12 Stories of Kindness That Never Left People’s Hearts

Any act of kindness can be life-changing, particularly if it takes someone by complete surprise. From simple acts of support to financial help in tough times, these gestures leave lasting impacts, and they often redefine people’s view of the world. Shared with gratitude online, some people told the stories of when they were on the receiving end of a kind act.

• 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. © merztoller / Reddit

• Alternator died while I was driving home from university. 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. © KahBhume / Reddit

• I was nine years old, waiting for the school bus in Wisconsin winter. I had a thin coat, 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. © saintdelft / Reddit

• 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. © Mads_83 / Reddit

• I was in New York City taking a lunch break at a job I absolutely hated. I was sitting eating alone at a fast food joint and after about 15 minutes this man in his 40s or 50s (I’m a 28-year-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. © Unknown author / Reddit

• I was around 19 years old in my first year of community college. My dad had lost his job and my mom was supporting my entire family. We were struggling for a while.
  I remember being in my night class one day, starving. I figured there’d be no dinner, so I told myself I’d go straight to bed when I get home and not think about being hungry. When I got home after class, there was a giant box of pizza on the kitchen counter.
  Apparently, one of our neighbors had bought it for us because my dad fixed a part of her fence a few months back. I think it stuck with me because A. I was so incredibly hungry and B. the chances of her bringing food that night of all nights was insane to me. It might sound so stupid, but I’ll never forget it. © melimelsx / Reddit

• I literally coasted into a gas station out of gas on my motorcycle, then realized I didn’t have my wallet. Some lady saw me patting all my pockets and that I was upset and offered to fill up my tank. I only let her put $5 in, which on a bike is a lot. But it meant so much to me. © Unknown author / Reddit

• I took my sister, whose in a wheelchair to the cinema for the first time on my own. At 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. © Zedfourkay / Reddit

• I missed my train to go home for Christmas from university 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 awful 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 stockroom under a stair well and brought me some tissues.
  He found out why I was so upset and said, “Leave it to me.” He 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’s ever done for it. © plantlifer / Reddit

• The neighbors asked to borrow my truck. I told them I could not trust my truck because the tires were bad. The next day, the neighbor called and said he was getting new tires for his Suburban and I could have his old ones. He told me to just show up at this certain tire shop that they would put them on.
  I get to the tire shop, and they put on brand-new Goodyear tires. I asked them 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. The neighbor bought me a full set of new tires instead of the old tires he said I could have. © jorcam / Reddit

• My gym teacher purchased me lunch in 3rd grade after I dropped mine. I’m 34 years old and still remember this. © bob_rob_III / Reddit

• 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 a chocolate milk. It definitely made the heartburn go away, but it was such a needlessly kind act. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. 2 years later we’re still friends, and she is definitely one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. © PhreedomPhighter / Reddit

Many of us have felt like giving up when faced with hardship and loss. These experiences are tough, but they make us stronger, despite sounding cliché. On social media, people decided to share stories of how they overcame the biggest challenges life threw at them and how they refused to quit.