Especially around the holidays, most of us feel the urge to be a little more helpful or kind to the people around us.
But sometimes the sweetest kindnesses are the ones we can keep a secret.
Redditor Toadsaged asked:
"Instead of a dark one, what wholesome secret are you hiding?"
A Hidden Passion
"I had recently moved into my own apartment in Manhattan after graduating and getting a very nice job on Wall Street."
"Every Friday everyone would go dashing to the bars for Happy Hour, but I'd respectfully always decline. I was a volunteer at a hospice home where I'd read, feed, or just spend time with the residents."
"I had been volunteering there for about two years, and sadly saw more than a few of the folks I was close to pass away. I still think of the people there as they all must have left our world, since this was a long time ago."
"I'm certain we'll all meet again one day."
- BoujeeMomme
Much Needed Recognition
"My old boss never got any recognition from his boss, who was a jerk."
"When my boss’s birthday was coming up, I emailed his boss’s administrative assistant, describing exactly what he would like, and she ordered it and had the big boss sign the card."
"My boss was so happy that he had remembered his birthday AND listened and remembered exactly what he wanted. He was so happy, I didn’t have the heart to tell him the truth when he asked if I had anything to do with it."
- Ok_River_6018
Keep the Change
"My grandmother is blind but doesn’t like to accept help. Whenever I stop at the grocery store, I call her to ask if she needs anything."
"I'd buy whatever she needed but when she tried to pay me back I'd say, 'Grandma, you’re not going to believe this, but they were having a deal where you get a free Greek yogurt (the thing she asked me to pick up for her) when you buy a sugar-free Red Bull (the thing I went to the grocery store for in the first place) so you don’t actually owe me any money for the yogurt!'"
"She fell for it the first couple of times but became suspicious of my shenanigans after a few of these incredible deals and started to force money into my hand. She always put too much money in my hand, like a $10 bill for yogurt, so I insisted on giving her proper change."
"Because she was blind, I was able to give her more money than she gave me without her ever realizing it. She felt good because she had 'paid me back,' and I felt good because I did a small thing for the tiny blind woman who has done more for me than I could ever begin to repay."
"My sweet grandmother passed away in April and I’m sad I can’t walk into her front door saying, 'Grandma, you’re never going to believe the deal they had at the grocery store today,' but on the other hand, I’m so happy she never found out about my other trick of giving her more money in 'change' than she gave me."
- National_Message_9¸17
Throw Them Off the Trail
"A few years back, we were having a very stressful time (moved out of state, old house broken into 2 days after we left, everything taken, the toilet upstairs was ripped out, flooded the upstairs, the ceiling caved in, flooded downstairs, completely totaled the house, etc.)."
"So, I thought of fun things to do for Christmas. We always loved Irn Bru at Scottish games, so I put a bottle of Irn Bru into each kid's stockings (with some other things)."
"It was so much fun, they have looked forward to it every year."
"Over dinner the other night, the kids were talking about how excited they are to get their one bottle of Irn Bru this Christmas."
"I nonchalantly told them that there was an Irn Bru shortage in Scotland this year, due to the economy and global inflation, and it might be tough to get some."
"Wild... wild panic ensued."
"I bought a case of Irn Bru back in August, and it's in my closet."
"(and there is no Irn Bru shortage. Fake news.)"
- PrincessMongoose
Mixed Up Birthdays
"My sister and I have birthdays extremely close together. Hers is on the 28th of one month, and mine is on the 27th of the month after. It makes it a bit confusing for people, and often they’ll get the month correct but the day wrong. We never make a big deal of it."
"My grandma calls the day after my birthday every year. Always with, 'Happy Birthday, love, I didn’t forget,' and we’ll talk about my plans, what I hope to get from others, and what I think my boyfriend got me. I will NEVER tell her that my birthday was the day before."
- Charming_Tax2311
Stay On My Lawn
"I fertilize my elderly neighbor’s lawn. He’ll ask me to pick some fertilizer up next time I am at the hardware store. If I only need one bag and he needs one bag, I just tell him I bought too big a bag and have extra so then I fertilize both of our lawns in one outing."
