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.
People Share The Most Wholesome Experience They've Ever Had With A Stranger
Sometimes you just need another person....
Sometimes it really takes a stranger. There are kind people in the world. In this day and age it's important to hold on to that belief. Often the kindest action is the smallest and it can come arrive from a face we've never known but we'll always remember. Not all strangers are out to harm.... that can be a tough thought for the jaded in us all to except. Humans want to help humans and several people can prove it.
Redditor u/EpicesPotato wanted to talk about the times they've encountered an unknown person and how that encounter left them a little better on the whole by asking.... What's the most wholesome experience you've had with a stranger?Take it....
Star Vijay Love GIFGiphyMy card declined at a fast food place a couple years ago. The manager saw it happening and came up and gave me the food anyway. It may have come from a "forget this establishment" mood rather than the unrelenting kindness of his heart, but either way it really made my day.
"Are you alright love?"
I was traveling from the South of England to the North of 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 cancelled 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, wrote down all the possible variations of buses and trains that I would need to take, including the times.
She waited with me the entire time, like twenty minutes, THEN when the bus came up she paid for my fare( no cash on London buses). I got out and looked to 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.
$25
I went once 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 like 20 min away from the store) a man in a nice suit who was behind me on the line heard the conversation and said he would pay for me, I was too surprised with it and first gently denied his offer but he insisted and just handled his card to the cashier and wish me a good day. It was only like 25 dollars but that really made my day. I was so thankful because that save me a lot of time! And this men was so kind during the whole event.
Thank you squirrels...
kissing dan feuerriegel GIFGiphyI had 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.
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!
Safe Home
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 anyway I can.
Edit: Thank all of you for the awards. I was about 20mi from home and this was before cell phones were affordable so that person saved me that night. For those asking, 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.
Thank you kindly....
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 keep my wallet in my back pocket, but there was no need to 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.
When in London....
I was in London and was supposed to be flying home that day. 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 is going to be a tube strike on the day you fly home, that means the tube is 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 comes up to me and offers to help carry my suitcases. He asks where I'm going, and I say Heathrow which is an hour away at this point and time until my flight is running short. It starts 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 and 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.
The 80 Year Old....
nice wow wow wee wow GIFGiphyThis happened when I was around 9 or 10. I was out riding my bike with my mum, and halfway through the trail, my bike breaks down. Anyway we couldn't carry the bike back home since it would take hours, so we were just stranded in that field. There were a few people on the trail who 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 like real 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 peddlin' again. I thought that was a really wholesome moment, his kindness and coolness to our situation. And that's why this memory sticks to me I guess.
Helping the Hobble....
I was using crutches at the time after an ankle injury. Got off the tram to go to Uni and hobbled straight into a surprise Melbourne spring storm. Guy with very limited English walked me from the tram stop to my class, holding an umbrella over me the entire walk (about 10 minutes). One of those lovely, warm fuzzy memories.
Farewell....
get well hug GIFGiphyWhen I was 18 I had a friend in the hospital with brain cancer. His time was limited. I visited him when I could. He was kind of hippie alternative punk. I wore a leather jacket and had long hair. I walked to his room, a nurse saw me. Without saying a word she walked to me and gave me a long comforting hug. That's how I knew he passed.
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We are living in one of the darkest times of life. It has seemed for quite sometime that humanity has lost it's way. Every time we turn on the news or check our newsfeed it's bad people and apocalyptic events. That is why it is now more important than ever to remember that good people exist, and humanity is pure at heart. History is flooded with greatness, we just have to dig a little deeper to find it these days.
Redditor u/An_Annoying_Otaku wanted to hear about happier times from humanity's past by asking..... Historians of Reddit, what is the most wholesome moment from history?Flowers for the Man
shia labeouf flirting GIF by HULUGiphyAt Shanidar Cave, an archaeological site in northern Iraq, a Neanderthal male was buried encircled by flowers.
Over 50,000 years ago we were sentimental.
We also found the skull of one of the relatives to human (can't remember which) that had no teeth. The person the skull belonged to was roughly in its 40's and theres evidence (don't know what) it had no teeth for most of its life. That means that someone had help it eat for decades, probably out of nothing but kindness and love. Turns out kindness is an ancient thing.
