Heartfelt Stories That Show Kindness Can Heal More Than We Think

Story 1
I got pregnant at 15, so I got used to people’s judgment. One day, an elderly woman handed me a folded $20 bill and said, “Here, honey. Diapers get expensive.” Later at home, I found a small piece of paper tucked inside that said: You’re stronger than you think.” Years later, I discovered faint writing on the back—my name. I’d never met the woman before. One day, while visiting my mom, I mentioned the note—and she went quiet. Then she smiled and said, “She was a neighbor I once helped when no one else would. Looks like she remembered.”

Story 2
My mom had Alzheimer’s. We were waiting our turn to pay in the dentist office. When she overheard another woman say she couldn’t afford her treatment. My Mom, asked me, “Do I have money?” I told her yes, and she said, “Okay, I want to buy her a reason to smile.” I thought she was confused—Alzheimer’s sometimes made her say things out of the blue—but she was watching the receptionist closely, as if waiting for a signal. The woman she was referring to had just left for the restroom, but the receptionist seemed to understand. “She’s short on her bill,” she said gently. “It’s $330.” My mom nodded, her eyes clear for once. “That’s not too much for a smile,” she whispered, almost to herself. I handed over her card, and she signed the receipt with shaky but determined hands. We didn’t stick around. As we stepped outside, a breeze caught her hair and she laughed—really laughed, like she used to. “Did I do something good?” she asked. “You did something beautiful,” I told her. And for the rest of the day, she held onto that feeling like it was a memory she didn’t want to lose.

Story 3
I was in an elevator all dressed up a couple of hours before my wedding. There was a guy who walked into the elevator, he looked at me and said, “Are you the groom?” I replied with, “Yeah.” Then he said, “You look calm, that means you’re doing the right thing.”
And that’s exactly what I needed to hear to start off the best day of my life. Thank you, elevator guy. © TaliasMithevallir / Reddit

Story 4
Last week I took my 4-month-old son on vacation with me to California. 3 flights each way. I had him in a baby carrier, his diaper bag, cooler, my carry-on, and my purse. 2 bags in each arm with a baby hanging out in front. I was at some airport or other (so many airports I don’t even remember which one… maybe Dallas or Chicago) for a transfer and on my way to make my next connection, about to step up on the escalator when I hear “STOP!!!” I turn around and there’s a woman in her 50,s and she looks very concerned… she tells me my shoe is untied and she doesn’t want it to get stuck in the escalator and have me trip while holding the baby. I immediately start setting bags down so I can try and figure out how to tie my shoe, and she rushes over and ties my shoe for me. So small. So random. But the fact that she saw me struggling with my son & all of our stuff & did something as humble as bending down and tying a young mom’s shoe… that’s gonna stay with me for a while. © GrumpyGills / Reddit