Heartwarming Tales: People Spread Wholesome Stories of Meeting Strangers

Life is full of challenges and unexpected mishaps. Wherein some people’s hope starts to flicker. They cannot move forward when they get stuck in a dark tunnel.

Suddenly, a light enters the darkness and begins to change everything, allowing you to see the good in the world. These people are just like in that situation, moments that allowed them to believe in good from unexpected people. Check these out!

1. Double Help

I was in the hospital, knowing I'd be there for at least a week and possibly more. I was sick of hospital food, so I went downstairs to go across the street to the hospital Subway.

I was pretty far back in the hospital - sixth floor, backside of the building, labyrinth of staircases and hallways to get out the front door.

The walk from there to Subway took almost fifteen minutes, even though it was just across the street. I waited in line, got up to the counter to order, and realized I'd left my wallet in my room.

I ordinarily kept my wallet in my back pocket, but there was no need to be in the hospital since I was in my room most of the time.

I was exhausted mentally by that point from the stay, told them I'd forgotten the wallet, and turned to make the trek all the way there and back again.

All of a sudden, a nurse behind me bought my food for me, saving me the trip (and the money). I thanked him profusely. That was years ago, but I will never forget that act of kindness.

[deleted]

I was traveling from South England to North Scotland to start a new job the next morning. I had taken a train up to London and was supposed to get on an early morning flight from Heathrow.

The bus to the airport, however, was canceled, and I had to make my own way using a series of night buses. However, it was about 2:30 a.m., and my phone was dead, and I had never used London's night buses before.

I was young and a little scared, standing in the middle of Victoria trying to figure out the faded bus schedule when a woman came up to me and asked, "Are you alright, love?"

And I explained through tears that I thought I was going to miss my flight and didn't even have an oyster card. She looked up my route on her phone and wrote down all the possible variations of buses and trains I would need to take, including the times.

She waited with me the entire time, about twenty minutes, and then when the bus came up, she paid for my fare (there is no cash on London buses).

I got out and looked at her and she shrugged and said, "Oh I'm not getting the bus, you just looked like you needed someone." I think about her every once in a while, and I'm incredibly grateful for her.

[deleted]

I once went to a supermarket to buy some groceries for my last week in college. I was about to pay when I realized I had forgotten my wallet.

So I told the cashier I would leave everything and come back in about an hour (I lived about 20 minutes away from the store), and a man in a nice suit who was behind me on the line heard the conversation.

He said he would pay for me. I was too surprised by this, and I first gently denied his offer, but he insisted, and he just handed his card to the cashier and wished me a good day.

It was only about 25 dollars, but that really made my day. I was so thankful because that saved me a lot of time! And this man was so kind during the whole event.

montag89

I once took my son to a local science center for a day of fun. I have cerebral palsy. I get around well enough. Sometimes, I use a wooden cane, but I'm all right unsupported.

I rock a mean limp and have terrible balance, but if you were to see me walking around, most would just assume I had been injured at some point.

While walking around, I spotted this woman with a young daughter of maybe 7-8, using a walker and sporting a pair of leg braces.

The mother and I locked eyes a few times throughout our free-roaming day until eventually, our kids started interacting with the same exhibit.

We were standing there watching them, and I turned to the mother, and before I could even speak, she said, "Cerebral palsy. You too, huh?"

We ended up spending the rest of our day together chatting about our lives and experiences and going over the many advancements and therapies that have been developed since my childhood.

She ended up telling me at the end of the day that seeing me being a single dad to my son and being so independent in spite of my disability gave her a lot of peace of mind.

She said she worried a lot about her daughter's future independence. Overall, it was a really nice experience.

Theearthhasnoedges

I heard a knock on my door and when I opened it, there was a stranger with a gift card to a local garden store for me. I was so confused.

Apparently, her kid had been pinching tulips from my garden every day to give to his mom, and they wanted to pay for them once they figured out whose garden they were coming from.

I had thought squirrels were doing it and had regretted planting them the year before, not being able to enjoy them! I spent the gift card on more bulbs!

Greenfireflygirl

There was a little girl who lived a street away when I was growing up. I think she was around my sister's age. One day my mom spotted her watching her garden and complimented the tulips before riding off again on her bike.

