiny tree.
I maybe had $40 for both tree and decorations. So, I go to a certain orange home improvement chain store and unfortunately, I learned that they started selling their real trees on Black Friday, but my husband would be gone by then. I found a worker, explained my situation, and asked if they could possibly sell me one earlier.
The lady talked to her manager for a minute, then led me outside to the locked tree area. I ask her which ones were the cheapest, and her response brought me to tears: Her manager said to let me have any tree I wanted for FREE! Because of their kindness, I was able to give my husband an amazing first Christmas with our firstborn. And the look on his face when he walked in and saw everything decked out was absolutely priceless. I will never forget those kind people.
9. One For The Books
My ex-husband was one of the biggest jerks ever, but there was one kind thing he did for a stranger that blew me away…
He was a hardcore Atlanta Braves fanatic; he specifically idolized Chipper Jones. We went to fan fest several years ago and paid extra for those passes that take you right to the front of the line so you can meet more players and get more autographs. They mark off the names from your pass when you enter the line, so that way you don’t keep going back through for the same player.
We were standing in line for autographs for some player—I don’t even remember who exactly—so his name had already been marked from our passes. But while we were still in line that player switched out with Chipper. We got to meet him, and my ex was absolutely ecstatic. So, when we were done, we realized Chipper’s name had not been marked off our passes. I asked my ex if he wanted to go through again. Instead, he suggested we find a little kid with a Chipper jersey on and give the pass to him! So, we did exactly that, and I gave mine to the kid’s dad. They were completely stoked!
Seriously I teared up when it happened. I was so proud of him. That little boy must have had the best day ever and it made my day to witness.
10. Unexpected Crossing Guards
About three hours ago, I was waiting for the light to change at an intersection so I could cross the street and it was taking forever. Two sketchy-looking dudes walked right up and one of them fully entered the center of the crosswalk against the light. He turns around, and waves me through, yelling: "IT'S SAFE! I GOT YOU COVERED!" He stood there holding his arms up, blocking traffic so I could cross the street.
11. Feeling Seen
I went to school feeling pretty stressed about the rest of the day. As I'm walking to my first-hour class, I pass an acquaintance of mine in the hallway. He offered a hug, and I finally gave in after declining the first time. As I'm letting go, he says in the most sincere way possible, "Have a good day".
I honestly teared up a little. After that, I promised myself, that I would stay positive and have a good day, and I did. It's amazing how simple words can change someone's whole attitude and really get them through somehow.
12. Grinch No More
I had to work the Christmas Eve to Christmas Day shift at a 24/7 gas station and was feeling pretty annoyed about it. Parents kept running in to buy tape, batteries, candy, etc. Then, around 2 am, some guy came in looking for tape, but the last one had just been sold an hour earlier.
So, I gave him the roll of tape we keep behind the counter and said, "Here's my Christmas gift to you". He thanked me and ran back to the car. An hour later, he came back with the leftover tape, thanked me profusely, and handed me a $20 bill, saying, "You saved Christmas for my kids. This is my Christmas gift to you".
13. Pika-Pika
Not my story, but my boyfriend's: he was working at Pep Boys and a couple came in with their child, who was holding a stuffed Pikachu. He took one look and knew just what to do. When my boyfriend rang them up, he asked for the kid's Pikachu. He took it and pretended to scan it, and then said, "We've restored your Pokemon to full health. We hope to see you again!" The little kid jumped for joy, apparently.
14. Great Service
My friend and I got pedicures together today, and she asked the Vietnamese lady who owns the shop where the best place is to get pho in our town. The lady said, "My house", so in the morning, my friend is going to the shop owner's house to pick up a Tupperware full of pho! They're both very happy.
15. Do What You Can
I was out on the streets for five days after a huge fight with my parents. I slept outside, in the park, or wherever I could. To buy food, and general items needed, I had brought my guitar to play and raise some money. After an especially rough night/morning, my best friend and I were really needing some food, so we hiked it to the city park and started playing.
A homeless man walked up, mid-song, sat, and listened in silence until I finished. When he looked up, he just smiled. I'll never forget what he said to me: "It's not much, but I want you to take whatever I have in my pockets. Thank you for reminding me how beautiful life can be". All he gave us was 40 cents, but I appreciated his sacrifice so much more than anybody else’s.
