15 People Who Made a Longlasting Effect On a Random Person

We cross paths with countless strangers every day, often without noticing. But once in a while, someone surprises us with a random act of kindness, a burst of humor, or simply an unforgettable gesture. It’s those rare moments that turn an ordinary day into a story worth sharing.

• 24-year-old me moving out of Paris to Berlin with two huge bags (50 kg) and a cat. My ’best friend’ at the time, who was supposed to help me carry all that to the train at 6 a.m., completely bailed on me—he went partying all night.
  So there I was, trying to get a cab (hopeless), completely alone in the street, not a soul awake but me, standing there with my bags and my cat, thinking I would miss my train for sure... I started crying out of frustration—tickets were non-refundable.
  Then, an angel in the shape of a middle-aged man appeared in front of me out of nowhere. He was on his way to work. He didn’t speak French very well but offered to carry my bags ALL THE WAY to the train station, and even inside the train.
  He literally saved my day. I had only a few minutes to thank him, and nine hours later, I started a new life in Berlin. I will never forget him. © ALWS_0rweLL / Reddit

• I had a bad day. Missed two buses. I was furious when I came to my stop, knowing that I had to wait for another two hours.
  An old man was sitting there, enjoying some chocolate, and calmly told me, “Anger mostly means you have a lot of sorrow.” With that one sentence, he made me realize how irrelevant my anger was. I calmed down quickly. © infektiousPineapple / Reddit

• A homeless woman I saw every now and then on my way to the grocery store. She asked for money once, and I said I’m sorry, but I’m too broke to give her some. She memorized and never asked me again, but we greeted each other friendly every time we met for several years.
  One day I met her, she hugged me out of nowhere and told me she found a proper job and got an apartment, and she’s spending the day in front of the grocery store to let the people know she knows them from seeing them for so long, so they won’t be worried. This was one of the most joyful moments in my life, and I sometimes think about her when I’m in that area. © rock_in_steady / Reddit

• Two years ago, my boyfriend and I hit a rough patch that ended in us breaking up for six months. Right before we broke up, I received a text message from a phone number I didn’t know. The text read, “Just so you know, (boyfriend) is done with you. He’s tired of being with you and thinks you look like a man. Just leave him alone!”
  I immediately forwarded the text to my boyfriend, who called me asking what all that was about. We broke up shortly after, but not for the reasons the anonymous texter said. I still think about what that person said, and sometimes I get so down I cry. © med20 / Reddit

• Thirty years ago, I was 17, with dreams of becoming a music teacher. It was a Saturday morning in my small city, and I was walking a couple blocks from the library to the mall to buy myself lunch. On the way, I ran into a woman, who looked like she was in her 30s but also much older, like she lived a tough life. She asked if she could have a dollar to buy a cup of coffee. I told her if she walked with me, I’d buy her lunch.
  Over the course of our walk and lunch, she told me she was a music teacher. Her father was diagnosed with cancer, so she moved in with him to take care of him. She had to take him to so many medical appointments that she couldn’t work full time, so she became a substitute teacher instead. That was the day that I truly understood that sometimes good people do all the right things but just have bad circumstances, and I realized the importance of not passing judgment and instead showing compassion. © Iamwinning2022too / Reddit

• I was 18 or 19, with a tiny hip tattoo that could be seen just peeking over the waist of my jeans. I was at the mall with a girlfriend when an older man came up to me, looked me in the eye, and said, “You’re very beautiful.”
  Flabbergasted and not expecting that, I stuttered, “T-thanks?” Immediately, he stared at the tattoo and said, “It’s a shame you ruined your body like that,” then stormed away. I was so shocked I didn’t react and didn’t realize how rude his comment was until later. © puritycontrol / Reddit

• When I was 5, my mom took me to shopping. She bought me a balloon, but the wind ripped the balloon from my hand. I started crying, as any 5-year-old would, and a lady who was coming into the store to shop said, “Awwww, sweetie. It’s okay, let’s go get you a new balloon.”
  This kind woman, my mom, and I walked through the store and got a new balloon. She took me right to the checkout and made sure the balloon was secure. This was in 1995, and I still remember that interaction nearly 30 years later. © SpookiBat / Reddit

