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There is a lot of truth in the saying that kindness keeps the world and hope afloat. Large and small acts of kindness can help keep a person up during challenging times. Since hope is a thing that will never really leave us, we are encouraged to keep it up, even with mini actions. A small act of kindness will go a long way if we are lost or confused in a current situation. They are effective because of the collaboration between timing and execution.

A surprise birthday party or a gift from a stranger will always be more impactful than a planned-out one. Plenty of random acts of kindness are usually the result of seeing an opportunity to improve a person's life with the things at hand. They can happen between good old friends and just random passersby. When a random act of kindness occurs, two things fill our brains — surprise and hope. While that surprising shock will fade over time, hope could stay with us for a long time.

While kind acts are always welcome, sometimes, brilliant execution of them can lift any action to the next level. A lot of brilliant acts of kindness have to come from the heart. Even something small, like giving a scarf when someone is cold, can keep a stranger's hope up and running. However, a kind-hearted but poorly executed act of kindness can become a thorn in any relationship. A hastily given thing or a few bad words could ruin everything.

If one wants to be kind to another, it would be a good idea to have some examples to follow. Luckily, someone on AskReddit has decided to ask — “What’s a small act of kindness you were once shown, that you’ll never forget?” The list below is a compilation of the best answers and additional comments that Redditors decided to share, so be sure to upvote the ones that seem most kind to you. If you have more examples of kindness that you would like to share, be sure to do it by leaving a comment below.

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#1

"I have this little bracelet that my dad gave my mom when they first started dating. Since my dad died before I was born, I have always cherished this bracelet. Well, one day while working at a big financial institution this bracelet broke. I placed it into my desk drawer and forgot about it overnight. Turns out the janitors cleaned out all the drawers and accidentally threw my bracelet away. When I arrived the next day, I panicked and looked through all the trash cans I could find until it was determined it must be in the dumpsters out back. My boss and several coworkers rolled up their sleeves and climbed into the dumpster to find it, mind you they are all in suits and dress shoes. About an hour later they all championed into the building chanting ”we found it” covered in grime. I come from a rough background and I hadn’t ever felt this level of kindness before. This changed me, and ever since I try to always go out of my way for others (especially for the seemingly small things)."

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#2

"I was nine years old, waiting for the school bus in Wisconsin winter. I had a thin coat, and no hat or gloves. A woman driving past saw me and stopped, giving me a blanket from the back of her car. It was a long skinny one, so she wrapped it around my head and shoulders like a big scarf. I remember thanking her but being confused. I told her I didn't know how I would give it back when I was done borrowing it. She hugged me and said not to worry. I still have that blanket."

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#3

"Neighbors asked to borrow my truck. Told them I could not trust my truck because the tires were bad. The next day my neighbor called and said he was getting new tires for his suburban and I could have his old ones. Told me to just show up at this certain tire shop and they would put them on.

Get to a tire shop and they put on brand new Goodyear tires. I asked what happened to the old tires I was supposed to receive. The shop owner said the “old tires” was just a story to get me in the shop. Mr neighbor bought me a full set of new tires instead of the old tires he said I could have."

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Ian Lee
Ian Lee
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He was already nice for giving his old tires but dang.. he’s NICE nice

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#4

"I missed my train to go home for Christmas from uni due to a crash near the station. I was completely broke and knew I wouldn't be able to afford another ticket. Life just got on top of me knowing I'd have to spend Christmas alone in my terrible student house and not being about to see my grandad who was in rapidly declining health. I was bawling my eyes out on the platform when a janitor(?) appeared out of a hidden stock room under a stairwell and brought me some tissues.

He found out why I was so upset and said to leave it to me. Took me to the customer service desk and got them to reissue me a ticket for the next train home. I was so thankful I started bawling again and he went on his way. Then just before I was about to get my train he found me on the platform and gave me some snacks and a can of coke and it's just the nicest thing anyone ever done for it."

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#5

"After my Dad passed away my depression kicked into overdrive. I went to the Doctor and got a prescription for antidepressants. While I was picking up my prescription I started crying. When I apologized to the pharmacist for crying like a child the pharmacist said, " You don't have to apologize. You recognize you have a problem and you are trying to fix it. That is a brave thing." It changed my perspective on treating my mental illness."

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SinéadQ
SinéadQ
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am sorry for your loss. I am so glad you met someone who saw your braveness in getting the help you needed and helped you recognise that. I hope your days are brighter now.

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#6

"I recorded a homemade album with my garage band in high school and handed out a few CDs. A few weeks later my English teacher approached me with 5 pages of notes on what he liked and what I could improve on. He apparently got the CD from someone at the high school and listened to it all the way through (it was over an hour long). He didn't know I was the singer and guitar player until he asked the person who gave him the CD. He said that if I ever got a shot in a studio, I would create something amazing. Thank you to all the teachers out there who believe in their students. It makes all the difference to some of us."

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#7

"I had just ended a 3-year relationship in a city I knew nobody in, started a new job, and worked on my birthday. I had hit it off with the lady who trained me, and when the HR manager stopped by and wished me a happy birthday she seemed surprised I never mentioned it. I explained I was in a bad place mentally and just told her I didn't feel like celebrating. On her lunch break, she went out and got me a single fancy cupcake from the grocery store up the street. She barely knew me. I literally clutched that cupcake in the breakroom and sobbed.

Plot twist: her son ended up working with us a few months later. We dated got pregnant and I in return gave her a grandson."