My mom went back inside for something, or maybe to a different part of the garden, but just for a moment. When she got back, she discovered the tulips were gone and spotted the little girl biking away really fast.

My mom chased her down, and the girl said she had taken them because they were pretty. My mom scolded her and said if she'd only asked, my mom would have been happy to cut some tulips for her.

She didn't sweat it too much because they were a low-income family with many kids who all got into a lot of trouble around the neighborhood. They were just flowers, after all.

A few years later, the girl was diagnosed with leukemia and ended up passing away. I think she was 11 or 12. My mom was so troubled by the death she got permission from the family to plant some tulips by her grave so she'd always have the flowers she loved.

mstarrbrannigan

I was in London and was supposed to be flying home that day. I was walking down the street with my two suitcases towards the tube station nice and early, on my way to Heathrow with plenty of time.

Silly me didn’t realize that when the signs said there would be a tube strike on the day you fly home, the tube was COMPLETELY CLOSED.

I thought it just meant delays or something. I don’t know. I start walking toward the bus station a few blocks away, desperately trying to come up with a Plan B.

A young man approached me and offered to help carry my suitcases. He asked where I was going, and I said Heathrow, which is an hour away at this point until my flight is running short. It started raining.

He says you’ll never make it there on time on the buses. He calls me a cab, then finds a little awning where we can sit, wait for the cab, and stay out of the rain.

He lets me use his phone to transfer money to pay for the cab (mine didn’t have service outside my home country). We just sat and chatted for 30 minutes, waiting for this cab, and he made me feel so much less panicked.

I just couldn’t believe the kindness he showed to some random person on the street, and I’ve never been able to find him again online to thank him.

andria_rabs

+1 for the kindness of Londoners. Almost thirty years ago, my friend and I decided to go backpacking in Europe. We landed at Heathrow and then tried very unsuccessfully to get to a hostel in Epping Forest. Unbeknownst to us, there was a tube strike.

With lots of buses and walking, we managed to get through London to the outskirts. We were once again on the sidewalk checking a map when a lady got into a car parked next to us.

I guess we looked pretty lost because, after a moment, she rolled down the window and asked if we needed help. We told her we were trying to get to Epping Forest. After a few minutes of trying to explain how to get there, she told us to hop in, and she'd take us directly.

My friend and I lugged our big backpacks into her car, and off we went. It was a long, long trip and very far out of her way, but she was cheerful and took us directly to our hostel. She wouldn't accept money for gas and told us to have a good trip.

Less than 24 hours in England, and we felt welcomed. It's good to know that some things don't change: good people rescue travelers from tube strikes.

ExpectDeer

I went to London and spoke with the English guy who was my seatmate and who was going home from the US to London for a holiday.

I asked him if he could help me take the train to where I was going. We chatted, and he said Victoria Station was too far west.

We should follow him after we de-planed. We got our bags (Gatwick, btw), cleared, and were off to the ticket machines. He got him at a machine, and I didn’t know how to buy one at mine.

With a line of people accumulating behind me, he came up, paid, and we went off and had me hold onto his card. He got me on a train to Blackfriars (further east than Victoria), and 30 minutes later, we were there.

He was getting picked up, so he told me what tube line to take and paid. I gave him his card back but stole a look at his name. He wouldn’t allow me to send him money in the UK or when he went back to the US but to just “pay it forward,” which I did.

I looked him up on his company website and emailed him about a month later. I told him I was so grateful and paid forward my money while in London. Great guy! Thanks, James F. I look forward to returning to London, an absolutely great city with great people.

KGBspy

This happened when I was around 9 or 10. I was out riding my bike with my mum, and halfway through the trail, my bike broke down.

Anyway, we couldn't carry the bike back home since it would take hours, so we were just stranded in that field. A few people on the trail saw our inconvenience.

But either they didn't have any bike knowledge to know how to fix it, or they couldn't be bothered to care. At least an hour had passed before this old man, and I mean really old (he looked to be around 80), approached us and fixed our bike free of charge.

