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Someone Asks People To Share Random Acts Of Kindness They’ve Received From Strangers, They Deliver (30 Tweets)
We are all used to the people we love taking care of us or making us feel special and vice versa - but what about strangers. People we don't know have no obligation to love us or go out of their way to make our day better, which is why when they do it makes it all the more special. Someone on Twitter prompted people on the internet to think about these moments with a question about acts of kindness they had experienced from complete strangers and it led to a wonderfully wholesome thread.
The list below will is proof that you don't need to rescue people from a disaster or raise orphan children to be an everyday hero to someone you encounter. Simple things like standing up for someone getting bullied or giving someone coins to make a phone call might sound small but to these people, it made all the difference. Scroll down below to read the most heartwarming responses from this Twitter thread and don't forget to upvote your favs! (Facebook cover image: Daquella manera)
Nicole Cliffe is a TV and magazine writer whose wholesome Twitter question recently went viral
Image credits: nicoleec10
Image credits: Nicole_Cliffe
Cliffe asked the question "What is the kindest thing a stranger has done or said to you?" and began the thread with her own experience. The writer told of the time her baby got airsick and puked all over her pants and seat cushion: "they had to BRING THE PLANE BACK to replace the seat and seatbelt and everyone hated me," she wrote. Holding back tears, Cliffe said a kind flight attendant came to her rescue by taking her baby and lending her some yoga pants. She ended her tale by adding, "I firmly believe that she will go to heaven no matter what she may do in the rest of her life."
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We all know that being on the receiving end of generosity feels good, but did you know that studies show that we feel happier when we perform acts of kindness to not just out friends and families but for our communities as well. A study called Kindness Counts, done by University of British Columbia and the University of California, Riverside, observed 9-11-year olds for a month and had them record three acts of kindness per week. The report showed that performing these acts led to an increase in feelings of satisfaction.
"fed me grapes". That's such a Chinese grandma thing to do! (I'm Chinese, so I know..)
Nice guys finish last is the saying but according to various studies they actually finish first. In a New York Times op-ed, contributor David Brooks looked at several studies about how evolution of the human involved our temperate. Unlike our primate relatives humans have evolved from a selfish nature into a cooperative one that allows for more harmonious communities.
It's all in your head. "In one essay, Keltner cites the work of the Emory Universityneuroscientists James Rilling and Gregory Berns. They found that the act of helping another person triggers activity in the caudate nucleus and anterior cingulate cortex regions of the brain, the parts involved in pleasure and reward. That is, serving others may produce the same sort of pleasure as gratifying a personal desire," writes David Brooks.
She did absolutely the right thing. She saw something was wrong and she helped you out--so many people don't recognize it or don't know what to do so they don't do anything.
That's so sweet. I love the way they just gave up their coats to help someone they didn't even know in the middle of winter! <3
According to Dr. Ritchie Davidson , University of Wisconsin kindness is a teachable trait, "It’s kind of like weight training, we found that people can actually build up their compassion ‘muscle’ and respond to others’ suffering with care and a desire to help.”
How sad. Those little things in life that people can do can make all of the difference in someone elses life.
Why do wholesome twitter threads about acts of kindness make us feel all warm inside? Well witnessing an act of kindness makes the body produce oxytocin also known as the 'love hormone.' Oxytocin can increase self-esteem and optimism as well as lower your blood pressure and overall heart-rate.
You can also roll up a bill and slip it to them, or into their pocket if you feel like they won't take it. Also, you can spot people in the aisles (especially in Walmart) with kids in the cart. This has been a hobby of mine for many years. Also, I'm on a campaign to get EVERYbody to tip in the drive thru line. Once a young man told me he had saved my tips to buy his son's Christmas. There is nothing you can buy for yourself that will make you as happy. I can promise you that.
In 2010 Harvard Business School conducted a survey of happiness 136 countries that found people who were all around altruistic: generous with their finances to charitable donations for example were overall happier.
I'm glad to hear that she's still here to tell her story! Sending love
My brother has panic attacks and if u see someone having one don’t stair ask if they’re ok plz
Author of “Raising Happiness; In Pursuit of Joyful Kids and Happier Parents”, Christine Carter, writes generosity can increase your lifespan,“People who volunteer tend to experience fewer aches and pains. Giving help to others protects overall health twice as much as aspirin protects against heart disease. People 55 and older who volunteer for two or more organizations have an impressive 44% lower likelihood of dying early, and that’s after sifting out every other contributing factor, including physical health, exercise, gender, habits like smoking, marital status and many more. This is a stronger effect than exercising four times a week or going to church.”
"sharply" ... arabic sounds sharp, even if they say nice things :) Just like german :)
Something like was done for me as child (I was short a few coins for a game book I really wanted). And, as an adult, I've done this for others. I'd like to think most people, if they can afford to, would do this. It seems like basic human decency.
I just love how they helped you even though they didn't speak the same language as you...
One of the nicer things about alloy wheels is that such an inspection takes nothing more than a glance. PSA, if your brakes squeak/squeal while you are driving, but they stop when you apply the brakes, the pads have worn-down to the maximum-wear indicators.
I love that they let the dog out! So heartwarming to know that there are still good people in the world
These are wonderful... Once upon a time, I was sitting at a park, crying my eyes out. My father had just told me that he was about to get married - he had left my mum a few years before, but I knew she still hoped to get him back (even though he was the a*****e and a cheater). How was I to tell her that he was now marrying a woman he had met 3 months ago? Not even the b***h he had left us for? A lady in her early sixties came to me and asked to sit on my bench. She smiled and said, "I don't know what it is that made you feel so bad, but remember, all things pass and all wounds heal." She sat with me for good 30 minutes, asked about my story and shared hers - she was a cancer patient in recovery, breast cancer. She said "I think I was just like you, worrying too much about others, taking things too much to my heart, that was the cause. Remember that other people are their own resonsibility. You need to care about Yourself first." she even gave me her number if I needed to talk again.