Friends
Nobuo Fujita was a Japanese pilot in World War Two. He was the only Axis solider to drop a bomb on the continental United States. He visited the town of Brookings Oregon after the war with the intention of committing Seppuku to atone for his violence. Instead the town befriended him and he even sponsored three students from the town to study abroad in Japan. He donated his families sword to the town and even help to raise funds to build a library in the town. He was made an honorary member of Brookings before his death.
To the Water....
During the 9/11 attacks the tunnels and bridges were shut down leaving boats to be the only way on or off the island for the first time in over 100 years. Many of the ferry boats were trying to evacuate lower Manhattan and at one point the coast guard realized that the evacuation needed to get better organized and so they put out the call for any boats that want to help with the evacuation to report to governors island, the response was hundreds of boats, ranging from tug boats, party boats, yachts, speed boats, etc., lining the horizon and showing up to help.
It became the largest Sea Evacuation in history, the only one to come close was the evacuation of Dunkirk during WW2. At Dunkirk 339,000 British and French soldiers were evacuated over the course of a week and on 9/11 over 500,000 civilians were evacuated by boat in just under 9 hours. https://youtu.be/18lsxFcDrjo
just a little...
I don't know if 'wholesome' is really the right word, but when I think of the number of normal people across Europe (including Germans) who risked everything to help Jews/POWs/etc., flee the Nazis, it restores my faith in humanity a bit. They saw the face of evil and acted with courage and empathy.
YES QUEENS!
fox tv GIF by loveconnectionfoxGiphyMine is the Siege of Weinsberg where the attacking king made a deal for the surrender of the castle stating that the women may leave free and can take with them anything they can carry on their backs.
The women then walked out of the castle with their husbands on their back.
The 3
The 3 men that dived into the highly radioactive pool beneath reactor no. 4 of Chernobyl power plant all survived.
They were tasked to open a valve in the dark basement so that the radioactive waste water can be drained before the melting reactor core can chew through the concrete above the basement.
If these men failed their mission, the molten core would come into contact with the water and instantly cause a steam explosion, contaminating all of Europe.
In short, the 3 men charged in knowing that they most likely wouldn't survive in order to save the rest of Europe.
Together!Â
The Battle of Castle Itter, when a bunch of German soldiers fought alongside US Soldiers to defend a bunch of French prisoners from the SS. If that wasn't enough, this was like two days before the surrender of Germany, so the war in Europe was about to end.
Pardon the Intrusion....
Sorry Jillian Bell GIFGiphyWhen Switzerland accidentally invaded Liechtenstein in 2007 and apologized profusely to the Liechtenstein government. They apparently didn't know about it until that moment.
Damnit, thanks for making me cry, Canada! Â
When US airspace was grounded on 9/11, 2001, planes coming from across the Atlantic that couldn't turn around were re-routed to airports all across Canada. Air Traffic controllers went into hulk mode in the tiny town of Gander, Newfoundland to suddenly take in 38 wide body planes at its airport carrying 6-7 thousand passengers from over 100 countries, and the people of that town and surrounding fishing villages were like "no big deal we got you" (as Canada does) and set to task.
The town's bus drivers were currently on strike but they put down their signs and started carting passengers to community centers, schools, and churches where residents were working non-stop setting up shelters and making meals, many also hosting strangers in their homes. The bakeries fired up the ovens, the hospital beefed up it's staff, hell people even took care of 17 dogs and cats and 2 GREAT APES that were on the planes.
Town pharmacists got to work helping people get essential medication.
The people of the town even took it upon themselves to treat the guests as tourists and took many of them sightseeing and fishing, etc, because CANADIANS. Many of them became great friends and still keep in touch.
Damnit, thanks for making me cry, Canada!
A Truce.
Well Done Applause GIF by MOODMANGiphyDuring the US Revolutionary war a British general lost his dog during a battle. It was captured by US forces who tried to give it to general George Washington, who had it groomed and returned to the British under a flag a truce.