He got his hands down to the grease, and eventually, after a few minutes, I could start peddling again. I thought that was a really wholesome moment, and I appreciated his kindness and coolness in our situation. That's why this memory sticks with me, I guess.

PepeTheFRQG

When I was 16, I’d taken my mom’s old Pontiac Bonneville to the movies, and I was in such a hurry that I forgot to turn off the lights.

When I came out, the car was dead, but someone left a set of jumper cables on the hood with a note that said, “I hope you make it home safely.”

I’ve never ever forgotten about that. Since then, I’ve tried to pay that kindness forward in any way I can. I was about 20 miles from home and this was before cell phones were affordable so that person saved me that night.

I'm assuming the person came out and saw my lights on and maybe even saw them running low/flickering and knew there was a possibility they would burn out before I made it back to my mom's car. Even if my battery hadn't died, it was a nice gesture.

IDGAF_GOMD

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon just came out in theaters. I had been planning to go see it on my next day off. I didn’t have a car, so I relied on the bus.

The day of the movie came, and there was a snowstorm. I walked downtown to get the bus, but there was a sign saying all buses were canceled due to snow.

I was super bummed out and walked over to the local coffee shop. I ordered a coffee and told the owner I was disappointed I couldn’t get to the movies. There was an older woman sitting in the shop, and she overheard us.

She looked at me and said, ‘I really want to see that movie too. Let’s go, I’ll drive.’ So that was the day a perfect stranger, and I went out to lunch and saw a movie together.

About a year later, I started seeing this guy in town, and his downstairs neighbor was the lady who took me to the movies all those months earlier.

We had stopped by her house to get her a sweater before the movies. I told the guy, ‘Your neighbor and I went to see Crouching Tiger together.’ He was like, 'That was you? She went on and on about how cool it was to go to the movies with you.’

cptnsaltypants

I was in Edinburgh, traveling alone. I met some guys at the hostel and went to a club. It was weird, so I went back to the hostel. The hostel is on the Royal Mile.

It's 2 am, and there is a girl doing poi juggling. I did some poi juggling myself, so I stopped to watch and started talking to her when she stopped.

I asked her where she was from. She said Brazil. So, being a stereotypical guy like me, I asked her whether she knew Capoeira. She did.

So, on Friday night, on the Royal Mile, a stranger and I did capoeira. It was more than 20 years ago, and I still remember it. It was awesome

Londoil

Driving on the highway, the car in front of me suddenly swerved to take an exit and then tried to swerve back onto the highway, almost sideswiping me in the process.

Luckily, no one was to my left, so I veered into the left lane and avoided an accident. A few moments later, I’m passing her, and she very sheepishly looks up at me, kind of anticipating and expecting someone to cuss her out.

Well, I had just learned a new road trip trick. Flipping people off is stupid, but giving them a thumbs down REALLY stays with someone. It’s the “I’m not mad, I’m disappointed” of the road.

I had a huge thumbs down queued up for this driver, but when I saw her face, I immediately knew she didn’t mean to. She was embarrassed, and she already felt bad enough.

So instead, I flashed her a huge smile, dramatically and jokingly wiped the sweat from my brow, and gave her a giant thumbs up. She smiled and laughed; honestly, it’s one of my favorite moments.

stronesthrowaweigh

I was going to a Starbucks to eat with a friend I met days ago. Suddenly, a stranger my age asked me how to get to the same place.

I told him I was going there, too, and we started a conversation while walking. When we got to the Starbucks, we sat at different tables, and I waited for my friend.

He didn't appear (because he had some problems and he couldn't go). I asked the stranger if I could eat with him, and he accepted. Now we are friends, and we sometimes talk through our mobiles.

GrandJack23

I had just lost my job, and my dad had his card stolen. He was waiting at the bank but was completely out of food and living in an old, run-down RV.

I would have figured SOMETHING out. I’d die before I let him starve. Right as he’s almost in tears talking to me about it, someone knocked on the door.

A lady had food for someone in an RV, but those people had vacated the parking lot, and she wanted to know if my dad needed anything. (Some sort of local helping hands org.)

There was everything from canned goods to fresh meat, milk, and pasta. She had bought it with her own money and didn’t want it to go to waste. I’ll never forget the timing or her generosity.

punt4stic

After my mom left my dad, things were tight for her. As Christmas approached, my mom struggled to find a way to tell my sister and me that Santa wasn't coming to our house this year.

