15 Remarkable Stories Where Kindness Changed Everything

Sometimes, the tiniest act of kindness can brighten an ordinary day in ways we never forget. It’s often those little gestures that end up leaving the biggest impact on our hearts.

Today at Bright Side, we’ve gathered 15 touching stories that prove small acts of compassion can have a big impact. These moments remind us that kindness is all around.

• A man in a full business suit with a briefcase handed me an umbrella in a torrential rain storm and wouldn’t take no for an answer. I still had to walk through Times Square to get to the train, and I’m sure he got soaked going wherever he was going. A couple of weeks later, I gave the umbrella to a lost girl in my neighborhood when it started to rain, and she didn’t have one. Felt like the universe wanted it to happen.
  I’ll never forget that man, though. © Unknown author / Reddit

• We were a poor family. My mom had made a point of saving up enough once to take my sister and me to the zoo & museum. We had a great day, even ate out. Then, on the way to the bus stop heading home, she realized she’d overspent & didn’t have enough to pay for all three of us to get there. We were looking at a 6-mile walk, and it had just started snowing. We duck into a small Chinese restaurant & ask if we can use the phone (mom was going to ask someone for a ride). The owner asks us why we needed the phone, and after mom explains, he not only gave us the money we needed to get on the bus, but also sent us home with enough food to feed 6 people. My mom told him we’d try to pay him back one day, but he asked us to pay it forward instead.
  It was the first random act of kindness that I’d ever received & sticks with me 30 years later. © hassenoma01 / Reddit

• I was homeless about ten years ago. And I got my things stolen. I had one night in Portland where I was very cold. I was shivering on a concrete bench. Another homeless guy comes up to me. We talk for a while. And then he gives me a nylon shirt. Not much. But he knew I was hurting from the cold. And he did that. I still have it. It saved me. © treuchetfight / Reddit

• When I moved to a new state and started seventh grade on February 13, I didn’t know anyone at my new school. By Monday, a girl named Eileen handed me a Valentine. She told me she wanted to make sure I got at least one in my first week. I still think about that small act of kindness. © MeganMess / Reddit

• I was crying in an airport and this lady gave me 40$. She said that she was about to head home after a very long and stressful day of traveling and overheard that we were stuck in the airport after a flight cancellation. She was so grateful to be home, and when she saw me going through the same thing, she wanted to buy me some breakfast. © kittyqueenkaelaa / Reddit

• When I was 20, I ran out of gas and had my young sisters in my car. Some random lady helped me out and paid for gas for me to get home. I hope she is living her best life and wish nothing but good things for her. © F***Watcher / Reddit

• On Halloween night, I had a car accident. My husband rushed to the hospital. Later, he realized he’d left the door open. We live in a busy area with two cats. He hurried home and saw the door was still wide open, just as he’d left it. But inside was our old neighbor, watching the cats for us. She had just returned home, saw him take off, noticed the door was open, worried about the cats, and decided to stay a while, waiting for us to return.

• It was 11 p.m., and I had to take the train home after finishing my shift. As a woman, I felt nervous, but I had no choice. A scary-looking man sat beside me, so I tried to stay on guard. But then I fell asleep. I woke up terrified when I saw his hand close to my body, but it wasn’t touching me. It turned out he’d stretched his arm over me after noticing another suspicious man staring sharply at me from across the seat. He didn’t move his arm until I reached my stop. He even waited at the train door to make sure the man wouldn’t follow me as I got off. I only managed to turn around and say thank you before the door closed. That was 20 years ago, and I’ll never forget his face. I’m grateful to him forever.

• When I was a kid, I spotted a toy I wanted more than anything. My mom said I could have it if I saved up, so after weeks of chores, I finally had enough. At the register, I learned about taxes, and my heart sank as I went to put the toy back. Then the young couple behind me smiled and said, “Looks like the money fairy is here,” as they handed the cashier two dollars. Thanks to them, I walked out with the toy. As an adult, I know it was a small amount, but to me as a child, it felt like pure magic, and I have never forgotten their kindness. © SecretSerpents / 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 © Twours1944 / Reddit

• One time when I was 17, I fell asleep crying with my head on a friend’s lap. She didn’t want to wake me, so she just let me sleep for over 2 hours, never moving an inch, without eating or making a sound.
  She is still my friend to this day. People like her are worth holding on to. © _Fioura_ / Reddit

• When I was 12, my family was homeless for a time. My mom would often take us by bus across town to see her friends, and we would walk the rest of the way after getting off.
  One hot summer day in Texas, we were exhausted from the walk and stopped inside a Burger King just to sit. My mom sat with us at a table, quietly counting her change to see how much food she could buy. That is when an employee walked over with a tray full of food.
  Someone had noticed us counting coins and decided to buy it for us. What they did not know was that my brother, sister, and I had not eaten in more than a day. That small act of kindness meant everything in that moment, and it has stayed with me as a reminder to always help others in need. © tdcave / Reddit

• I once saw a barista pay for a tired nurse’s coffee, thanking her for her hard work. The nurse teared up, saying it was the nicest thing that had happened to her all week. © LivingLavishIy / Reddit

• Was on the bus home, and the guy next to me on the bus had a pizza box. It smelled like heaven. He must have noticed my envy over the pizza, because he opened it up and offered me a slice. Still remember the taste and the smile he gave me when he saw how happy I was. Good dude. Hope he is well wherever he is. © Unknown author / Reddit

• I’m a waiter at a small restaurant in my hometown. I usually wait for the big tables for events, which include about 10–15 covers per table. One night, there was a particularly large table of about 18, and there was this one older woman at the table who was elegantly dressed, whilst everyone else was in casual clothes. She looked incredibly defeated because everyone else was ignoring her, so I went up behind her and said to her, “You look gorgeous, honey.” I have never seen a woman become so radiant and joyful in my life. © Otherwise_Acadia_951 / Reddit

Kindness reminds us how powerful even the smallest moments can be. And if these stories moved you, just wait until you see what’s coming next. Get ready to dive into more unforgettable real-life experiences.