Forget money - Kindness is what really makes the world go round.
Have you ever realized how much a kind gesture can change the world? Your kindness and goodwill may not seem like a large scale contribution to society, but that one decision to help another person can impact their entire life. With so much uncertainty in the world, and the lack of control we seem to have over most things, the least we can do is be kind to each other.
Redditor u/4reddityo asked people What is the kindest thing you've done or seen?, and heartwarming and wholesome stories of good deeds poured in.
10. Mom's uniting
"When my wife gave birth to our firstborn, the woman she had shared a ward with while in the early stages of labour had a stillbirth.
After giving birth, rather than spending time bonding with her newborn, my exhausted wife gave me our son and spent 3 hours comforting and consoling this woman. Something about the bond of mothers seemed to connect them.
The woman and her husband have since become close family friends and had two beautiful children after this - they still credit the support we (mostly my wife) gave them in the period of time after the stillbirth, especially in those three hours, with helping them get through their grief."
9. Servers supporting servers
Giphy"I was a server for a while and my coworker was pretty new. They'd sent most staff home because it was late and, how it always happens, we got super busy. My coworker was struggling and got a terribly rude table. They didn't seem to understand that they weren't the only customers in the restaurant and we were understaffed. They made her cry and have a meltdown. We've all been there, so I took over the table and, after they left, put $15 on the table so she would see she got a 'tip' from the table. I never told her I put money on the table for her, and seeing her confidence grow from that was what I was hoping for (her response after was something like 'wow! I must not be as terrible of a server as I thought I was! Maybe I'm getting the hang out it after all')."
8. This stranger kept cool during a freak accident
"I broke my foot while bouldering a week into my semester abroad. I had never been out of the country before, so I was absolutely panicking. A total stranger came right over after I fell, recorded important info for the paramedics, and spent the next ten or so minutes while waiting for the ambulance asking me questions about my studies and my research (I'd mentioned I was a student). He asked such thoughtful questions and was so kind and able to calm me down even though I was absolutely freaking out."
7. Being able to see the impact your donation has is eye opening
"I donated stem cells to a stranger. I matched with them almost a year ago and the procedure was completed in December. It's a very impersonal experience because of the anonymity of it. I didn't know anything about the patient I was donating to and they knew nothing about me.
It wasn't until I received a letter from her (this morning no less) that it really hit me how much of an impact it had on her life. For me it was a cheek swab I did in college four years ago and then a random email saying that I had matched with someone. It was eye opening to read her letter because after the pandemic I hadn't really thought about it for awhile. Of course, it was a profound experience donating lifesaving stem cells to someone, but not knowing where those cells were going after the procedure left me feeling sorta empty."
6. This amazing gift idea requires kindness from many
"I reached out to dozens of people my dad has known and told me stories about throughout the years - cousins, relatives, coworkers, groomsmen, friends throughout his adult years, friends from childhood, and even from his recently-deceased dad before he passed away. I asked them if they could share a memory or picture they had of him.
I was overwhelmed by the responses! So many people wrote back, even people I had missed but had heard about it through the grapevine! It was so kind of those people to dig through their archives and spend the time to do that.
I compiled them all into a box and gave it to him for his 60th birthday. My dad and the rest of our family all really enjoyed reading the letters and seeing long lost photographs."
5. This heroic bus driver
"In 6th grade, it was 2 stops away from my stop a man was just laying on the sidewalk, our bus was stopped for a long time, I noticed the bus driver wasnt on the bus and I looked outside and the guy was just laying there, our bus driver is rlly nice so her being the nice lady she is she rushes out of the bus, check his pulse and calls an ambulance, the bad part was some people on my bus were talking ***** saying 'I bet he overdosed on something' and almost after that my mom comes to pick me up, turns out the next day our bus driver said 'The man from yesterday didn't overdose, he went into diabetic shock (or I think that's what she said' but she basically saved someone"
4. This is why "If you see something, say something" works
"An older gentlemen tried to ship an envelope to his 'grandson' from a shipping company I worked at. The way he acted and the things he said threw up too many red flags in my head, so (against company policy), I opened the envelope after he left and inside of it was 5 figures in cash. I called the cops and told them to get in touch with the man and try to figure out what was going on. As it turns out, someone had called the older man and said his grandson was in the hospital and if they didn't send the money he would get a surgery that was badly needed. The older man couldn't get in touch with the grandson by phone so he panicked and sent the money to the address they provided. We were able to stop it from happening and get the money back to him. He said it was basically his life savings.
The story kind of got big and the news ran a story on it and apparently its a scam that happens to a lotttt of old people. We started this kind of club to reach out to nursing homes and try and educate people about it, and a lot of people were not aware of anything like that happening. A lot of good came from me just being nosey."
3. They went above and beyond for a stranger
"I was talking to some random guy in the bar, and he said he was having surgery the next day and didn't have someone to pick him up after. I ended up driving him there, sitting with him before he went back, calling his parents when he got out, sitting with him in recovery, picking up his post op meds, driving him home, and making sure he was okay before I left. Never saw him again, and that's okay."
