Strangers’ Small Acts That Changed Lives Forever: Stories That Will Restore Your Faith in Humanity
Ever wonder how a simple dollar from a stranger can change the course of your life? I mean, it’s pretty wild to think that one tiny act—a lady handing a kid a buck and asking her to keep reading—could so profoundly fuel a lifelong passion . It’s these little sparks of kindness that light up our paths when we least expect it, reminding us that sometimes the most impactful moments come from the unlikeliest places. So, what’s the most unexpected kindness a stranger has ever shown you? Dive into these heartwarming stories of strangers who made the world a little brighter, one good deed at a time. <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/s19c8m/whatsyourwholesomeexperiencewithastranger/hs6xfg0/”>LEARN MORE
I’ll never forget the impact this experience had on me.
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, so I would plant myself in front of the book section and make piles of which one I wanted to get and then decided 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 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 encourage my love of reading and making me promise to never stop definitely had a lot to do with my continued love of reading. This was over 20 years ago, but I still think of her whenever I buy a new book.
Back in high school, I was admitted to an under-18 mental hospital due to some problems I was going through, and I had to stay there until they found it was okay and safe to release me.
During the time I was there, I ended up missing my prom and was really upset by it. The other people in the hospital with me – ranging from ages 10-18 – decided to surprise me with an in-hospital-prom.
We were going into the sensory room (which was a room that had lots of colorful lights and comfortable floors, and we’d play calming music for meditation hours) when the nurse in charge asked me what my favorite song on the radio at the time was. She then surprised me by playing that song instead of the calming music and told me the meditation hour was going to be spent at my very own prom that was organized by my fellow inpatients, and we’d have fun music and the cool lighting. We all danced and laughed together and it’s something I’ll never forget that these people – who I had only known for a day or two – got the nurses to agree to hijack the sensory room and surprised me with my own prom.
I got back from a class trip and had to go home from the train station. On my way I had a homeless guy come to me and asked me if I had some money for food and drinks… I got myself my last 20€ and we went to a restaurant and had lunch together and had a great time. He told me everything about him and I did too. Still seeing him on the streets today, still greeting each other when we see each other.
Once when I was still in my “paint it black” phase I went to the grocery store with my dad. (Keep in mind this is a very conservative semi small church culture town.) I am above average height and that day I was wearing high heel boots. So there I am with the black dress and the fringe and everything and this tiny old woman randomly approached me. My heart freezes for a second. I flinch inwardly. “You are so tall, my darling! And so very pretty!” (Rough translation.) This tiny a*s old church looking lady came over not to ridicule me but to give me a genuine compliment and my heart just melted. I still think about it regularly.
In February 2020, I met an angel. I still think about him. Here’s the story.
I had just sat down on an international flight home to see my unexpectedly ailing father when I got a call saying he was on a ventilator and may not survive the night. The man next to me very obviously overheard everything, but didn’t say anything.
On the flight though, he pulled out a snack and offered me some. This was his way of initiating conversation with me. He said he had overheard the call about my dad and repeatedly expressed a genuine desire for him to pull through. He also told me that I’d be okay no matter what happened. We hugged it out when we deplaned and he again expressed good wishes. If this stranger had not engaged with me, I would’ve spent the flight silently crying and being in my head. He made that two-hour flight bearable.
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