I left my extremely abusive (now ex) husband and was suddenly the single mother of an 8 month old and a 2 year old. I was young (22) and worried about how I was gonna survive. I had to leave town with nothing when my husband started lurking around my house at night with a knife and making me lose my job by showing up just to stare at me. He even suddenly appeared when I ran out of gas on the freeway late at night once. So, I moved in with my flaky sister a few hours away to pretty much hide out. I hadn't worked in years (until I kicked him out) since i was a stay at home mom so my job history sucked and I had trouble finding work in my new town. I was at a really low point and dealing with depression unmedicated because he cancelled my insurance. When I say low, I mean REALLY DARKLY LOW. But, I took the last bit of money I had and went to a relatively expensive buffet for Mother's Day. I wanted to try to cheer myself up & distract my girls from the recent upheaval in their lives. I dont know if they could tell I was going through a lot or were just nice people. An older couple at a nearby table paid for my check (with a generous tip) and had the waitress give me a note saying "You're doing a great job! Keep being the great mom you are. Happy Mother's Day!" I cried in my car and immediately worked my butt off to protect my kids & fix my life. That couple will never know that little note and act of kindness encouraged me to change my life for my girls. ♡ I wish I could thank them.
I am a divorced father to a 4 year old who is the light of my life. I have a very strong bond with the little guy, and try my best to experience the world with him in a way that opens up his horizons. I recently took him on a short cruise on a boat in Dubai Marina. And as is typical of a 4 year old, he asked about a million questions (all of which I patiently endeavored to answer), spilled the water, got ice cream all over himself and me. By the end of the cruise, an elderly Italian lady who barely spoke any English came up to me and said: "You are a great father". These are the best words I have ever heard, and every time I am with him, I remind myself that today, I want to live up to them. IMG_8416-5...40d0fb.jpg
I'd actually have a good number of stories to tell, but this time, the story I want to share is the following. Living abroad as an ethnic minority, sometimes you feel like an animal on display in a zoo. And sometimes, whether for bad or good, people don't even percieve you as a fellow human being, distracted by your different face features, and therefore these people in these situations don't treat you with the same kind of interhuman dignity. This story takes place in summer, I had a very big scratch from a mosquito bite on my knee. While waiting for the city buss with my now husband, I was noticed by a little girl (kindergarten age). She looked at me for a bit in a serious way (not rude or intimidating, just focused), and then she pointed at my scratch and said to me "that must've hurt..." That was an important and meaningful situation to me because that little girl saw past my looks and treated me with humanity.She didn't even preassume I wouldn't speak her language. It was so sweet
My only child (the eternally beautiful Marlowe) was taken from me by SIDS at only 4 and a half months old. I was so overwhelmed with grief that I quite literally don't remember the two weeks following her death - except for one thing: when my ex and I were making her arrangements at a funeral home (Memories Funeral Home in Edmonton, Alberta) I remember sitting there - numb from grief and pain - wanting to know why they wouldn't let me see my baby girl one last time. They very gently explained to me the reason (unexplained infant deaths are subject to "investigation" - I'll leave it at that). I then expressed my desire to have her cremated, but as funds were incredibly tight back then, I was concerned about not being able to afford it. The funeral director held my hand, looked into my teary eyes and told me there would be no charge for any of their services, and that I was always welcome there if I ever needed someone to talk to. Honestly one of the most beautiful moments of my life.
These stories really restore my faith in humanity. Sometimes the smallest, seemingly insignificant act of kindness has the most profound effect. It really costs nothing to be kind.
I would occasionally go to my son's middle school to meet him for lunch (he's high functioning autistic.) I was standing in the lunch line to get lunch for the two of us when a small boy about 12 years old came up to me. "You're Danny's mom, right?" "Yes." "Danny tells such awesome stories! I love it the way he does different voices and puts in all the special sounds and stuff." I couldn't stop smiling. "Thank you very much. You just made my day by telling me that." He said "You're welcome." And walked away. I beamed with pride the whole rest of the day!
In 2008 I had an apartment fire and lost everything, including a pet cat. American Red Cross and Salvation army were on the scene to offer help for me. That was just the beginning of the kindness I was met with. My dad's church, whom I hadn't gone to in years, gave me several hundred dollars, and so did my mom's church. Finally I went to a Denny's as I had vouchers for free food from the Red Cross and when a man overheard me say what had happened he gave me $10 and walked off. He didn't want the money back and it made me tear up how kind people can really be despite the state of the world.
Ibuprofen is expensive in the country where we live as expatriates. One day, when I had what I thought was a migraine, a strawberry peddler saw me holding my head while I waited for a taxi. She came over, gave me a packet of ibuprofen, and told my husband to take me to a doctor. She carries two bushel buckets of strawberries by hand for miles on her rounds to various neighborhoods. Hard work for little money. Turns out I had dengue fever.
When I was around 10 I was alone on a flight from my dads house in Colorado back to my moms in Cali. I sat next to a guy, 20 something, whom looked like the kinda guy my mom told me to never talk to. Colored hair, facial piercings, tattoos, the whole bit. I think he could tell he made me nervous and I was already scared to be alone. He was so nice to though! He didnt ask me alot of questions and looking back I can tell he wanted to help but not creep me out. He succeeded wonderfully. He made sure I had crayons and paper, woke me up when the dinner cart came around, got me juice, walked me to the bath room ( filght was rocky) and got me a blanket for a nap. He helped me get off the plane and even waited with me and the flight attendant untill my mom showed up. He was so nice and kind to me, I'll never forget it. It forever changed the way I looked at people. I never judged another person on looks ever again after that.