During the first Christmas in WW1 many areas of the trenches declared a truce, against the wishes of generals on both sides. It wasn't uniform across the board, but in a lot of places enemies celebrated Christmas together, exchanged gifts, and completely ignored orders to resume fighting until after the holidays.
After 9/11....
The African tribe that donated 14 cows to the US as relief aid after 9/11
The tribe viewed cows as a precious commodity so to willingly donate them was a huge gesture of good will. Honestly, everything the global community did for the US after 9/11 shows that we can all put aside our differences and come together for the common good.
Its said that there is so much hate and violence and it takes a massive tragedy to make people stop and think about their fellow man, insert Hurricane Harvey relief effort here.
We Stand By You
In the days leading up to 9/11, the USS Winston Churchill and the German destroyer Lutjens were moored near to each other in Plymouth, UK. The two crews had got to know each other - visits, sports days, no doubt drinking up the road too...
In the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the Churchill was ordered to sea. The safest place for a warship is at sea, with room to maneuver and use its weapons.
After several days at sea, the Churchill received a request from the Lutjens, departing Plymouth. They wanted to pass by close on the port side to say good-bye.
As the German destroyer came close, it became apparent the German crew were manning the rails in dress blues. A traditional naval honor.
They'd prepared a sign. We Stand By You.
The crew of a German destroyer, named for the Admiral who went down with the Bismarck, rendering honors and support to the crew of an American destroyer named for Winston Churchill, in the English Channel.
Bubbles....
Happy I Love Lucy GIFGiphyWhen the allies came to liberate Italy, the citizens busted out champagne since many of their relatives lived in allied countries.
Normandy
During the Invasion of Normandy 2 medics from the 101st Airborne set up a field hospital in a town where heavy fighting was going on, and with very limited supplies. They treated every American and Germany Soldier when one of them went out to get more wounded with a wheelbarrow. They found both sides stopped shooting and the medics forced every to leave their guns outside and one of them forced a German Officer ether a major or Colonel to leave his gun and his men's guns outside.
"Hallelujah"Â
Standing during the singing of Handel's Hallelujah Chorus (from "Messiah," composed in 1741):
An often repeated legend about Messiah tells the story of King George II who was so moved by the "Hallelujah" chorus during the London premiere of Messiah that he rose to his feet and then everyone in attendance followed suit as not to be sitting when the king stood.
That's how the regularly debated tradition of standing during the "Hallelujah" chorus came to be (also giving birth to countless passive-aggressive battles of concert decorum between the sitters and standers!).
However, according to various experts, there is no truth to this story. In fact there is no evidence King George II was even in attendance, and it is unlikely the newspaper writers that were in the audience would have overlooked mentioning a royal presence. The first reference to this story was a letter written 37 years after the fact.
Just where that leaves us in the annual stand-versus-sit showdown though is still very much up for debate.
Go to Bologna....
the station kobe GIF by The STATION By MAKER GiphyThe war of the bucket. Milan and Bologna went to war, Milan's butt was handed to them, and in the treaty, Bologna took their sacred bucket and put it on display for all to see. Go to Bologna and it's still there.
Forever....
I know everybody has already mentioned this (and will mention this), but the Christmas Day ceasefire during WWI. Not only did they stop fighting altogether, but they got out into No Man's Land, played footy all day, and then had supper together, shared stories, broke bread, so on and so forth.
This moment in history is so bittersweet, however, because then on Boxing Day, they got back into their trenches and went back to killing these temporary friends they made because men of higher authority a world away told them to. Extremely wholesome, but extremely sad as well as WWI was a definitive turning point in modern history which began the doctrine of "forever war."
Also, Castle Itter. Tl;dr, in the closing days of the war in Europe, a Yugoslavian prisoner broke out of a German prison camp, sought out the Allies, and along with a defected German bird, the American army, anti-Nazi German indentured soldiers, and a whole bunch of other POWs, they stormed Castle Itter, killed a grip of Nazis, and fought as a single unit under one idealogy - to stop the Third Reich.
