1 week Ago
The world may not feel like the most loving and friendly place right now, but reading stories about individual kindness can really, really help. Recently, on the r/askreddit sub, u/Time_Sound_8726 asked , "What is a tiny gesture from someone who meant way more than they probably realized?" and the answers were incredibly heartwarming. Here are 29 of the sweetest stories: 2.
"One of my coworkers told me, 'I saw a video the other day that made me think of you,' and then described it to me. It’s really hard for me to conceptualize that people I’m not family/friends with actually think about me, the confirmation is really nice and makes me feel cared for." — coffeequeer17 4.
"I was at a Pret a Manger shop in London eleven years ago at my lowest, and I had been looking forward to my favourite sandwich all day. I couldn't find it on the shelf (it was end of day, and they were emptying the shop), and so I asked (nicely) the person there. He told me that, unfortunately, they were out for the day.
I just said, 'Oh. That's ok. Thank you.
' and kept browsing for something else." "But I must have looked truly, truly sad, because the person came back a couple of minutes later and asked me if I was okay with waiting five minutes. They had found enough ingredients to make me one if I would just wait.
I was so happy! I must have looked just so freaking pathetically happy they would make me a sandwich, the barista came up to me and asked me if I wanted a hot drink, on the house? I said, 'Yes, please, a cappuccino.' He drew a really pretty, really careful heart on it with chocolate powder. It was a truly terrible year, and London is a truly terrible city to be alone, broke, and unhappy in — but those small gestures made me feel so, so much better.
I will never forget it." — appleorchard317 6. "Many years ago, my boyfriend and I went out for a walk.
It was a rather long walk, and by the time we were halfway done, the weather had turned, and we were cold and exhausted. We stopped in a sandwich shop for food and shelter, but they were closing. They had cashed out the registers and couldn’t sell us anything, but the lovely staff gave us some free day-old bread to eat.
" "They also let us warm up inside the store as they cleaned around us. How sweet does kindness taste? This was over 30 years ago, and I’d still rank this as one of the best meals of my life." — karenaef 8.
"I’ve always had body confidence issues, and it’s taken a lot for me to feel comfortable in a swimsuit. I was on the beach a couple of years ago, feeling like everyone on the beach must have been looking at me, thinking how awful I looked, when a woman came up to me and told me she liked my swimsuit and that it suited me. Instant confidence boost.
Made me relax a little and enjoy my day at the beach." — discopanda_35 10. "I was pregnant at university in a state I wasn't from.
I had student loans and grants to cover most of the tuition, but not much extra. One of my classmates, who wasn't 'really into babies', threw me a surprise baby shower. It was really sweet.
Since we didn't know the gender until birth, all the gifts were practical items. I still think about her effort and my classmates' contributions that helped me when I needed it the most." "During that same time, I responded to a post from someone giving away baby items.
I went to pick them up and was astounded by how many she had. Upon returning home, I sent her a thank-you note expressing my gratitude. She later messaged me back asking if I wanted even more items.
(That's how my baby got her bassinet.) We paid it forward by giving away all of her baby items (including ones we purchased) to other moms for free." — sortaplainnonjane 12.
"I had emergency surgery for an ectopic pregnancy , completely unexpected. I was in the operating room, people prepping all around, stainless steel everywhere, and I was quite scared. A nurse knelt beside me and asked how I was feeling, and I said I was scared I would wake up during the surgery.
He promised I wouldn’t, and something about that interaction made me feel seen as a person, like he took the time to make me comfortable before I was knocked out." — Sea_Art2995 14. "I had a friend I hadn’t seen in a while come up to me after my son passed and explain that he saw someone he thought was me and got nervous because he didn’t know what to say or do, then determined that he was upset he reacted that way.
He said, at that moment, that he decided the only thing he would think of doing was to give me a hug." "He then proceeded to say, 'So I’m going to give you a hug now,' and gave me one of the most sincere, heartfelt hugs I’ve ever received. To him, it wasn’t huge, but to me, the idea that someone cared that deeply about me and my hurt that they would put active time and thought into how they would respond to seeing me next was incredibly encouraging and humbling.
It was like all of the hurt he felt for me and for the loss of my son amplified the meaning of this hug." — onlyhereforcookies89 16. "Had the usual parents who think yelling instructions makes you understand better.
So in my mid-teens, I had gone over to a friend’s house, and a group of kids and their parents were there. One of the dads whom I knew took the time to teach me how to tie a tie. I had never learned, and I messed up so many times.