16. It’s Not All Virtual
This summer, I was strolling through town when I saw a chalk game of hopscotch on the ground. But this was no ordinary game of hopscotch. No. This stretched the entire block. There were lava pits and shortcuts. There were dragons. This was hard-core madness. Drawn by children. Drawn in chalk. Drawn on a summer day. Drawn in hours that could have been spent playing Xbox. I discovered that imagination is alive and well. I have not worried about the next generation since.
Freepik, freepik
17. It’s A Bop
I was pulling up to a stoplight jamming out with some friends to a Radiohead song. There was a school bus on the left of us and I looked over to see that the kids had started mimicking every move. One even pulled out the best Thom Yorke impression I have ever seen. We all were literally freaking out and dancing, and I couldn't help but smile, laugh, and feel a little better about everything in life.
18. Love Is Love
My girlfriend was driving in slow traffic. I leaned over from the passenger seat and gave her a small kiss on the cheek. A guy who was driving by at just the right time for us to be able to hear him clearly, with his voice at a normal conversation volume, went: "Awwwww". It was small, but super endearing, and it really made my day.
19. Onto Greater Things
I quickly gathered all my stuff and my coat and just exited the building. I was moving slowly to the curb once I was out the door, feeling numb from being called to an impromptu meeting and then being let go because I wasn't a "good fit for the company". Thanks… As I was waiting on the corner for the red hand to change to the white walking dude, I felt a little person grab my hand which was hanging freely by my side.
Looking down, it was a high pony-tailed little girl grinning up at me. I should have sent her back over to her mom and her little brother, but I just let her hang on for a bit. Who knows what I would have said to her mom if she had spoken up... I didn't care though. It was comforting. As the light changed to the walk signal, I told her I could cross the street on my own and she said, "okay bye".
And that was it. It was a horrible day, but she made it a just little bit better.
20. How Great Romances Start
A rumor about a girl at my school had been going around. It had been pretty scandalous for a ninth-grader, I guess. So anyway, I was in PE class and saw her curled up on the floor (we sit on the floor waiting to do stretches), so I went over and asked her if she was okay. Obviously, she wasn't, but I talked to her let her know that I thought it was all going to be okay and stuff. Shortly after, we became boyfriend and girlfriend.
21. Ultimate Audience Participation
I'm in a rock and soul band, playing in the horn section, and sometimes someone will come up to the stage and, instead of air guitar, they'll enthusiastically play air trumpet. One guy (who seemed to be disabled) showed up once with an inflatable guitar in hand.
He made two hours of uninterrupted eye contact with the guitarist while going to town on his pretend axe. He was SO into it, it made us all smile, and I still can't figure out how our guitarist got through the gig without completely breaking down.
22. On The House
One of my credit cards was declined today at a restaurant. My server came to the table and informed me of what happened but said, "don't worry about it, my manager has taken care of it for you". Baffled, I sat for a few minutes, asked my friend if I should try to pay it anyway since I wanted to tip my server nicely.
I ended up trying to pay with another card, but the manager insisted that I not worry about it. We left a 100% tip for our server on my friend's tab. It was honestly such a pleasant and sweet gesture after a really awful week.
23. On The House Times Five
There's this restaurant in Canada called Swiss Chalet. They're known for their dine-in chicken dinners. It’s honestly pretty yummy stuff, and a lot of people I know are really big fans of their "Chalet sauce". Anyway, rewind about 20 years back: my siblings and I are all quite young, and my mother is quite poor. She was working, going to school, raising 4 kids herself. I suppose at some point in time, our family was treated to some Swiss Chalet, and my siblings and I loved it. What's a mother to do, when she can't afford to buy expensive chicken dinners for her children?
One day, she wanted to treat us all, so she headed over to a nearby Swiss Chalet, and ordered some sauce. The guy at the store was understandably confused. "Just the sauce?" She explains briefly that she's going to make us kids some food, and the sauce will help make it seem like legit Swiss Chalet food, but that she can't afford to buy a meal for each of us. The guy at the counter takes her order, and she waits for them to bring the sauce to her.
