15 People Whose Days Would’ve Been Utterly Boring If Not for One Incident

Everyone has boring, gray days. But a good joke, an unexpected find, or even a simple smile or compliment can brighten things up. And in cases like the ones you’re about to read, such days will be remembered with warmth after many months or even years.

This Bright Side compilation is about such situations. You can read it and find out how communication with an ordinary librarian can cheer you up or how an animal you picked up on the street can change your fate.

• Once, I was as on duty in the hospital. And in the evening, an ambulance brought a 52-year-old woman with a preliminary diagnosis of acute intestinal obstruction. She had nausea, vomiting, pain, and her abdomen was enlarged. The surgeon examined her and immediately sent her to the operating room. We ran some tests, the anesthesiologist examined the patient, and we even put her on the operating table, but something seemed confusing. We called the gynecologist, and it turned out that the woman was pregnant and was already in labor. She had been married for decades and had long been diagnosed with infertility. The fact that her menstruation had stopped didn’t seem strange due to her age. We transferred her to the maternity ward, she gave birth normally, and she and her husband were incredibly happy with their first child. © Tornillo / Pikabu

• This story happened this spring. I put some dishes on a tray to have lunch in the cafeteria of the campus where I work and went to the check-out to pay. That day, I was wearing a T-shirt with a bear eating honey and the inscription, “honey.” The girl at the checkout jokingly said to me, “Hi, honey!” — and smiled. These were the warmest spontaneous words that I heard addressed to me in many years, despite the fact that I had been married for a year. People rarely pay compliments to men, but such a little thing can make your day or even a year. © f3681 / Pikabu

• When I go outside the city, I regularly ride my bike. Sometimes, I pick up garbage from my a plot of land and from the side of the road. Recently, I was driving my bike, as usual, picking up cans and other rubbish. A car drove past me and made a turn. And after I drove about 300 feet, it caught up with me and a man got out of the car, shyly smiling, and handed me a pack of cookies and ice cream along with the words, “You make it cleaner here, so this is for you. Thank you!” It was nice. © “Overheard” / Vk

• I ordered a taxi at night. A car arrived, and a driver was with his partner. They looked back
  at me during the whole ride. I seemed to look decent, it was dark, and I was sure that I didn’t know these people. Finally, the driver said, “Who are you going to?” I answered, “Home.” The driver exchanged glances with his wife and said, “You ordered a taxi to our address.” Then I laughed. It was a new neighborhood with private houses, and our house was not yet marked on the map, so I ordered a taxi to the nearest address. This is how I found out what our neighbors looked like. © HamsterHamsy / Pikabu
• I was sipping my coffee and reading the newspaper in the morning as I usually do when my mom asked me to come to the backyard to show me something. It turned out that a groundnut that had accidentally fallen in the soil sprouted and germinated into a small plant. While I was watching it, fascinated, my mom said, “See how nature finds its way through everything? That’s how everything works in life.” We took out the sapling and planted it in a safer place in the garden where it has fewer chances of being stepped on. Can’t wait to taste it. © Sonalika Ruchandani / Quora

• Today, something exciting happened — a random person stopped me to confirm if I was the one he saw on YouTube. I was shocked because I’m just a small YouTuber with 1,750 subscribers. © trendz19 / Reddit

• I never understand people who would find forgotten money in their jackets. But today, I was sorting through boxes and found $15 in a greeting card. The envelope was waiting for me for 2 years. I was so happy! @"Overheard / Vk

• 12 years ago, my son found a freezing kitten on his way home from school. The veterinarian said that the kitten was unlikely to make it, so it was better to euthanize him so he wouldn’t suffer. But my son didn’t agree and took care of the kitten. He was his first patient. Now my son is a doctor, and the cat has turned into a handsome guy. © 23kiskis / Twitter

• My son is 11 years old and age is starting to become difficult. Today, I asked him to throw away the trash. He wasn’t happy about my request, but he pulled himself together and went out. He asked me, “Can I go to the store?” I asked him what he needed there. And he said that he saved $3 and he’d like to buy some chips. I told him that it was ok. He returned home with a rose. He ran into the flower shop and bought it for his mom. He camouflaged it with paper so I wouldn’t see it from the window. He said, “I want you to smile, Mom.” © Darsycat / Pikabu

• My neighbor’s daughter, who had recently arrived from India, brought me a flower, left it on the back porch, stood 10 feet back, and waved at me. She doesn’t speak English, and I don’t speak Hindi but I think we’re going to be friends. She’s only 6 and I’m 71.© BarbKatz1973 / Reddit

• My phone rang in the morning.
  — “Good morning, can I come to you in the evening to have some tea? I love gingerbread with my tea!”
  I hang on for 5 seconds and then reply with some aggression in my voice:
  — “And who are you?”
  — “The Central City Library is calling you. You borrowed some books from us 2 months ago and didn’t return them. If you don’t have time to do it, I can come and pick them up myself.”
  Then I felt uncomfortable and in the evening, I returned the books and presented the librarian with a chocolate bar. The librarian, a sweet woman with a good sense of humor, said that after such a call, 90% of debtors bring books back on the same day, and in addition, they present something to drink tea with. And then all the library staff drinks tea with sweets. © olimp71 / Pikabu

• I was waiting for my coffee in a café. A young barista was at the counter. I remembered how he, still a clumsy teenager, was taught by a more experienced colleague who gave him simple advice — to learn how to joke and cheer people up in difficult situations, like, for example, if the kitchen runs late, the coffee machine breaks down, etc. A woman was sitting at a table next to me, and the same former intern approached her:
  — “Excuse me, about your order for oatmeal with fresh apples. I just went into the kitchen, and there was our chef eating the last apple. Can you imagine? He loves vitamins. Can I replace it with any other fruit?”
  The woman began to smile. I was laughing.
  — “Of course, you can,” she said. © AlexBessonov / Pikabu
• Once, at work, a new girl got assigned to the desk next to me. And out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that she was examining the keyboard and mouse that were sticky from dirt, with a little disgust. Without taking my eyes off the monitor, I took out a pack of wet wipes and handed it to her. She took it and was wiping the table, mouse, and keyboard for a while. Then she jokingly said, “You read my mind.” And I answered, “Well, yes, my grandfather was a shaman.” After that, she was silent for a long time and looked at me with scrutiny. The joke was a success. © ShiroglazyiAziat / Pikabu
• Due to health problems, I gained some extra weight, even though I used to have an athletic body. People began to call me fat, but my boyfriend, with whom I had a long-distance relationship for 6 years, supported me. No matter how much I wanted to go to the gym, I didn’t have enough money. And before my birthday, I found out that a surprise from my boyfriend was waiting for me. Soon, a truck drove up to my house. It was so strange because I was expecting some ordinary girly gifts. The car opened and there was an exercise machine! I asked my boyfriend why he did it and he replied, “Since you can’t go to the gym, I decided to bring the gym to you.” © Rinkle Sudan / Quora

What event made your day today? Tell us about one small incident — perhaps it’ll cheer you up along with some of our readers!