When I was about 12, I became severely depressed. I was abused by my cousin, felt extremely out of place with my family, had terrible acne and was horribly self conscious. I went onto a writing website, Quora, and wrote out my feelings. I wasn't expecting anyone to respond, but this amazingly kind 30-something year old woman responded, reaching out to me and offering me a lifeline of support. She encouraged me to get help and helped me become the best person I could possibly be. Now, two years later, I'm happy as can be, with an incredible support system and the best friends I could ask for. I'll never forget her.
My family and I were going to a play but apparently one ticket short. We stood on the side arguing about whoes fault and who would go home. This elderly lady walked up to me (10 year old) and said " My brother could not come" she hands me a ticket winked and went in. My family didn't argue anymore. Thats the best play I have ever been to. I wish I could go back thank her and tell her I have never forgotten.
I have two: -shortly before the first Christmas after my dad's accident (he became quadriplegic), I was walking around in a mall trying to get myself to buy presents. Santa was also walking around, looked at me and waved. I started bawling (I was thinking that the only thing I wanted was my dad to walk again, but that "Santa" couldn't do that for me), and he came to hug me. I still cry when I think of that. -10 years after the Santa thing, I was away on a business trip to this awesome place called Newfoundland. That's when I received a call from my mum saying that my dad had some kind of heart failure and that he was dying. I headed back to the airport the following morning, 4 hours away, and when I got there, he still was alive. I was going through security, probably looking like s**t, and the agent scanning my stuff asked if I was ok. I said "my dad is dying and I'm not going to make it in time". I'm sure she's not supposed to, but she hugged me and said it'd be ok.
Without getting into graphic details, I had just been dealt the most violent and vicious personal and emotional blow of my life, and had to drive down a highway to an appointment while crying my eyes out. I could barely see, so I pulled into a strip mall and parked as far away from the stores as possible next to the dumpsters at the far end of the parking lot, hoping no one would see me have a complete emotional breakdown all over the front seat of my car. Out of nowhere, a little Hispanic lady in a tube top and shorts is walking her dog and sees me. (I only point out her race because I have the worst time understanding other people's accents.) She came over to me, asked if I was OK, and after I managed to give her the quick and dirty version of what happened, let me cry on her shoulder and prayed with me (I'm a Christian, so this was a huge deal). When she saw I had calmed down, she made her farewells and kept walking her little dog. I don't care what anyone says, that was an angel.
An elderly gentleman and I were chatting in the laundromat one Saturday afternoon. When he got up to leave, he gave me the best hug I've ever gotten. That hug has meant the world to me in the years since. My parents, my only sibling, and my grandparents are all gone but that gentleman's hug made me feel like they had been watching over me. I still pray for that gentleman every night.
I was hit by a drunk driver and I struggled to free myself from my car. When I made it the sidewalk and collapsed out of nowhere a woman appeared, held my hand and kept repeating "You are going to be ok, you hear those sirens? They are coming. Help is coming. You are going to be ok". As soon as the ambulances roared onto the crash scene she was gone. Was she real? I have no idea. I would like to believe she was. So thank you kind stranger...whoever and wherever you are today.
Almost 3 years ago i finished work and was catching the Tram. I heared from some people that when you stand on the step board, the doors wont close. Fast forward to me, running because i knew the tram will be driving away and i had an appointment i needed to attend so i saw my opportunity and jumped onto that step board. Now because this tram was an older one, the step board moved back VERY quickly and i realized it when i was already in air. I fell. Right between the tramand the track. It was way too deep and i was stuck, i tried to go up but i couldn't. I panicked because the lamps on the tramps were blinking and it showed it will be driving now and i knew if he drove, i will probably loose my foot or leg. I too was in a black corner and the driver couldnt see me. My heart stopped a beat and then all the people there screamed and smacked on the window at the drivers seat. Young teens helped me get out and the driver even let me in. I was so shocked after that.
A long way from home, in the middle of a cold hard winter, and missing my family in the sun, I was sitting on a bus, looking out of the window, and a lovely older gentleman leaned towards me and said, you look so sad - here have these, and handed me a bunch of flowers, I said I couldn't possibly take them, but he pointed out that he had 3 other bunches, and his ill sister would have wanted me to have them. The kindness of strangers never ceases to amaze me. I went home & called my Mum in Australia :-)
This makes me remember a story, not a huge gesture exactly but it was funny. One time in the winter we'd had some friends over and everybody was getting ready to leave. One person realized that their truck was stuck in the snow, so in typical Saskatchewan fashion we all get out there and get into position, some with shovels and some to help rock/push the vehicle. We're doing our thing, here and there someone chiming in with a comment like "Back up again!" or "Hold on a minute, I'm going to clear away some more over here." and - there's a voice none of us recognize. We all look over in shock to realize that a semi-elderly neighbour had appeared out of nowhere like Batman and had been helping us... I don't know how long. No-one knew when she showed up. But I guess she didn't want to leave the job to half a dozen youths. :P (Yes, we made sure to thank her for her help!)
I don't know if this counts, but some new people moved in a few doors down and I heard the guy whistling beautifully. I mean, this guy turned whistling into an art. So I left a note on what I hope was his car that said "whistle us a tune :)", sincerely, your new neighbors." Well, later that night I heard the most beautiful whistling I've ever heard! Almost a year later and he always whistles tunes when going to his car. Makes my day!
