We should strive to show kindness to others, everyday. You’ll never know what a simple gesture can do to someone having a bad day. And you just might find they’ll pay it forward.
Reddit user naturalenergybyproxy posted a question in r/AskReddit asking, “What is the nicest thing a stranger has done for you?” and the answers will have you wanting to do the same.
Photo Credit: Unsplash, Sandrachile
10. Stranger (not) Danger
“When I was about eight years old, I crossed the street without looking. As soon as I started to cross, a stranger pulled me back by my shirt. Of course, a car flew by the same moment. Thank you, stranger.” ~jkovvv
9. Quite a “Prince”
““I was at a bar with my then-girlfriend and seated next to us was an older gentleman who was alone. He tapped my girlfriend on the shoulder and said, ‘I like the way you two talk to each other. I spent a fortune on these tickets for my wife. Unfortunately, she can’t go anymore, and I don’t want to go without her. So I’d like you two to have them. The only catch is that the concert starts in twenty minutes.’ He didn’t elaborate, nor would he accept payment. He asked only that we enjoy ourselves, and keep being good to each other…And that’s how I got front row seats to see Prince in concert.” ~DukeOfCheddar
8. Chocolate helps
“I was feeling really down because of school (and just life in general). I stopped at a convenience store on the way home to pick up a bit of chocolate to make myself feel better. The guy at the register must have noticed how miserable I looked because he gave me the chocolate bar for free. It was a really simple act of kindness, but it almost made me tear up and instantly improved a shitty day.” ~angry__donkeys
Photo Credit: Unsplash, Andrea Tummons
7. A delicious birthday gift
“One year, my birthday really sucked. I decided to go buy myself a cake at the grocery store to cheer myself up. When the guy at the counter asked who it was for (in retrospect, he meant what name to put on it), I said it was for me. He was incredulous at the idea that I had to buy my own birthday cake. I just kind of shrugged. He said I could pay for my cake when I came back to pick it up.
When I came back, a different person was at the register and she said my cake had already been paid for. It was also decorated more than I requested. I have not seen that guy working there since, so in my head I’ve called him ‘The Cake Fairy.'” ~mamblepamble
6. Kindness is best served with quality time
“I spent some extra time helping a customer who my co-workers seemed annoyed with because she asked a lot of questions. The customer left and, about 30 minutes later, she flagged me down in the parking lot as I was going on my break. I went over to her car, she thanked me, and handed me a beautiful bouquet of flowers she’d just gone and bought for me. Very sweet and very unexpected.” ~dasistverboten
5. Struggle busing
“I was struggling to carry all my books after I got off the bus because they didn’t fit in my bag (I already had four other textbooks in there), and I couldn’t get on my bike. A lady had seen me struggling, ran out of her house, and gave me an extra bag. I almost cried because that was the nicest thing.” ~RecoveryForMyself
Photo Credit: Unsplash, Helena Lopes
4. Above and beyond
“In Paris, the Metro is not wheelchair-friendly. We got stuck once because the accessible station was closed and we were diverted elsewhere. Two guys walked up, picked up my Mother-in-Law in her wheelchair, carried her up a flight of stairs, through the turnstile, and down another flight of stairs to the platform. They wanted nothing more than a ‘thank you.’ I don’t think they even knew each other.” ~LowerSeaworthiness
3. Parent to Parent
“I was carrying my sobbing infant in the grocery store while waiting in line to check out. I was overwhelmed (it was my first trip out after my son was born), and a kind older man said, ‘One day, you’re going to look back on this with happy memories, and even miss these moments.’ He then insisted that I cut in front of him in line and bought all of my groceries. That had a huge impact on me. What a wonderful man.” ~southernbelletx12
2. Kindness at any age
“I used to be in a deep depression. One day, as I was vacuuming my apartment complex, a young girl looked at me and said “Oh my gosh, you are just so beautiful. Wow!” It completely caught me off guard and brought a smile to my face. It’s definitely the little things.” ~Words-Are-Words
1. A sweet stranger
“I was riding the bus and talking on the phone, freaking out about how I was going to feed my fiancé and I, as I was the only person working (a 100% commission job). A stranger heard me on the verge of tears and politely alerted me I had ‘dropped’ some money. It was $40 I knew I hadn’t dropped, but my fiancé and I used every penny. I never got to thank them, but I quit that job a week or so later and found something more stable.” ~AGGroAzteca
To these folks, I say, “Kindness looks amazing on you.”
