15 Times Kindness Touched a Soul and Was Never Forgotten

Just one simple act of kindness can brighten a tough day and even restore our faith in the world. In this piece, we’re sharing touching true stories of strangers or people barely known, who showed up with kindness at just the right moment. Get ready for some feel-good stories that will probably stay with you forever.

• It was about 15 years ago. I was living out of my van with expired tags & I spent my days at a local public park. I could shower there & just walk around it. A police officer who came through every day noticed me & my expired tags. He ended up not giving me a ticket, telling me I can ask the DMV for an extension. He proceeded to give me his business card, telling me to call him if I needed anything. As he walked away, I looked at his card & he slipped me some cash under the card. He was gone before I could even thank him. I’ll never forget him & his kindness <3 © Pretty_Fun_309 / Reddit

• I have an 8-month-old dog. He broke his legs when I was visiting a friend, and I needed to pay 3 to 4k for the surgery to fix his legs, so I started a GoFundMe and only raised enough to do one leg, and that is what I instructed the vet to do. When it came time to pick him up both his legs were wrapped the same and it said on the paperwork that both legs were done I started freaking out a little I asked one of the workers about it and she went into the back and talked to the surgeon who did the surgery and when she came back out she told us all the surgeon did was give her a little wink. I cried so hard over this. The whole thing was so traumatic for me and my puppy, and I really needed that big act of kindness. © EmployeeOk811 / Reddit

• One day, not long after graduating from college, I was on a back road on my way to visit some friends. I thought I had enough gas to make it to the closest gas station, but I definitely did not. I ended up stuck in the middle of nowhere, with minimal cell service, and nobody answering when I could get a call through. An older gentleman from a house on the road saw me and offered me some gas so I could make it to the gas station. I offered to bring back money or a refilled gas container, but he declined. Instead, he told me to pay it forward. Almost 20 years later and I try to pay it forward when I can because this moment still stays with me. © Dear-Living-7867 / Reddit

• I’m a waiter at a small restaurant in my hometown. I usually wait for the big tables for events that include about 10-15 covers per table. It was a busy 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, and she ended up leaving a tip for the table. (In Scotland, tipping is not necessary and is more of a kind gesture to the waiter. Biggest tip I have ever received at this job.) © Otherwise_Acadia_951 / Reddit

• When I was riding my bike as a kid, my chain fell off on the side of the road. A pickup truck pulled up, and a gruff-looking guy got out. Of course, my first thought was “stranger danger”. But instead, he came up, noticed the issue right away and fixed my chain for me, and went on his way. It’s probably been 30 years, and I still remember him. © Pipew***Farmer / Reddit

• I was in my late 50s at the time and at Costco, loading 50 lb bags of salt onto my cart when a young 20-something fellow offered to help. I’m pretty fit and could have easily finished, but the offer was so kind. He loaded my cart, and I thanked him.
  To this day, I still get a little teary-eyed thinking about how a stranger would help me like that. © Caltrano / Reddit

• This is really silly, but I have had anxiety since I was a kid. One time, my small school took us to a park that was crossing the street (a 2-way street). I was 6. I loved animals and went to play with some worms, and missed my teacher’s whistle. I had a panic attack seeing that no one was near me. A middle-aged man reached me, calmed me down, and took me to my school. I could have been kidnapped that day, and that man being decent to a terrified child was something I will never forget © lostinthestars55 / Reddit

• One small gesture that has stayed with me is when a friend noticed I was feeling overwhelmed and, without saying much, simply brought me my favorite tea and sat with me. They didn’t push me to talk or try to fix anything, just their quiet presence and thoughtfulness made me feel seen and supported. It was a reminder that sometimes, the smallest acts of kindness can have the biggest impact. © Prior_Bank7992 / Reddit

• I was sitting alone at the airport, quietly falling apart after attending my father’s funeral. My connecting flight was delayed, and I guess the weight of everything just collapsed on me. I wasn’t sobbing—just sort of... leaking, quietly. A little boy across from me noticed, tugged on his mom’s sleeve, and said something to her. She got up and walked over. She had a serious look on her face when she said to me, “My son thinks you need a hug. Would that be okay?”
  I nodded, and before I knew it, I had two tiny arms wrapped around me and a stranger rubbing my back like we’d known each other for years.
  The mom handed me a granola bar and said, “Grief needs fuel too.” I didn’t even know how to thank them—didn’t get their names, and we didn’t talk after that. But that small moment, in the middle of that enormous loss, felt like someone patched a rip in my heart with gold thread. I’ll never forget it.

• Had a bad morning at work and was super stressed, a random dude from another department offered me a coffee (I’m close to the coffee machine, so he was on his way there to get one for himself probably) and brought it to my desk. I almost started tearing up because I usually feel invisible at work. © testadisecchio / Reddit

• I was sitting in a restaurant with my youngest, eating breakfast after going through a difficult and emotionally draining experience with my ex I struggled to keep the tears at bay.
  A kind woman came up and discreetly pressed a tissue into my hand. Until that moment, I felt so alone in the world with my pain. It is a moment that saved me. © Hinsan2 / Reddit

• When I was a kid, I witnessed my brother almost fall into the Grand Canyon. My mom was yelling angrily and grabbed him, and then snapped at me to hurry up and follow them. I was terrified by what I had seen, and because I was standing on a patch of ice, if I moved, I was going to slip too.
  I couldn’t speak as I watched them walk away; I was also afraid that I would be in trouble too. A stranger noticed and she reached her hand out to help me off the ice. I think about that moment a lot. A simple, silent gesture that has stayed with me for 24 years. © basicwhoops / Reddit

• I never expected much kindness from the city, especially on days when everything seemed to go wrong. But one rainy evening, after I lost my wallet, I stood in front of a diner counting the few coins left in my pocket. Suddenly, the waitress handed me a full meal, quietly mentioning it was paid by a stranger who had already left. After I left, I noticed a napkin tucked in my jacket. Curious, I unfolded it and felt my breath catch.
  On the napkin was a simple drawing—two stick figures holding hands in the rain—and a message: “Two years ago, you helped my mom pay for groceries when we were hungry. Tonight, it’s my turn.” I blinked back tears, realizing kindness had found its way back to me in the most unexpected moment.

• Riding to work one hot summer day in Prague on a tram with no AC—crowded, hot, and miserable. I was sweating rivers, but couldn’t even reach my handkerchief because the car was so packed.
  I was just standing there, feeling miserable, when an older woman smiled at me and handed me a napkin from her purse. I thanked her profusely. © FingerprintFile513 / Reddit

• I was stranded at a rural train station in the middle of nowhere—dead phone, the last train gone. It had started raining, of course, like something out of a movie. I must’ve looked pretty lost, because an old woman who worked at the tiny convenience store nearby stepped out and offered me tea. I hesitated, but she smiled like she’d known me forever. I ended up sitting in the back of her shop, sipping hot jasmine tea while she listened to my whole ridiculous story with the kind of patience only grandmas seem to have.
  The next morning, I woke up in a spare room above her store. When I came down the stairs, I heard her scream. I thought something had happened and was ready to get out of there as fast as I could or call the police.
  I ran out and saw she had dropped the frying pan. She was making breakfast for me in the little kitchen over there. She even called a friend who could give me a ride to the next town, where I could catch a train that would get me home faster, and she packed me a snack for the road! She didn’t want anything in return. “You’ll do something kind for someone else one day,” she said. And you know what? I already have.

For more heartwarming stories, look into these sweet secrets people kept from their partners out of love.