I am so happy to read beautiful stories like this, I wish the world was always like this. If you take away our skin, we are all the same, no difference. We should always be there for each other when we can give our help.
When my wife was pregnant with our daughter, a baby we had tried for 6 years for, we were over the moon. We wanted to take professional maternity photos around Christmas time but money was really tight so we went to JC Penney's. After taking the pictures, we were looking through our options, trying to pick the 1 picture we wanted, as that was all we could afford. A lady who had been patiently waiting to take pictures with her children walked up and handed us $100 and told us to buy the CD with all of the photos on it. We refused at first but she insisted, stating that she had been there before and simply asked that we pay it forward when we were able. We are doing much better financially these days and every Christmas we go to the store and look for a family who is obviously in need. We get in the checkout behind them and pay for their items and throw in an extra $100 for Christmas gifts..and simply ask that the pay it forward one day.
Early 80s, I'm flying with my 3 sons from Hawaii to Tucson. I was just divorced, my now ex was in the military and this was my one free flight. I was still in shock, thinking we had an okay relationship. The flight from Honolulu to LAX is long and we had a very long (hours!) stop over and it was the middle of the night. Early next morning we were on a smallish plane to Tucson. The youngest was screaming. The oldest was asleep. And the middle child (who had ADD) was air sick. Bless the flight attendant who told me to deal with the little one while she dealt with the air sick one. We finally landed, the little one stopped screaming and the middle one's tummy settled. We were exhausted but I wasn't as exhausted if that angel of a flight attendant hadn't been there.
I am a 14 year old girl and I always had low self-esteem, social anxiety, and a eating disorder. Every time whenever i had some money or just 50 cents, I would go to a liquor store to buy a honeybun. one day i didn't have enough tax to buy it and i was freaking out. The store owner knew my mom and sister since I sometimes be with them (I never go outside due to social anxiety) He told me that it was alright and that i can leave and take the honeybun with me. I was so happy that day.
I was about 21, riding the bus home from work after a hard day, tired and grumpy, my head resting against the window, chewing dark thoughts, my face must have reflected them. As the bus was waiting for a green light, I noticed the driver of a truck in the opposite line just a few feet away from me, also waiting for the green light : he looked me straight in the eyes, mimicked my sad face in a goofy and funny way so I couldn't help myself and burst out laughing. He laughed too and looked happy for me and then the light turned green and we drove away. Never forgot it. Thanks, goofy truck driver :-)
I have one more kind stranger: a few years ago, I was traveling from a student conference, for the first time completely on my own abroad. Just a day before, the French started a general strike of all transport... planes cancelled, trains cancelled, what should have been a short flight had turned to be a 20 hour long journey, separated from colleagues, with a huge suitcase and a throbbing headache on a terribly hot summer day, and I have very little French... At one part I was getting on a train next to an older lady, when the intercom went off, all in really fast French. I panicked, catching the word "strike" scared that the train is also cancelled. The lady just looked me up and down and started translating to English! The train was cancelled, but just after my station! She then asked a guy (in French) to help me get the suitcase up, and she chatted with me for the hour on the train, helping me further to find my way home and lifting my spirits a ton! I got home fine ;-)
Just earlier this year, I broke up with my boyfriend (first one, crashed in flames). He later texted me in the middle of class (I’m a high school student) that he was going to kill himself because I broke up with him. I had to go to the restroom, and had a panic attack, hyperventilating and all. I couldn’t think straight. A girl in the room helped me to calm down a bit and got the school’s councilor for me. I’m still angry at myself for not being able to thank her. I couldn’t look her in the face. I felt like a burden. She was very kind. If I remembered her face, I’d give her a hug. As for the ex, well, I have mixed feelings.
Here's my own story: My stepfather and I were to China by ourselves. Completely forgetting the "no water through security" rule, I took my most precious possession I owned, a globe with a picture of my beloved dog inside and hearts that floated when you shook it (that contained liquid), but was told I had to throw it out because I couldn't take it on the place. My stepfather tried to rescue the picture by breaking the globe open. He had to go back to a sink to do that so I was waiting at the security gates, bawling my eyes out because that globe meant a lot to me and this random woman came over and comforted me until my stepfather got back.
As a woman, I am uncomfortable with tons of encounters with men who try to get my attention. I was on my way to meet some friends at their campsite to hang out. A man in a truck kept trying to get my attention, and after deliberately ignoring him for a while, expecting the usual, I was prepared to fly the middle finger salute. I looked at him, eye-to-eye, and he smiled and just waved. It still warms my heart that he didn't make any obscene gesture. That is so rare nowadays with men who try to grab the attention of a woman through sexual gestures. This time, I got to smile appreciatively back, and he was on his way. Still makes me smile in appreciation. It
When I was 11 I was riding the bus home and I was short about 10 cents. 1.) Bus driver told me to just go on and that I could just pay him tomorrow. 2.) I sat down and a younger man (looked pretty edgy too) reached out his hand with a couple of quarters. I politely declined but I still think about it sometimes.
As a child I lived on the 4th floor and during summer I knotted all available cloth belts (it was a thing then) and pretended I was fishing. At some point I felt something pulling my "fishing rod" and when we pulled it up with my mom there was a package of cookies tied in. We sent a Thank you! message in return with my drawing. It turned out my Fishing rod reached an elderly lonesome neighbour from the 2nd floor :)
It was a hard year of no jobs and no money. We had 5 children between the ages of 6 and 16. (when we had them, finances were fine, just went down hill afterwards). I normaly saved money for several months to have a nice Christmas, but this year, all money went for basics. On Christmas eve, a stranger knocked on my door and handed me an envelope then disappeared at a run. Inside was $1000. We had a nice Christmas, groceries in the cupboard to last for weeks and gas for the car. nearly 20 years later, we still talk about that miracle and try to do pay-forwards as we can.