She waited a while, wondering what's taking so long for such a simple ask. She's eventually called up to the counter and given a full adult meal and 4 kids' meals, all at the cost of just the sauce. She burst into tears. My family has seen many charitable acts when I was a child, but that is certainly the most outstanding, by far.
Freepik, freepik
24. A Little Praise Goes A Long Way
My eight-year-old daughter had a school friend over for a playdate recently. I made dinner, we all sat down and ate together. When we were done, everyone put their dishes in the dishwasher. After we were finished with that, I sat on the couch to read while the kids headed out to the backyard to play. When my daughter's friend walked by, I heard her say to my daughter, "you have the best mom ever!" I am not sure what I did to earn such accolades, but it felt nice nonetheless.
25. Parking Lot Tag
I live in an apartment complex, and the parking for the complex is inside the square of apartments around it. Depending on your apartment number, you're assigned a parking spot, me living on the last floor of the complex, I was assigned to the top level of the parking lot.
So, one day I’m coming home from being out with a couple friends, and when I lock my car, it makes a beep noise. So, I locked my car, and then someone else locked theirs, producing the beeping noise, and I locked mine again for no reason, and the other car was locked again, too. I thought this was a game now, so I was locking three times in a row, and then the other person would follow suit, each of us alternating timing and patterns of locking.
We did this for about 3 minutes before I had to go inside, we didn't see each other or know one another, but after we stopped, I heard a man let out a warm hearty chuckle, and I did the same.
26. Two First Timers
I work for a small airline, and I had two passengers (elderly mother with late 40s daughter) check in for a flight last week. I noticed the daughter's name was nearly identical to my grandma's and mentioned it to her. While we were chatting, I found out her mother had never flown on a small plane before (none of our planes have more than 10 seats).
I told her to sit up front with the pilot for the best view and depending on the time, he may be able to fly a bit more scenic route. When the daughter returned from their trip (her mother had stayed back), she brought me a tin of homemade chocolate truffles and a card thanking us for making it such a nice trip. Just getting the thank-you afterward was nice, but I've never had a customer bring me a homemade treat before, let alone something so delicious!
27. Two First Timers
Not today, but many years ago, a friend and I were driving to his house through a nearby neighborhood. Rounding a corner, we came upon three kids playing basketball with a basket mounted by the street. When they saw us coming, one kid yelled out the obligatory "CAR!" and they all stepped aside.
My friend stopped his car and waved to the kid with the ball to take his shot. The kid then hugged the ball tight and kept waving for us to pass through. My friend put his car in park, shut the engine, and crossed his arms miming that he wanted the kid to go first. The other two kids then start yelling to their friend to play. We then noticed his family on a nearby porch now all smiling and chanting—just totally egging him on! The kid now, under all sorts of pressure, steps out into the street, and takes the most incredible free throw shot of his young life.
28. Appreciation Counts
I work with oncology patients who often are just trying to make it through another day and don't have the energy to do much else. A patient came to my desk today and said, "every time I stand here, you're a breath of fresh air for me". In truth, I don’t know what else I really do to help this particular person, aside from truly just being nice. But in any event, that totally made my day.
29. New Career Prospects
I was drawing pictures on my friends' hands in sharpie at a small concert and a little girl came up to me and asked if she could have her hand drawn on too. She wanted a rainbow, a heart, and a butterfly. I drew it all for her, and her face lit up when I was done, and she went, "ooooh! It's so pretty!" That really made me so happy.
30. Traffic Hero
I ride a klr650 motorcycle. It's a really big dirt bike and little kids love it. Most of the time, they just kind of look but once in a while, I get a kid that goes totally insane over it. I was in Tucson, Arizona about a week ago cruising back home and there was a little boy in the car next to me. I glanced over and saw him throwing his arms around screaming.
He started waving like crazy to me, so I slowed down to be even with him and waved back. He kept waving, so I gave him a thumbs up and he did the same. Eventually, I ended up at a light next to him about 5 minutes later and his dad rolled down their windows and I revved my engine a few times for them. The dad was all smiles and gave me a thumbs up. It was awesome.