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#8

"So once in high school, I ate at a Mexican restaurant and unknowingly threw away my car keys on my tray when I was done eating. I went and asked a worker if he had cleared them off the table and he said no, but that he had just taken the trash out to the dumpster. I remember going outside and calling my dad to ask if there was a spare and he told me no. So I went back inside feeling humiliated and about to ask if I could look through the dumpster only to see that this man had already dug through the dumpster on my behalf and ended up finding my keys for me. He just went above and beyond and to this day I am so grateful for his help."

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#9

countlessbass said:
"Riding my bike on a long trip through Canada. With about 50 miles to go, I had a major mechanical failure. Stuck on the side of the road in a foreign country within 5 minutes at least 10 cars had stopped to check on me. One guy loaded my bike in the back of his truck and drove me 30 miles to the border where I could catch a ferry back to the US. Amazing kindness and generosity toward a stranger. He just asked that I pay it forward and to date, I've helped 5 cyclists who were broken down in honor of that promise."

TannedCroissant replied:
"Canadians are so nice, they don’t want anything in return, just ’eh it forward’"

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#10

"Choking to death on a roadside and a nice guy stopped and did the Heimlich on me. Thanks, bro!

Leaving a park with my son. Put a hard candy in my mouth, and said something to my son, and candy slipped down my throat. Immediately knew I was f****d, couldn't get air. Threw the car in park, and left my son wondering wtf. Started flagging down people on street. The guy and his girl stopped. It started to go dark. Made a universal choking sign, guy understood. I could tell he wasn't sure what to do, so I guided his hands to the correct position. After 4 or so heaves the candy popped out. I gave him a big hug and we went our ways. Scariest moment of my life, not dying per se, but dying in front of my son."

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#11

"I told my coworker I just really missed home and most of all: a home-cooked meal. I was 19 and moved away from home for the first time to a big city for a job opportunity. I’d never been away from my Mom before or even been alone for longer than like two weeks. I could cook basically nothing and everything I did was just missing something, so mostly lived off takeout and microwave meals, which I was starting to get really, really sick of. I just wanted a nice meal made with love and fresh ingredients.

Anyway, I told my coworker that, and the next day she came in with five homemade meals in containers for me to eat for the next week. The day before she conjured up a conversation about allergies which I didn’t even think was anything more than a usual conversation, until the next day. It made me cry, and she didn’t understand why I was so overwhelmed and surprised because it was just something she did every day but for her own kids.

I don’t think I will ever forget it, it was truly just so so sweet, and the meals were so good, so comforting. Truly tasted like they were just made by the hands of a loving parent."

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#12

"I've always struggled with my appearance, but it peaked one day when I saw myself up close on video for the first time in about a year. I thought I looked awful, and I lost all self-confidence. (Extreme and a bit silly, I know.) I stopped putting any effort into my appearance for a while and went outdoors only in sweatpants and t-shirts. Then, one day, my best friend had her birthday party. I thought it'd be rude to her to show up looking like a slob, so for the first time in a while, I curled my hair, put on a dress, and did my make-up. As I was walking home I passed a couple and (presumably) their daughters, probably 4 and 6-7. As we passed each other I saw the younger girl staring at me, and then she exclaimed "wow, look! Wasn't she beautiful?" I walked around a corner and actually cried a little. Children are so brutally honest, and knowing that somebody's first reaction to me was "beautiful" was a type of encouragement I've never felt before. That comment still sticks with me and I think about it when I start doubting my appearance again."

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Isaac Nemo
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

NOT silly, OP, your feelings are legitimate. Our society is silly for making you feel this way, not you for feeling it!

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#13

"My gym teacher purchased me to lunch in 3rd grade after I dropped mine. I'm 34 years old and still remember this."

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#14

dnebesh said:
"The time my car broke down in the middle of the night and my phone died and I didn’t know what to do. A random stranger pulled over and told me “We all need a little help sometimes” and I’ll never forget her words as she helped me jumpstart my car."

LocallySourcedWeirdo replied:
"When I was 18, my car broke down late at night on a lonely highway in NorCal. I didn't have a cell phone at the time (was too broken). I knew there was a grocery store a few miles up the road, and a pay phone, so I started walking on the side of the road. A couple pulled over in their car and begged me to get in. I was in tears, and said, that I couldn't take a ride from strangers. The lady started crying, told me that I reminded her of her daughter, and showed me her nursing ID. They told me they couldn't just leave me on the road at night like that. So I accepted the ride. And was safe. Thank you, temporary surrogate parents. You might have saved my life."

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JesseyM
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I remember one time when my car broke down on the side of the freeway and I had my son (2yo at the time, he is 18 now) with me. I had left my cell phone at home to charge. I started walking on the side of the freeway son on my hip, when a wonderful woman and her teenage son pulled over. They asked us if we were okay and if we wanted a ride. I was very nervous about accepting but then thought how walking with my son would more than likely more dangerous and deadly. I accepted and they drove us home about a 10 minute ride. I know we thanked them a lot, but I still want to thank them today and forever.

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#15

"At work, I was complaining about heartburn once. I was still pretty new to the job. Didn't really have any work friends. Felt like an outsider. My life outside of work was pretty bad as well.

The bartender on shift overheard me and ran to a nearby coffee shop to get me chocolate milk. It definitely made the heartburn go away but it was such a needlessly kind act. I don't think ill ever forget it. 2 years later we're still friends and she is definitely one of the kindest people I've ever met."

