15 Stories That Prove Our Actions Could Leave Permanent Marks in Someone’s Heart

There are moments in life that pass without pain or glory, and others that stay with us like a song that we can’t stop humming. Sometimes we are the protagonists, sometimes we are mere witnesses. But in all cases, there is something in those experiences that changes us, even if just a little. In this compilation of real stories taken from internet, users share situations that left an imprint: some comforting, others painful, several unexpected. Because what we do, even what we say without thinking, can reverberate over time more than we imagine.

• I used to see a homeless woman every now and then on my way to the grocery store. She once asked me for money, but I told her I was too poor to give her any. She remembered this and never asked me again, but we always greeted each other warmly whenever we met for several years. One day, she hugged me out of nowhere and told me that she had found a proper job, got an apartment, and was spending the day in front of the grocery store so that people who had seen her there for so long wouldn’t worry. This was one of the most joyful moments of my life, and I still think about her when I’m in that area. @ rock_in_steady / Reddit
• When I was a child, I remember a gentleman sitting at the next table in a restaurant who could speak six languages. He gave a few examples. I was so impressed that I have wanted to learn languages ever since. I now speak six fluently myself, plus a couple more at a basic level, so it had a really positive impact. @ Turicus / Reddit
• I was a first-year student at university and felt very out of my depth. I was a relatively overweight, nerdy, depressed girl at a rural college, and I felt out of place because of it. As it was a small programme, I had nearly the same people in all my classes. After about six months, I seemed to be getting along OK with everyone. After one class, I asked a classmate if we had been set any physics homework the day before, as I had missed it. She stopped, looked at me and said, “You know no one likes you, right?” Then she walked away. That hurt. It still hurts. I thought we were adults who had left high school behind us. I realised that I wasn’t actually friends with my classmates. I wasn’t invited to their parties, but I didn’t think they actively disliked me. But after this comment, I did. @ moonluck / Reddit

• I was working to pay my way through university when a woman approached me at work (I worked gathering shopping trolleys for a supermarket). I was pushing a line of trolleys into the store when the woman and her son came up to me. She pointed at me and said, “This is why we stay in school.” To this day, I still feel angry about that comment. @ StoneTrain / Reddit
• I had a bad day. I missed two buses. When I arrived at my stop, I was furious to find that I had to wait 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.” In that moment, I realised how irrelevant my anger was. I calmed down quickly. Thank you, old man. @ infektiousPineapple / Reddit
• I had just moved to New York City when, upon landing, my plans for an apartment fell through and I found myself homeless. I couch-surfed with friends for a few weeks while trying to find somewhere more permanent to live. I found a place on Craigslist, so I gave them a call. A man answered, but said that they didn’t have an apartment and had no idea how their number had become attached to it. At that point, I started crying. I apologised and was about to hang up, but they asked me to talk to them about everything that was worrying me: being homeless, not finding an apartment, having to move back home and being on my own after college. This person listened to me, validated all my feelings, and then gave me the best pep talk. They then said that they had to get ready for a show, but that they were rooting for me. I never spoke to them again, but I will always remember that stranger who brought some light to a dark day. @ VagueSoul / Reddit

• When I was an 18-year-old student with no money, I had a side hustle providing IT support for households. Mostly, I set up computers for elderly people and those who were tech-illiterate, and taught them how to use them. I would also help them with technical issues, usually relating to printers, by searching for solutions online on their behalf. One elderly Korean gentleman hired me to set up his new computer. I spent an hour doing this and teaching him how to use it. Then I had a wonderful lunch with him and his wife for two more hours. He refused to accept my invoice for the first hour, instead paying me three times my hourly rate for all three hours and asking me to come back the following week to train him. Over the course of about a month, I came back four times, worked with him and enjoyed a lovely meal. He told me about his family and his children — he was so proud of his daughter, who was about to finish her residency and become a paediatrician. By the end of the month, he was pretty comfortable with the PC. I thanked him profusely for his kindness and for overpaying me so generously. He told me that I reminded him of his son, who was estranged for some reason — I didn’t ask — and he said that he hoped that someone, somewhere, was being kind to his son and sharing a home-cooked meal with him. I don’t know why, but more than ten years later, I still get emotional when I think of him. I hope everything turned out well for him. @ bad***_panda / Reddit
• There was a lady who told me that I looked great in blue and that it was clearly my colour. To this day, when I’m choosing which shirt to buy or wear, I’ll go with blue. She gave me that compliment at least fifteen years ago. @ T***sforNi****s / Reddit
• In seventh grade, I fell off my bike and broke my wrist on the curb. A jogger had been right behind me when it happened. He went into the street to continue running because my bike was blocking the sidewalk. “Are you okay?” he asked as he approached. “No.” I was crying and cradling my arm in agony. “Walk it off,” he said. Then he kept running. I’m not sure what I expected him to do to help me, but jeez! @ demiwyvern / Reddit