2. Even after so many years, this dad was a great friend
"My Dad ran into an old high school friend he hadn't seen in years. He learned that the man had cancer, that he had no family except a son in college in another state and that he was basically dealing with it all by himself. So my Dad started taking him to his appointments and out to lunch. He even organized how to take his crazy number of prescriptions since it was confusing to figure out when to take them when they all had different times and requirements (There were about 18 of them I think he said). Then, when his friend died, my Dad helped his son do all of the end of life arrangements. My Dad is my hero. He is such a giving person and I strive to be like him."
1. This hoop found the perfect home
Giphy"I saw a neighbor boy practicing his jump shot into some tree branches in his front yard. I had a portable hoop in the back from when I moved in that was taking up space. So I walked over and offered him the hoop for free. I only lived there for the next year or 2, but it was almost non-stop basketball dribble next door after that. I saw him, his sister, parents, aunts, uncles, even a grandparent or 2 all take a couple shots at the hoop over time. It felt good to know his family got so much use out of it."
Do you have something to confess to George? Text "Secrets" or "
" to +1 (310) 299-9390 to talk to him about it.
There's nothing like leaving a movie theater having just seen an excellent movie.
Particularly one that took you by surprise.
Perhaps it was deeper and more meaningful than it purported itself to be, or on the flip side, had much more warmth and humor that you would have expected.
Or, the film took an unexpected twist that you never saw coming.
Resulting in your needing to bite your tongue until the rest of your friends and family see the film, and not spoil the surprise for them.
Redditor HornyCorny was curious to hear which plot twists left viewers utterly speechless, leading them to ask:
"What’s a movie twist that caught you completely off guard?"
He Didn't See It Coming Either!
"Brad Pitt in 'Burn After Reading'."
"So surprising and downright freaking hilarious."- thefirehairman
If The Shoe Fits...
"'The Shawshank Redemption'."
"Come on."
"It's not always a man notices another man's shoes."- FUBARspecimenT-89
Lucky For Some, Not For All...
"'Lucky Number Slevin'."
"Huge twist and very satisfying."- kvlr954
angry josh hartnett GIFGiphyRosie O'Donnell Would Agree...
"Fight Club."- BuchseeI
"once watched it with a friend who had never even heard of it, and she called the twist like, a half hour in."
"She said it as a joke and didn't realize she was right until the actual reveal, but still I was shook."- yugosaki
I See You Keyser Söze
"The ending of 'The Usual Suspects'."- Schwarzes__Loch
Definitive Shyamalan
''The Sixth Sense'."
'I love movies with plot twists, but I never imagined this one. It caught me completely off guard."- lucasduka
Haley Joel Osment Movie GIFGiphyThe Title Is Also Misleading...
"The second half of 'Parasite'."- iwontrememberthat4
Appropriately, They Really Toyed With Your Cognition
"'The Game'."- DudeHeadAwesome
"Good one!'
"I spent the entire movie going 'is it a game? Is it real?'"- fastpixels
There Were Definitely Ghosts...
"'The Others'."
"Unsuspected end."- NeckComprehensive743
scared horror film GIF by FilmStruckGiphyOne Unforgettable Opening Scene
"'Scream'."
"The Drew Barrymore role."- LivingTheLife53
The Real Reason Everyone Is Terrified Of Bees...
"When I was a kid, I wanted to feel good and happy."
"So at the video store, I decided to rent a movie with two happy laughing kids on the DVD cover, thinking it would be a feel-good playful story."
"That movie was 'My Girl'."
"Eff that movie."
"Seriously."
'The DVD cover lies."
"IT LIES."- buckyhermit
You THOUGHT you knew who the villains were...
"'From Dusk to Dawn' — midway point."
"Didn’t know at all what I was walking into when saw it in the theatre decades ago — just, you know, Salma Hayek. Good enough."
"Quentin Tarantino slurping tequila from her foot after it ran down the entire length of her leg — that was already a 'Holy WTF' moment."
"But then, well.. . you know."
"And if you don’t know — quick, go watch it. "
"No trailer, no synopsis, no summary."
"Find it and load it 'blind' and fasten your seatbelt."
"You’re in for a wild ride."- canada11235813
George Clooney Tarantino GIF by MIRAMAXGiphyIt's Title Is More Than Accurate!
"'Crazy Stupid Love'."
"The scene when the whole movie goes apesh*t in the yard is one of my all time favorite movie scenes."- Fimbulvintern
Trifecta Of Twists
"'The Others'."
"The end of 'The Mist'."
"'The Prestige' (though, I ALMOST had it figured out, but not quite)."- Krinks1
There's nothing better than when a movie surprises you.
Even if it does make talking about said movie with people who haven't seen it a bit more challenging.