There would be no presents. She didn't even have Christmas dinner to feed us on Christmas Eve. She never found a way and sent us to bed.

I can't even imagine what she must have been feeling, knowing she'd be dealing with two young, disappointed faces in the morning who wouldn't be able to understand. It still makes me tear up thinking about it.

Around 11 or so, someone knocked on the door to explain that an anonymous good samaritan had noticed and sponsored our family for Christmas.

Gifts, decorations, a full Christmas dinner, and the works were all unloaded and brought into the house while my sister and I slept, and my mom wept.

We never even noticed. I'll appreciate that person forever—not because I got my gifts but because my mom is one of the kindest, strongest, hard-working people I've ever met.

I am forever grateful that she was spared the responsibility of explaining to us that there was no Christmas that year. We were so happy that day.

Arching-Overhead

I'm a wheelchair user. At a baseball game, a little girl came running up to me and climbed onto my lap. Her mom was apologetic, but I told her it was fine no worries.

I was looking at the girl's face, and I could tell she had some kind of developmental disability. Mom explained to me that the little girl's grandfather used a wheelchair, and she missed him.

I rolled around a little to give her a ride. She giggled and had a good time, and then she climbed off and went back to her mom.

manualpropulsion

I was born deaf and used a cochlear implant. One time, I was in a barbershop waiting for my turn, and a woman came in with her 4-—to 5-year-old daughter.

The daughter looked at me questioningly and started talking to her mom. From the way they were looking/acting, I could tell the daughter had asked about my cochlear implant, and the mom had explained I was deaf.

Right before they left, the girl ran up to me, put her head in my lap, and gave me a hug. Then she looked up, gave me the brightest smile, and ran out to join her mom. Having a disability really leads you to see the best in people sometimes.

[deleted]

I was once traveling through an old town when I stopped at a small shop to buy some packaged water. I was in my teens then, so I jumped out of my car and bought a very old man sitting at the shop.

Once I bought everything, he took out an ice cream and handed it to me. As I was about to take the bottles with me, he picked the bottles himself and walked with me to the car so I could have my ice cream.

He was very old and scaly, very thin too. Once he saw that I had a younger sister, he rushed back to the shop to bring out another ice cream for her.

I insisted that he take money for it. But he didn't take it and just smiled. Maybe we reminded him of his grandchildren, I presume.

saptajitbanerjee

I went to a bar to meet a date and got ghosted. So I was sitting at the bar drinking alone and saw a woman being berated by a drunk guy.

I intervened, and she acted as if she'd been waiting for me. The drunk got lost, and the woman and I sat together at the bar for a couple of hours.

We had a really great time, lots of smiles and laughs. There were sparks, for sure. She asked for my phone and started taking selfies, so I returned it to get better photos.

Probably captured 50 or so, some really candid ones and some silly poses. After we laughed about the photos, she got up to leave.

I asked for her number and if we could go out sometime, but she declined. She thanked me for the wonderful night and said, "Let's just leave it at this and enjoy the memory."

Somehow, I felt ok with that. I kept her photos for several years, and every time I saw them, they instantly brought a smile to my face. I never even knew her name, but it was one of the best dates of my life.

Anon_Rocky

A guy I'd been seeing stood me up to go on a date with another girl (hilarious in hindsight, as he married her and is super happy, and I'm both happily married and glad not to be dating him).

Anyway, a coworker from the ambulance agency where I worked walked in with her friends from the firehouse! Instead of a date with one guy, I got a night of beers and hilarity with a bunch of buff firefighters!

When I told them what had happened, they had the two most jacked guys roll up their sleeves and pose with me so I'd have a good picture to text Mr. Ghost!

insertcaffeine

On my honeymoon in Greece, we nearly got stranded driving our little scooter back from a day trip. Finally found a petrol station in this village, but it was during afternoon nap/siesta time.

We apologized as best we could in the little Greek we knew. The guy obliged but looked a little annoyed. He casually asked where we were from, and we told him New Zealand.