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#16

"The day that my significant other passed away in ICU, I was sitting alone in the ICU waiting room at about 7:30 am after pulling an all-nighter out of worry. I'm sure I looked like a complete mess to the hospital staff and other visitors, my eyes puffy from crying and definitely looking a lot younger than 19 years old. A woman I had never met or seen before passed by the ICU waiting room while glancing in, before coming back a few minutes later with a coke and giving it to me. I'll never forget her handing me the coke while looking like she was going to cry, and just telling me that I looked like I needed a little kindness in my life. She left after that and I never saw her again, or even got her name, but I hope she's doing well wherever she is."

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#17

"I was a week in New York. Middle-aged tourist from Amsterdam, the Netherlands. I like to travel the subway all the way till the end, just to get to know the city. One day, I apparently ended up in a Spanish-speaking neighborhood. While walking there, a woman bumped into me and started yelling at me in Spanish. Of course, I yelled back in Dutch. This caught her to her surprise and we both started laughing. I noticed she did some grocery shopping and had some vegetables I had never seen before. So, I asked her about them (in English) and before I knew it, I was invited for dinner. I accepted and insisted I buy the wine and beer. I had a great evening and met a large Spanish family. Best evening in New York. Even better than the 4th of July evening or the Yankees/Mets baseball game."

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ginny weasley
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When we took a family trip to Alaska, my mom made friends with her seatmate who invited us ut for diner. We debated going ( it was in the Alaskan bush and we didn't know if she was a murderer) we did go and had a great time and a wonderful meal of fresh caught salmon

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#18

"So, there was this one time in the 1990s. I was helping my brother move from a teaching job after college. This was in the middle of nowhere in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. He was driving his little pickup truck pulling a trailer and I was driving my junky little Ford station wagon, packed to the gills with his stuff. It was a Sunday. I'm driving along and my car just dies. No warning, nothing. I coast to a stop on the side of a rural highway and wait for my brother to realize I wasn't behind him anymore and turn around. After about 20 minutes, he finds me, the hood up and neither one of us knows very much about cars. Soon, though a man from the house we broke down in front of comes out, takes one look at the engine, and says, "Timing belt."

We inquire about getting the car towed 30 miles to the closest large town and realize that it was going to be an expensive repair, even if the engine was OK and not ruined. This man, though, takes on a look at the situation -- sees two broke kids in their early 20s just trying to get by in life and he says, "Well, it's Sunday. Nothing's gonna be open. I tell ya what. My next-door neighbor is a mechanic. Let's push the car down to my driveway and we'll see what we can do." So that is exactly what we do. His neighbor calls his buddy at the auto parts store (which is closed on a Sunday), who does a favor and gets the parts needed, drives them 30 miles out to the house, and well sits around telling stories while the car gets fixed. This man's son, a kid of about 9 or 10, is hanging around. He is extremely bored. There were no kids nearby his age, and he was craving any kind of interaction, even with two guys in their 20s. The kid goes "Want to see my treehouse?" and points to the woods out back. My brother and I look at each other, shrug, and say, "Sure."

We end up spending two hours with this kid, helping him build his treehouse. When we are done, we go back to the house and the car is all fixed. My brother and I have maybe $60 in cash on us (combined) and tried to pay the man who did the work but he refused. He said, "No, you boys were in need of help and I wanted to help. You don't need to pay me. Plus, you kept my son occupied for several hours, which I truly appreciate."
He then says, "I want you to do something for me, though. The next time you see someone in need of help and you have the means, I want you to repay this favor." And that is one of the rules of life I live by, taught to me by a generous man in the middle of nowhere who helped me out when I was in a time of need."

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kitten levels tokyo
kitten levels tokyo
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Tiny bit off topic, but there are quite a few Bigfoot sightings in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I’m glad you weren’t harassed by this hairy biped.

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#19

"Newbie in the restaurant business and the owner walked over to me while I was making a sandwich. Very politely says to me" when I wrote that in the menu I envisioned this", and showed me how to make it the right way. What a nice way to say, you are not doing this right, do it this way."

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#20

"I took my sister whose in a wheelchair to the cinema for the first time on my own. In the end, I realized I couldn't undo the brakes and was blocking everyone. I felt like crying because I thought everyone was pissed at me, but some nice lady helped me, then took me and my sister out. She said she once had a son who needed a wheelchair. This was long ago but I'll never forget."

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#21

deekochana said:
"I have two moments that I'll never forget. When I was younger, my mum was depressed and we had very little money. It was either heating or eating a lot. An old lady around the corner from us would invite us over for tea sometimes or breakfast before school. She knitted me, my baby sister, and my mum cardigans, socks, and a blanket each winter when it was really bad. I was at a terrible time of my life at 17, had a bad day at work, and then my train home was 1 hour+ late. I just started crying at the train station and was really wondering if it was all worth it. A woman just held me for bit while I cried. She was a complete stranger, I've never seen her since but I needed her I guess. I think she saved my life that day."

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Shark Lady
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had a woman hug me too. I'd just been rushed into hospital as something had gone wrong with a surgery I had 7 days prior. When I was told I needed another operation one of the other ladies on the ward just came and hugged me when I burst into tears. It was so welcome as I was really scared.

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#22

"When I was 14 my sister kicked me out of the house, it was dead of winter. I had been walking the streets a couple of hours cold and wondering what I was going to do. A cop stops me and then another squad car rolls up behind him. ask what I was doing walking around late at night and I explained the situation. The cop told me to get into the car and they drove me to a motel and paid for a few days to get me out of the cold, showed back up an hour later with some other cops with groceries so I can eat and a bike so I can get around."

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#23

"I was at a concert and a couple behind me gave me a VIP pass to get a picture with the artist because their friend couldn't come. Never will forget it."