Case in point, people who saw The Sixth Sense and The Usual Suspects after their endings were spoiled for them, don't seem to like those movies as much as those who went in blind.
Every family has its secrets.
It's up to every new generation to unearth it all.
Don't we all want to know if we're related to famous people?
Or what if we have a familial stake in lands and businesses?
Also, this is a good way to NOT end up dating blood relatives.
The more you know, the less awkward later.
As much as there is a lot of trauma there could be a lot of cool facts to to discuss at parties.
Redditor ForthrightPedant wanted to hear some interesting family histories, so they asked:
"What is a historical fact about your family that you think is kinda neat?"
I don't have any family history.
Of course I've done no investigating.
Maybe I do.
I should look!
Super Talent
Excited Happy Hour GIF by Boomerang OfficialGiphy"Great-grandpa created the Flintstones. Dan Gordon. Drew lots of Hannah-Barbara cartoons, and directed the first three animated Superman films at the beginning of WW2 as well as several seasons of Popeye, Scooby Doo, Smurfs, Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound."
downnoutsavant
Bad Voyage
"My grandfather disliked America and wanted to return to Ireland. He booked passage on the Titanic’s return voyage. If it wouldn’t have sunk, no of us would be here."
mrseddievedder
"My great-grandmother was a Titanic survivor. She was a steerage-class Lebanese immigrant in an arranged marriage. Her husband went down with the ship but she managed to make it to a lifeboat and made it to the Carpathia. Then she remarried in a Lebanese neighborhood in Virginia. Had it not been for the iceberg that struck and sank the Titanic My family lineage would be different and I wouldn't be here. My family's official toast is 'to the iceberg.'"
jaspersurfer
Forgotten
"My husband's grandfather was one of the 'forgotten soldiers' in Canada. He was a Canadian-born Chinese man who asked the Canadian government to fight for his right to vote and a passport. Even tho he was born in Canada in the 20’s since he was Chinese he was not considered Canadian."
H"e was dropped into the Burma jungle and was told he would likely never return. He was in the 10% that did return. He was given the right to vote, to a passport, and to University."
"His wife is still alive today and my son is named after him."
cowskeeper
Can you imagine?
"My great-grandmother had 13 kids, so she was pregnant for literally a decade. There’s two hundred of us now, all because of this one woman."
CoverlessSkink
"My great grandma had 14 kids. My grandma was the youngest. She died giving birth to my grandma. The oldest child who was like 22 years old raised my grandma. My great-grandfather remarried a woman who had 10 kids of her own. My grandma would tell me stories of them all living together. Can u imagine? 😦."
Content_Pool_1391
Long Ago
american wtf GIF by unimpressionismGiphy"The land my dad was raised on and my cousins still live on was deeded to the family by George Washington as compensation for service during the Revolution. There was a document with his signature on it at the courthouse until a fire destroyed the records a few decades ago."
mustbethedragon
So much land and fortune and HISTORY has been lost due to fire.
Thank God we keep more than paper records now.
Over the Moon
Michael Jackson Dancing GIFGiphy"My second cousin is David Scott who walked on the Moon and drove the moon buggy. My mom does. He was so busy during the time when I was young that he even said later in life that he wished she’d gotten to know more of his family."
Roadgoddess
The Union
"Great-great-great grandfather on my mom's side was working his field in the part of Virginia that split off and became a new state because they didn't want to secede from The Union. Union soldiers came along looking for conscripts and he was a young, able-bodied man so they told him to come with them. He informed them he was a Quaker and thus a pacifist. According to family lore, that discussion went on for a bit but he would not give in. So they shot him and left him there. Good thing he had a couple of kids well before that day."
SpottyNoonerism
Opportiunities
"My great-grandfather was offered a chance to invest in a new invention by a guy by the name of Alexander Graham Bell. He declined, saying at most there would be one telephone per town."
Carson4307
"That is apparently my family too."
"One uncle apparently built a version of a hot water heater and then sold the design to GE for a good sum back then."
"Another uncle was asked if he wanted to be in a photo during his military service. He said no so they raised the flag on Iwo Jima without him in it."
"No idea if any of these are true, at best they are enhanced truths, but for me, I really hope they are true."
Jormungand1342
Underground
"I have a relative who worked for the Underground Railroad and had a price on her head in the South."
dahlia6767
"My uncle was a carpenter. And was doing restoration work on old houses in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Many of those old, historical homes had underground railroad passageways and hidden walls. He got to see and restore many of them. He had photos of some of the work he was doing and I got to see those as a kid. Living in Southern Ohio, we have a lot of rich underground railroad history here."
AddictiveArtistry
Family Empire
blood discussion GIFGiphy"My great-grandfather was the town police chief in the 1920s. His brother was the Mayor. Their cousins ran the casino."
"My family was a smaller version of Boardwalk Empire."
nowhereman136
Wouldn't we all love a show based on our families?
Then that's even more neat family history.