I can do that too - I shall keep in mind the chances I may have - to be good to the world is fine - being good to the world will do you a world of blessing
These made me bawl. Kindness is just the most delicious feeling to be enveloped in.
That's beautiful and kind. I speak with old lady's that stop to see my baby when we are in the park. Some of them tells all their lives, how they meet their husband are my favorite. . My deutsch got so much better
I remember a year or two ago, I was on the oval in PE at school, sitting by myself under the tree, feeling really really bad because my friend had just accidentally insulted me (I didn't know it was accident at the time) and one of the PE teachers, who I had known was usually really strict, walked over to me and asked me what was wrong and I just broke down. Then, something I could never have dreamed of happened. She gave me a huge hug, helped me up, got out her phone and ordered me a hot chocolate. We then walked up and down the oval together, talking. I've never forgotten that teacher for that.
Just want to say that I recommend that you try to pass on the kindness by looking for lists online like, "100 Random Acts of Kindness Ideas". Thank you.
I think I started crying after reading the first post... people are good, and when we need it the most they truly shine. Thank you for sharing and showing the world that humanity, compassion and love still exist ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
On Friday (03/08/2019) my friend went to the hospital because a teacher found him passed out by the water fountain and I was bawling the rest of the day because I was worried for him and yeah. I was wearing(one of many) marvel shirts because I was going to see captain marvel with a few friends and a bunch of moms was being kind to me when I walked past their cars while I was walking home
I was 10 and not paying attention in a rainstorm. Crossed a busy street and a car very nearly struck me. I felt myself get pulled back by someone, when I went to thank them I didn’t see anyone behind me. To this day I’m not sure if it was a person on the sidewalk or an angel. But I am grateful to be alive
I still remember this day that I was seething from pain (chronic pains, was about 20 at the time) and went to this bar with my friend, just to have something to flush my cocktail of pain meds through. This kind, eldery man comes up to me from his seat at the bar and gives me this souvenir keychain from the Phillipines and says to me “here you go, you seem like you could use some good luck in your life”, taps me on the shoulder and leaves. I was a bit shocked that I had made an impact whilest popping pills but that still moved by his act and that keychain is a momento of hope that I will never get rid off. Most random act of kindness I ever experienced
I find myself doing little things and being surprised at the depth of gratitude I get. I smile and put those memories away deep inside me. I feel like I'm making small deposits in my karma bank.
These are wonderful... Once upon a time, I was sitting at a park, crying my eyes out. My father had just told me that he was about to get married - he had left my mum a few years before, but I knew she still hoped to get him back (even though he was the a*****e and a cheater). How was I to tell her that he was now marrying a woman he had met 3 months ago? Not even the b***h he had left us for? A lady in her early sixties came to me and asked to sit on my bench. She smiled and said, "I don't know what it is that made you feel so bad, but remember, all things pass and all wounds heal." She sat with me for good 30 minutes, asked about my story and shared hers - she was a cancer patient in recovery, breast cancer. She said "I think I was just like you, worrying too much about others, taking things too much to my heart, that was the cause. Remember that other people are their own resonsibility. You need to care about Yourself first." she even gave me her number if I needed to talk again.
I left my extremely abusive (now ex) husband and was suddenly the single mother of an 8 month old and a 2 year old. I was young (22) and worried about how I was gonna survive. I had to leave town with nothing when my husband started lurking around my house at night with a knife and making me lose my job by showing up just to stare at me. He even suddenly appeared when I ran out of gas on the freeway late at night once. So, I moved in with my flaky sister a few hours away to pretty much hide out. I hadn't worked in years (until I kicked him out) since i was a stay at home mom so my job history sucked and I had trouble finding work in my new town. I was at a really low point and dealing with depression unmedicated because he cancelled my insurance. When I say low, I mean REALLY DARKLY LOW. But, I took the last bit of money I had and went to a relatively expensive buffet for Mother's Day. I wanted to try to cheer myself up & distract my girls from the recent upheaval in their lives. I dont know if they could tell I was going through a lot or were just nice people. An older couple at a nearby table paid for my check (with a generous tip) and had the waitress give me a note saying "You're doing a great job! Keep being the great mom you are. Happy Mother's Day!" I cried in my car and immediately worked my butt off to protect my kids & fix my life. That couple will never know that little note and act of kindness encouraged me to change my life for my girls. ♡ I wish I could thank them.