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#24

KahBhume said:
"Alternator died while I was driving home from university. The engine died as I exited the freeway in the middle of the night in a not-so-pleasant part of town in the days before cell phones. As I'm pushing my car out of the intersection, a guy in a truck comes up and offers to push my car to my neighborhood a good three miles away. He does so, and I'm pulling into my neighborhood, he simply gives a wave and drives off into the night. I never even had a chance to thank him."

DimesOHoolihan replied:
"Ones like this always get me a little more. Where the person is very obviously just doing it to be a good person, so much so that they don't even let you say thanks."

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#25

"I went to South Africa for my gap year after school, I had saved all year for a month's trip and it was the first time I'd traveled alone. Culture shock/anxiety and the realization of how far I'd come hit me and I ended up crying in the bathroom of Johannesburg airport. A kind lady noticed me and asked me if I was okay. I sobbed and said I just couldn't believe I was on the opposite side of the world from home and I'd worked so hard to get there I just felt overwhelmed and she gave me a hug and said some kind words I can't fully remember but I felt much better after she'd been kind enough to check that I was okay."

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#26

"I worked in bridal for 6 years. Which means I was berated by hormonal bridezillas nearly 5 days a week for 6 years. After one particularly awful day at work, I decided to get Chipotle for dinner. I was defeated and exhausted. The girl making my burrito bowl GENUINELY asked me how I was doing and I nearly lost it. She was the only person to be kind to me all day. I held back tears during my entire transaction. That was about 3 years ago and I think about her kindness often. Please be kind to retail and food workers."

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#27

"I was working in the medical field, and after the course of a few days, I worked with 4 members of this family. Starting with the dad- who was just an awesome human. Then the next day he came in with his son. Later that afternoon, he came back in with his son again, for his daughter's apt. I genuinely fell in love with this family more and more after each member I met. The father, son, and daughter attended the mother's appointment with her the next day. At this point, I was considering proposing to the son, as I wanted to be a part of this amazing, hilarious, loving family. I informed them I regretted I wouldn’t be there when they came back in two weeks, as I was moving on to a different position. They came back an hour later with a Nothing Bundt Cake, with the sweetest card and an inside joke written on the outside of the cake box. It made me cry. My family life has always been bad, and meeting them was just so beautiful and healing."

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#28

"I had a troubled home life as a young man. The summer before grade 9, I was basically by myself. I needed to get school supplies, and the closest Walmart was miles away. I tried hitchhiking in the August Florida sun, and it sucked. Yuppies in SUVs with Jesus fish kept passing me by.

Finally, an old Latino dude in an old busted-up sedan offered me a lift. He didn't speak much English, but he did know "Walmart". Got me there and tried to give me a couple of bucks, which I was too proud to take. Good dude."

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Scotty Dean
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yep, same reply as another about it being the poor who stop to help. On Interstate headed to Phoenix, and car breaks down. I know the route since childhood, and it is about two miles up the road to nearest business. I Am in dress shirt and slacks and shoulder bag, and two miles, even in Arizona summer, isn't too big a deal. I make it less than 200 yards from my car before fellow in clattering yard-work truck pulls over and insists in broken-English in giving me a ride. He equally insisted on not taking any sort of tip for helping me along.... It has been noted before, but worth saying again, it is often those who have the least to give who most readily step up to do so.....

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#29

"When I was 26, broke, living on my own, and developed a reaction to latex and nonlatex condoms. Still don't know why. Anyway, I decided to get the implant birth control and went to the family planning clinic. I was filling out the forms where you input your salary and insurance info. I didn't have insurance and once the medical assistant looked over my form, she realizes my income was $200/year over the limit where they provide full coverage assistance, meaning I wasn't eligible for their financial assistance and was going to have to pay about $1000 our of pocket just for the birth control, not including an exam I needed. She very quietly explained this to me and then in her normal voice said, "Oh let me get you a new form" (wink wink). She gave me a blank one so I could re-fill it out and list my income at what they considered to be the limit for assistance. Because of this, I was able to get the physical exam I needed badly, including medication and a 3-year birth control implant for FREE. I was living paycheck to paycheck, barely scraping by working full time and overtime, wearing worn-out clothes and shoes with holes. That woman was a freaking lifesaver for me!"

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TeenieMeanie
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A nice lady did this for me too. I can only imagine the different ways my life would have gone off the rails without that family planning angel.

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#30

"When I was 11 I was 10p (12 cents?) short for the bus home from school (5 miles away) and the driver wouldn’t let me on. This girl who everyone was kind of scared of/had a bad reputation stepped in and gave me the 10p. It’s small, but I never forgot it!"

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#31

Bubbazord said:
"I was out of a job at a time when I had to support my mother. Finally landed one but I had to walk back and forth and I didn't have any shoes that would hold up on the walk or the work. I went to FB and mom asked around for some hand-me-downs we could buy from someone. A day later a very kind man showed up with a brand new pair of really nice shoes he had just gone out and bought for me. He left before I could even get any money for him. I cried."

DaksTheDaddyNow replied:
"When I pick up my students I try to get them to walk fast so we don't waste time. It's elementary school so usually the students are more than willing to power walk/run in the hallway to my classroom.

