17 Little Gestures of Love That Meant the World to Someone

When we’re feeling low, as if the whole world is against us, there are people who remind us that kindness is still out there and that it’s okay to feel what we feel. Moments come and go, and strangers pass by, but those who help us when we need it most are forever tattooed on our hearts.

• “In 2018, my grandfather, who raised me, passed away unexpectedly 60 days before my wedding. Less than 12 hours later, I was boarding a flight home, alone and completely distraught.
  I’d managed to hold myself together until I got on the loading bridge, and then I lost it, bawling. The weight of what I was doing had hit me hard. I just felt so alone.
  A woman ran up to me in line, grabbed me gently by the shoulders, and told me she didn’t know me or what I was going through, but that I was going to get through it. She handed me a pack of tissues and went back to her place in line.
  She was assigned to the aisle seat directly across from mine, and she ended up holding my hand and listening to me cry for the whole flight. Never caught her name and never saw her again, but I think of her often.” BurrSugar / Reddit
• “My mother died five years ago. When going through the items in the attic, I found a box of items I had packed up when I was younger. Inside I found items I cherished as a child. One item was a stuffed mouse (my late father called me the mouse).
  Taped to its nose was a handwritten note on heart-shaped paper. It was dated 1998. It said to look carefully at the items as some of them may have gained value over the years and that she might be gone by the time I was reading, but that she loved me very much, and she would always be with me.
  It was such a small thing. It took only a moment out of her day all those years ago, but it meant so, so much to me when I found it.” scribbling_des / Reddit
• “While visiting my grandma in the senior center she lived in, shortly after my grandpa passed away, one of their friends told me I have my grandpa’s eyes. I almost started crying. Thinking of it today brings tears to my eyes but such happiness!” Icy_Skill_4808 / Reddit
• “At a family reunion this summer, my aunt was putting together a family tree. I (43M, single, no kids) made a joke, I said ’Just make mine a straight branch.’ My cousin (28M) replied, ’You might still have kids. We need more of you in this world.’
  I almost broke down right there. I made an appointment with a therapist that night.” Miserable-Yak-8041 / Reddit

• “I finished repairing some trim on a woman’s garage, and after she had a look, she told me to hold on real quick. She went in the house and came back with an Asian pear gently cradled in both hands. She was clearly really happy to be giving it to me. It was a small gesture, but the best tip I ever got. Gratitude is a powerful thing.” WorldCanadianBureau / Reddit
• “I work in an aged care facility, and a resident was so happy I came to see him. I was just there to drop off some supplies in his residential wing, he mistook me for someone else as he had dementia. The way he smiled and patted my shoulder as we chatted made me very comforted, and I was happy that I made him happy.” Ancient-Honeydew9555 / Reddit
• “A coworker asked me to replace her for a moment saying that she needed a break, then exactly 5 minutes later she came back with two bottles of water: for herself and me, she politely said thanks and gave me one. A small gesture that made me feel like a part of a group and not just a shadow.” KARAZINUS26 / Reddit
• “I was low on money for food. Hadn’t eaten. My coworker knew I was having a rough time. She went home for the day and I stayed to work more. She called me on the break room phone, and had someone go get me.
  She said she forgot her food in the beak room fridge and told me I should eat it. I know she left her food on purpose, so I wouldn’t go hungry. Moreover, she didn’t make a spectacle of it, I guess to not embarrass me. I was not too proud to accept help, but it still really moved me.” -Palzon- / Reddit

• “During the week my best friend died, my fiancé took care of me, I had no motivation to do anything and all I did was cry in bed. I didn’t shower for like a week because I was just so sad, so he gave me a bath, brought me food and I ate in bed. He always makes a big impact on me and looks after me even when I can’t do it.” strawberrydreamm / Reddit
• “There was a guy harassing me at work, trying to get my number and be flirty. I wasn’t interested, he wouldn’t take no for an answer. He finally left after his girlfriend came in and got him.
  After that, I went on my break. A little bit later, my sweet coworker (a guy of 21) came out to my car to make sure the creepy dude wasn’t out there bothering me.
  It was just such a sweet thing for him to come and check on me. He’s my ’work son’, and his parents did such a great job raising him.” TheBi***IsBack6** / Reddit
• “I had a therapist years ago that wrote a phrase on a sticky note, ’Your choices create your reality.’ Constantly think about it, and it provides me a lot of perspective in whatever situations I find myself in.” TheRavyn / Reddit
• “As a delivery guy, I like it when people hold the door open for me. It sounds silly, but you wouldn’t believe how many times people see me carrying a bag + drinks and just wait to touch the door handle after I pushed it open with my shoulders.” skirted_dork / Reddit

• “I was a football manager in middle school, and there were three of us. One day, we had a game at a different school, it was rainy and cold and no one wanted to even be there. I was the only manager that showed up. The team would hand me their hand warmers and two gave me hoodies to layer up.
  We won the game. Once I got back on the bus, the coach put his hand on my head, ruffled my hair, and told me, ’Thanks for showing up, kid.’ I remember it deeply to this day.” daydreamdragonflies / Reddit
• “A couple of years back, someone left a little piece of paper that said ’you matter’ on my windshield. I still have it in my car today!” Wise_Instruction6516 / Reddit
• “I’m lucky to have a very thoughtful partner. When we first started dating, I randomly mentioned his apartment felt a bit dark. The next day I noticed he had replaced all the light bulbs. He also got a coffee machine for when I came over, even though he doesn’t drink coffee.” Significant_Ad_1138 / Reddit
• “Years ago, I broke up with a girl on pretty amicable terms. One of the last things I said to her before parted ways was, ’I hope you remember me well.’ Years later I got an email from her, and she said she was just thinking back on her life and she wanted me to know that she does remember me and our time together well.
  She didn’t need to let me know that, it wasn’t like she was trying to get back together, but it really touched me that she still thought about me all those years later and actually remembered what I said when we parted.” mousicle / Reddit
• “When I still lived at home, but was driving, on frosty mornings my dad would always go out and defrost the car for me before I went to work. It’s a fairly small thing but held so much love. He’s still here, but I’m always a bit sad when I have to defrost my own car.” AdditionalTicket9869 / Reddit

All it takes to make a difference is the will to do good. These people are the true synonym of a kind soul, showing that even small actions can help make the world better.