Everyone Has Two Voice Settings: “Normal” And “Customer Service”
Medical Office, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Reception, Siblings, USA | Healthy | January 25, 2021
When I need to find a new primary care physician, my sister, who’s a medical assistant, strongly recommends one of the doctors she works for. I accept — and she turns out to be the greatest PCP I’ve ever had, but I digress.

I don’t know if this is the law or their office’s policy, but my sister explains to me from the beginning that she’s not allowed to have anything to do with my treatment; she can’t look at my chart, she can’t room me when I come in, she can’t talk to me on the phone, etc.

Okay, rules are rules. I almost never have to call the office anyway — you call the network’s central line to make appointments, not the office directly — but I figure if she ever answers, I’ll simply say, “It’s [My Name],” and wait for her to put someone else on the line.

There comes a day where I call the office with some questions for my doctor about a course of treatment I recently began. A female voice I don’t recognize at all answers.

Assistant: “Thank you for calling [Office]. We’re on a recorded line. How may I help you?”

Me: “Hi, this is [My Name]. I saw [Doctor] earlier this week and just had some questions for her about [treatment].”

Assistant: “[My Name], it’s [Sister].”

Me: *Stunned* “Oh! I’m sorry, I—”

Assistant: “Here, let me get [Coworker].”

Another employee took care of me. For the record, the health issue was neither embarrassing nor something I hadn’t already told my sister about in typical family conversation.

When we hung up, I texted my sister, “I’m so sorry! I know you can’t help me, and had I known, I would’ve waited for you to get someone else, but I swear, I had no idea that was you! Your voice sounded so much deeper and more mature.”

When she was free, she simply texted back, “Customer service voice.”

And now I know what voice to listen for!

Ask Someone How They’re Doing Today; They Might Surprise You!
Cousins, Dallas, Health & Body, Home, Inspirational, Texas, USA | Related | July 11, 2022
One of my distant cousins is, for lack of a better word, a bit of a sourpuss by all appearances. She’s very closed off and standoffish and is generally emotionless, but I’ve always chalked it up to her just being a private person. She also has Lyme Disease and was diagnosed while she was pregnant with twins. Both kids ended up having symptoms, and one of them had to get a cochlear implant.

On one of the rare occasions we get together, I try talking to her.

Me: “So, how are you doing?”

My cousin positively lit up and started talking like we were old friends. As it turns out, the entire six years she’s had Lyme Disease, not one person has asked how she was handling it, just the twins. I’m a little shocked that no one has asked, not even within the family, but I suppose they were too focused on the babies to realize.

I also found out that the reason she never smiles or shows much emotion is because the Lyme Disease gave her Bell’s Palsy on and off, and she’s self-conscious about it becoming apparent and someone pointing it out.

Take The Time To Check In Some Humanity
Awesome, Hotel, Inspirational, Jerk, Kind Strangers, Non-Dialogue, USA | Right | July 8, 2022
It had been an unbearable evening as a hotel front desk agent, with multiple people screaming at me for things such as no free Wi-Fi and not enough beds in their rooms, both of which are not even a little bit my fault.

We have twenty-four-hour desk service, but I’m supposed to lock the doors at eleven and just let people in when they knock. I locked the doors and sat down to have a good cry over the barrage of insults and verbal abuse I’d received that entire evening.

Suddenly, a knock came at the door, and I hurriedly wiped away my tears. I let in a lady who needed to check into her room, and she seemed a little tired.

I steeled myself for more anger; tired people are usually angry, not to mention the fact I still had uncontrollable tears spilling out of my eyes as I tried to check her in. I could only get a few words out at a time, but I tried valiantly to ask all the necessary questions, hiccupping between words.

This precious woman stopped me, grabbed my hand, and told me to take a minute and let it out; she didn’t mind waiting. She let me cry for a moment, and then she spoke some reassuring words about how I was doing a good job, and she was so sorry for people’s rudeness. She then thanked me for checking her in and thanked me for trusting her.

It’s been years, but I still look back on that memory and smile. I hope that woman is happy, wherever she is; she deserves the wo

Signs The Nation Is Still Great
Awesome, Holidays, Inspirational, Non-Dialogue, Retail, USA, West Virginia | Right | July 4, 2022
During the Fourth of July, my sister and I are doing free face paintings and chalk drawings outside our father’s store. We have been there since eight in the morning and it’s now nearing six in the afternoon.