One day I picked up a student who had just moved to the city. Asked her typical questions, but she didn't want to go to PE... Kind of weird but not uncommon. A couple of the other students I had started running to the room and I start to keep up (just power walk for my adult legs.) The new student is falling behind so I pause and wait. I ask why she doesn't want to run with us and she says her feet hurt. I ask her why and she says her shoes are too small but her mom can't afford new ones. I think it took everything in me to not lose it immediately. We finish our group and before she leaves I ask her what size she wears and if it would be ok if I could find her some shoes that fit better. Without hesitation, she says, "that'd be great!" She left and I completely broke down. I was biting my lip so I wouldn't sob and I wrote down on a notepad what happened. I gave it to a co-worker who comforted me then ran home and brought back a bag full of shoes that should fit. The student had her pick of several pairs. Needless to say, she did like PE after all."

Bubbazord , DaksTheDaddyNow Report

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#32

"I transferred in the middle of first grade to a school that did ice cream Fridays where you'd pay like 50 or 75¢ for whatever kind and then you'd watch an educational video in the classroom. I was unaware of this when the first Friday rolled around so I didn't have any change and neither did the kid next to me. Normally there would be a few who didn't get ice cream but this day we were the only two. So the teacher called the both of us aside and gave us each the change required to have our ice cream. I think the biggest thing was that she didn't do it in front of the other kids so it looked like we had brought the money all along. It was incredibly kind of her, she was a wonderful teacher outside of that as well.

TLDR: I and another student didn't have money for ice cream the day everyone else did, the teacher bought us ice cream so we wouldn't be left out."

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Marilyn Russell
Marilyn Russell
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not to be mean, but I would be surprised and dismayed if the teacher didn’t do that.

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#33

"This one time I was waiting for a bus, and it started raining, and a random soldier just gave me his umbrella. It's not exactly donating a kidney or anything, but it was just really nice and unexpected and I'll never forget it."

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#34

"When I was at school, I helped a girl out when she was having a meltdown in the bathroom. A few weeks later she pretended to be my friend who had been waiting to meet me when I was being followed home by two guys. We never saw each other outside of those two occasions but I still think about her and hope she’s doing ok somewhere out there."

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#35

"I had just lost my insurance and my epilepsy medication was over $400. The pharmacist got me some coupons that cut the price in half. She didn't have to, and it was against company policy (I now work in a pharmacy in the chain) but she did it anyway. Very nice lady"

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#36

"I was about eight or nine and went to the convenience store down the road from me to buy some chocolate and Slurpees for myself and my younger brother. I collected all the money I had to buy an assortment but when I went to the counter I came up short a few dollars. I was choked and kind of embarrassed I was holding up the line but before I could choose what to leave behind an old man slapped a fiver beside me saying something like "I got you, little buddy." I was so thankful and have never forgotten about that man. I've done it a few times myself now, just because I remember that feeling so well."

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#37

"I was about 6 or 7, and I had a dollar. I saw these bags of cotton candy for $0.99, and I took it to a register, confident in buying something all on my own... and it cost $1.08 or something with tax. The man standing behind me gave me a dime and told me to remember it when someone else needs a little help. Well, I can't remember his face, but I'll never forget being taught kindness to strangers firsthand."

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Heather Vandegrift
Heather Vandegrift
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And here we see why there should be a flat national sales tax that's included in every price tag and NO income tax

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#38

"When I was in the army, we did a military exercise that took place in the woods where we had to explore and observe enemy movement which lasted 4 days. Days went like this wake up, march for 6-7 hours do small assignments, and build a small outpost with 2 watch posts, 2 men watching each night. on the 3rd night, I and another guy had the night shift. You basically stare into utter blackness, you cant use light otherwise you expose your location. I was tired, hungry, and cold. Then my other watch buddy Crawled from his post to mine 5-6 meters (yes with gear and all). And whisper: you want half of my mars bars?

That was 2008 October. and I still get a great feeling of gratitude and kindness when I think about it."

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#39

"As a boy, I developed rheumatic fever and had to stay home for months to work through it and recover. When the lady next door found out how sick I was, she made a big pot of homemade chicken soup. It was delicious and full of healthy, fresh ingredients. To this day, Mom believes that it was this woman's kindness and "love" she put into her soup-making that helped me recover faster."

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#40

"I broke my foot and was trying to limp my way across campus with crutches in the pouring rain. Someone ran over with their umbrella and walked across campus with me so I wouldn't get rained on."

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#41

"I burnt my hand bad pretty bad at work. I was dropped off at an urgent care by a coworker. I was sobbing barely able to talk because of the pain. The receptionist was extremely rude to me. I had an older man who was waiting on his wife to come help me with everything. Taking my wallet out of my purse for me. I had to wait a while before I was seen. He sat next to me. Told me little funny stories about his grandkids. He even had me hold his hand and squeeze it tight to try to take my mind away from the pain. When I was finally called back he wished me well. I think about him sometimes. He didn’t have to do that but he saw that I was in pain and wanted to help."

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Marilyn Russell
Marilyn Russell
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow - to me it seems crazy that the co-worker just left her there on her own after she was hurt on the job. You’d think the stingy employer would allow someone to help her out but instead probably told them to come back and work as fast as they could.

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#42

"My baby had passed away in utero a few days before, and I’d needed to have surgery to remove her. My husband was several states away caring for his sick father. I was just miserable, sore from surgery, my milk had come in, and an overall emotional wreck. Headed to the grocery store to pick up a few things, lost in thought in front of the produce cooler. An older gentleman was stocking the cooler and we had made some small talk about the product quality or something. As I started to walk away he wished me a happy Mother’s Day. He didn’t know about my daughter, but his words meant so much to me."

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Mabelbabel
Mabelbabel
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There's a title given to people who lose a spouse and that's widow/widower. The title for a person who loses a baby is mom or dad. You're still a parent and always will be, even if your baby is held in your heart and not in your arms.

