u/Enough-Safe8159

There was a girl in her teens who somehow always ended up being the peacemaker among her friends.

One by one, they would come to her with their problems, often telling her things about each other that weren't particularly kind. But she never betrayed anyone's confidence. She never repeated what one friend had told her to the others.

Instead, whenever someone came to her with complaints, she somehow found a way to bring out something good about the person they were upset with. She would listen, let them get things off their chest, and then gently shift the conversation toward understanding rather than resentment.

Eventually, her friends started calling her Padre:)

Whenever there was a conflict, they would come to her, tell her what was weighing on them, and somehow leave feeling a little lighter.

She wasn't a therapist or a mediator. She was just a girl who was willing to listen without judging, keep a confidence, and remind people of the good in each other.

Sometimes, the person who keeps a friendship group together is the one who quietly refuses to take sides and put on labels.

We were talking about homemade food with some colleagues, and one of them mentioned that she had never eaten homemade cutlets.

Her mom was a teacher and never really had time for cooking, and she said she wasn't much of a cook herself either. But she'd always wanted to try homemade cutlets.

One day, I brought some to the office and offered her a few.

She was genuinely surprised by how different they tasted from the ones she'd had at cafés. She was so happy and thankful, even though, for me, making them was really no big deal. It made me happy that she enjoyed them.

It was such a small, a trivial thing on my part, but it made me realize how something that takes very little effort for you can sometimes mean much more to someone else.

I remember myself from as early as two years old, and this particular story has stayed with me surprisingly well.

I started talking quite early, and by the age of two, I was apparently quite the chatterbox. I was also incredibly quick. It would take no time at all for anyone babysitting me to lose sight of me.

We lived downtown, where there were always plenty of people around, so escaping into the crowd was remarkably easy for a determined two-year-old.

One day, during one of my little escapes, my aunt caught a glimpse of me and immediately darted after me.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

I stopped and, with complete seriousness, announced:

“I’m going to buy a coat for my mom.”

Apparently, I had already made up my mind.

And the funny thing is—I actually did it.

Not quite then, of course. I was only two. But at around 22, I finally bought my mom a very nice coat.

I feel very blessed to have such great and close friends. I’d like to share just one story about them.

Once, I ordered a wardrobe online, but there was a delay in shipping. While I was out of town, the wardrobe finally arrived, and my friends offered to help me. One of my friends had the keys to my apartment, so she agreed to receive the delivery and let the delivery people in.

What a wonderful surprise it was when I came home and saw the new wardrobe already there! My other friend had even taken everything out of the boxes and put it all together.

It was such a thoughtful and kind thing to do. I felt incredibly lucky to have such wonderful friends.

I remember a funny story. It was wintertime, and I was wearing a pretty stylish hat, although it looked a little funny. A toddler was looking at my hat and smiling—he must have liked it a lot. Then, to my surprise, he gave me his toy car.

About 10 seconds later, he took his mom’s purse out of her bag and handed it to me. His mom hadn’t even noticed!

In the end, I gave all my little “trophies” back to his mom, who was completely taken aback by her son’s generosity.

Today, according to the Orthodox Christian calendar, we celebrate the Nativity (birth) of Saint Nicholas, one of the most beloved saints. So I would like to share a story about my pilgrimage to Bari, where his relics are kept.

Some people might call what happened a series of coincidences. I prefer to think of them as miracles.

More than ten years ago, I was on the island of Corfu (Greece) with a friend. There was an excursion to Bari by ferry, and since I had always dreamed of visiting the place where Saint Nicholas’s relics are kept, I paid for the excursion.

But then, unexpectedly, it was cancelled.

I could have simply accepted it and moved on, but I really wanted to go. So I decided to make the journey on my own.

I asked a local guide how I could get to Bari, and suddenly I realized I had to move very quickly. The ferry was leaving in about an hour. I had no tickets, no proper plans, and barely any idea what I was doing. Our little pilgrimage had begun.

Our first challenge was simply to make it from Corfu to Igoumenitsa and then find a way to get to Bari.

We rushed to the port, bought tickets to Igoumenitsa, and ran toward the ferry.

And here came the first miracle.

The ferry was scheduled to leave at 7:00 p.m. We got on at approximately 7:05 — and almost immediately after we boarded, it departed.

I still can't believe they let us on.

And that wasn't all. Somehow, we also managed to get our return tickets with a 50% discount.

I hadn't packed properly at all. In fact, I turned out to be the only ladt on the entire ferry wearing a dress and sandals.

Now we had to find tickets from Igoumenitsa to Bari.

I went to the ticket counter and asked about the price. The lady offered us tickets on the open deck, which would have cost around €100 each for a round trip.

I jokingly asked her whether she happened to have anything cheaper — and perhaps a little more comfortable.

She said, "Let me check."

A moment later she looked up and said:

"We actually have two tickets at a special price — €25 round trip each — in a cabin. It's a special anniversary offer from our company."

We couldn't believe our luck.

Even more amazingly, a lady standing nearby tried to change her own open-deck tickets to the cheaper cabin tickets. She was told that the special offer had already closed.

Somehow, those two tickets had been waiting for us.

Eventually, we arrived in Bari.

It remains one of the most special trips of my life.

I met wonderful people there. One of them was a woman whose patronymic was Nikolaevna, and she treated us to something special in honor of her patron saint, Saint Nicholas.

I also received an Akathist to Saint Nicholas free of charge.

Throughout the whole journey, I felt as though Saint Nicholas had welcomed us with extraordinary generosity.

And then came what I consider the last — though certainly not least — miracle of the trip.

The shrine where Saint Nicholas's relics are kept is normally closed, except during special hours when pilgrims are allowed to enter and venerate the relics.