• I was waiting for my appointment with the optometrist when an elderly man walked in with grocery bags. The receptionist knew him, so he came over to me and started asking me riddles. After I answered one correctly, he reached into his bag, gave me a Snickers, and left. To this day, I’m curious about what motivates someone to become a riddle-master. @ Unknown author / Reddit
• I fell through ice when I was in elementary school. A man walking his dog saw me and rushed to the shore. I swam frantically back to shore. I had only gone about five meters into the pond, so it wasn’t a long way, but my clothes were soaked. When I reached the shore, the man pulled me up by my jacket. It would have been difficult to get up because there was a steep incline. I didn’t thank him because I was in shock, but I bet he knew I was grateful. Even 20 years later, I still hope I had thanked him. @ Omenaa / Reddit
• When my oldest son was a toddler, he attended daycare in the downtown area of our city. We took the bus and then the subway, and then we walked to daycare because we didn’t have a car. Then, I’d get back on the subway for a few stops to go to work. One afternoon, it was pouring. I was by myself, holding a two-year-old, his backpack, and my work bag, and I was trying to hurry four city blocks to the subway station. I had no hands left for an umbrella. A businessman—probably a high-priced lawyer, based on the area—walked us all the way to the subway station entrance, holding an umbrella over us the whole time. I encountered a lot of nastiness while commuting with a kid that year, but we also experienced random acts of kindness from strangers. @ elna_grasshopper / Reddit

• One day, I was trying to park at the store when a woman walked in front of my car in the parking lot. I waited patiently, but she gave me a dirty look and yelled, “What’s wrong with you?” I responded with a few expletives. Still furious, I walked into the store and made my purchase. When I came out, I had almost forgotten about the woman. But as I was walking away, there she was. Something took hold of me. I went up to her and said, “I’m sorry I yelled at you and cursed at you. I don’t even know you. Who knows? We might have a lot in common or even become friends.” Her face transformed in front of me. It went from angry and twisted to soft and friendly. She immediately apologized and wished me a good day. I learned that day that positivity and love are powerful, and I want those types of energy in my life. I know I sound like a softie, but this was a very important experience for me, and I am very grateful to her. @ tunaandthefishgang / Reddit
• While jogging, I passed a young mom walking with her baby stroller. After pushing myself to the brink of collapse because I didn’t know how to exercise in moderation, I slowly dragged myself home. On my way home, I passed the same mom sitting on a bench. She simply told me, “Nice work.” I’m still not physically fit, but her kind words still warm my heart. @ Docsin / Reddit
• When I was sixteen, I wore shorts, but I was extremely uncomfortable showing my legs at the time. I was telling a friend how uncomfortable I was when a woman in a wheelchair passed by and overheard me. She’s the only random stranger to say anything to me that has really stuck with me. She said, “Wear those shorts and wear them proudly. It doesn’t matter if you forgot to shave, have varicose veins or cellulite, or have stretch marks. It doesn’t matter if your legs are pale. You’re not guaranteed that you’ll be able to walk on them tomorrow.” As soon as she said that, she kept going. It stuck with me, even ten years later. I now love wearing shorts, skirts, and dresses! @ i_belong_to_da_ocean / Reddit

We may never fully know what effect our words, a hasty decision or a kind gesture have. But these stories remind us that everything we do — or fail to do — can scar someone, even ourselves. If you liked this tour through the echoes of human experience, don’t miss this other article where we explore moments when a small detail changed everything.