A young woman comes up with her elderly great-aunt. The elderly woman sticks her hands deep into the bowl of free suckers we’re giving out; I am a little stunned. Before I can say something, the woman scolds her like a child. She tells her great-aunt to only take one, but we allow her to take two.

She asks for my sister to paint the West Virginia symbol onto her cheek. My sister pulls up an image on her phone and shows it to the elderly woman, who approves it, and my sister gets to work.

I talk to the woman during this time, and she tells me her great-aunt has a mental disability and that she may behave childishly.

After her face is done, the great-aunt sits down on the sidewalk with me as her great-niece gets her face painted. She grabs some of the chalk and writes out in childlike handwriting, “Kathy-Happy.”

She says she is very happy and there is so much joy on her face as she shows other customers her freshly painted cheek. Her great-niece takes her hand and they walk off.

It made my tiring day better and I don’t think I’ll forget Kathy anytime soon.

Tipped To Be A Good One
Awesome, Holidays, Inspirational, Maryland, Restaurant, USA | Right | July 4, 2022
In the depths of lockdown, the restaurant where I work is doing takeout. We decide to do a big family meal for the July 4th weekend: fried chicken, multiple sides, housemade potato salad, and fruit cobbler, for a set price.

The good news, the holiday meal is incredibly popular and we do well that weekend. But we, the staff, are run off our feet in a hot kitchen, taking orders out to cars for pickup on a steamy summer day, and fielding dozens of calls complaining about this wonderful dinner. There are not enough drumsticks in the fried chicken, how dare there be carbohydrates in the potato salad, my kid doesn’t like the cobbler and I want a refund, etc.

We work all weekend and are closed on Monday to recover. On Tuesday, we get a call:

Caller: “Yes, I am following up on my July 4th meal.”

Me: “If there was an issue, ma’am, I’m very sorry—”

Caller: “Oh, not at all! Everything was absolutely delicious! I’m calling because I just realized when I saw the receipt that I completely forgot to add in the tip when I ordered. I feel terrible; you all worked so hard to provide a treat during this weird summer. I have my card. Would you be able to run it for a belated 25% tip?”

Me: “I… Wow, that’s very kind of you. Yes, I can run your card and add in the tip, if you’re sure.”

Caller: “I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t. Here you go.”

When we reopen soon for in-person dining, I hope she and her family come in. I’d like to thank her for being a bright spot in a rough time. It’s thanks to customers like her that we’re going to be able to reopen!

Kindness With A Cherry On Top
Awesome, Cheaters, Fast Food, Fights/Breakups, Inspirational, Kind Strangers, USA | Right Romantic | July 1, 2022
Me: “What can I get you?”

Customer: *On the verge of tears* “A boyfriend that doesn’t cheat on me?”

Me: “Uh… so, a chocolate sundae?”

Customer: *Sniff* “Yes, please.”

Me: “With extra sprinkles.”

Customer: “And a cherry?”

Me: “You can have five!”

Customer: *Sniffle and a slight smile*

While I don’t always appreciate a customer giving me TMI, I’ll help if it’s wi

A Small Cookie To Make All The Difference
At The Checkout, Grocery Store, Inspirational, Kind Strangers, New Zealand, Wellington | Right | June 30, 2022
I worked lunchtime four days a week at the supermarket. As such, I got to know some of the regulars who worked in the area and bought their lunch here most or all of the time.

There was one customer who came in every day and bought the same three things for lunch: a sandwich from our deli, a cookie, and an energy drink from the fridge. I was often on the express checkouts, and he often came through my queue but never said a word. He wasn’t unfriendly; it was more like he was distracted by something else that was getting him down.

After several months of buying the same three things every day, he once came in and got an apple instead of the cookie. Trying to be friendly, I asked him:

Me: “Changing it up today?”

Regular: *Taken aback* “How did you know?”

Me: “You come through my checkout a lot, and we get to know the regulars.”

Surprisingly, this perked the customer right up. He smiled and thanked me for the first time, and he continued to do so each time he came through after that. He even started making small bits of conversation. I learned that he was in a job he disliked but would be moving soon to a new job in another town.

He stopped coming through after a couple of months. I hope the new job worked out for him.