Not traditionally wholesome, but beautiful nonetheless that when there were no more punishments for breaking rank, men of countless creeds fought together to take down the German machine. A lot of Americans died, as well as the Yugoslavian, and the German bird. I think it is tragically beautiful that all of these different kinds of men from different cultures and identities fought together - and died together - all in the name of liberation in Europe. Makes you think of the LoTR meme.
The Canine Love Story
Obligatory not a Historian....
For me it would be the earliest example of the canine-human relationship. A dog was found buried next to two humans around 15000 years ago and there's the cave with footprints of a child and a dog walking side by side and clearly entering and exiting the cave together.
The domestication of dogs goes way back further than we could imagine, they have always been by our side!
+ 1
Friends Hug GIF by MOODMANGiphyThat time Liechtenstein sent out an army of 80 people and suffered negative casualties because they came back with a friend for a total of 81 people.
No, they did not come back with a friend, rather an Austrian Liason officer who accompanied them back to Liechtenstein, as they had been sent out to watch the Italian border with the Austrian Empire, as Italy was allied to Prussia who Austria was losing a war with, and Liechtenstein as an Austrian ally sent these men to make sure there was no surprise Italian assault.
The Austrian officer went back to the empire once the 80 men of Liechtenstein were back in their borders.
Known as the Merry Monarch....
I like the one from Charles II of England. Known as the Merry Monarch, he loved women and had many mistresses. His favorite was a woman called Nell Gwyn; an actress and seller of confectionary oranges, at a local theatre. He even had a tunnel built from under the theatre to an inn across the road for half time entertainment.
On his death bed he asked his brother to take care of all his mistresses and said of Nell "Let not poor Nelly starve."
She was given a huge pension. He just really cared about the wellbeing of all his mistresses and illegitimate offspring, and especially of Nell who wasn't even of noble birth, which was kind of unusual for the day, and for a king. I just like it because he truly took care of the women in his life, even when it would have been more usual and perfectly acceptable for him not to give a crap about them at all.
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There are still good people in the world; good people who want to do good things. It's hard to hold onto that hope when everytime you turn on the TV or even have a phone call with someone you thought you knew better makes your mood nothing but gloom. But angels are amongst us, and we can all be one ourselves. Just try.
Redditor u/my_man_44 wanted to hear about some of the bright spots in humanity in these gloomy times by asking.... What is the most wholesome act of kindness you have ever experienced/seen?
Covid Times
mr rogers its a beautiful day in the neighborhood GIF by Won't You Be My NeighborGiphyWhen my sister and her husband had Covid all her friends set up a schedule on who would drop off lunch and dinner and groceries on what day. They filled up 2 weeks. It was sweet. It really was.
Especially because my brother in law landed in the hospital for 7 days and they took care of my sister from the moment they found out and even took care of us too with that schedule. We didn't have to worry about food. My bro in law didn't go back to work until almost 2 months since he was so weak. When something bad happens everyone comes together to overcome it. It's beautiful.
My Buddy
My mom moved us from Chicago to Florida the summer before I started high school. Freshman year a buddy I met in the neighborhood and I joined the Wrestling team. My mom worked day shifts and we had a meet scheduled for Saturday morning about an hour away so my buddy's mom agreed to drive us.
Saturday morning comes and my buddy is sick and decides not to go but his mom still offered to take me. We drove the hour, I got destroyed by a senior in about 45 seconds and we head back home.
On the way back my buddy's mom asked if me and my younger brother had gotten our library cards yet. I said we hadn't due to school, sports and my moms day shifts limiting our time. She said we should get them soon.
She dropped me off at home where the neighbor was keeping an eye my 7 year old brother. 15 minutes later I was getting ready to make us some sandwiches when there was a knock on my door. It was my friend's mom and she said she wanted to take us for library cards and lunch. We went to local library and she signed for our cards then took us for burgers.
Didn't seem like much but 23 years later I stood as best man for her son at his wedding, my buddy from wrestling team and told this story during my speech. She had passed on 10 years earlier. I cried. He cried. My little brother who was also there cried.
To this day I am still best friends with my buddy. His mom treated me like her own anytime I was at their house and I'll never forget the day we got library cards.
I really love Chicago....
