20 Stories That Prove Heroes Don’t Need Capes

Living our lives can be tricky, as sometimes we can find ourselves in situations that are difficult to get out of on our own. Fortunately, the world is filled with good people that are always willing to go out of their way to help others in need and make us somehow feel special and cared for.

To honor these kind people, Bright Side decided to gather these examples that can fill your heart with hope in humanity.

• In a foreign country with a friend, we stopped to admire a small river. An old man came by on his bike, greeted us, and we realized neither party knew anything the other was saying. Still, the gentleman tried to explain what fish were in the river for us. He ended up pulling out a pen and drawing over a dozen different fish and aquatic animals on his hand and arms, showing us all what can be found underwater. Then he got back on his bicycle and slowly rode off. I was so touched. © Castle_of_Aaaaaaargh / Reddit

• I met a guy, and we got married close to the holidays, so we hadn’t much money. I told him the only thing I wanted was a tree that wasn’t plastic. When getting it, he took a guy aside and said I have $20 and I just want a tree for my wife. The man showed him some 4-foot trees, took the best one, and went over to our car. They were $50 and my husband tried to tell him no but the guy said, “Please, sir, we got you.” The owner came back and said, “Merry Christmas.” This gave us some hope. © Morrigu84 / Reddit

• It was Valentine’s Day. I was working at a pop-up store for See’s to learn how to open and close shop. A woman came in, asking questions about the discounted stuff we had and what candies were in certain boxes. After she paid for her things and left, she came back twenty minutes later with a small bouquet of flowers and told me they were for me. I’d never received anything like that before. It made me cry. © TheWeebQueen17 / Reddit

• I remember going into a jewelry store with my mom once when I was small. She wanted to find something for a friend. The owner of the store gave me a small necklace with a white diamond-shaped stone. It didn’t look too expensive, but I kind of miss that sort of kindness. He just randomly asked if I wanted it, no malicious intent was shown. My mom was there too so it’s not like she wouldn’t have noticed anything. If I ever open a shop, I would like to give small kids some of my stuff occasionally. © call-me-sA5 / Reddit

• Once, I took my kids to the Dollar Tree and it was a pretty rough day. I left my wallet at home and I told them I was really sorry. My oldest starts throwing a fit and I am trying to get both out of the store. An employee ended up paying for our things (it was about $8). I suffer from a bad mental illness and it was a challenge taking the kids out without my husband to help. I was so touched that I went back later that week to give them $20. That small act of kindness had helped me so much. © callmesamus / Reddit

• First time in 5 years of waitressing that I’ve been moved to tears (of joy). A little girl came in with her family last week and I complimented her Cinderella necklace she had on. Tonight they came back, and she had a gift for me. I’ve been going through a rough time lately and this lit up my life. © EevieeOso / Reddit

• In Pakistan, after my marriage, I was asked to make food for the whole household. Honestly, I didn’t know how. I could barely make a roti back home and now they were asking me to do so much. Our maid, Sehar (I called her Aunty), found me crying in the kitchen and then helped me get through it all. She didn’t have to, she could have just let me drown but she helped me. I will never forget her love. © AllForMyBoy / Reddit

• When I was a kid, my mom and I went to Mcdonald’s. We’ve never had much money so when I asked my mom for fries she told me we couldn’t afford them (with my mom, she only said that if it was true so I didn’t press). The guy taking our order overheard and later when eating, he brought me some fries, smiled, and did a “shh” expression with his finger. Such a little thing but I’ll never forget it, made my little self’s day. © Unknown user / Reddit

• I was at work one day, I’d forgotten to take my anti-depressants and had messed up some customers’ orders. Cue the middle-aged guy who came in with his 2 kids. They bought some chocolate snakes and sat down to eat. I decided to wipe down all of the glass surfaces. As I was making my rounds, I started to stop masking my emotions, and the guy noticed, so he complimented loudly on how I cleaned the glass. His kids got in on it too, and it just made me feel so much better. © petraslesbiangf / Reddit

• I was living in my car and parked under a tree in a small town to take a nap. Some woman noticed I’d been there a while and came to check on me. We had a chat and I told her what was going on in my life. She gave me a hot drink and some warm blankets. © Delta_ASP / Reddit

• I once let an older lady walk out of the shop before I walked in. She walks past me completely stunned, then turns around with the biggest shocked look and just went, “Wow. Thank you so much.” And I mumbled a small, “You’re welcome,” because I didn’t think it was a big deal. But before I could walk into the shop, she said, “No one these days lets someone exit a shop. They just push through and I usually get pushed about. So thank you so much.” It’s stuck with me for years. © Independent_Trip2158 / Reddit

• Once, I was walking along the street and ended up tripping over after I stepped on uneven ground, and a woman passing me stopped and asked if I was okay. It made the pain hurt less having someone actually care because I’ve fallen over before, and I’ve either been laughed at or ignored. No one’s ever asked if I was okay before. © TheNameless00 / Reddit

• When I moved to Atlanta, I got a job at a doggy daycare that didn’t pay me when I thought they were going to, so I didn’t have gas money. When I made a post about it a complete stranger came to pick me up, gave me a ride, and gave me enough money to get gas. © Gaylien85 / Reddit

• I was a single mom with a jalopy van that would not start up if it was under 32°F. So I would have to depend on taxis to get the boys to school and me to work, then back home again. It was money I didn’t have. A co-worker actually loans me her car on cold days! She lived in a town far away from me so she would have me drop the kids at school, pick her up for work, then the reverse. She used her husband’s car at night for errands, etc. What a lifesaver. © Stunning_Interview38 / Reddit

• I had just given birth to my son in a new country with no close family besides my husband. I was a hot mess dealing with PPD and PPA, my husband and I were struggling but one day out of the blue we got a huge package full of frozen meals from one of my student’s moms. Literally brought me to tears because I would literally forget to eat all day but not having to think of cooking was such a huge help for both of us. © pineyrua****joo / Reddit

Have you ever been in a situation where you had to help someone else? Or were you the person who got help? We’d like to know what happened in the comments.