10 Stories That Prove Kindness Is the Ultimate Superpower

People talk about superpowers like flying or invisibility, but honestly, nothing beats kindness. It can flip your whole day, pull you out of a bad place, or even change your life in ways you never saw coming. Here are 10 true stories people shared that prove kindness is the real ultimate superpower.

• I was 20, broke, and living in Boston while going to college. One day, I was short at the grocery store and ready to start putting things back. The woman behind me, maybe in her 40s, just smiled and said, “Don’t worry, I got it.”
  She swiped her card like it was nothing. I walked home crying because that was the first time in months I felt like someone cared. — Anna N / Bright Side
• A few months after my husband passed, I got into a cab in New York. I don’t even know why, but I started talking about him.
  The driver just listened the whole ride. He didn’t try to change the subject or throw in fake “sorry for your loss” lines. Just silence and nods. That ride meant more to me than most of the condolences I got. — Michael R / Bright Side
• Back in 7th grade in Chicago, I was the “slow reader” kid. Everyone gave up on me except my English teacher, Mrs. Daniels.
  She’d stay after school with me three times a week. She once told me, “You’re not dumb, you just need time.” I’m 28 now and working as a freelance writer. I wouldn’t be here without her. — Lena P / Bright Side

• I live in Minnesota, so winters are brutal. One morning after a huge storm, I looked outside, and my whole driveway was cleared. I’m 65 and live alone, so I knew it wasn’t me.
  My neighbor Dave had done it before heading to work. He never mentioned it, but I always knew. Little things like that make you feel like you’re not alone. — Carol W / Bright Side
• I’m 23 and deal with anxiety. Once, I called my best friend during a panic attack around 2 a.m. I kept apologizing for bothering him, but he just said, “I’m not going anywhere.”
  He stayed on the phone for two hours while I breathed through it. That night showed me what real friendship and kindness look like. — Dylan K / Bright Side
• We were at a restaurant in Houston with my little brother, who has autism. He couldn’t handle any of the menu options and was starting to get upset.
  The waiter leaned down, asked what he liked, and had the chef whip up plain pasta with butter. Didn’t even charge extra. My parents almost cried at the table. — Sara L / Bright Side

• Last summer, my car broke down on I-95 near Philly. Everyone kept honking and flying past. Then this guy on a Harley pulled over.
  He helped push my car to the shoulder and stayed until AAA came. He just said, “Don’t worry about it, pay it forward someday,” then rode off. Never even got his name. — Tom B / Bright Side
• When I was 19 and in college, I was working two jobs but still couldn’t cover tuition. One morning, I opened my locker and there was an envelope with $1,500 in it. No name, no note.
  That was exactly what I needed for that semester. I graduated last year and still think about whoever did that. — Emily S / Bright Side

• I was watching my niece at the park in San Diego when she dropped her ice cream and started sobbing. Before I could even react, another little boy, maybe 5 or 6, walked up and handed her his gummy worms. He just said, “It’s okay, you can have mine.”
  She stopped crying instantly. Kids sometimes understand kindness better than we do. — David H / Bright Side
• My DIL invited me to go shopping. I picked a dress I really liked and went into the changing room.
  When I came out, a woman grabbed my arm and whispered, “Be careful! Your DIL doesn’t want you to know, but I need to warn you that she’s really stressed. I heard her mumbling that she forgot her wallet and doesn’t have enough cash on her. She looked worried and kept saying she wanted to surprise you with that dress, but it is out of her budget.”
  I didn’t want her to feel embarrassed, so when I went to the counter, I just paid for it quietly. Before she got there, I asked the cashier to say the store was running a little lucky draw and that the dress ended up being free.
  When my DIL walked up and heard that, she looked so relieved. The smile on her face was worth everything, and I’m grateful to the kind stranger. — Meghan K / Bright Side

Here’s another interesting letter we received from one of our readers: I Refuse to Sacrifice My Own Needs for My Sick Stepchild