His face lights up, and he is amazed because he has never met someone from NZ before. He asked us what we were doing so far away from home, and we told him that it was our honeymoon.

He tells us to wait there and comes back with a bottle of wine that’s obviously worth more than the €6 of petrol we are buying. He refuses to allow us to round up the bill or buy anything.

He just tells us, “Honeymoon is a honeymoon, be happy, go.” Hands down, it was one of the best highlights of our trip. He was such a good guy.

kiwiguy_

I guess this can be perceived as pathetic by some people, and that's ok, but I used to go to school with a bunch of horrible people.

I'm disabled, so I look and walk weirdly. Every time I'd go to my favorite food place for lunch and see them, they'd hurl insults.

Anyway, I was standing in a long queue, and they were behind me. There was an old lady (maybe 70-80) behind them. They were making fun of my walk (I sorta can't walk straight bc I had a stroke as a kid).

Suddenly, this old lady called them a "bunch of cruel twats." It was really kind of her to stand up to them. I always will remember that.

[deleted]

I started going back to the gym. On the first day, I saw a personal trainer and took some pre-workouts. I was pushed pretty hard, and by the time I left, I was dizzy, light-headed, and nauseous.

On my drive home, my symptoms got worse and progressed to the point where my arms and legs went tingly to numb, I lost fine motor control, hyperventilating, and my speech became nearly unintelligible.

My hands locked up, and I couldn’t open or move my fingers. I was essentially temporarily handicapped, but I was still thinking straight.

I pulled over, hazards on, crawled out and onto the curb, fumbling about dialing 911. The operator couldn’t understand me, and I didn’t know what was happening to me, so I panicked.

A woman pulled up behind me, got out, and asked what was happening and if I was okay. I shook my head and handed her the phone with “911” on the screen.

I did my best to tell her what was wrong, but she could also see the state I was in. She told the operator what she saw and where we were.

She got me a blanket from her car, wrapped it around me, and stayed with me until help arrived. I looked up at her and managed to say the most defeated, desperate thank you I could muster before she left.

I recovered shortly after and didn’t need to go to the hospital, but my family still picked me up. Bless that woman, wherever she is.

dps15

I was in Walmart one day, and some dude was blocking the aisle where the item I needed was located. I then heard him ask an employee where the cabinet liners were. She said she wasn't sure and started to send him to the wrong location.

I nosily piped up, “I know where they are. If you want to follow me, I will take you to them because I just bought some last week.” The man said, “Oh, ok. Thank you.”

He followed me to the opposite side of the store, and I showed him where they were. He thanked me again, and I hurried back to the other side of the store to get what I needed.

Five minutes later, at the self-checkouts, the man showed up. I saw him just hanging around with his bag of purchases on his arm. When it came time to pay, he stepped up and insisted on paying for my items. I thanked him profusely.

At the time, I only had $35 in my bank account and was trying to purchase food for the week. This man, who I was so annoyed with, helped me so much. I still tear up when I think of his kindness. I am a single mother of two wonderful kids, and this was my miracle.

meow1983

I had been living and struggling in NYC for three years when my dad was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. I decided to move back down south to be closer and help out.

It was a huge, scary, life-changing decision, and I didn’t know if I was making the right call—I had been working in book publishing and trying to follow my dreams, but it just wasn’t what I thought it would be.

On one of my last nights in town, I got into a cab to meet someone for dinner. The eerily prophetic cab driver just looked at me in the mirror and asked, “You are leaving this city for good?” I told him I was, and he said, “Yes, you have met many fancy animals with human faces.”

As I got out of the car and said goodbye, he said, “Well, we have met before, 1,000 years ago or so, and I expect we will again.” I think about that guy a lot. And yes, moving was the right decision!

levitatingpenguins

I'm sitting at a red light with my wife and son. I'm directly behind a yellow school bus full of kids. Some of the kids were just being kids and making faces out the window at cars, etc.

A small group of kids were gathered near the back of the bus, looking at us. All of a sudden, one kid does the "Gangnam Style," crossing the wrists and bobbing the hands up and down part.

I do it right back to him with a huge grin on my face. Then I do the part where you stick your arm up in the air and twirl it around while moving your head back and forth.

