Story 1
I was on a bus, seven months pregnant. An old woman got in; no one gave her a seat, so I offered her mine. She sat down and kept staring into my eyes.
As she was leaving, she slipped something heavy into my pocket and whispered, "Always put yourself and your child first! Otherwise, your life will be as heavy as this!" Then she quickly stepped off the bus.
I reached into my pocket in a hurry to see what she had given me. I took it out and froze. My blood ran cold. She had given me a large, heavy stone.
This woman had the audacity to repay my kindness with anger and bitterness. But instead of accepting her lesson, I chose the opposite path. I decided to be kind and to teach my child kindness because I know the world needs more of it—even if some people don’t deserve it.
Story 2
I had a bad day. Missed two buses. I was furious when I arrived at my stop, knowing that I had to wait another two hours.
An old man was sitting there, enjoying some chocolate. He calmly told me, “Anger mostly means you have a lot of sorrow.” With that one sentence, he made me realize how irrelevant my anger was. I calmed down quickly.
Story 3
I was working to pay my way through university when a woman approached me at my job (I was gathering carts for a supermarket). As I was pushing a line of carts into the store, the woman and her son walked up to me. She then pointed at me and said, “This is why we stay in school.”
To this day, I still get angry because of that obscene comment.
Story 4
A lady came up to me at the mall and said, “Your skin looks horrible. You should really go to a dermatologist.”
The worst part was that it made me feel even worse because, although I had gone before, I couldn’t afford the medication.
Story 5
I was 18 or 19, with a tiny hip tattoo that could be seen just peeking over the waist of my jeans. I was at the mall with a friend when an older man came up to me, looked me in the eye, and said, “You’re very beautiful.”
Flabbergasted and not expecting that, I stuttered, “T-thanks?” Immediately, he stared at the tattoo and said, “It’s a shame you ruined your body like that,” then stormed away.
I was so shocked I didn’t react and didn’t realize how rude his comment was until later.
Story 6
I was about eight years old and going on a trip with my family. While going through airport security, a man emptying his pockets accidentally dumped a ton of coins everywhere.
I started to pick them up, and as I was about to hand them to him, he snatched them from my open palm and scolded me for taking things that weren’t mine.
Story 7
Two years ago, my boyfriend and I hit a rough patch that ended in us breaking up for six months. Right before we broke up, I received a text message from a phone number I didn’t recognize. The text read:
“Just so you know, (boyfriend) is done with you. He’s tired of being with you and thinks you look like a man. Just leave him alone!”
I immediately forwarded the text to my boyfriend, who called me, asking what it was about. We broke up shortly after, but not for the reasons the anonymous texter claimed.
I still think about what that person said, and sometimes, I get so down that I cry.
Story 8
When I was five, my mom took me to Walmart one evening. She bought me a balloon, and on the way out, the wind ripped the balloon from my hand. I started crying, as any five-year-old would.
A woman walking into the store said, “Awwww, sweetie. It’s okay. Let’s go get you a new balloon.”
This kind woman, my mom, and I walked through the store, picked out a new balloon, and she took me right to the checkout to make sure it was secure. This happened in 1995, and I still remember that interaction nearly 30 years later.
Story 9
One night, my daughter and I were sitting across from an old man who was alone at a restaurant. I noticed him listening to our conversation a few times.
As he got up to leave, he stopped at our table and said, “Hello there. I’ve been watching you two, and I just felt like I needed to tell you something. Cherish these moments because they are gone way too fast. I’ve lost just about everyone in my life—my wife and daughter included—and now, I live to see moments like this. Your daughter is beautiful. Please cherish every second.”
This man walked away, and I instantly started crying. I already knew how fast time was going. I always tell myself to cherish these little moments with my daughter… I’ll never forget that old man.
Story 10
Many years ago, I was on the London Underground, on a train that was just pulling away. In a fleeting moment, I made eye contact with a guy on the platform, and he started smiling and running alongside the train, comedy-style, waving to me until the end of the platform.
It still makes me smile thinking about it now.
Story 11
Years ago, I was standing in line at a bakery on Valentine’s Day. I’d had a truly awful day at work, was tired, and just wanted the day to end.
An elderly woman in a blue coat stood ahead of me, wearing a pink camellia in a buttonhole. I complimented the camellia and told her it reminded me of my grandmother. We chatted until it was her turn to order.
As she was leaving, she slipped the camellia into my hand and said, “Happy Valentine’s Day from your grandmother. She would be so proud of you.”
I held it together until I got to my car—then I cried. Her simple act of kindness has remained with me for over a decade.
Story 12
As a kid, I once overheard a gentleman at a restaurant who spoke six languages. He gave examples, and I was so impressed that I decided I wanted to learn languages too.
Now, I speak six fluently and know a couple more at a basic level. That moment had a real positive impact on my life.
Story 13
A homeless woman I saw regularly once asked for money, and I told her, “I’m sorry, but I’m too broke to give you some.”
She remembered and never asked again, but we greeted each other warmly for years. One day, she hugged me and told me she had found a job and an apartment. She was at the store that day to let people know so they wouldn’t worry.
It was one of the most joyful moments in my life. I never saw her again, but I think about her often.