I was on a plane in Chicago going back to Los Angeles after visiting with family. As we were about to pull back from the terminal to go take off I checked my phone for messages one more time before turning it off. My mom had sent this message while the plane was loading and I thought she was just saying good bye. The message actually read my Dad had just had a heart attack and was being rushed to the hospital.
I panicked for a moment and a stewardess saw my face and asked me what was wrong so I told her. 2 minutes later the captain came on the PA and said we were going back to the terminal for a moment so a passenger can go take care of her sick father. I was surprised and a little embarrassed. When I got up to get off the plane, people clapped and shouted out good wishes. I really love Chicago.
Francis, I will forever be grateful to you....
When I was in fourth grade I had pretty severe dyslexia. I had a first graders reading level. My best friend in my class was named Francis. She was the smartest person in our entire class. We got along so well. I remember her talking to our teacher after school and then asking me if I'd like to come to her house to read stories together a couple times a week. She never made me feel bad, never appeared to be frustrated and always acted like we were having the most fun ever. We started reading stories the teacher had given her but it was way over my head.
I would leave feeling frustrated and stupid. This went on for like 2 weeks then she told me to bring that Shel Silverstein book "Where the SideWalk Ends" over. That was it. Everything clicked. A fourth grader, taking her own time to better a friend struggling.... Francis, I will forever be grateful to you. ( icing on this cake- I ended up getting a job as an editor for a Hearst publication right outta college!)
Smiley Face
When I was 15 I went to the hospital because my appendix bursted. I got so sick I almost died. During a rare moment while I was awake the cleaning lady came by and I smiled at her. She said something to me in Spanish as I drifted back to sleep. When I got discharged she ran to find me and gave me a get well card with her name and a smiley face inside. I still have that card. I don't know who she is or even remember her face but I'll never forget her smile. That small act of kindness changed the way I thought about the world.
Can I hug you?
When I was 16, I landed myself in the ICU after a suicide attempt. I don't remember much about my time in the ICU, but I do remember the nicest thing anyone ever did for me. The paramedic that brought me to the hospital the night before came up and asked to see how I was doing. This perfect stranger that had known me for all of 45 minutes took time out of his day to see if I was doing okay.
It was the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me.
A few years ago (right around the 10 year anniversary of that night) I had my 2 kids with me at my daughter's community night at her school. I went up to him and introduced him to my 2 awesome kids and told him who I was. He remembered me and we shared a very special hug.
$200
It was around November/December and I was behind a woman at the grocery store who did not have enough money to buy her groceries. She had 3 young kids with her and she was having to pick and choose what they would take off. I was living paycheck to paycheck at the time myself but felt so terrible for her since she had kids. Couple gets in line behind me and realize what's going on.
I hear them have a little convo and one of them asks to get by me real quick. Couple behind me payed for all her groceries and added $200 gift card for future groceries. She started crying, I started crying, and cashier got weepy. Definitely took that life example and have helped others when I can now too.
Bless You
animation loop GIFGiphyOne time when i was a kid, our priest from school took our class to the church to rosary and I accidentally dropped mine and it broke so the priest gave me his that he got from the Pope, I still have it to this day.
A simple compliment....
Well once this guy posted a picture of himself smiling because he reached 200 karma. All the comments were people shaming him for only having 200. I commented that I really liked his smile. He responded and said that he had been needing that and thanked me. Thought about that for a good week.
The Favorite
san francisco giants win GIF by MLBGiphyRandom guy at a baseball game gave me autographed baseball card of one of my favorite players. He wasn't a fan of my team so he gave me the card. I forever love Giants fans despite being a Diamondbacks fan now
Miss Laney....
After the widow died in her house across the street from where I grew up, my parents found a loving home for her beautiful black & white cat, Tompkins.
They knew how much Miss Laney loved Tompkins and wanted to make sure he was provided for. It made me think even more highly of them that they would care enough to find just the right new home for him.
The Replacement
ice cream cone eating GIFGiphyI was on a boardwalk and a little girl dropped her ice cream and was so upset but her parents were distracted with their other kids (handing out cones) and some old dude in another line just handed his fresh cone over and walked away smiling.