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#43

"Moved from a city to the country. I bought a large metal wine rack at a yardsale without thinking of how I would get it home. As I stood outside my car measuring, knowing damn well it wouldn't fit, an older man came up to me. He asked if I needed help getting it home and offered to follow me in his truck. I thought, ok... I'm getting robbed, but it was only 40 dollars and I couldn't get it home anyways. The older man followed me home and helped me bring it into the house. We talked for 5 minutes or so and as he was about to leave I asked him "I just have to ask, what made you do this today?" The man extended his hand to shake mine and said "Just doing my good deed for the day". I was floored. I'm never moving back to the city and I see this sort of kindness all the time where I am."

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#44

"I had a coworker about ten years ago. We became work friends but he was moving to another state. So on his last day, he brought and gave me an iPod nano (back when they were fairly new) completely filled with different music that we had talked about or listened to together. No one had ever done something that thoughtful for me before. I could have cried. If you're out there Gabe, that's something that I will always remember."

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#45

"A random lady bought my chocolate bar and my soda after my card didn't work because it was the wrong company and the register was glitching. So I went out and she came after me and gave me my stuff. I was so surprised."

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Jessica Rabbit
Jessica Rabbit
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Reminds me of one time when my card wasn't working at Dollar Tree and I was going to leave, but the nicest lady behind me paid for about $15 worth of stuff. I had the money so I ran to the ATM and tried to bring it back to her but she was gone. Definitely an act of kindness memory I carry to this day <3

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#46

"In 7th grade, I had a mental breakdown in my homeroom class. There was a nice girl who had to leave for tutoring and she walked me to the guidance counselor's office while trying to comfort me and make me feel better. While I was at the guidance counselor's office, waiting for him to get there, there was another boy there who offered me some cereal to try to make me feel better. And lastly, my homeroom teacher stopped by to talk to me a little bit before she had to go to a meeting. All three of those things made me feel a little better"

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#47

"When I was young(19) I lost my wallet and someone used my license to rack up tickets. It was pretty obvious once courts looked at the location of the tickets and what vehicle was used, the signature, that it wasn't me. I had to go to around 3 courts to clear it up. The 3rd judge was the only one with a problem. He said I had failed to appear since the tickets were ignored. I explained what was happening and how I've been dealing with this and I came in as soon as I was made aware of the issue. He wanted to put me in jail because he didn't trust I'd be back. He wouldn't look at my paperwork because it was an arraignment. He would only look at it during the trial date.

I didn't know what to do, but I had the name of the public defender memorized. I asked if I could talk with her first. He called her in and said, "this young man seems to know you..."

I quickly explained what was happening and showed her my evidence. She told the judge that if he didn't release me to come back, she'd pay my bail out of her own pocket. He scorned me but released me. I just had to return the next month during the trial date. I was 19 then, 39 now."

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#48

"When I was a kid, I was upset because my cat had died. My mother took me on one of her shopping trips. At one store, a lady asked me what was wrong, and I told her. She gifted me with a small ceramic figure that I still have."

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#49

"I was bullied at school, quite relentlessly. Anyway, there was a "cool kid" called Kane. He was like the captain of the football team kind of guy. One day, he saw, he stepped in, he said stop, and that 1 word changed my school life so much."

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#50

"I was paying for groceries at a Trader Joe’s and the cashier (F, 60+) asks me what I’m doing this weekend. I tell her I’m actually graduating with my Master’s degree on Saturday. Her eyes light up, a beams a smile, and tells me congratulations and to wait right there. She comes back a minute or two later with a small bouquet of roses and tells me to celebrate my accomplishment. Particularly meaningful since my parents could not make the ceremony. I thanked her, gave her a smile and a hug, and never saw her again."

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#51

COBNYC said:
"I was in NYC taking a lunch break at a job I absolutely hated. I was sitting eating alone at an McD's and after about 15 minutes this man in his 40's or 50's (I'm a 28 yr old male at the time) goes up to me and says something like "Hey man, you look really sad. Things will get better." and just shook my hand. Takes a lot for one adult man to offer that up to another strange man. Really cheered me up."

ChrisTheDog replied:
"Moments like that can be so powerful. I had a friend invite me out to dinner once and when I arrived, she just hugged me. I broke down and cried. I’d been struggling with depression for so long and nobody close to me had noticed, but this couple I’d met on holiday and seen a few times since had seen something and took the initiative to ask “are you okay?” without having to ask."

COBNYC , ChrisTheDog Report

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#52

"My first semester in college was horrible. I was (and still am) in a deep depression. One day I was walking home from school and a guy running by said "I like your shirt." It was that simple. I didn't know him, and I didn't care at that moment. It made me feel happy because I got a genuine compliment. When I get compliments from friends or family, I often feel like they are giving me them because they are obligated to. This guy didn't have to, so it felt real."

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kitten levels tokyo
kitten levels tokyo
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I thought I read somewhere that there is a Japanese? proverb that says a genuine compliment can make someone feel good for a month.

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#53

"My friend passed away from cancer a few years ago. I went for a walk after finding out the news, to clear my head and to grieve with my own thoughts, basically. I was sitting in a field when a woman and her young daughter walked past me. The woman leaned down after seeing my tear-stricken face, and said to me, “my daughter has picked me these flowers, but I think you may need them more than I do”, she smiled and walked away. Those words meant a lot to me that day, and they still do. It may seem like nothing to others, but to me, it was a lot and meant the world. It still brings a tear to my eye."