31. Good People All Around
I was on my way home and I lost a gamble on how much gas I had. There are these large stretches of farmland on my drive home, so I was pretty much stuck in the middle of nowhere. But it gets even worse. My phone was drained, and I had no charger. So, I do the natural thing and wave a gas can around hoping someone will be kind enough to drive me to the gas station and back even though I’m an idiot. After about 20 minutes a car pulled over and inside was a very sweet couple in roughly their mid-50s.
As we were driving, they asked about me and I started telling them about my life. I indulged a bit more than I wanted to because things have been incredibly rough lately and haven’t had a proper vent. We got back to my car, and I put the gas in. The man was standing there with me, and I told him I’d shake his hand if I didn’t just clumsily spill gasoline on it. Then he holds out his hand and I grab it and realize it’s a 20.
I then walk back to his car while him telling him I’m overwhelmed by the gesture, but I can’t take his money as they’ve already done so much for me tonight. They then tell me that I’m about the same age as their son, and he’s had some rough times similar to what I was going through, and I reminded them a lot of him. The lady looks at me and said all cheerily that things do get better, and she can see I’ll pull through alright.
I thanked them and drove home. This just happened to me not two hours ago and I’m still kind of shaky with how overwhelmingly nice these people treated me!
32. Unlikely Friends
I was playing Tekken Tag 2 at the arcade just now. This guy came to challenge me as I was going through the arcade mode. After losing to him for the first two rounds of the match, I made a massive recovery and finally beat him (after much struggle. I mean, this guy was GOOD). He then got up and came over to my side. I looked up cautiously, wondering if he was mad about the match.
He then extended his fist and said, "Good game" with this huge grin plastered on his face. I said thanks and fist-bumped him. This was the first time this has ever happened, which makes sense considering how competitive most of the players in the area were. It was a moment of pure bro-hood and it felt really good.
33. Stars Are Discovered This Way
I work at McDonald's and was having a really rough day; we were too busy and understaffed. Then, this woman with her teenage daughters tells me, "We've all decided that you should be in one of the McDonald's commercials. You're just so cute and smiley!" I couldn't stop smiling—at least until the next not-so-friendly customer came in, which didn’t take all that long.
34. Impromptu Jam Sessions
One time, I was playing guitar at my local guitar shop when a guy came in and picked up a banjo. I jokingly started playing dueling banjos only to have him begin to play the other half. For the next few minutes, we played dueling banjos together without saying a word. When it was over, we laughed, shook hands, and parted ways. One of the coolest things I've ever experienced.
35. Dogs Would Do It
I was driving from jury duty to work and was feeling super grumpy when I looked at a car a little bit ahead of me in the next lane. There was a dog in the passenger seat wearing sunglasses and totally enjoying life, and that image will always bring a smile to my face.
36. Surprise Visits Do The Trick
I went to New York to do some business and try to have my own time. I was there for a week and was completely miserable. The people I was staying with kicked me out on the third day (for no apparent reason) and the client I was out there to work for fired me because they found someone for just a bit cheaper.
I was in a strange place, alone and depressed, and just wanting to go back to LA. A few days before I was scheduled to home, I came back to my hotel room to see my boyfriend there. I had just talked to him an hour previously and thought he was back home, but he came to make my last few days there amazing. And it worked. Technically, he made more than one day, I guess.
37. Let ‘Em Teach You
This morning I was teaching a preschooler's swimming lesson and the children were having a hearty debate on whether the sinking toy was a jellyfish or an octopus. One of the boys in my class who resembles a little girl (long blonde hair with bangs, pink goggles, and swimming costume), who is usually quieter than the rest, interrupted them with: "It could be an octopus OR a jellyfish. It can be whatever it wants to be". This brought a huge smile to my face to say the least! Kudos to the dad who has obviously raised him right.
38. Definitely Soulmates
My wife and I had an impromptu shadow puppet show on the ceiling for about 30 minutes because all the lights were off, and I turned the flashlight on my phone on when she came back from the bathroom. This was honestly just one of our little out-of-nowhere things that reminds me I found the perfect personality for me in a partner. She is pregnant with our first and we are really looking forward to having someone else to goof around with during these types of make-your-day moments.