"Sometimes I tell him it is a 2-for-1 sale, clearance sale, or my brother had a spare bag. He hasn’t had to pay for fertilizer in seven years."
"I hope I am not that obsessed with my weeds in my 80s, though."
- CarlJustCarl
Sentimental Value
"I still have the ticket stub from my first date with my wife. She was 18, and I was 20. I had a feeling so I saved it. I’m usually not that type of person."
"Been together for 17 years and married for 12, can’t wait to frame it and give it to her on our 25th anniversary."
- MaintenanceNo2461
Tickets Among Friends
"I often buy my friends tickets to concerts or movies and just say that I happened upon a free ticket and ask if they want to come."
"I never tell them I bought it just because I want them there and they couldn't afford to go!"
- Fedjito
Quality Time
"My little brother(16) thinks I pick him up to go to the movies every other week because I don’t want to watch the movie alone. But honestly, I only do it because it makes his day a little better, or at least I hope."
- Successful-Writer813
Pay It Forward
"I finished cancer treatments last spring and my work was extremely generous financially throughout the process. A sporting event was used as a fundraiser and I received $1200."
"Since I was almost done with treatment and bills were caught up, I gave $1000 to a student in my daughter's class who is fighting cancer too."
"I left it anonymously for her to pick up at school. Her mom posted a thank you on her Facebook page, but no one knows it was me."
- Puzzled-Mushroom8050
Homes for All
"I'm part of the reason all the stray cats are disappearing in my neighborhood. Me, and a few other people who are more experienced than I am, find and trap the strays, get them to the vet, and then into a foster home. We've probably homed around a dozen cats so far."
"The neighborhood kids are always sad that the cats stop showing up, and some parents are just plain ignorant. But after we had two cats get hit by a car, I decided it was time to take action and get these cats a safe place to live."
- Playingpokerwithgod
Secret Admirer
"I got a girl in my class who was my friend a Valentine's card who never got any attention from guys."
"I never liked her that way but wanted her to be happy. I even heard her talking about it one day in a group setting and how happy it made her, and I had to stay really quiet because I wanted it to stay special for her."
"No joke, she seemed to develop more confidence from that day, got a boyfriend a year later, got married a bit after that, and is really happy."
- GroundbreakingMud537
Loose Change
"I 'lose' cash everywhere. Friends’ places, gently tucked into the booth at restaurants, just on the floor in a public place. I lightly believe in karma, and while it started ironically, I now full-heartedly believe that when I 'lose' a few bucks here and there, the money goes to the person who needs/deserves it."
"It’s one of the few things I have thought of that has little to no chance of being caught for it. I also do the same with myself. I intentionally 'forget' cash in my jacket pockets, then it’s a nice surprise later in life."
- reynosomarkus
Small Acts of Kindness
"2018/2019. This was during my college years because I remember I only hung out with a friend while I was in my last few years of Education."
"We were walking through our Town Center, going to get the bus back home. I tend to get distracted and always end up just watching the area around me, to which I notice a man had dropped a good few notes which he dropped out of his pocket when grabbing his phone. It didn't help the fact that he seemed stressed/panicked whilst speed walking along."
"I decided the best thing to do was to grab it and return it to him, because if I didn't do anything, then the worst outcome would be that he'd not get it back."
"I quickly grabbed the money before anyone else and run over to the guy and return his money. I realized he needed it a lot, because he burst into tears and quickly hugged me as thanks."
"I've never told anyone about that situation. Only the friend I was with knows and I never thought it to be important to share with anyone."
"That's the closest I have to a wholesome secret."
- Moist_Plum_1050
Empty Nesters
"I often 'forget' basic things so my parents still feel like I need them in a small way. They are just becoming empty nesters and I can tell it was hard on them."
"Every so often I'll call my mom and ask for something silly like a recipe or who to call for an appointment. Same with my old man, I call often about car questions and things like that."
"I don't ever want them to feel like they are without value simply because we moved on with our lives."
- BosonRevolutionary
Each of these sweet secrets is a wonderful reminder of the great difference a small act of kindness can make.
Do you have anything to share? Let us know in the comments below.