It's ok to Cry
I got a call that my grandfather was rushed to the hospital while I was at school (him and I are very close) I broke down sobbing out of fear that something would happen to him. My friends sat around me and my bestie said "you don't have to talk, you don't have to do anything right now. We're just gonna stay right here." They got me to stop crying eventually.
Thank you Mrs. Panopio!
The left side of my pants was ripped by my best friend when we were having fun in the classroom, resulting to other people seeing my underwear. My teacher advisor asked me to get the sewing box at the faculty room. So while we were doing the Math exam, she made me sit with her on the right side of her table and sewed my pants.
Thank you Mrs. Panopio! You deserve a long life of happiness! As a student, that was the best experience of my high school life.
Quack....
ducks running GIFGiphyWe were stuck in traffic at a intersection and it was busy and there was this group of ducks (with a lot of ducklings btw) and they looked kinda confused to me and this lady pulled over her car and guided the ducks to the sidewalk. If the ducks continued they would have most definitely gotten run over. I just found that really cute and wholesome.
because you're you....
I got out of an abusive relationship several months ago. I had to completely restart my life with very little in savings. I finally found an apartment that was in my price range (barely) but couldn't afford to furnish it yet. A guy I had just started talking to came over to see the place and hang out for the weekend. He had some errands to run so I got home before him. When he finally got there, I opened the door and was greeted with him holding several boxes and 2 weeks worth of groceries for myself and my daughter.
One of the things he bought was a brand new tv (the one I had was the size of a computer monitor). No one has ever done anything like that for me before. I kept asking, "why?" He walked up to me and said, "You're a good person and you deserve good things to happen to you. I want you to look at the home you're creating and be proud of how far you've come." This man has asked me for nothing in return since the day we met. We're taking things very slow but I am grateful everyday for his patience, friendship, and kindness.
The Long Drive....
When my dad died, three of them drove 6 hours to my family's home. They pulled up, gave my mother a plant & their condolences. We got in the car, one of them lit a joint, and we drove around the countryside for who knows how long. They didn't poke or pry or ask if I was okay, they knew that what I needed was to share a joint with my friends and cruise along in the afternoon sun, shooting the crap and listening to the radio. To not be constantly reminded that my father was no longer here.
They just let me be - which after dealing with the sudden diagnosis & decline of my father's health over previous 4 months, being surrounded by aunts, uncles and cousins 24/7 since we received the diagnosis, and an unending wave of "I'm sorry for your loss" - was just what I needed. Years have passed, we've all grown up into very different people and I don't keep in touch with them anymore, but I'll never forget what they did for me.
"Be safe."
In 2008 my job ended, but I had the option of continuing our health insurance for another 6 months, as I remember. I was often late making my payments and would call the lady managing our account to ask for more time and to reassure her that I would pay. She was very patient and almost off-hand, in our conversations and we would talk about our families a little. By December 2008 I owed them $10,000. Both our cars had been repossessed. My wife had had uterine cancer and a hysterectomy while I owed thousands of dollars to the insurers.
That December was our last month of coverage, and I called our account manager to figure out a way of eventually paying the $10,000. I was still unemployed. She listened to me for a moment and then said, very quietly, "Don't worry about it." I wasn't sure I heard her right, so I said, "Did you say, 'Don't worry about it'"? She said yes, and then said, "Be safe."
I will always remember her remarkable kindness. Still get tears in my eyes thinking of her kindness.
Keep Reading....
A waitress at a local restaurant and I got to talking and she lived in the same community as I do. I had volunteered at the local elementary school with struggling readers. It turns out I read with her daughter and she said that I completely changed her daughters life by taking the time to read with her. Three years later the girl loves reading. It was the most wonderful thing anyone has ever said to me.
It's the most important meal....
breakfast pancakes GIFGiphyBetween my junior and senior years of college, I was basically homeless (dorms were shut down and I didn't have an apartment). I was shuffling between lounges in the grad student area. One day, when I was walking to work, I saw a homeless guy on the street. I bought him breakfast. The next day, I saw the same guy helping an old lady cross the street after he bought her breakfast. I thought it was cool how he passed on the good fortune.
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