It doesn't take a lot to make someone's day, which is why being kind to others should always be the way to go.
Whether it's holding the door open for someone entering a building or giving spare change to someone who appears to be in need of financial assistance, these simple acts can leave quite an impression.
Curious to hear examples of uplifting moments from strangers online, an anonymous Redditor asked:
"What’s a random act of kindness you’ve experienced or witnessed that stuck with you?"
These acts of generosity stayed with Redditors.
Thirst And Heart Quenched
"It was a hot summer day, and I was working minimum wage at the time. My card got declined, trying to buy a one gallon jug of water. The lady behind me goes, 'Aww baby, don't worry I got you. I started to tear up.' "
– Traditional-Jello-95
McComped
"About a month or two after my wedding, our friends were getting married. The morning of their wedding, I had to put down my family dog who was just the best dog you could ever hope for."
"I was obviously wrecked with my dad and sister, but I wasn't about to tell our friends and ruin their day. After leaving the vet, I stopped by McDonald's on the way home to grab, lunch before getting ready to head to the wedding and meet my wife there."
"It was like 1:45pm, so it was well past the lunch rush. It was only me and 1 other car in it drive through."
"I pulled up to the window to pay and the girl told me the person, who had just happened to pull ahead of me, paid for my meal. It made my heart so happy in that moment. That person has no idea how much that act of kindness was appreciated, but I will never forget it or how great the timing was."
– Podo13
Comfort Carbs
"I was going through my divorce, been separated for a couple of months, and I'd had little appetite during that time. I was having a particularly hard day and for whatever reason, fries and a Coke sounded good. More comfort carbs than hunger."
"It was also between the lunch and dinner rush and not busy. Like you, the car in front of me paid for my food. I burst into tears when the lady at the window handed me my bag and told me it was taken care of. It was only a few bucks but man, it was just what I needed in that moment."
– Pickles_McBeef
Humanity Restored
"one time a stranger bought my coffee when i dropped my wallet. still makes me believe in humanity a little bit more you know."
– ymix_sugar
"I (single mom of 2) once went into the gas station early as all hell to pay for gas with rolled change and the clerk stopped me from opening the rolls and inserted her debit card."
"She put 20 in my tank which was all I needed to get through the next few days until my next check. There’s some gosh darn great humans in the world 💖 I’m glad you’ve met one too."
– Recycled_beaver8
Thank You Lynda
"When I was 16, I was at an employment provider appointment (they help you look for work if you're getting unemployment payments in Australia). I was living pretty rough back then, all I wanted was for somebody to give me a chance. Lynda came out to me after the appointment, put $20 in my hand, and whispered, 'Please, get yourself something to eat.' "
"It wasn't a secret that I was in a bad spot, I was clearly malnourished, covered in bruises, and wearing donated clothes. I bought as much food as I could with that money and cried while I ate it in a parking lot. I'll never forget her."
– Scary-Educator-506
The 'Homeless Kit'
"I was in a coffee shop in Denver downtown. There was a homeless guy in bad shape as well in the shop sheltering from a snowstorm. A stranger came in, saw the guy and went back to her car and gave him a package that said 'homeless kit', which I think had some packaged food, blankets, some papers and other things that I couldn't see."
"Honestly, it was really cool to know something like that exists, and I genuinely think it helped him in the short term."
– bbrk9845
Lovely Bouquet
"Standing in line at the packed grocery store, I waited in line. A teen stands in the back of a line one over, holding flowers. A middle aged guy in that line sees him and goes over to him, offers him a short introduction and a handshake then pays for the guy's flowers."
"It was so random and so sweet. Right around homecoming time."
– prettysouthernchick
The winter holidays elevate the spirit of giving.
They Reddit And Delivered
"I once saw an AskReddit post asking what people wanted for Christmas. I said an InstaPot. Some stranger on Reddit messaged me and sent me one via Amazon. That was like five years ago, and I still use that thing every week. Thank you again, fellow Redditor!"
– AceValentine
Encounter With Ben Franklin
"When I was homeless and still with my ex, we would camp out at McDonald's to use their wifi, and if we were lucky get a deal on food through the app."
"It was close to Christmas time and we were there doing our usual thing, and a man got up and dropped a $100 bill on the table as he went out, not saying anything. I barely had time to say thank you as he went out the door."
– Oragami
Not all heroes wear capes.
Importance Of Being Seen And Heard
"My daughter came upon a teenage girl sitting on the edge of a bridge over the highway. My daughter pulled into a parking lot and walked over to the girl. She talked with the girl for about an hour and was able to convince her to get off the bridge. They got coffee and spoke for a while longer before the girl was picked up by friends."
– 1127_and_Im_tired
Aided Through Treacherous Traffic
"I was in Kerala, South India, trying to find an ATM on a busy motorway as my taxi driver had to a do a loop as there was no where to stop. A bunch of people figure out what was my issue and I was grabbed by the arm and helped to cross this insane motorway to an ATM on the other side of the road."
"One of the guys watched my back as I painfully looked outplace. I didn't think I needed help but as I was an obvious tourist they helped me cross again and we convene with my taxi. I was expecting they wanted some money but they wanted nothing to do with it."
"They just saw a foreigner who was panicked, sweating like a waterfall, in a high stress situation and chose to help him."
– RighteousRambler
Roadside Rescue
"One time I dropped the muffler on my car while I was on a date. The theater was just off the highway and there was a Statie parked nearby. He saw me get out of the car and start to get upset."
"Now I thought state police kept like shotguns and sh*t in the trunk of the car but this cat had this radical tool set. He helped me jack up the car, pull the muffler and tail pipe off, reattach everything with some exhaust clamps that I ran to a nearby parts store for, and in half an hour it was good to go."
"All we missed was the credits. I don't even remember the girls name but I remember that kind soul's face."
– Popular_Equipment476
Shoulder To Cry On
"I was working in a kiosk at a mall. I had just gone through a pretty rough break up that left me feeling worthless after I had been cheated on. I must've been pretty bad at hiding my emotional expressions because a random stranger walking by stopped and asked if I was okay."
"I surprisingly felt compelled to tell them I wasn't. Which is out of the norm for me with a stranger. They asked if I wanted a hug and I agreed. I cried on a stranger's shoulder and didn't even explain why."
"They said that I will be okay and it's okay to not be okay and that they hope I feel better soon and walked away after I thanked them and apologized. A complete stranger made me feel like I wasn't alone anymore by hugging me and letting me cry on their shoulder. It really helped me."
– scrubberducky93
Going The Extra Mile
"I bought a dining room table off Facebook marketplace after my ex took ours during the separation. It was a tough season. Went to pick it up and there was no way I was fitting both the table and chairs into my vehicle. I also failed to bring bungee cords."
"The FB stranger, knowing very little of my situation, immediately loaded up her van with the chairs, helped me secure the table into my car, followed me home (all the way across town, tailing me to make sure the table didn't fall out on the highway,) and helped me move the new furniture into my dining room."
"It was one of the kindest things anyone has ever done for me. I sent her a hand written thank you note and gas money, but there is no way to adequately express the gratitude I have for that person and her kindness."
– Lalalala_Mama
Many of these Redditors interacted with complete strangers who didn't know their personal struggles at the time but went out of their way to engage in an act of kindness.
For these good samaritans, it was no skin off their teeth to help a random person with a financial pick-me-up or just be present for them at the loneliest point in their life.
There is still hope for humanity if we can always remember that only kindness matters.
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