I am a divorced father to a 4 year old who is the light of my life. I have a very strong bond with the little guy, and try my best to experience the world with him in a way that opens up his horizons. I recently took him on a short cruise on a boat in Dubai Marina. And as is typical of a 4 year old, he asked about a million questions (all of which I patiently endeavored to answer), spilled the water, got ice cream all over himself and me. By the end of the cruise, an elderly Italian lady who barely spoke any English came up to me and said: "You are a great father". These are the best words I have ever heard, and every time I am with him, I remind myself that today, I want to live up to them. IMG_8416-5...40d0fb.jpg
I'd actually have a good number of stories to tell, but this time, the story I want to share is the following. Living abroad as an ethnic minority, sometimes you feel like an animal on display in a zoo. And sometimes, whether for bad or good, people don't even percieve you as a fellow human being, distracted by your different face features, and therefore these people in these situations don't treat you with the same kind of interhuman dignity. This story takes place in summer, I had a very big scratch from a mosquito bite on my knee. While waiting for the city buss with my now husband, I was noticed by a little girl (kindergarten age). She looked at me for a bit in a serious way (not rude or intimidating, just focused), and then she pointed at my scratch and said to me "that must've hurt..." That was an important and meaningful situation to me because that little girl saw past my looks and treated me with humanity.She didn't even preassume I wouldn't speak her language. It was so sweet
My only child (the eternally beautiful Marlowe) was taken from me by SIDS at only 4 and a half months old. I was so overwhelmed with grief that I quite literally don't remember the two weeks following her death - except for one thing: when my ex and I were making her arrangements at a funeral home (Memories Funeral Home in Edmonton, Alberta) I remember sitting there - numb from grief and pain - wanting to know why they wouldn't let me see my baby girl one last time. They very gently explained to me the reason (unexplained infant deaths are subject to "investigation" - I'll leave it at that). I then expressed my desire to have her cremated, but as funds were incredibly tight back then, I was concerned about not being able to afford it. The funeral director held my hand, looked into my teary eyes and told me there would be no charge for any of their services, and that I was always welcome there if I ever needed someone to talk to. Honestly one of the most beautiful moments of my life.
These stories really restore my faith in humanity. Sometimes the smallest, seemingly insignificant act of kindness has the most profound effect. It really costs nothing to be kind.
I would occasionally go to my son's middle school to meet him for lunch (he's high functioning autistic.) I was standing in the lunch line to get lunch for the two of us when a small boy about 12 years old came up to me. "You're Danny's mom, right?" "Yes." "Danny tells such awesome stories! I love it the way he does different voices and puts in all the special sounds and stuff." I couldn't stop smiling. "Thank you very much. You just made my day by telling me that." He said "You're welcome." And walked away. I beamed with pride the whole rest of the day!
In 2008 I had an apartment fire and lost everything, including a pet cat. American Red Cross and Salvation army were on the scene to offer help for me. That was just the beginning of the kindness I was met with. My dad's church, whom I hadn't gone to in years, gave me several hundred dollars, and so did my mom's church. Finally I went to a Denny's as I had vouchers for free food from the Red Cross and when a man overheard me say what had happened he gave me $10 and walked off. He didn't want the money back and it made me tear up how kind people can really be despite the state of the world.
Ibuprofen is expensive in the country where we live as expatriates. One day, when I had what I thought was a migraine, a strawberry peddler saw me holding my head while I waited for a taxi. She came over, gave me a packet of ibuprofen, and told my husband to take me to a doctor. She carries two bushel buckets of strawberries by hand for miles on her rounds to various neighborhoods. Hard work for little money. Turns out I had dengue fever.
When I was around 10 I was alone on a flight from my dads house in Colorado back to my moms in Cali. I sat next to a guy, 20 something, whom looked like the kinda guy my mom told me to never talk to. Colored hair, facial piercings, tattoos, the whole bit. I think he could tell he made me nervous and I was already scared to be alone. He was so nice to though! He didnt ask me alot of questions and looking back I can tell he wanted to help but not creep me out. He succeeded wonderfully. He made sure I had crayons and paper, woke me up when the dinner cart came around, got me juice, walked me to the bath room ( filght was rocky) and got me a blanket for a nap. He helped me get off the plane and even waited with me and the flight attendant untill my mom showed up. He was so nice and kind to me, I'll never forget it. It forever changed the way I looked at people. I never judged another person on looks ever again after that.
When I was about 12, I became severely depressed. I was abused by my cousin, felt extremely out of place with my family, had terrible acne and was horribly self conscious. I went onto a writing website, Quora, and wrote out my feelings. I wasn't expecting anyone to respond, but this amazingly kind 30-something year old woman responded, reaching out to me and offering me a lifeline of support. She encouraged me to get help and helped me become the best person I could possibly be. Now, two years later, I'm happy as can be, with an incredible support system and the best friends I could ask for. I'll never forget her.
My family and I were going to a play but apparently one ticket short. We stood on the side arguing about whoes fault and who would go home. This elderly lady walked up to me (10 year old) and said " My brother could not come" she hands me a ticket winked and went in. My family didn't argue anymore. Thats the best play I have ever been to. I wish I could go back thank her and tell her I have never forgotten.
I have two: -shortly before the first Christmas after my dad's accident (he became quadriplegic), I was walking around in a mall trying to get myself to buy presents. Santa was also walking around, looked at me and waved. I started bawling (I was thinking that the only thing I wanted was my dad to walk again, but that "Santa" couldn't do that for me), and he came to hug me. I still cry when I think of that. -10 years after the Santa thing, I was away on a business trip to this awesome place called Newfoundland. That's when I received a call from my mum saying that my dad had some kind of heart failure and that he was dying. I headed back to the airport the following morning, 4 hours away, and when I got there, he still was alive. I was going through security, probably looking like s**t, and the agent scanning my stuff asked if I was ok. I said "my dad is dying and I'm not going to make it in time". I'm sure she's not supposed to, but she hugged me and said it'd be ok.
Without getting into graphic details, I had just been dealt the most violent and vicious personal and emotional blow of my life, and had to drive down a highway to an appointment while crying my eyes out. I could barely see, so I pulled into a strip mall and parked as far away from the stores as possible next to the dumpsters at the far end of the parking lot, hoping no one would see me have a complete emotional breakdown all over the front seat of my car. Out of nowhere, a little Hispanic lady in a tube top and shorts is walking her dog and sees me. (I only point out her race because I have the worst time understanding other people's accents.) She came over to me, asked if I was OK, and after I managed to give her the quick and dirty version of what happened, let me cry on her shoulder and prayed with me (I'm a Christian, so this was a huge deal). When she saw I had calmed down, she made her farewells and kept walking her little dog. I don't care what anyone says, that was an angel.