By this time, just about the entire bus was watching, and as the light turned green, I heard them absolutely erupting with laughter. Best red light ever.

erik316wttn

I was traveling to the National parks in Utah. In the hotel parking lot, I noticed I had a flat. I was very flustered because I was worried about the cost of replacing the tire on top of the rental company charging me extra.

As I was struggling with the tire, a group of Hispanic men came over to help me out and replace it. They offered me a corona beer, and we all shared a beer.

They guided me through the process but still had me do most of the work on my own as a learning experience. They refused a tip at the end.

mcinthedorm

A few years ago, I was experiencing deep sadness. My life was a mess, my apartment was a mess, I was a mess. For a moment, I decided to just go to the park and sit for a while, as I was really at the end of my rope and had zero idea of what to do.

Out of nowhere, a kid, possibly about three or four years old, comes and hands me three yellow dandelions and runs back to her mom.

I don't know why, but I always remember that. That day, I went home, cleaned my apartment, and made it more tidy. I had a great day.

I wouldn't say that my life miraculously changed, but I will say that that one moment of kindness that neither the kid nor the mom probably remembers was one of the most memorable moments in my life.

AgeOfWomen

About ten years ago, my sister and I (as young adults) had a little girl on the bus to Disneyland sign something and take a picture with us because we needed a signature from a real princess on our trip to make all of our friends at home jealous.

I thought the little one was going to die of excitement. She was so cute. But once we got done with our autograph, she lectured us, saying, "You know, you two could be princesses too! You're nice, and you are at Disneyland. You just need a crown."

We were fresh out, so she conducted our coronations right then and there. I'll have you all know that I am Princess Gardenia_Guardian. Louisa said so.

Also, her parents were so nice they tried to buy us lunch afterward. It just warms my heart thinking about it. I hope she's still growing up happy and sweet.

Gardenia_Guardian

On my honeymoon, we went from Venice to Slovenia. At the first train station in Slovenia, it was literally me, my wife, one employee in the ticket booth, and a Finnish couple.

The man inebriated to the point where I kept muttering, "Please don't vomit on my honeymoon." We had a two-hour wait for our train, so naturally, the drunk guy started a conversation.

His name was Alex. The only place in America we had ever been to was Santa Barbara. And man... We talked a lot. At one point, we danced.

Before we left for our train, he gave me a kiss on the cheek. It was the best interaction I've ever had with a stranger, and I have no doubt that he doesn't remember it.

boyvsfood2

In high school, I was a semi-competitive runner. When you go to the state meet (in my state), you're given a really nice shirt—perfect athletic wear, fits nice, and has the big "state track meet" emblem. Everyone likes this shirt, and people who qualify for the state are a little proud of owning one.

Anyway, fast-forward to college. I'm having a really bad day for reasons unremembered, and I'm wearing this shirt. I'm walking to class, and I spot this (very) attractive girl walking in the other direction, also wearing the state shirt.

I guess I stared for too long (looking at the shirt, obviously), and she noticed. I usually flick my eyes away in this situation, but I didn't.

She held my gaze for a split second, and then I saw her eyes flick down to my chest briefly (noticing my shirt) and back up to me. She gave me this massive smile and continued walking. That made my day significantly better.

nonowh0

I was just at a super stressful time in my life—my housing situation was precarious, I was seriously underemployed, I was working too much, and the 2016 election was literally a day away, and I was so worried about it.

I had done an event for work, and on my way home, I stopped to get some gummies from a 7-11. I just like gummies, okay? Anyway, there was some kind of problem with their card reader.

It literally broke while I was in line, so when I got to the front, they couldn’t take my debit card, and I had no cash, so no gummies for me.

I left them on the counter and sadly walked away. I lived around the corner from this 7-11 and was walking home when I heard someone behind me yelling.

I turn around, and there’s this big black guy chasing me. I stop, and he comes up to me and hands me a bag of gummies. Just wow.

“Can’t go without gummies,” he said. I thanked him profusely, but I regret not hugging him. I went home and cried because I was so happy about these gummies.

Honestly, I didn’t have a lot of money in my bank account, and these gummies were probably going to be the last things I bought before my next paycheck.

