A recent Reddit thread asked people to share the small acts of kindness they were on the receiving end of, and will never forget. Here are some of the best.
1. Nothing like some brand new tires from a stranger.
Neighbors asked to borrow my truck. Told them I could not trust my truck because the tires were bad
Next day mr neighbor called and said he was getting new tires for his suburban and I could have his old ones. Told me to just show up at this certain tire shop and they would put them on
Get to tire shop and they put on brand new Goodyear tires. I asked what happened to the old tires I was suppose to receive.
Shop owner said the “old tires” was just a story to get me in the shop.
Mr neighbor bought me a full set of new tires instead of the old tires he said I could have. - jorcam
2. This gym teacher made a lasting impression.
My gym teacher purchased me lunch in 3rd grade after I dropped mine. I'm 34 years old and still remember this. - bob_rob_III
3. A friendly neighbor helped this entire family out.
When I was younger, my mum was depressed and we had very little money. It was either heating or eating a lot. An old lady around the corner from us would invite us over for tea sometimes or breakfast before school. She knitted me, my baby sister and my mum cardigans, socks and a blanket each one winter when it was really bad. - deekochana
4. A shoulder to cry on is sometimes all you need.
I was at a terrible time of my life at 17, had a bad day at work, and then my train home was 1 hour+ late. I just started crying at the train station and was really wondering if it was all worth it. A woman just held me for bit while I cried. She was a complete stranger, I've never seen her since but I needed her I guess. I think she saved my life that day. - deekochana
5. Car trouble can be scary without a good Samaritan.
Alternator died while I was driving home from university. Engine died as I exited the freeway in the middle of the night in a not-so-pleasant part of town in the days before cell phones. As I'm pushing my car out of the intersection, a guy in a truck comes up and offers to push my car to my neighborhood a good three miles away. He does so, and I'm pulling into my neighborhood, he simply gives a wave and drives off into the night. I never even had a chance to thank him. - KahBhume
6. This teacher provided some words of encouragement.
I recorded a homemade album with my garage band in high school and handed out a few CDs. A few weeks later my English teacher approached me with 5 pages of notes on what he liked and what I could improve on. He apparently got the CD from someone at the high school and listened to it all the way through (it was over an hour long).
He didn't know I was the singer and guitar player until he asked the person who gave him the CD. He said that if I ever got a shot in a studio, I would create something amazing. Thank you to all the teachers out there who believe in their students. It makes all the difference to some of us. - SuperSmokeyBear
7. This person found help in a stressful moment.
I took my sister who's in a wheelchair to the cinema for the first time on my own. At the end, I realized I couldn't undo the brakes and was blocking everyone. I felt like crying because I thought everyone was pissed at me, but some nice lady helped me, then took me and my sister out. She said she once had a son who needed a wheelchair. This was long ago but I'll never forget - Zedfourkay
8. Most people would just freak out or ignore you!
I fainted walking up steps on my way to calculus at university. A stranger caught me and put me down on the landing. If it wasn't for him I would have gotten very hurt. - TrickyTrip20
9. This could've been a scary situation.
Riding my bike on a long trip through Canada. With about 50 miles to go, I had a major mechanical failure. Stuck on the side of the road in a foreign country within 5 minutes at least 10 cars had stopped to check on me.
One guy loaded my bike in the back of his truck and drove me 30 miles to the border where I could catch a ferry back to the US. Amazing kindness and generosity toward a stranger. He just asked that I pay it forward and to date I've helped 5 cyclists who were broken down in honor of that promise👍 - countlesbass
10. This stranger provided a kid with literal warmth!
I was nine years old, waiting for the school bus in Wisconsin winter. I had a thin coat, no hat or gloves. A woman driving past saw me and stopped, giving me a blanket from the back of her car. It was a long skinny one, so she wrapped it around my head and shoulders like a big scarf. I remember thanking her, but being confused. I told her I didn't know how I would give it back when I was done borrowing it. She hugged me and said not to worry. I still have that blanket. - saintdelft
11. There's nothing like surprise chocolate milk.
At work I was complaining about heartburn once. I was still pretty new to the job. Didnt really have any work friends. Felt like an outsider. My life outside of work was pretty shit as well.