A Far Sweeter Gift Than Coffee
Awesome, Coffee Shop, Employees, Inspirational, ISP, Kind Strangers, Ohio, USA | Working | June 30, 2022
I’ve just moved to a new town and have been having a nightmare of a time getting my Internet set up, mostly because the previous tenants never terminated their account with the only ISP that serves the apartment complex. I get home from work at around six in the evening, and three evenings in a row, I phone the Internet company and play run-around with a different person who gives me a different answer every time.

On the fourth evening, I’m so frazzled that I don’t bother to call back after the latest agent’s latest thing that doesn’t work. I decide to go to the coffee shop down the street and, if nothing else, at least get some Internet use while trying the ISP’s online helpdesk.

I walk in the door at 8:50 pm, and while I’m waiting in line, I hear the employees saying things that sound like they’re getting ready to close.

I place my order, and, dread clenching my stomach, I ask:

Me: “Um, when do y’all close?”

Cashier: “At nine. Are you okay?”

My whole body just deflates, and I’m struggling not to cry. The coffee shop in the town I just moved from had the lobby open twenty-four hours, and it never occurred to me that they would close.

The cashier is looking very concerned and repeats:

Cashier: “Are you okay? Do you need a ride or something? Do you need to borrow a phone?”

I explain, trying hard to keep my voice neutral.

Me: “Oh, no, thank you. I just moved here and I’m having a horrible time getting my Internet set up. I was hoping to come here and use the online helpdesk to get it set up, but since you’re closing—”

She gives me my coffee.

Cashier: “Hey, you can go ahead and stay. No problem.”

Me: “Are you sure?”

Cashier: “Yes, it’s fine! We’ll be here for an hour cleaning. We might play some music really loud if that’s okay with you.”

I’m almost on the verge of tears again, but happy ones.

Me: “Are you kidding?! You’re doing me a huge favor. You can do whatever you want! Thank you!”

I set up my laptop where they can see me from the register and get online. Within thirty minutes, the online agent has completely solved the problem with the previous tenant’s account, and they assure me that my Internet will be up and running by tomorrow afternoon.

Just as I’m about to start packing up, one of the employees comes up to me.

Employee: “Hey, do you like doughnut holes? We’re just going to have to throw these out.”

Me: “I sure do!”

She gave me a huge box full of doughnut holes that fed me for a week!

Between the awesome online help agent and those sweet girls, the worst part of my move became the best part! I can’t thank them enough!

Pokémon Go The Extra Mile
Awesome, Inspirational, Kind Strangers, Mall, The Netherlands | Friendly Right | June 27, 2022
My husband is very introverted and shy, avoids strangers, and has trouble saying no. If he comes across a sales pitch person, he can’t bring himself to say, “No, thank you,” and walk away before the sales pitch starts and instead politely listens to the end.

My husband gets a notification that there’s a rare mobile game pocket monster on the other side of our shopping mall. He rushes out, and when he gets to a road, he sees a blind man waiting at the crosswalk (eyes closed, white cane, so he assumed blind). He has right of way, but since he can’t see traffic, he clearly hesitates.

Nervous, my husband carefully says there’s no car, worried he might insult the man. However, the blind man thanks him and crosses the road. My husband is ready to turn left when the blind man asks:

Blind Man: “Do you know where [Store] is?”

Husband: *Gestures* “Eh, yeah, it’s that…” *realises what he’s doing* “Eh, it’s straight ahead.”

Blind Man: “Thank you so much. Have a good day!”

My husband stops to check how much time he still has for the rare pocket monster. Behind him, he hears:

Blind Man: “Excuse me, excuse me? Is this the right way to [Store]?”

My husband sees the clock ticking but puts the phone away. He walks to the man.

Husband: “Sir, do you want me to walk you to the store?”

Blind Man: “Oh, how kind of you. I hope it’s not out of your way?”

Husband: “Nah, I still have time.”

My husband told me he felt very awkward all the time, not really knowing how to behave or what to say. He walked the man to the store, and when they entered:

Store Owner: “Hey, [Blind Man], I see you managed to rope someone into bringing you again!”

Blind Man: “Yes, and I would like to get him something.”

Husband: “Whoa, that’s not needed!”

Blind Man: “No, no, I insist! Do you like grapes? [Store Owner], how are the grapes?”

The store owner gives him a few to taste.

Blind Man: “Excellent! Now, how many are you at home?”

Husband: “No, no, it’s not needed. You’re most welcome.”

Blind Man: “Nonsense! Here, taste these grapes! They are very sweet. Now, how many are you at home?”