An elderly gentleman and I were chatting in the laundromat one Saturday afternoon. When he got up to leave, he gave me the best hug I've ever gotten. That hug has meant the world to me in the years since. My parents, my only sibling, and my grandparents are all gone but that gentleman's hug made me feel like they had been watching over me. I still pray for that gentleman every night.
I was hit by a drunk driver and I struggled to free myself from my car. When I made it the sidewalk and collapsed out of nowhere a woman appeared, held my hand and kept repeating "You are going to be ok, you hear those sirens? They are coming. Help is coming. You are going to be ok". As soon as the ambulances roared onto the crash scene she was gone. Was she real? I have no idea. I would like to believe she was. So thank you kind stranger...whoever and wherever you are today.
Almost 3 years ago i finished work and was catching the Tram. I heared from some people that when you stand on the step board, the doors wont close. Fast forward to me, running because i knew the tram will be driving away and i had an appointment i needed to attend so i saw my opportunity and jumped onto that step board. Now because this tram was an older one, the step board moved back VERY quickly and i realized it when i was already in air. I fell. Right between the tramand the track. It was way too deep and i was stuck, i tried to go up but i couldn't. I panicked because the lamps on the tramps were blinking and it showed it will be driving now and i knew if he drove, i will probably loose my foot or leg. I too was in a black corner and the driver couldnt see me. My heart stopped a beat and then all the people there screamed and smacked on the window at the drivers seat. Young teens helped me get out and the driver even let me in. I was so shocked after that.
A long way from home, in the middle of a cold hard winter, and missing my family in the sun, I was sitting on a bus, looking out of the window, and a lovely older gentleman leaned towards me and said, you look so sad - here have these, and handed me a bunch of flowers, I said I couldn't possibly take them, but he pointed out that he had 3 other bunches, and his ill sister would have wanted me to have them. The kindness of strangers never ceases to amaze me. I went home & called my Mum in Australia :-)
This makes me remember a story, not a huge gesture exactly but it was funny. One time in the winter we'd had some friends over and everybody was getting ready to leave. One person realized that their truck was stuck in the snow, so in typical Saskatchewan fashion we all get out there and get into position, some with shovels and some to help rock/push the vehicle. We're doing our thing, here and there someone chiming in with a comment like "Back up again!" or "Hold on a minute, I'm going to clear away some more over here." and - there's a voice none of us recognize. We all look over in shock to realize that a semi-elderly neighbour had appeared out of nowhere like Batman and had been helping us... I don't know how long. No-one knew when she showed up. But I guess she didn't want to leave the job to half a dozen youths. :P (Yes, we made sure to thank her for her help!)
I don't know if this counts, but some new people moved in a few doors down and I heard the guy whistling beautifully. I mean, this guy turned whistling into an art. So I left a note on what I hope was his car that said "whistle us a tune :)", sincerely, your new neighbors." Well, later that night I heard the most beautiful whistling I've ever heard! Almost a year later and he always whistles tunes when going to his car. Makes my day!
I am so happy to read beautiful stories like this, I wish the world was always like this. If you take away our skin, we are all the same, no difference. We should always be there for each other when we can give our help.
When my wife was pregnant with our daughter, a baby we had tried for 6 years for, we were over the moon. We wanted to take professional maternity photos around Christmas time but money was really tight so we went to JC Penney's. After taking the pictures, we were looking through our options, trying to pick the 1 picture we wanted, as that was all we could afford. A lady who had been patiently waiting to take pictures with her children walked up and handed us $100 and told us to buy the CD with all of the photos on it. We refused at first but she insisted, stating that she had been there before and simply asked that we pay it forward when we were able. We are doing much better financially these days and every Christmas we go to the store and look for a family who is obviously in need. We get in the checkout behind them and pay for their items and throw in an extra $100 for Christmas gifts..and simply ask that the pay it forward one day.
Early 80s, I'm flying with my 3 sons from Hawaii to Tucson. I was just divorced, my now ex was in the military and this was my one free flight. I was still in shock, thinking we had an okay relationship. The flight from Honolulu to LAX is long and we had a very long (hours!) stop over and it was the middle of the night. Early next morning we were on a smallish plane to Tucson. The youngest was screaming. The oldest was asleep. And the middle child (who had ADD) was air sick. Bless the flight attendant who told me to deal with the little one while she dealt with the air sick one. We finally landed, the little one stopped screaming and the middle one's tummy settled. We were exhausted but I wasn't as exhausted if that angel of a flight attendant hadn't been there.
I am a 14 year old girl and I always had low self-esteem, social anxiety, and a eating disorder. Every time whenever i had some money or just 50 cents, I would go to a liquor store to buy a honeybun. one day i didn't have enough tax to buy it and i was freaking out. The store owner knew my mom and sister since I sometimes be with them (I never go outside due to social anxiety) He told me that it was alright and that i can leave and take the honeybun with me. I was so happy that day.
