10 Stories That Prove Kindness Is the Greatest Superpower on Earth

When work stress piles up, it’s easy to lose sight of how much a simple kind gesture can mean. Whether it’s holding the door, offering a smile, or just listening to someone vent, kindness has a way of cutting through the noise of a busy day.

• For years, my wife and my mom couldn’t get along, and my wife was crying every night. So we cut contact completely. Then one day, I borrowed my wife’s old tablet. She’d forgotten to log out of her email. My blood ran cold when I saw dozens of emails addressed to my mom. Most were unsent.
  She asked how my mom was. She apologized. One draft read, “I know I wasn’t easy. But I want our child to know both grandmothers.” The next morning, I drove to my mom’s place alone, and I handed her printouts of the emails.
  It took time, but eventually, they met again. Now, they text and send each other photos of their garden plants. My wife still doesn’t know I saw those emails.

• I changed careers because a client delivered a heartfelt, handwritten letter of appreciation to my desk. My supervisor made an awful comment about it after they left, and I decided to update my resume that night. That was five years ago, and it was one of the best career decisions I’ve made.
  © TheDadThatGrills / Reddit

• I got my period and wasn’t prepared. I was stuck in a washroom cause I couldn’t walk around while bleeding. Three kind girls came to the washroom and offered to go outside and buy me sanitary products. Mind you, I’ve never met these girls before. They literally saved me that day. © West-Owl-7723 / Reddit

• My mom used to pack a lunch for my brother when he was in elementary school. He went through a period where he couldn’t keep a lunchbox. My parents would buy them for him and they would disappear every day when he came home. My mom thought that he was just losing them until she finally sat him down and asked him why he couldn’t keep one. He said something along the lines of, “There’s a kid at lunch who sits by himself, and he gets a tray with everybody else, but he’s always hungry again, so I give him my lunch.” My mom started packing a lunch for my brother and a lunch for the kid from that day on. © PrideIllustrious7087 / Reddit

• I was a street cleaner once. It was a horrible rainy dark December morning, and I was sweeping a road feeling like a complete failure. A guy pulled over and said, “I appreciate all your hard work. You’re doing a great job.” © yieldbetter / Reddit

• I bought a used RV to live in temporarily. The previous owner’s wife put a new mattress, sheets, blankets, and comforters in it. It was like sleeping in a hotel. It was very nice and they were not expected to do that. © AsusVg248Guy / Reddit

• A person I think very highly of told me that he has admired my design work for many years and that it’s not “just” design but art. It was really kind and made me think of how the work we do can have an impact on others. I had a lot of disillusionment in the design field for a while because it’s not usually noticed or appreciated. But that comment really made an impact on my whole week and how I feel about the future. © omnana / Reddit

• When I was in college, I was struggling to get through finals. One of my classmates offered to study with me, bringing snacks and encouragement. That support helped me not only academically but emotionally. I still remember how that kindness made such a difference during a stressful time. © only20yo / Reddit

• This nice lady in front of us in the line at Boston Science Museum said she was a member of the museum and had free coupons for guests that we could use. She then asked us if we were planing on watching any shows, which you have to pay for seperatly. We told her we were planing to watch 2 shows. When we got to the cashier, she used the two coupons and also paid for our tickets to the two shows. “This one is on me, enjoy”. I’ll never forget it. © Unknown author / Reddit

• A coworker left me a nice note complimenting my work. It was such a small gesture, but it boosted my confidence. © ConfidentMolasses939 / Reddit

Kindness shows up in all sorts of ways, and sometimes, one thoughtful person is all it takes to turn someone’s whole world around. If you’re in the mood for more feel-good moments, take a look at these stories about 10 Kind People Who Became Beacons of Hope in Someone Else’s Storm.