Husband: “Eh… just my wife and me.”

Blind Man: “Three cases for this man! Put it on my tab!”

Not much later, my husband was outside with about one and a half kilos of grapes, quite confused. Collecting himself, he got out his phone — seven minutes left! He decided to sprint for it… and made it! (It turned out it was not worth it after all!)

I’m very proud of my husband. Maybe that’s why the grapes taste extra sweet.

Fathers Aren’t Left Out To Sea
Awesome, Children, Cruise Ship, Daycare, Inspirational, LGBTQ, Parents/Guardians | Right | June 27, 2022
I work for a cruise line helping with a children’s activity area. Parents are allowed to drop children off to be watched by us for a little while. One day, a man dropped off his young son with us. It was close to Mother’s Day, so we had little Mother’s Day cards to color, and my coworker tried getting the boy to make one.

Boy: “Does it say Mommy?”

Coworker: “It says Mom right here.”

Boy: “Do you have a Daddy one?”

Coworker: “You mean for Father’s Day?”

Boy: “Yes, please.”

Coworker: “But Father’s Day is a long way away. Mother’s Day is soon so maybe you should make something for your mom first.”

Boy: “I don’t have a mommy.”

Coworker: “What do you mean?”

Boy: “I have two daddies instead of a mommy. Aunt [Name] was pregnant for my daddies, but she is my aunt not a mommy.”

Coworker: “Oh, umm…”

Me: “Oh. It was nice of your aunt to help your dads, and it is nice of you to want to make something for them. Just give me a minute and I’ll get a special Father’s Day card you can color for them.”

We have similar cards we used for Father’s Day, so I printed out one for the child. Then, using a thick pen so it would hopefully stand out against kid coloring, I put an apostrophe after the S in “father’s” and tried my best to turn the apostrophe in front of the S into a tilted heart, so it would read as “Fathers’ Day” instead. The kid happily decorated it before moving on to other activities.

I’d mostly forgotten about the exchange until the man who dropped the boy off and another man walked into the center. The kid immediately shouted, “Dad!” and got up to run to them. I was busy with some other kids, but I did notice the kid proudly presenting the card to his dads while talking animatedly.

A little while later, one of the men came up to me.

Man: “My son told me you made a special Fathers’ Day card just for him. I just wanted to say that my husband and I really appreciate your doing that for him. We’re going to hang this card up as soon as we get home. Thank you.”

It really was nothing special on my part; it only took a few minutes. But his thanks warmed me anyway.

Operation Independence
Awesome, Golden Years, Inspirational, Retail | Right | June 25, 2022
I once had an eighty-four-year-old customer come into the men’s department to buy some flannel shirts. He had never shopped for anything in his life; first, his mom had done it for him, and then, his wife.

His demeanor as I waited on him suggested he was probably a World War II or Korean War vet. He tackled it like a military campaign. He had no idea what size he wore. I measured him. I directed him to shirts that were easy to care for and long enough in the arms.

Me: “Have you ever done laundry?”

Customer: “No.”

Of course he hadn’t. I showed him the label with care instructions and explained washing and drying procedures.

He left, armed with knowledge sufficient to do it on his own. He left, having succeeded in his mission, with the help of a local. It was one of my favorite customer encounters of all time.

If They’re Willing, There’s Usually A Way, Part 2
Awesome, Employees, England, Inspirational, Train Station, UK | Working | June 24, 2022
I entered a 200-km Audax (non-competitive cycling event), and I have a day return train ticket from London. I am just recovering from a broken clavicle, and it turns out this ride is a bit much for me at my current level of fitness. When I realise I am not going to finish the ride in time to qualify, I slow down and wend my gentle way back to the station to take me home.

I am hungry and tired and the temperature is dropping. I find I have missed the last train back to London, but no worries; it’s only four hours until the first morning train, so I can just curl up in the waiting room until it comes. It’s warm enough, and I am so tired that I will probably have a nice sleep. My biggest concern is whether I need a new ticket.

A train employee comes in and asks me where I am going. I tell her London. She points to the depart board where there is only one train, heading away from London, arriving in a little while. She tells me once that train departs, the station will close until the first train in the morning. She looks very concerned and walks away.