I was about 21, riding the bus home from work after a hard day, tired and grumpy, my head resting against the window, chewing dark thoughts, my face must have reflected them. As the bus was waiting for a green light, I noticed the driver of a truck in the opposite line just a few feet away from me, also waiting for the green light : he looked me straight in the eyes, mimicked my sad face in a goofy and funny way so I couldn't help myself and burst out laughing. He laughed too and looked happy for me and then the light turned green and we drove away. Never forgot it. Thanks, goofy truck driver :-)
I have one more kind stranger: a few years ago, I was traveling from a student conference, for the first time completely on my own abroad. Just a day before, the French started a general strike of all transport... planes cancelled, trains cancelled, what should have been a short flight had turned to be a 20 hour long journey, separated from colleagues, with a huge suitcase and a throbbing headache on a terribly hot summer day, and I have very little French... At one part I was getting on a train next to an older lady, when the intercom went off, all in really fast French. I panicked, catching the word "strike" scared that the train is also cancelled. The lady just looked me up and down and started translating to English! The train was cancelled, but just after my station! She then asked a guy (in French) to help me get the suitcase up, and she chatted with me for the hour on the train, helping me further to find my way home and lifting my spirits a ton! I got home fine ;-)
Just earlier this year, I broke up with my boyfriend (first one, crashed in flames). He later texted me in the middle of class (I’m a high school student) that he was going to kill himself because I broke up with him. I had to go to the restroom, and had a panic attack, hyperventilating and all. I couldn’t think straight. A girl in the room helped me to calm down a bit and got the school’s councilor for me. I’m still angry at myself for not being able to thank her. I couldn’t look her in the face. I felt like a burden. She was very kind. If I remembered her face, I’d give her a hug. As for the ex, well, I have mixed feelings.
Here's my own story: My stepfather and I were to China by ourselves. Completely forgetting the "no water through security" rule, I took my most precious possession I owned, a globe with a picture of my beloved dog inside and hearts that floated when you shook it (that contained liquid), but was told I had to throw it out because I couldn't take it on the place. My stepfather tried to rescue the picture by breaking the globe open. He had to go back to a sink to do that so I was waiting at the security gates, bawling my eyes out because that globe meant a lot to me and this random woman came over and comforted me until my stepfather got back.
As a woman, I am uncomfortable with tons of encounters with men who try to get my attention. I was on my way to meet some friends at their campsite to hang out. A man in a truck kept trying to get my attention, and after deliberately ignoring him for a while, expecting the usual, I was prepared to fly the middle finger salute. I looked at him, eye-to-eye, and he smiled and just waved. It still warms my heart that he didn't make any obscene gesture. That is so rare nowadays with men who try to grab the attention of a woman through sexual gestures. This time, I got to smile appreciatively back, and he was on his way. Still makes me smile in appreciation. It
When I was 11 I was riding the bus home and I was short about 10 cents. 1.) Bus driver told me to just go on and that I could just pay him tomorrow. 2.) I sat down and a younger man (looked pretty edgy too) reached out his hand with a couple of quarters. I politely declined but I still think about it sometimes.
As a child I lived on the 4th floor and during summer I knotted all available cloth belts (it was a thing then) and pretended I was fishing. At some point I felt something pulling my "fishing rod" and when we pulled it up with my mom there was a package of cookies tied in. We sent a Thank you! message in return with my drawing. It turned out my Fishing rod reached an elderly lonesome neighbour from the 2nd floor :)
It was a hard year of no jobs and no money. We had 5 children between the ages of 6 and 16. (when we had them, finances were fine, just went down hill afterwards). I normaly saved money for several months to have a nice Christmas, but this year, all money went for basics. On Christmas eve, a stranger knocked on my door and handed me an envelope then disappeared at a run. Inside was $1000. We had a nice Christmas, groceries in the cupboard to last for weeks and gas for the car. nearly 20 years later, we still talk about that miracle and try to do pay-forwards as we can.
I can do that too - I shall keep in mind the chances I may have - to be good to the world is fine - being good to the world will do you a world of blessing
These made me bawl. Kindness is just the most delicious feeling to be enveloped in.
That's beautiful and kind. I speak with old lady's that stop to see my baby when we are in the park. Some of them tells all their lives, how they meet their husband are my favorite. . My deutsch got so much better
I remember a year or two ago, I was on the oval in PE at school, sitting by myself under the tree, feeling really really bad because my friend had just accidentally insulted me (I didn't know it was accident at the time) and one of the PE teachers, who I had known was usually really strict, walked over to me and asked me what was wrong and I just broke down. Then, something I could never have dreamed of happened. She gave me a huge hug, helped me up, got out her phone and ordered me a hot chocolate. We then walked up and down the oval together, talking. I've never forgotten that teacher for that.
Just want to say that I recommend that you try to pass on the kindness by looking for lists online like, "100 Random Acts of Kindness Ideas". Thank you.
I think I started crying after reading the first post... people are good, and when we need it the most they truly shine. Thank you for sharing and showing the world that humanity, compassion and love still exist ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
On Friday (03/08/2019) my friend went to the hospital because a teacher found him passed out by the water fountain and I was bawling the rest of the day because I was worried for him and yeah. I was wearing(one of many) marvel shirts because I was going to see captain marvel with a few friends and a bunch of moms was being kind to me when I walked past their cars while I was walking home
I was 10 and not paying attention in a rainstorm. Crossed a busy street and a car very nearly struck me. I felt myself get pulled back by someone, when I went to thank them I didn’t see anyone behind me. To this day I’m not sure if it was a person on the sidewalk or an angel. But I am grateful to be alive
I still remember this day that I was seething from pain (chronic pains, was about 20 at the time) and went to this bar with my friend, just to have something to flush my cocktail of pain meds through. This kind, eldery man comes up to me from his seat at the bar and gives me this souvenir keychain from the Phillipines and says to me “here you go, you seem like you could use some good luck in your life”, taps me on the shoulder and leaves. I was a bit shocked that I had made an impact whilest popping pills but that still moved by his act and that keychain is a momento of hope that I will never get rid off. Most random act of kindness I ever experienced
I find myself doing little things and being surprised at the depth of gratitude I get. I smile and put those memories away deep inside me. I feel like I'm making small deposits in my karma bank.