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Tracy
Tracy
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Also in that moment showing her daughter how being kind is so life-changing.

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#54

"I am now required to do my job from my home (permanently), which meant disabling my gaming pc and setting up my workstation at my only desk. My agoraphobia has been triggered by the COVID crisis, and gaming is how I get a little zen. I am also disabled and my available activities are limited. This was causing a depression and anxiety spiral. I reached out to my brother about an issue I was having with my internet connection and we caught up a bit. I told him about my lack of gaming and that I was planning on getting a Switch when the prices stopped being jacked up. A little while later he sends me a message letting me know my new Switch should arrive by my birthday. I love that magnificent jerk. He saved my sanity."

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#55

"I've shared this story before, but I'll never forget this small act of kindness. When I was a kid we didn't have a lot of money, so we often shopped at thrift stores. What I loved about that was that you could get 10 books for a dollar, so I would plant myself in front of the book section and make piles of which one I wanted to get and then decide after I'd gone through them all. One day an older lady saw me sitting with my piles and asked if I liked to read. I told her I did and showed her a few of the books I found that I liked. She smiled and then pulled a dollar out of her purse, handed it to me, and said, "Promise me that you'll keep reading." I was so happy and immediately stood up and said that I would. She smiled and walked away and I went back to my piles able to pick out an extra 10 books to take home. It was just a small act of kindness for her, but for me having a random stranger encourage my love of reading and making me promise to never stop definitely had a lot to do with my continued love of reading. This was probably over 20 years ago, but I still think of her whenever I buy a new book."

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#56

"I fainted walking up steps on my way to calculus at university. A stranger caught me and put me down on the landing. If it wasn't for him I would have gotten very hurt."

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kitten levels tokyo
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

*Debonair stranger lays attractive fainter down on the ground. Considerate students step over fainted person on their way to calculus.*

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#57

"I showed up late to check in for a flight and had never flown this particular airline before and when they told me I would. Have to get on a new flight I had a panic attack right in the middle of the airport and they told me they couldn't schedule me a new flight because I cut in line because I was freaking out so bad and tried to make me go to the end of this really really long line. Well, the person right in front of this long line let me cut her as I was sobbing and couldn't even explain the situation because of me hyperventilating. I was so grateful for her because I was completely at a loss for what to do in that situation. I ended up getting a new flight an hour after my original flight and everything worked out but I will always be thankful for that lady at the airport who let me cut her in line so I could reschedule my flight."

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#58

"I was bullied a lot as a kid, there were 3 boys in the neighborhood who were always really mean to me. Well, there was a new kid who had just moved in, like half the size of the neighbor boys, and he already had a target on his back because he was very flamboyant. Well one day the boys were picking on me, and this kid, it was the first time anyone ever stood up for me, and the man he got pissed! He got his ass kicked, I felt terrible, but he was super happy about it afterward. I wish I remembered his last name, I hope he has an amazing life."

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#59

"I grew up poor and when in elementary school we went to the Boston Museum of Science. At the end of the day, everyone goes to the gift shop to buy a keepsake, etc. I didn't have any money. My mom just sent me down with a bagged lunch. A teacher whom I had never had but knew my sister bought me a gyroscope. It was the coolest thing ever. Thanks, Mrs. Swan!"

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#60

"When I was 11 or 12 I walked on the streets with my mom and we saw a homeless woman. I had maybe 10 dollars in my little fake purse and I walked up to give them to her. She started crying and hugged me. I might have initiated the kindness, but the way she hugged me and thanked me made me feel good. Makes me want to be a better person each day."

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Heather Vandegrift
Heather Vandegrift
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That $10 could have been the difference between days of starvation, or a pair of socks, or a bus ticket to a place where she has family and could have a better life. It's a small gesture to those who have it to spare, but it can mean a lot to someone with nothing (especially when given by a child who didn't have much, when so many adults with so much more treat her like she doesn't exist)

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#61

A3V01D said:
"I was given access to a shower and a hot meal after being homeless for 9 months."

dat_dog_doe replied:
"I've been saving hotel soaps from my work trips to help someone or maybe a few someone's in my community."

A3V01D , dat_dog_doe Report

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#62

"I was holidaying in Europe and extremely late for a train to the airport. My suitcase was almost my size and just as heavy, I was really struggling with it. My train was arriving and I was at the very top of a long flight of stairs, out of breath and exhausted. I put my suitcase down, paused, and took a deep breath trying to gather myself a little before this trip down the stairs. A man (maybe late 30s) had walked a few steps down the stairs, stopped, turned around, looked at me and then at my luggage, and then kindly nodded his head at me. He took a few steps up towards me, picked up my suitcase, and slowly walked ahead of me. I followed. At the very bottom, he put it on the ground just as my train was arriving and kindly nodded his head at me once again. I thanked him.

What a lovely man, I'll never forget it!"

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#63

"I was around 6 years old and went out to ride my bike. My parents were behind me walking and I was going ahead and coming back to them every 5-10 minutes but I forgot to turn around and realized I am lost so I started crying after some unsuccessful attempts to find them. One kind man probably in his 60s stopped and asked me multiple questions about what happened and who were my parents. It turned out that he knew my grandpa. He contacted him, got my parent's numbers, and called them. They decided where to meet and after 20 minutes we were there. I was so happy and relieved and thanked the old man. He lives in the block of flats and my grandpa and I sometimes help him by carrying the groceries or fixing something in his house. I would never forget this act because things could have gone wrong for me ."