I am too tired to be worried. I know it’s impossible after midnight to book a hotel room online for the same night, and the idea of cycling around to find a hotel with a manned reception or calling random hotels sounds harder than the alternative of just finding a bus shelter and curling up until the station reopens. I won’t die at 3°C, and I am unlikely to come to harm. It’s been a hard day, and it’s just going to be a little harder.

Meanwhile, my heroine is apparently more worried than I am. Maybe she knows her town better than I do and doesn’t want to leave a woman sleeping rough near the train station. Or maybe I just look as pathetic as I feel. Whatever the reason, she has obviously been thinking hard about how to keep me safe or warm or both.

Train Worker: “I’ve worked out what you should do. Catch the train to Peterborough. When it gets there, just stay where you are. An hour later, it will leave again, coming back through Stevenage and on to London. I will let the guard on board know what you are doing.”

So that was it. A concerned rail worker went out of her way to make sure I was warm and safe the whole way back to London. I even got enough sleep to make the cycle from Kings Cross station to my home pleasant — London before six is a delightful place to cycle. She was so careful of my welfare that it would not have surprised me if she was considering inviting me into her home before alighting on a better solution.

I filled in a very positive customer feedback form, which was actually rather difficult, as the form assumed I was making a complaint! Oh, and the gates were open when I got to London, so I didn’t have to buy a new ticket.

If They’re Willing, There’s Usually A Way
Awesome, Employees, Inspirational, Public Transport, Train Station, USA | Working | April 4, 2022
Two or three times a year, I take the train back to my hometown to visit family. It’s always the same route: a long trip to a city in my home state and a short trip from that city to the station nearest my parents’ house. One year, I decide to take the earliest possible trip, which leaves around 6:30 am. I don’t have a car, but there’s a bus that will take me to the train station with plenty of time to spare, so I don’t think anything of it.

Except… the bus never comes. I check the transportation department’s app only to find the early morning route listed as CANCELLED for no reason. No worries. I rush to another stop for a route that also goes in that direction, only to find that this bus came ten minutes EARLY, and I’ve missed it, too. I have to wait for the next one, as the station is too far to walk, but already I’m getting nervous and checking my options. My train is taking the same route two more times today, but naturally, the price is twice what it was when I bought my tickets in advance, and I’m not sure how many tickets are left.

The third bus does arrive, and when I reach the train station, I see my train listed as “Last boarding call.” I rush toward the platform… just in time to see it pull away. I go to the ticket booth, instead. My first impression of the attendant is that she seems a bit sleepy and probably wishes she didn’t have to deal with flustered people this early in the morning. I’m a little embarrassed to explain the situation, even though I know it happens a lot; I generally have things planned well in advance, so I’m not used to this happening to ME.

Me: “Hi, I just missed my train. Is it possible for me to get on another one today?”

The attendant takes my information.

Station Attendant: “Okay… it looks like there’s another [Train #1 ] leaving for [City] at 12:05 and a connecting train between [City] and [Town] that will get in at 5:05. Unfortunately, it’ll be $140 if you purchase a one-way ticket at this time. Is that okay?”

Me: “Yeah, if that’s all there is, I can make it work.”

Station Attendant: “Hold on, let me check something.”

She spends a few minutes typing and frowns.

Station Attendant: “Hm. So, there is a [Train #2 ] that leaves for [City] in forty minutes, but there is no earlier connection, so you would still have to wait in [City] from about 11:30 to 4:00.”

Me: “Actually, that would be amazing. I’m pretty sure my ride wouldn’t mind picking me up straight from [City].”

Station Attendant: “Oh, okay, cool. And if you’re only taking one train today, I can apply the cost of your transfer ticket to the new ticket. So, instead of charging you $140, it’ll only be…” *More typing* “Oh, you get a dollar back.”

Me: “Seriously?”

Station Attendant: “Yup!”

Sleepy or not, the attendant really came through for me. She had me sign something to authorize the return, and printed out new tickets. Instead of paying extra money and sitting around for five hours waiting for the train — no way I was taking the bus to and from my place again — I had just enough time to catch my breath and get a cup of coffee, and in the end, my arrival was only an hour later than expected. As for my dad, who was my ride, he was more than happy to pick me up in [City]; the station was around the corner from his all-time favorite pizza place.

