r/randomactsofkindness

So me and my friend were sitting outside the mall, complaining loudly about how tired we were. Next to us was this guy, probably mid 20s so not that far off from ourselves. He was wearing clothes from a popular restaurant in the mall so i figured he was on lunch break.

That guy, that ive never seen before, gets up, walks into the store nearby, comes back and sets down two cold redbulls in front of our faces. the two of us were obviously super perplexed, thanked him and asked him why. He stared us dead in the eyes, not a single smile or emotion and simply sat back down, finished his smoke and left. the redbull was completely fine and brandnew and I'm still wondering why he did that but i appreciate it. Very weird but very nice.

Some 15 years ago me and my sister (we were in our late teens/20s) were swimming in the sea when it's rather rough/windy, and she was pulled away from shore by a current. I swam out to get her but all I could do was to keep us barely afloat, didn't have enough strength to fight the current to get back, and it was so far away from shore I thought no one could have seen us. We struggled for like 15 minutes, completely exhausted and there was a moment when I thought that was it, that we're gonna die here. Suddenly several men wearing swim fins, probably locals, swam to us and together they got us back to shore. We were lying on the beach, shaking from cold and fear. When I got a moment to catch my breath and turned around, these men were gone, we didn't even have a chance to thank them. That incident has stuck with me ever since. Why didn't they stick around a bit longer? How can I live with the fact that someone did something enormously important for me and my sister, and we never got to tell them what it meant?

This story happened back when the TSA had their funding cut by Trump. For context, I (18M) have a disability that requires a lot of medical supplies to always be at my disposal. I am also wheelchair bound outside of the house.

I was traveling with my dad and my nurse. On our way back, we were hit with the worst line we had ever seen. Normally, I get access to a priority line due to my disability, but the airport was so understaffed that there was nobody to open the line. At this rate, we were going to miss our flight. That would be especially bad considering that we didn't pack any extra medical supplies.

My dad was going around frantically, trying to find someone to help us out. Not even the woman operating the wheelchair priority services was able to help us. Finally, My dad talks to a woman working for TSA. She hears him out and without hesitation lets us through to the front of the line. Keep in mind, this woman wasn't even getting paid to do her normal job. But she still found it in herself to help us anyway. That kind act has stuck with me ever since.

So this afternoon I was feeling pretty fucking shitty and decided to go for a walk. There’s a nice park around 40 min from my house (walking, of course) and I went there.

By the time I got there, I was still feeling pretty shitty and decided to get myself an ice cream (I’m trying not to drink, so I got an ice cream instead of an ice cold beer).

I just stood by the shop eating my ice cream and an old guy approached. He was a hobo, but this guy, this guy wasn’t asking for money. He said he really wanted an ice cream and asked me if I could buy one for him which I did.

I don’t know why, but my shitty feelings went away after that. I found it unusual. I mean, how often does a homeless person, let alone a dude in his 60s (my guess by his looks) asks for an ice cream? It felt like a child was asking for it. Somehow that made my day.

I have no idea if this is the right community for this post given this is something I'm doing for my daughter vs a stranger but r/randomactsofkindness seems like it could be right or at least hopefully this makes someone smile today. I'm currently sitting on a plane 30,000 feet above land on my way to Louisiana to surprise my daughter for move in for her freshman year at LSU. I and we have managed to keep the secret for over 2 months when I booked my flight. She's currently traveling there with my wife on a different flight and has no idea I'm coming. To give a little backstory, I didn't think I was going to be able to go because 1 - I took her in April to tour the school as she was making her choices and 2 - well, work. It's a terrible time for me to be away but then father's day happened and she wrote me the most beautiful letter about all the things I've done for her throughout her life and "I was her best friend". She cried when she wrote it and she cried as I read it. After I got that letter I said to my wife "I have to go" and immediately figured out work and booked my flight. Fast forward to today, I dropped off a sad and crying daughter with my wife at the airport then went to park the car and catch my own flight so here we are. Only issue is my flight is 2 hours delayed to N.O. so instead of meeting them in the airport, I'll be 2 hours behind them and will need to Uber to LSU. Honestly, don't care. Small issues in the grand scheme of things when I get to see her face when I surprise her. I can't wait. Anyway, hopefully this makes someone smile today 😊

So it was a random Friday night, I was browsing reddit marketplace listings for electronics and came across a listing for a used bluetooth speaker - but the text below upset me...