Freepik,freepik
39. Arcade Gods Approve
My friend and I won a ton of tickets at an arcade once. We decided to give them to a random kid, so we looked around and saw a 7-year-old little boy and gave him the tickets. The look on his face was priceless. He dropped to his knees, clasped his fingers in the air above his head, and said, "Thank you Jesus!!"
Religion aside, it was such a genuine expression of thanks and happiness that has stuck with me. This was at least 10 years ago now; I've given other kids tickets since, but I’ve never seen anywhere near the same level of appreciation or anything that even closely resembles such a heartfelt reaction.
Freepik,wirestock
40. Superstore Theatrics
I was in Walmart the other day and was standing in the cold medicine aisle with this woman and her son. He was probably 3-4 years old, and he was growling and roaring, pretending to be a monster. His mom kept telling him to stop and he looked so upset that I had to help him out. The next time he growled, I pretended to be scared to the best of my abilities, without his mom seeing at first.
He looked so shocked, but he did it again. I pretended to be terrified and he just started smiling and laughing; his mom didn't know what was going on but she just chuckled and pushed him and the cart to the other aisle. Right before I lost sight of him, he did it again and I pulled my scared face, and I could hear him laughing in the aisle over. It really made my day.
Freepik, master1305
41. More Than A Resume Boost
It was my last day today at my internship. Now, this wasn’t the most intense internship I have ever had; I was unpaid and did a lot of email and office work type of stuff. So, you know, I don't expect people to make a big fuss or anything about me leaving, they're a pretty busy company. But right about as my day was about to end (mind you I was the last intern in the office by this time), my boss asked me if I was in a hurry to leave.
I told him I am just packing up and asked him if I could help him with anything before I left. He said he wanted to take me out to dinner and chill with me a little before I left. He bought me dinner and we brought it back to the office. He told the rest of the higher-ups that were still in the office, and they all took their time to stop working and say goodbye to me before they went back to working diligently. It was a small but great gesture, showing that they actually did care about a lowly intern like me. It made my day to say the least.
42. How Peace Starts
I am a white officer. I was momentarily dumbfounded when a really little Black child waved enthusiastically at me in a pretty rough neighborhood. I waved back like I was waving at Cal Ripken—my all-time sports hero.
He approached and asked if I could turn my cruiser's lights on for him. I told him I could do it for him but asked if he'd like to do it himself instead. I showed him which button to press, and he lit the cruiser up. He sat and asked me what it was like to be in the force for about 20 minutes after that without any fear of me. My entire shift was made just talking to that one kid.
43. Hacky Sack Bonds Everyone
Me and my boyfriend were at the park with my little brother so he could get his daily exercise in when we decided to play “monkey in the middle” with a hacky sack. There were these other two boys at the park and the youngest—about 8 or 9 years old—ran up to us and asked if he and his brother could play. His brother looked a bit older, like a tall 14-year-old or so.
Naturally, we started playing and the older brother was really into it and everyone was having a great time but I couldn't help but notice he wasn't saying much. At one point the younger brother stopped and started doing some sign language and it finally dawned on me that the older brother was deaf, while the younger one could talk forever. The best part though was when we were all parting ways, and as I watched, the little boy started to use sign language with both parents who had just walked up.
I realized that mom, dad, and the older brother were all deaf. Only the little dude could speak. It completely made my day just to see how happy they all were together and for such a young kid to communicate for his family because they didn't learn the same language we did. It was truly touching.
44. You Just Never Know
My sister tried to hurt herself last night and we learned that she has a major depressive disorder. It really made me sad to know that my sister was going through a lot, and I had no idea (she is only 17). I decided to go to work this morning—I thought I could, still, despite the fact that I was awake for the entire night.
Before I go to the office, I bought some food at the usual deli. I tried my best not to cry, thinking of everything my sister is going through. The person at the counter probably noticed that I am off today and she gave me a discount. It's such a small act of random kindness but it was so significant to me.
45. A Memory For Everyone
I was at a sports day for the local community raising money for some charity and there was one boy in a wheelchair who I think had cystic fibrosis or something like that. While all the little kids were playing in the organized games, he was just sitting there on the sidelines watching.