Can We Come Train With You Folks?
Awesome, Coworkers, Florida, Inspirational, Office, Pets & Animals, USA | Working | June 17, 2022
During training at work where I had to sit and listen to a presenter for a two-hour session, my kitten decided they wanted to fall asleep on my shoulder and be held. As I get to work from home, this typically isn’t an issue if they are in my lap as I can still work, but being held for any length of time doesn’t happen often as I have to type a ton of reports. My kitten was very happy and fell asleep, and I got to pay full attention to the training.

At the end, the presenter asked if anyone had any questions, which several did, but then one of the people in another department asked:

Employee: “[My Name], how did you get your cat to stay on your shoulder for the entire training?”

As everyone had been on camera, including me, I guess people noticed me cuddling and petting my kitten during the training, which derailed the rest of the questions as everyone else brought their cats, dogs, birds, and a giant lizard onto their cameras so we could do a giant show-and-tell.

Meanwhile, In An Alternate Universe…
Art/Design, Awesome, Bizarre, Clients From Hell, Inspirational, Money | Right | June 17, 2022
I had just sent a company my invoice for designing their new logo, and the guy I was working with texted me the very next day.

Client: “Hey there. I just wanted to let you know that my boss loves the new logo, and we got your invoice and everything… But my boss wants you to make some changes to the invoice.”

Me: “Okay…? Did I get the company info wrong?”

Client: “No, not that. He wants you to change the payment amount.”

Me: “Absolutely not. We settled on the price before going into this, and everyone approved of the logo design, and I expect to get paid exactly what I have billed you for.”

Client: “Oh, sorry. You see, my boss was so impressed with your design that he actually wants to pay you more than we agreed.”

Me: “…what?”

Client: “So he wanted to know if you could update your invoice for our records? Just double the amount you have listed.”

Me: “Uh… Okay…?”

Client: “That isn’t going to be a problem for you, is it?”

Me: “No! Of course not! Not at all! I’ll get that updated invoice to you right away!”

Still Wary About Who Won’t Be Civil
Awesome, Grocery Store, Inspirational, LGBTQ, New Zealand, Wedding | Right | June 15, 2022
As I’m starting to set up stock lists, I notice two men browsing the area I’m stocking, which is a quiet nook that holds the baking supplies. They seem to be having trouble but don’t have anything that indicates they might be working on a new recipe, which normally means they’re browsing for ideas. As a stockist, I take pride in knowing a lot of the more unusual items, so I always like to offer help.

Me: “Hey there. Were you finding everything you needed today?”

Customer #1 : “Oh, kind of? We’re looking for ideas…”

Me: “For anything special? We have a few bits and pieces of other stock in some of our other areas. I can also just leave you be to browse, too.”

They exchange a small look.

Customer #1 : “For an engagement party.”

At this point, I realise why they might be so shy about it. “Civil unions” (legally recognised same-sex partnerships) have only recently been legalised in New Zealand.

Me: “Oh, how lovely! Who for? If there’s a theme, or anything?”

Customer #2 : “It’s… ours.”

Me: *Beaming* “Congratulation s! That means you’d know better than anyone what theme you’d like!”

Customer #1 : *Starting to grin* “Very true.”

I spent the next five or ten minutes chatting with them about different thoughts and good ways to get good results on a small budget, including a few tips from my sister’s recent marriage — like buying cheap-as-chips lacy curtain fabric and cutting it into fancy-looking tablecloths.

I was overjoyed to encourage them into thinking about what made THEM happy and what THEY wanted in the party, not what anyone else demanded of them. I think they spent a good hour looking through that tiny room after I left them and then going to check the other departments mentioned to see the other decorations.

They started out nervous, obviously not knowing how a stranger would react, but they left full of the same joy I would hope to impart

Socking It To You In The Sweetest Way
Boyfriend/Girlfriend, California, Home, Inspirational, Love/Romance, San Diego, USA | Romantic | June 13, 2022
My boyfriend and are closing in on our one-year anniversary. He is very good with his hands and keeps himself happy by always having some project to occupy them. Knowing this, I go out of my way to buy the most complicated modeling kit I can find. It’s of a famous clock tower and has hundreds of tiny, intricate pieces, so I know it will take him a long time to complete.

Our anniversary rolls around and I give him his gift. He is delighted by it. He then presents me with his gift: a pair of socks with a couple of cartoon characters on them. While they are from my favorite cartoon and the gesture is sweet, when comparing them to the modeling kit, I’m unable to keep from looking disappointed. He only seems amused by my reaction.