The guy was basically selling this speaker which was a gift from his father, but he had bills to pay and just had no way of coming up with money. He was a student, and in our country students don't make money till they graduate. I could feel the hurt just from his words. I've been in a similar boat before, having to sell a gift just to stay afloat. It sucks.

I dropped a comment, asking if he wants to pawn the speaker and buy it back later. Next morning, I see dozens of comments by people offering to do the same!

A girl finally took this up and gave him the money for the speaker - and also offered to sell it back to him whenever things got better - this way, he can pay his bills and get his father's gift back whenever he was in a better place. The concept of pawning is alien in our country, so this is a truly unique situation. She probably didn't need the speaker at all, she just wanted to help the guy out.

A redittor, helping a stranger like this selflessly, without expecting anything in return - that woman touched my heart. God bless her soul. I just wanted to tell people about her kindness :)

This is an older story, but I thought about this earlier today.

Some kids came for a fieldtrip at the place where I was volunteering. They were in kindergarten. I talked to them about whatever it was my part was; I was their last stop before they had to leave. I have social anxiety and stutter sometimes. One of the little girls walked over to me, her twin braids swinging, and said "you can't say some things, but you try". She then grabbed my hand and held it until she had to get on the bus. That little girl's kindness meant a lot to me. She's at least in middle school, maybe high school. I hope she's doing great.

I never would have thought answering my door and telling the Fed Ex man where a neighbor lives was an act of kindness until today. But, a young man knocked on my front door (that we rarely use). I checked the window, saw Fed Ex truck and a man with a package and opened the door. He was very apologetic about bothering me and asked if I knew where (neighbor’s name) lived. I told him how to get there. She has a long drive and house might not be visible from front of her driveway when trees have leaves. I guess he’s ran into rudeness because he seemed relieved I was nice to him. I just told him it wasn’t a problem and to have a nice day. And, my neighbor doesn’t have to hunt down her package - sometimes they just dump it on my porch or someone else’s.

My Mom was waiting in the hospital waiting room yesterday while my Step-dad was having a heart catheterization done. She was by herself because I couldn't get off work to go with them, & my stepsisters didn't go. The surgeon had to go through his leg which meant he had to lay flat in recovery for 3 hours, which was different than the last time he had to get it done. My Mom said she was sitting there feeling worried because the last time he had one done they found he had a widowmaker blockage & kept him in the hospital. Then a lady who had also been waiting for someone with her daughter got up to leave the waiting room. The lady leaned over & whispered to her, telling my Mom she was going down to the cafeteria & asked her if she could bring her back something to eat. My Mom said she was so surprised, told her thank you so much, but that she was ok. She said it just made her feel better & less alone. I wish I could hug that lady for offering to do that for my Mom since I couldn't be there. My Step-dad had no blockages this time either, which was excellent news. Just really appreciate this kind soul who saw my Mom & went out of her way to do something nice for a total stranger.

So I failed my full license test this morning due to an angry instructor making me very anxious I made silly mistakes I usually don’t make and I cried all the way home. I stopped at a gas station to fill up and the pump made me go inside. The gas station cashier noticed I was emotional and offered water, I refused as I just wanted to get my pump paid for to return my rental car and he said he’d get me one anyway on him. I thanked him and shared a hug and he said life can be like this sometimes and don’t let it get me down.

He didn’t know my situation but it gave me a chance to practice gratitude. I am grateful for his kindness as it helped me to think a little clearer. That I wasn’t a failure but maybe I just need to try again. That moment hasn’t left me, I am grateful he took extra care when he didn’t have to.

It made my day after a very hard start. I realize I’m very hard on myself for things that I am learning for the first time.

Just thought I’d share to show there is still some humanity left in the world.

Guy outside the C@rcle K. Sitting on the pavement. Disheveled and dirty. Instead of ignoring a human in 100 degree heat I bought him a sealed Gatorade and said “here’s a cold drink for while you wait”. He did thank me. The ambulance was at my work when i clocked out, for someone with a heat problem, at a multimillion dollar company where we get free bottles of cold water and electrolytes packets /popsicles daily. Imagine having no shade no home. Try and support with a bottle of water if if you can afford to. I know debate abounds; I’m not starting that. Decent humans treat humans decently.