My little cousin (who was about 8 at the time) decided it was her personal mission in life to get this little boy who she went to school with to play a game. So, she went inside the hall for a while and told nobody to bother her. Then she came out asked the boy to follow her and we all followed too.
As it turned out, she had put together a wheelchair and kid-friendly racecourse. I mean I couldn't have made it better myself. The kids spent the rest of the day on this course just playing with the boy and I have literally never seen a kid so happy in my entire life.
46. The Little Things
It wasn't today, but recently I experienced something that made me smile while waiting in line at Boston Market. It was really hot inside; the line was moving at a crawl, and we'd been waiting for at least 20 minutes. So, it was basically just a breeding ground for crankiness. The woman in front of me in line was waiting with her small daughter.
But instead of ignoring her daughter to tend to her phone like many parents would do in this situation, she actually interacted with her. She was laughing and joking and treating her daughter like a sentient being instead of texting and leaving her kid to find her own entertainment. It's sad that something as simple as treating your child like a human should put a smile on my face, but in this particular environment it truly seemed like a rarity.
47. Do Not Block
I received a text message from a number I didn't recognize. I'll never forget what they said. They claimed to go to my school and I believed them based off what they said since they were talking about my ex and stuff that only people from my school would know. Pretty much, they said that they'd like to apologize, and that "there are other fish in the sea that haven’t been hooked". They told me that I can find others and find someone to treat me even better.
These messages—coming from three random people supposedly in the grade below me in a school of people that I don't really talk to—really meant a lot to me. They went out of their way to comfort me when I felt really down and alone. I don't know who they are, but I hope to God they read this one day, and if they do, thank you random mystery people, thank you! You really made my day and made me a whole lot happier.
48. Tough Guys Care Too
I just saw a couple of bikers in leather jackets with their bikes. Two of them separated from the bigger group to help an older lady who was crossing the street really slowly while many cars waited. Each of the two bikers walked by her side until she stepped onto the pavement, and it was the nicest thing I ever witnessed around here.
I know I wasn’t directly involved or anything, but seeing people you wouldn’t expect to be so kind break that stereotype just to help someone in need really made my day.
49. Coffee Makes Everyone Nicer
This isn't a huge act of kindness, but it goes to show that sometimes the little things can be equally as meaningful. Anyway, I was in line at Starbucks waiting to place my order, but there weren't any baristas at the counter. So, I was just hanging out, waiting patiently right by the counter. I knew my order, so it wasn't like I was hovering looking at the menu, mulling over what I wanted.
A guy walked in and went to the counter, right in front of me. I was somewhat confused because I was rather obviously standing there waiting to place my order. A barista eventually comes over and looks at the both of us waiting for one of us to place an order. The guy looks at me and says, "oh, did you want to order?" I was confused about what happened and didn't want to be pushy or aggressive because I mean, it's just coffee.
So, I responded with, "Yeah, it's fine, but you can go ahead" because he did manage to get directly in front of the counter. As I said, it's just coffee, not worth making a huge fuss about. When it was my turn to place my order and I took out my money to pay, the barista told me I was all set. I'm awful at taking hints, so he had to tell me again that I was all set and then leaned in and told me, “You were here first" and gave me a smile. It was a small random act of kindness that practically made my whole week.
50. The Power Of Rest
I work in an aged care dementia facility. One resident I assist used to be a stage performer/singer who now suffers severe dementia. She is now unable to form coherent sentences. In the past 3 weeks, she has done nothing at all (this includes feeding herself, going to the bathroom, speaking, moving around, etc.,). As one exception, she has been singing three notes of “Mary had a little lamb”—if you can imagine, in a tense, aggressive and unsettling manner from the moment she wakes until the haze of her sedatives kicks in.
My significant moment was when I began singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” while assisting her into bed. For the first time in 3 weeks, she stopped singing and just listened. After a minute or so, she began to match my tune. I continued the tune until I dimmed the lights and left the room. After three weeks of constant confusion and tension, this was the first night she didn't require any sedatives to sleep. This may seem minor to some, but knowing she was comfortable was seriously rewarding for me.
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