It was such a small thing, but it meant so much to me. I’m crying now, thinking about it. I’m so grateful to that man, and he made me smile.

SunnyOnTheFarm

A couple of weeks after I bought my new (to me) car, I was sitting at a stoplight, and the woman in the car next to me shouted to me, “That’s a great little car! I used to have one and loved it!”

So I shouted back in agreement, saying how much I loved it. She then told me she had the same exact one but had to get rid of it recently for something bigger.

I remembered how the car salesman told me the only reason the previous owners traded in the car was because they needed something bigger.

So I said, “Well, this could be your car- I just bought it!” She asked me where I bought it and when I told her she said, “Ahh! That’s my car!” We were both laughing as the light turned green, and we went our separate ways.

misterunderfoot

There was a time once, about 2 or 3 years ago, when a young woman near me, who was talking on her cell said: "I miss my mom." She was sad.

I had a family trauma prior to that day, and my eldest son and I had become estranged. I missed my son, and at that moment, my youngest son was in the hospital from a related traumatic incident, and I was also sad.

My daughter, my bff, was also in shock and right by my side during this time, and I was there for her, too. Anyway, I digress.

This woman, who was a similar age to my kids, ended her call. We were walking in the same direction, several feet apart. I just looked over and said, "I miss my kids, too, hon. I know your Mom loves you."

She started crying, I just walked up to her and gave her a Mom hug. She cried so hard. I was crying. We just stood there and cried, in the middle of the city.

Total strangers. I kept telling her that love never dies. Even in death. Love is eternal. We finally composed ourselves. Hugged and went our way. I still think about that day.

Cilantroduction

My husband was away for work for 3 months, and I lived far away from family. My son is 3, and he is 100%. He doesn’t sit still, and I was exhausted from working as a parent doing it all!

My son and I went to eat one Saturday. We never go to sit in restaurants because he can’t sit still long enough. But I was craving a spicy chicken.

We sat down in a booth, and my son was acting as he does and not sitting still. I was about to leave and pack it all up to go because he was disrupting this family sitting behind us, and I didn’t want to ruin their meal.

The mom sees I’m struggling and invites my son to eat with them. They had a few older kids (5-7 ish). My son sits with them and eats, and they entertain him for 20-30 minutes. While I sat in my booth eating my meal in peace.

It was the nicest mom move that a mom has ever done; she saw the struggle I was having and tried to help. Her kids even shared their chicken nuggets with my son! It was so sweet.

theantpantsdance

I was working at a local supermarket doing some construction when this little girl walked past with her dad. She stopped and called out, “Dad, look, a girl builder.”

I had a little chat with her, and she went into the shops. On her way out, she runs back and has another chat with me. She was four years old.

Very bright little one. It was just very heartwarming how she recognized something like a female working in a male-dominated industry.

I had a really bad day dealing with the builder who was being a bully because I couldn't be there first thing in the morning due to having to drop my kids off at school first.

SockDwarf

When I was a kid, we didn't have a lot of money, so we often shopped at thrift stores. What I loved about that was that you could get 10 books for a dollar.

I would plant myself in front of the book section and make piles of which one I wanted to get and then decide after I'd gone through them all.

One day, an older lady saw me sitting with my piles and asked if I liked to read. I told her I did and showed her a few of the books I found that I liked.

She smiled and then pulled a dollar out of her purse, handed it to me, and said, "Promise me that you'll keep reading." I was so happy and immediately stood up and said that I would.

She smiled and walked away, and I went back to my piles, where I was able to pick out an extra 10 books to take home. It was just a small act of kindness for her.

But for me, having a random stranger encouraged my love of reading and made me promise never to stop. It definitely had a lot to do with my continued love of reading. This was probably 22-23 years ago, but I still think of her whenever I buy a new book.

-eDgAR-

During grocery shopping, I saw a man about my age (mid-20s) who was clearly putting a lot of effort into his appearance, and it was working.

He had two-toned dyed hair (one-half blonde, the other black), was wearing some well-done makeup that I couldn't do, bright purple jeans, good tattoos, etc. Overall, the look worked, and he'd clearly put effort into it.