• First time in San Francisco and riding a cable car. There are all these warnings printed about keeping your arms and legs inside the car at all times. So, we’re going up a hill, and there is another cable car coming down the hill on my side... and I make eye contact with a woman on that car. As we passed each other, we both held our hands out and high-fived each other. © G***yGarden_73 / Reddit

• I was a kid, and a gentleman at the next table in a restaurant could speak six languages or so. He gave examples of a few. I was so impressed and, since then, wanted to learn languages. I now speak six fluently, plus a couple more at a basic level, so it had a real positive impact. © Turicus / Reddit

• One night, my daughter and I were sitting across from an old man who was sitting alone at a restaurant. I noticed him a few times listening to us talk.
  He got up to leave, stopped at our table, and said, “Hello there, I’ve been watching you two, and I just felt like I needed to tell you something. Cherish these moments because they are gone way too fast. I’ve lost just about everyone in my life—my wife and daughter included—and for now, I live to see moments like this. Your daughter is beautiful, and just please cherish every second.”
  This man walked away, and I instantly started crying because I already knew how fast time was going. I always tell myself to cherish these little moments with my daughter... I’ll never forget that old man. © thelilmandan / Reddit

• When I was a kid, we didn’t have a lot of money, so we often shopped at thrift stores. What I loved about that was that you could get 10 books for a dollar, so I would plant myself in front of the book section and make piles of which one I wanted to get, and then decide after I’d gone through them all.
  One day, an older lady saw me sitting with my piles and asked if I liked to read. I told her I did and showed her a few of the books I found that I liked. She smiled and then pulled a dollar out of her purse, handed it to me, and said, “Promise me that you’ll keep reading.” I was so happy and immediately stood up and said that I would. She smiled and walked away, and I went back to my piles, able to pick out an extra 10 books to take home. © -eDgAR- / Reddit

• I was in college and just got dumped by the girl I was seeing. I left class and went to get some fresh air. An old lady walked by, stopped, looked at me, and just said “You look sad”. I just said “yeah,” and she just smiled at me and walked off. And typing it out now doesn’t seem like much at all, but just the fact that she noticed helped a little bit. © CactusCustard / Reddit

• I was on the London Underground many years ago on a train that was just pulling away. In a fleeting moment, I made eye contact with a guy on the platform, and he started smiling and running alongside the train, comedy-style, waving to me until the end of the platform. It still makes me smile thinking about it now. © Unknown author / Reddit

• I had just moved to NYC, and upon landing, my apartment situation completely fell through, and I found myself homeless. I found a place on Craigslist and gave the number a call. A male voice answered and said they didn’t have an apartment and had no idea how their number got attached to it.
  At that point, I started crying. I apologized to them and was about to hang up, but they asked me to vent to them, and so I did about everything: being homeless, not finding an apartment, worried about having to move back home, and worried about being on my own after college. This person listened to me and validated all my feelings, then gave me the best pep talk afterwards. © VagueSoul / Reddit

• Years ago, I was standing in line at a bakery on Valentine’s Day. I’d had a truly awful day at work, was tired, and just wanted the day to end.
  An elderly woman in a blue coat was in line ahead of me, wearing a pink camellia in a buttonhole. I complimented the camellia and told her they always reminded me of my grandmother, who grew them in pink, white, and red. We chatted a bit until it was her turn to order.
  As she was leaving, she slipped the camellia into my hand and said, “Happy Valentine’s Day from your grandmother. She would be so proud of you.” I held it together long enough to pick up my order, but definitely cried once I got to my car.
  I still think about the woman in the blue coat from time to time. Her simple act of kindness has remained with me for over a decade. © aelizabeth27 / Reddit

It is always good to read heartlifting stories, like the ones you can find in our 12 Strangers Who Became Someone Else’s Hero Without Even Realizing It article.