I asked the keeper if he could open the gate so that we could go in, pray, and thank Saint Nicholas for everything that had happened.

He said no.

I asked again.

He said no a second time.

I asked a third time.

Again, no.

And then, unexpectedly, he opened the gate.

We went inside, knelt before the relics of Saint Nicholas, and simply thanked him for everything.

For the journey.
For the people we met.
For all the unexpected help along the way.
And for bringing us there when, at the very beginning, it seemed almost impossible.

It felt as though Saint Nicholas was saying, "Come. You are welcome here."

And I will never forget it.

Happy feast day to everyone celebrating today. May Saint Nicholas protect and bless us all.

When I was renting an apartment a few years ago, I was incredibly lucky to have wonderful neighbors — an elderly couple in their 80s.

One day, I somehow lost my apartment keys. My landlord lived in another city, so getting a spare key was not going to be easy. To make matters worse, I had an appointment I couldn’t miss, and I was completely stuck.

My neighbor saw how stressed I was and, without me even asking, decided to help. He took a two-hour train journey to get the spare keys from my landlord (she turned out to be his good friend) and brought them back to me.

I was honestly overwhelmed by his kindness. He was an elderly man, and yet he went so far out of his way to help someone who was essentially just his neighbor. I will never forget that.

There was another thing that made him especially memorable: he was a poet. Whenever he saw me, he would greet me with little poetic rhymes that he made up himself. They were sometimes funny, sometimes sweet, but they always managed to lift my mood instantly.

Looking back, I realize how rare and precious that kind of kindness is. I was so blessed to have such a wonderful neighbor, and even years later, I still think of him with enormous gratitude.

Sometimes a person enters your life for a short time and leaves a kindness you remember forever.

Once, I received a very beautiful porcelain doll as a birthday present. I was surprised to receive such a gift, but decided to keep it. One day, a friend of mine came over with her best friend and her little daughter. When the little girl saw the doll, she couldn’t take her eyes off it. I decided to give the doll to her, and I don’t think I had ever seen a happier face in my life. :)

It was many years ago, but I still remember that look and that smile:)

One day my friend and her fellow student started hearing a kitten meowing from a nearby room in the dorm.

They soon discovered that their neighbor had accidentally left the kitten locked inside before going away for several weeks.

The problem was that nobody had a spare key, so the two students couldn't get into the room to rescue it.

Instead of just waiting and hoping for the best, they tried to figure out a way to feed the kitten. They managed to slip pieces of ham and sausage into the room through a small opening, and the kitten ate them.

For the next couple of weeks, the two students kept making sure the kitten had something to eat until their neighbor returned and the kitten could finally be rescued.

They were incredibly relieved and happy when it was all over.

There have been many complete strangers in my life who have been kind. I would like to remember one person from Poland. When my family and I fled the war, a complete stranger took us in and refused to accept any money for food or other necessities. On top of that, he even gave us flowers for International Women’s Day.

We will always be grateful to him and to all the people who have genuinely helped others in times of need. Their kindness is something we will never forget.

Have you ever experienced an unexpected act of kindness from a complete stranger that you still remember today? What happened?

Hi, recruiters and sourcers! 👋

One of my successful hires came from a completely casual conversation with the person who had nothing to do with tech recruitment or technology.

I was speaking with an accountant who happened to be handling paperwork for a highly skilled DevOps engineer (she has not shared any names). I simply asked if they would be willing to pass along our vacancy details.

The engineer was incredibly difficult to find. He had only two lines on his LinkedIn profile and was practically invisible online. Still, the accountant shared the opportunity, he decided to take a look, we had a great conversation, he passed every technical interview, and he eventually became one of the most successful hires in the squad.

That experience reminded me that sourcing isn't always about the perfect Boolean string or the latest AI tool. Sometimes it's about genuine conversations, curiosity, and being open to opportunities that don't fit the usual playbook.

I'd love to hear your stories. What's the most unconventional sourcing approach that turned into an amazing hire?

There are times in life that remind us never to underestimate the power of compassion.

My family has been under a lot of stress lately. My mom has been hospitalized five times, and unfortunately, it feels like there's still no end in sight. Experiences like this change you. They make you stronger, but they also make you much more aware of the kindness that exists around you.

What has meant the most to my mom hasn't been grand gestures. It's been the simple things: friends and even acquaintances letting her know they're thinking of her, saying they're praying for her, asking how she's doing, or simply saying, "Please tell your mom I hope she gets well soon."

Those few words have genuinely lifted her spirits. You can see how much lighter she feels knowing people care. It doesn't take away the pain, but it makes it easier to carry.

This experience has reminded me how important it is to stay human. When someone is going through a difficult time, don't just walk by. A kind message, a quick phone call, or a few encouraging words can make a bigger difference than you realize.

To everyone who has shown my mom compassion during these difficult months—thank you. Your kindness has meant more than you'll ever know.

There are times in life that remind us never to underestimate the power of compassion.

My family has been under a lot of stress lately. My mom has been hospitalized five times, and unfortunately, it feels like there's still no end in sight. Experiences like this change you. They make you stronger, but they also make you much more aware of the kindness that exists around you.

What has meant the most to my mom hasn't been grand gestures. It's been the simple things: friends and even acquaintances letting her know they're thinking of her, saying they're praying for her, asking how she's doing, or simply saying, "Please tell your mom I hope she gets well soon."

Those few words have genuinely lifted her spirits. You can see how much lighter she feels knowing people care. It doesn't take away the pain, but it makes it easier to carry.

This experience has reminded me how important it is to stay human. When someone is going through a difficult time, don't just walk by. A kind message, a quick phone call, or a few encouraging words can make a bigger difference than you realize.

To everyone who has shown my mom compassion during these difficult months—thank you. Your kindness has meant more than you'll ever know.