I usually don't share things like this, but tonight really weighed on my heart. I was out with my dog doing our usual weekend routine of handing out a meal, and I met a man and his dog near the freeway. He seemed alert and grateful just someone who had clearly run into a terrible streak of bad luck.

The light was red and cars were behind me. But for some reason, it was a long red light stop. I offered him some In-N-Out, water bottles, and an extra leash—items I always carry in my car for these exact occasions (though I realized later I forgot a collar for his pup!). As I drove off, I also realized I forgot also to offer his dog the pup patties I had for my own dog. I immediately circled back, but he was already gone.

I went home feeling awful for missing those details, but it’s a reminder that kindness doesn’t have to be perfect to matter. Little gestures mean the world to people who have so little. If you're reading this, I hope it inspires you to step up and help someone out this week—you never know how much a little bit of grace can mean to someone fighting a quiet battle.

Have you had any "kindness of strangers" stories during your road trips?

Yesterday I was driving back from Port Lympne Safari Park to my Air bnb (28 mile journey), and the tyre pressure light came up on my ID3 dashboard around 4 miles in. I started stressing. Stopped at the next services to charge my car and use my inflator, but couldn't get it to work... It was deflating the tyre and I couldn't figure out how to change the settings!

Started stressing more, and a very kind South African man saw me struggling. He came over to help but didn't know how to work my inflator. He used his but it was going VERY slowly. He then said to follow him to the petrol station and use their air pressure thing. Went over, and he guided me how to use it (I've never used it before). This was all while he had his wife and kids in his Tesla!

We did the air pressure on all four tyres (which cost £1.50). I tried to pay him but he waved it off.

I know this is such a small thing regarding air pressure, but it was causing me so much anxiety and he made me feel so much calmer.

Thank you so much to the kind South African man!

I said, "Thank you," because it was all I could muster in that moment.

I wish I had said more. It didn't really hit me in that moment how important what you said was.

It was a pivot point in my life, ever so slightly tipped the scales, just enough for me to crawl my way out of the hole I was buried in.

"We all get hungry sometimes," and you handed me some crisps and a brownie and a juice box.

You said it like you knew I'd say I'm OK, like you knew I'd refuse a handout. Said it like you knew I'd feel like a burden taking from you.

You didn't even know me. And I don't know you.

Pregnant with a pram and a young child, busy rushing around. Maybe it was school drop-off, or you were late for an appointment, I don't know.

You put your life on hold for a moment, a few seconds, to show me such a simple act of kindness.

I don't know why.

In that moment, I felt invisible, like I had completely disappeared. I was thinking about ending all my bad days in the most permanent way. Maybe you could see that.

Maybe you could see the sleeping bag and everything I owned in my backpack.

Maybe you could see the weeks of broken sleep in my face from where I moved through the shadows trying to find a safe place to rest.

Maybe you saw the dark cloud smothering me on a sunny morning. I don't know.

I don't know what made you stop. But I think of you often. When the clouds come, and settle on my shoulder.

I think of you when I'm in my kitchen making myself food in the flat I now have.

One I would have never gotten if you hadn't given me those seconds of your life.

I don't know what I should have said, but definitely more than a tired thank you.

I don't know if you knew what an impact that had.

I hope you do.

I hope every day is beautiful for you, I hope you always have warm sunshine and cool nights fit for getting cosy in bed.

I hope you have a restful sleep and warm food.

I hope you always feel loved and appreciated.

I hope you know how beautiful you are inside and out.

I hope you know you are a good person. I hope you are proud of yourself.

I hope life is kind to you and you stay well.

I hope your kids are half as decent as you. They will make the world a better place with your guidance.

Thank you for seeing me. Thank you for feeding me.

Thank you for your kindness. It saved my life.

We all get hungry sometimes.

I would often ask myself why I would carry Narcan around in my purse for no reason.. until it happened. I saw someone OD’ing in the street and I just… knew what to do. He was gasping for air, eyes closed, belongings scattered everywhere. I called 911, there was also someone around who knew this person and helped me with administering the Narcan.

I have never seen someone stand up so fast in my entire life. Narcan. Works!!!! But it does take away the high effect. This person was agitated, confused and unable to understand why there were people surrounding him. He clearly did not want to seek further treatment at the hospital (the ambulance had arrived). My job was done and I felt safe enough to leave him throwing a tantrum with the paramedics, lol.

Encourage yourself to engage in acts of kindness even when life is tough.