10 Acts of Love and Kindness That Can Make the World Feel a Little Brighter

We hired my friend’s daughter as a nanny. My husband worked from home, they were usually alone together. Yesterday, I came home early and found her in my closet with my husband, searching his drawers. Then she touched his shoulders. My knees gave out when she whispered, “Your wife been so good to me when I felt totally lost, I just wanted to do something nice,” my heart completely melted into a puddle on the floor. I just started laughing through my tears, pulled her into a massive hug, and told her she is officially stuck with us forever. Honestly, it’s those little moments of pure, unexpected sweetness that completely reset your faith in people. Turns out she wasn’t going through his drawers for anything sketchy, she was frantically trying to hide a handmade birthday card and a tiny gift she made for me, and my husband was just helping her stash it where I wouldn’t look.

My grandfather ran a hardware store for something like 40 years and quietly extended credit to families going through rough patches, never really tracked who owed what down to the dollar. Didn’t understand what he meant when he used to say success without kindness is hollow until I watched him actually live it for years. When he passed, people I’d never met showed up just to tell stories about how he helped them out during hard times, some going back decades. Realized then his real legacy wasn’t the store at all, it was every quiet favor nobody ever heard about. Try to run my own business the same way now, doesn’t always make the most financial sense but it feels closer to what actually matters.

A long time ago, I was really struggling with some essential training for my then-job. If I didn’t pass, I was going to be booted off the training pipeline. I was on the verge of leaving regardless, rather than deal with the stress of potentially failing. One of the manager/trainers knew I was struggling — he cleared his diary one morning, called me to his office and sat with me for 2 hours explaining how much he had struggled when he went through the same training, what tools had helped him and ended by giving me the pep talk to end all pep talks. He KNEW I could do it, I just needed someone to tell me they believed in me.
I came out feeling so much happier and lighter, knowing that someone l liked and respected had been exactly where I was 20 years prior. I passed everything — not necessarily with flying colours, but well enough. I still think about him and the positive impact that 2 hour talk had on me to this day.

I remember about three or four days after my dad passed away, I had a tiny car accident in a supermarket car park. I scraped an expensive looking Audi because my head was a mess. I got out of my car and so did the other guy, I apologized straight away and admitted it was my fault. Ironically, he was about my dad’s age, maybe older. He seemed to take pity on me. Either that or he was just a very chill bloke. Told me not to worry and sent me on my way. Said it’s not worth getting worked up over. He was incredibly kind and forgiving at a time when I needed it most and I’ll always remember him. Maybe I’ll get the chance to pay it forward one day, and I hope I do him and my dad justice. Miss you, Dad.

One was a couple of years ago when I was getting a bus home. As I got on the bus, this girl of about 17 said to me “I hope you don’t mind me saying, but you are absolutely beautiful”. It really made my day and I haven’t forgotten it. As someone who struggles with her self-esteem it was a nice little confidence boost!
Another one that sticks out to me happened slightly more recently. I was sat in a cafe with my dog and this young woman, I would say mid to late 20s, approached me and asked if she could say hello to my dog. Then she asked if she could have a seat and a chat. I am quite a shy and awkward person but I was happy to oblige. She told me she thought I might be lonely as I was sat by myself, barring the dog, and she wanted to see if I was okay. I was fine but I thought it was such a lovely gesture. We only chatted briefly but I was really touched by her thoughtfulness and I cried happy tears when I got home (I’m a soppy thing). She probably thought nothing of it but I will always remember that moment. Bianca from South Africa, on the off chance you are reading this, you are a beautiful soul!

Was hospitalized for a week with pneumonia, no family close by, and evenings were bad, just me and a TV that only got four channels. A nurse who wasn’t even assigned to my room started stopping by on her breaks, brought me a crossword magazine once, remembered stuff I’d only mentioned in passing like offhand. Way beyond her job description honestly. That week could’ve been unbearable and instead it was just lonely with occasional bright spots, which she basically created out of nothing. I wrote her supervisor a letter after I got discharged because people like that don’t get nearly enough credit for the emotional labor they carry on top of the actual medical work.

My son shares his bike at the park constantly, hands it to any kid who doesn’t have one, no hesitation. Didn’t teach him that specifically, he just does it. His mom, one of the other regulars, told me she actively encourages it rather than telling him to guard his stuff like some parents do. Watching a six year old model that kind of generosity without anyone coaching him made me feel like the adults are usually the ones overcomplicating basic decency. We could probably learn more from watching kids on a playground than half the self help books out there.

Was 16 and working at a music festival being held at a grand country estate. My job was to stand in a field and direct the arriving cars to the car park, which was just in another field. It was raining and I was miserable, then one of the guests I directed thanked me, stepped out of his car and opened the boot, handed me an umbrella and said “take this- you need it a lot more than I do” and went on his way. I remain so very grateful to that man.

Posted in a local Facebook group when I was unemployed, kind of embarrassed honestly, asking if anyone had spare interview clothes since I couldn’t afford new ones. A woman drove almost two hours to drop off a bag of blazers, slacks, even shoes in my size, wouldn’t take a dime for any of it. There was a little note in one of the pockets telling me to just pay it forward when I got back on my feet. Wore one of those blazers to the interview that actually got me the job. Still think about her trusting a random stranger on the internet enough to drive that far. Paid it forward twice since then, feels right to keep it going.

Spent a Saturday last fall writing letters to residents at a nursing home near me, figured maybe a few people would appreciate it, wasn’t expecting much. Staff told me later one woman read hers every day and kept it by her bed until she passed a few months after. That messed me up a little, in a good way I think. Small thing to me, everything to her apparently. I’ve kept doing it every couple months since, it’s cheap, takes an hour, and you genuinely never know whose whole week you’re making. Doesn’t take money to matter to someone.