The bartender on shift overheard me and ran to a nearby coffee shop to get me a chocolate milk. It definitely made the heartburn go away but it was such a needlessly kind act. I dont think ill ever forget it. 2 years later we're still friends and she is definitely one of the kindest people I've ever met. - PhreedomPhighter
12. This was a pricey act of kindness.
When I was in high school, a guy stole my ipod out of my backpack. I didn't think I'd ever get it back. Maybe a week later, a guy I never really talked to came up to me and told me he bought my ipod from that guy and then gave it back to me. He didn't even ask for anything in return. - ElizabethKell
13. We could all use a little kindness at the gas station.
I literally coasted into a gas station out of gas on my motorcycle, then realized I didn't have my wallet. Some lady saw me patting all my pockets and that I was upset and offered to fill up my tank. I only let her put $5 in, which on a bike is a lot. But it meant so much to me - smutpeddlers_fck12
14. This kind person really picked the perfect moment to repay a favor.
When I was at school, I helped a girl out when she was having a meltdown in the bathroom. A few weeks later she pretended to be my friend who had been waiting to meet me, when I was being followed home by two guys. We never saw each other outside of those two occasions but I still think about her and hope she’s doing ok somewhere out there. - Numerous_Emus
15. It's like the "Christmas Shoes" song IRL.
I was out of a job at a time that I had to support my mother. Finally landed one but I had to walk back and forth and I didn't have any shoes that would hold up on the walk or the work. Went to fb and mom asked around for some hand me downs we could buy from some one. A day later a very kind man showed up with a brand new pair of really nice shoes he had just gone out and bought for me. He left before I could even get any money for him. I cried - Bubbazord
16. A very nice teacher bought these students ice cream.
I transferred in the middle of first grade to a school that did ice cream Friday's where you'd pay like 50 or 75¢ for whatever kind and then you'd watch an educational video in the classroom. I was unaware of this when the first Friday rolled around so I didn't have any change and neither did the kid next to me. Normally there would be a few who didn't get ice cream but this day we were the only two.
So the teacher called the both of us aside and gave us each the change required to have our ice cream. I think the biggest thing was that she didn't do it in front of the other kids so it looked like we had brought the money all along. It was incredibly kind of her, she was a wonderful teacher outside of that as well. - superlittlestitous
17. A person with an umbrella shared the wealth.
I broke my foot and was trying to limp my way across campus with crutches in the pouring rain. Someone ran over with their umbrella and walked across campus with me so I wouldn't get rained on. - Mads_83
18. Giving away a VIP pass? Nice.
I was at a concert and a couple behind me gave me a VIP pass to get a picture with the artist because their friend couldn't come
Never will forget it. - Patrollerofthegame
19. This kind gesture could have saved someone's life.
I had finally decided to get out of my abusive home. I went to my colleges financial aide office to see if I could qualify for a dorm. I was fifty dollars short. I remember looking at the ground trying not to cry. I had finally gotten the courage up to leave and I still couldn’t do it. The financial aide lady touched my shoulder looked me in the eyes and said “I believe you” it was the first time anyone had flat out said they believed I was being abused. She took out her own credit card and paid the last fifty dollars.
She went with me to sign the lease and to get the key to my dorm. I stood with the key in my hand and realized I was getting out. I was going to be free. I broke down she hugged me and told me to pay it forward eventually. I have no idea what her name is but to the woman at Dixie college who took a chance on me thank you. I pay it forward by speaking at therapy groups about how to choose not to be a Victim and by sponsoring those who are in similar living situations as I was. - castironskilletmilk
20. People who stand up to bullies are the best.
I was bullied in elementary school and an older boy defended me. He became my first crush and I still remember him - pixie1611
21. What a good work friend!
I had a coworker about ten years ago. We became work friends but he was moving to another state. So on his last day, he brought and gave me an iPod nano (back when they were fairly new) completely filled with different music that we had talked about or listened to together. No one had ever done something that thoughtful for me before. I could have cried. If you're out there Gabe, that's something that I will always remember. - BareBearFighter
22. Chicken soup for the soul.
As a boy, I developed rheumatic fever and had to stay home for months to work through it and recover.
When the lady next door found out how sick I was, she made a big pot of homemade chicken soup.
It was delicious and full of healthy, fresh ingredients.
To this day, Mom believes that it was this woman's kindness and "love" she put into her soup-making that helped me recover faster. - Back2Bach
23. Free pizza is the biggest act of kindness of them all.
I was around 19 years old in my first year of community college. My dad has lost his job and my mom was supported my entire family. We were struggling for a while. I remember being in my night class one day starving. I figured there’d be no dinner so I told myself I’ll go straight to bed when I get home and not think about being hungry.
When I got home after class, there was a giant box of Costco pizza on the kitchen counter. Apparently one of our neighbors had bought it for us because my dad fixed a part of her fence a few months back. I think it stuck with me because A. I was so fucking hungry and B. the chances of her bringing food that night of all nights was insane to me. It might sound so stupid but I’ll never forget it. - melimelsx
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