I was openly crying and shaking because I kept messing up, but he just continued to calmly teach me until I got it." — Comment_and_lurk 18. "I'm getting divorced and had spoken before at work about how excited I was to have my name back.
One day, my coworker asked if I wanted him to change my last name back to my maiden name on my customer profile in our POS [Point of Sale], something I hadn't even thought of doing. For him to remember and offer was such a small thing, but it made me feel so loved and grateful." — fiddlesticks2319 20.
"My work's secret Santa actually got me the one and only (very cheap) thing I asked for. Nobody has EVER done that for me before. I've always wanted a proper birding journal, but I always got soap, candles, chocolate, or alcohol.
.. (I don't drink) Lol! Honestly, though, I broke down crying in front of everyone.
" — Maggieslens 22. "My first night waitressing on my own, I was running at full speed, always a step behind, and had the rudest customers. I had a very kind assistant manager who was running my drinks for me at the same time.
That was incredibly kind in itself, but what really got me was that the last table of the night was a 12-top, and I guess they saw me being run into the ground." "When I finally got to the table to introduce myself and take their drink order, a man around 60 at the head of the table gently grasped my wrist and said, 'Don't worry. You're at the nice table now, and we are very patient.
I'm paying the bill, and you will get a fifty percent tip no matter what happens.' It was the touch on the wrist for me. Before the end of his speech, I burst out crying and had to run into the kitchen.
After two minutes, I composed myself and gave that table my full attention. If you ever want to see someone cry, show them kindness when they are most stressed. They will never forget you.
I am 39 years old now, and this happened when I was 21." — Sad_Cantaloupe_8162 24. "I am so self-conscious about my teeth, and I broke a tooth eating lunch.
I was so distressed as I was going to a family wedding, and I booked an appointment to see a dentist ASAP. I went to my boss, a gruff man, and said 'I’m so sorry, but it’s urgent — I hate my teeth already and need to fix this,' and he said, calmly, 'I’ve always thought you have lovely teeth and a great smile,' and I absolutely died on the spot. I think about that comment a lot, and eight or nine years later, I think I agree with him.
" — cjmand 26. "I was probably around 12-13. I had pretty bad acne on my forehead, and people would constantly point it out in some way — not maliciously, but I was still SO self-conscious about it, and I was massively self-conscious about my appearance anyway.
One day, my friends and I were standing in a circle just talking, and at some point, one of the popular guys in our class (he was kind of our friend, too) came up and joined the conversation. This kid was handsome and well aware of that, and kind of a troublemaker, so I think all of us had a little crush on him." "After a while, he said he had to go and started saying goodbye to all of us, but the way he decided to say goodbye was by giving each and every girl a kiss on their forehead (we were a group of like six or so).
I WAS MORTIFIED and internally freaking out because I knew that he would be so grossed out that he wouldn’t want to do it, or maybe would pause when he got to me and do it out of a sense of obligation. Every time he got closer to me, my stomach sank even further, and I honestly considered just stepping aside and pretending I was leaving, too. Eventually, my turn came, and when I tell you this kid just didn't even miss a step, grabbed my head gently and kissed my forehead like it’s nothing, and just kept moving? I was in shock.
I honestly could not believe it. I didn’t really know how to feel, but I was SO grateful. I wish I could thank him for that to this day.
I don’t know if he realizes the impact of what he did, or what his thought process was. I know for a fact it’s not like he didn’t notice my acne because it was honestly really bad, I had to go on Acutane and everything, and he would sometimes look at my forehead instead of my eyes when talking to me, so I know he saw it. But it’s the fact that he was pretty young too and acted that kindly, especially when kids at that age aren’t that self-aware.
I was constantly feeling like the ugly duckling of the group, and that made me feel part of it, or like I was normal. I’m 26 now, and it’s still one of the kindest things anyone has ever done." — Brinleybrinn_ 28.
"I was out to lunch with my grandparents and my cousin, celebrating my 9th birthday. It was a special thing that I went out to a restaurant and saw family for it because my birthday is the day after a holiday, and everyone was (still is) normally too busy to spend time with me. So I was already happy, but an old lady carrying a bouquet of flowers walked by our table and overheard that it was my birthday.
So she pulled two flowers out of it and gave one to me and one to my cousin. I still think of that whenever I’m sad, and white roses are my favorite flower to this day — that gesture is why. I just wish I could thank her again.
" — sunflowersdancing.