I said excuse me and mentioned that I thought he looked very happy and confident and good. The dude began crying in the middle of the supermarket.

I felt so guilty for reducing a stranger to tears like that, but he explained it was because I'd made his day, and he very rarely got complimented. It made me sad and happy at the same time, but mainly happy.

[deleted]

I was about 15 and crying on a step downtown because social anxiety was really a struggle for me. After a while, a girl of about 20 stopped to ask me what the matter was.

It took a lot, but I just opened up to her as she gently held me on her shoulder and wiped my tears away. As I smiled before we went our separate ways, she promised that things would improve.

I was initially skeptical, but I always remembered our words whenever I felt sad. I really think she might have saved me. Leah, thank you again. I will truly never forget you!

jeff_the_nurse

When I was 12, I was on my way back home from school. I was riding my bicycle, and at this crossing, a car in a traffic jam made space to let me through.

While crossing the road, I got hit by this driver, trying to overtake the whole lane so he wouldn't have to wait out the traffic jam.

The car hit me, scooped me up, and launched me into the air, which resulted in a broken kneecap, a broken nose, and a broken rib for me.

The driver fled the scene. The driver who let me pass took care of me until the Amber Lamps arrived and made sure I stayed awake.

Now, that's not where it ends. The guy who took care of me was so mad about the driver fleeing the scene that he actually put some advertisements in a few national newspapers describing the car and where it might have possibly been damaged.

After three days, the guy turned himself in, claiming that the advertisement led people to figure out what he did and threatened him.

So a random stranger spent quite some money on getting an advertisement out so the guy who ran me over could be found. I never heard of that stranger after, but I'm pretty sure the driver wouldn't have turned himself in without the ads.

Heliocentrizzl

I can't swim. One time, when I was a little kid (around 6), my friend took me to her local pool. It was great when we were in the shallow end, but she thought it would be a good idea to jump off of the diving board, and she made me do it, too.

I landed in the water and realized, "Wait, this is terrible. I can't swim at all," so I latched like a parasite to the closest grown-up and shouted, "TO THE SHALLOW END!"

They swam with me on their back until I could stand up in the water. I had no concept of stranger danger, I guess. But I was panicking so badly.

idgapho

A few years back, I ran out of gas on my way home from work. I managed to get my car to the median, so I wasn't totally blocking traffic.

I was stuck at this point with no one I could call and no money. I had 3 people stop and help me. The first guy asks, what's wrong? If I was okay? If I had any cash on me for gas, etc.

I told him my car was out of gas and I had no way of getting to a gas station. I showed him my check, which I had yet to cash, so I had no money.

He left, and car two showed up. I chatted for a bit with car two, but she said she couldn't really help me out, which is all good. So, the third person to stop is an undercover officer.

A really nice guy helped me push my car toward the grass and brainstormed ideas for the situation because he didn't want to leave me there.

Well, as the cop and I were talking, car number 1 pulled up, got out, and handed me a full 10-gallon gas can. I profusely thanked the guy and even offered to get his number so I could pay him back. He refused and just said it was really no problem.

I didn't ask this guy to spend his money on gas for me, but he did anyway, and I'm thankful he did. It's too bad that I'll never get a chance to pay him back.

SkatinKate

I boarded a last-minute flight to my hometown, not knowing if my brother was going to be alive when the flight landed. I was sitting in shock, thinking about how this would be one of the longest hours and twenty minutes of my life, and it must have been written all over my face.

This particular aircraft had two emergency seats and a space before the door (no window seat), giving the person sitting in the window seat behind a huge space for legroom. A guy sat down and commented on how he loved to get that seat, extra legroom, etc.

Then he leaned forward and said, “I saw your face when I was walking up the aisle and can tell you can really do with talking to someone to take your mind off something, so I'm just going to talk. At any point, you can talk about it. Otherwise, I'm just gonna chat to you.”

I don't know if that guy will ever have even the tiniest bit of understanding of how deeply he touched me with his actions or his parting words touched me.

Six years later, I still think about what a touching thing he did by just chatting to a stranger who looked like she was going through hell. My brother is alive and well, but I had no idea if that would be the case for the duration of that flight.

PollyannaToothpaste