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#64

"After the recession and our house foreclosure, my family and I were homeless during the summer between my fourth and fifth grade in school. When school started back up, I went to live with some family friends who clothed, fed, and loved me as one of their own.

Not only that, a few weeks before moving in with them, one of my mom's coworkers heard about our homelessness and secretly organized a fundraiser for my parents out of the state park they were living in. Along with about $1,000, they got me a book bag filled to the brim with all the school supplies I would need for the year. Still brings me to tears thinking about it. I just graduated high school this May, and I’ll never forget it."

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#65

"Years ago I was riding with a friend that was notorious for running out of gas, sure enough, we ran out of gas in the middle of nowhere, it was dark and we were both very scared. An older man and his wife stopped to help us, they were in a van and offered to take us to a gas station, we were terrified but did not have many choices so we got in the van. They were such nice people and drove us to get gas and he even paid for the gas, brought us back to my friend's car, and put the gas in her tank. They wouldn't accept any payment, he just said they had 3 daughters, and they hoped that someone would do the same for their girls if they broke down in the middle of nowhere."

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#66

"I was running late for the train. I sprinted from the car (which was about 1km away) to the station. Some lady chased me the whole way because I had dropped my keys. She kept pace with me, just to return my keys. I always return items that I find, to lost and found or someone who may be able to assist, because I’ll never forget that small act of kindness that saved me a lot of hassle of changing my house keys, and getting new car keys."

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#67

"Last year my son and I went to Lowe's to buy his grandpa a weed eater and a certain attachment that goes with it. Grandpa is a little older and slower than he used to be, but he does a lot for us, so we wanted to spend a little money to help make his life a little easier. As we get there, there's only ONE of the attachments left that we wanted. Well, there was a guy there getting it down for another customer. My son looked devastated. He knew how much his Grandpa had been wanting this stuff and we were going to surprise him with it... my son looked at me and quietly said, "That's the last one. What are we going to do for Pa now?"

Well, the guy overheard and saw the look on my son's face, so he casually handed it to me and said, "I think Pa needs this more than I do. I'll just get an IOU from the store." It was such a small moment for this guy, but it's one of those things that you witness that will literally help shape my son and his view of the world. After that, the saying, "It takes a village," didn't mean what I thought it meant every time I'd heard it before. Instead, it just made me realize that society, as a whole, is impacting all these young people in so many ways. And most of them don't even know it."

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#68

"A couple of years back I was having major anxiety about my appearance but a girl I didn't even know said she liked my shirt. It helped a lot."

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#69

"When I was little I was waiting for my aunt in a supermarket. Whenever someone exited the supermarket the doors were automatic so every time someone left I stood by the doors and pretended to magically open the doors. One person said 'thank you.'"

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#70

"When I was in my early twenties, I was pretty broke. I would usually eat at my dad's house when I could get over there, but otherwise, it was usually ramen or something else cheap. One of my buddies would come to scoop me up and take me to the gas station to get something to drink and then take me to Taco Bell to get some volcano tacos. We’d cruise back to his house and he’d always have a blunt rolled and ready. We’d smoke and eat and he’d bring me back home. He did this every week until I got some money saved up and I could afford my own Taco Bell. He never asked me if I could pay him back and he never expected anything. Thanks, Kelso!!"

atmosphericslug Report

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25points
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#71

"I was trying to fly internationally for the first time to visit a friend in the UK in the spring of 2010. You know, that year that the volcano erupted and you couldn't fly into or out of Europe for quite some time? I rode up to Chicago on the train not knowing if I was going to have a flight or not. It was just all kinds of extra stress on top of the stress of trying to travel internationally for the first time. Ultimately I didn't get to go (the flight got canceled shortly before boarding, the airline gave me my money back and I just hopped the train back home), but the flight was still scheduled when I got to O'Hare so I checked in and went to sit at the gate. Couldn't eat, trying to read with a tear-stained face that most people were ignoring. This older couple came and sat right next to me at a time when the waiting area was pretty much empty and simply began a conversation. Husband and wife trying to get home to Amsterdam had been stranded in the US for days, but came and talked to me. Didn't acknowledge the state my face was in, but they knew anyway. They didn't have to, and it was some very small kindness after a really rough day. I'll remember those folks and their kind, distracting conversation for a long time."

rusti_knight Report

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#72

"As kids, my younger brother and I spent our summers at day camp. My brother was probably 5 years old and had a tendency to hold his pee all day until we got home. One day, our mom was running late in picking us up and he wet himself. I remember being really embarrassed and unsure of what to do. Luckily, one of the camp monitors was quick to help and get it cleaned up so that no one noticed. He then lent my little brother an extra pair of his shorts to change into. The monitor was a big guy so he took a shoelace out of his own shoe to tie his large basketball shorts around my brother's tiny 5-year-old waist. I still remember how nice and reassuring (even to me, the embarrassed older sister) he was that day."

venushaze Report

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24points
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#73

"In college, at a party near my house, very drunk. I decided I'd get a burrito and return to said party. My favorite burrito place was just a few blocks away (Panchero's on Grand River while it was open). Get to the burrito place, long line, anything for the burrito. Burrito is assembled, nightmare scenario, I need to pay but I don't have my wallet. The guy behind me pays for my burrito and says "pay it forward".

God bless you guy behind me. You are remembered."

toastygoats Report

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#74

"I had just moved to a big city in 5th grade and I have had anxiety since I was in elementary. I nearly had a panic attack but a girl just a few years older held my hand and helped me calm down. Now I always try to look out for strangers and friends and I try to be nice to everyone."

FrogWithTea Report

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