As I awkwardly thank him for the gift, he asks me:

Boyfriend: “Do you want to know a secret?”

I say, “Sure,” not expecting much.

Boyfriend: “Well, you know how you always have trouble finding clothes that fit?”

I had emergency surgery after an accident that left my torso with an unusual shape.

Boyfriend: “I decided to learn how to knit, sew, and crochet, so now I can make you anything you want. I made those socks in a day.”

Now, I was looking at the socks in amazement. They looked professionally made. He had taught himself how to make professional-looking clothes in less than a year! I think I might have started crying if I wasn’t so blown away.

Last month, my now-husband and I celebrated three years of marriage. For our anniversary, he taught himself metalworking so he could make me authentic items for when we go to the Renaissance Faire.

Some Days You’re The Hammer, And Some Days You Need One
Inspirational, Kind Strangers, Maryland, Parking Lot, USA | Friendly | June 13, 2022
My tire had gone flat, so a friend and I were trying to replace it outside of the place I rented. We had removed all the nuts, but the tire refused to come off no matter how hard we tried to pull it, and we were both stumped on what to try next.

After another failed attempt to get the wheel off, I heard a man I hadn’t realized was behind us speak up.

Man: “Is the wheel stuck on?”

Me: “Yeah, it won’t budge.”

Man: “I have the same problem with my car. I have a hammer that’s supposed to help with that in my trunk if you want to borrow it.”

Me: “Oh, sure, if you don’t mind.”

Man: “No problem, but my car’s a little ways away so it may take me a few minutes to get it.”

With that, he turned around and jogged back toward another part of the rental complex. A little while later, he showed up with the hammer; we’d made no progress with the wheel in that time.

Man: “Here you go. Just tap it around the back a few times and it should come loose.”

The hammer was more like a small mallet, with a large head and a good bit of weight behind it, at least relative to its small size. As the man said, a few taps on the back worked wonders and the tire soon came off.

Me: “Here’s the hammer back. Thanks for lending it to us., I’m not sure what I would have done otherwise.”

Man: “Oh, yeah, I used to have to get the whole car towed somewhere just because I couldn’t get the stupid tire off; there’s a reason I started carrying this thing around. You start to feel silly being stranded on the side of the road because you can’t do something as basic as replacing a tire.”

Me: “Well, thanks again.”

Man: “No problem. I was just out walking to kill time and get exercise anyway. I can walk to my car and back to pick a hammer up just as well as walking anywhere else. Glad I could help.”

Thank you, random stranger, for solving my inability to change my tire.

Some People Just Want To Watch The World Heal
Blood Donation, Inspirational, Maryland, USA | Healthy | June 12, 2022
I donate blood every few months; I know there’s a need for it, and my blood type is the universal donor.

Once, during a donation, a woman comes in and asks questions about everything. I figure it must be her first time. There’s nothing wrong with that; she just seems a little nervous. The phlebotomist hooks up her IV, and her bed is next to mine.

Woman: “So, who are you donating for?”

Me: “What do you mean?”

Woman: “My husband is having an operation, so I’m giving blood in case he needs it.”

Me: “Oh, I see. No, I’m not donating for anyone in particular.”

Woman: “You’re not?”

Me: “Nope. Just… whoever needs it, I guess.”

The woman looks around the room, shocked. The other donors are now listening to the conversation.

Woman: “So, all of you are just donating, what, out of the goodness of your hearts?”

She started laughing and then quickly stopped. She didn’t intend for the comment to sound mean; it just genuinely had never occurred to her that blood banks are full of blood from people who donate just to help others.

Waitstaff Handle Big Babies, So Real Ones Are A Walk In The Park
Awesome, Family & Kids, Inspirational, Missouri, Non-Dialogue, Restaurant, USA | Right | June 10, 2022
Being the parents of two boys two and under, my husband and I don’t often go out to eat, both because of finances and because, well, they’re pretty young, and expecting them to sit through a whole meal can sometimes be asking a lot. However, my husband and I were given a gift card. We tried numerous times to arrange babysitters, but it just didn’t work out.

So, finally, after almost a year, we went. I met my husband there, we went around 4:30 (before our boys were hungry for dinner), and I brought snacks just in case. I beat my husband there, so I took the boys in and got seated.

Of course, my two-year-old started crying. He was hungry, but the snacks weren’t his thing today. I was trying everything I could think of to help him calm when our server appeared. He smiled patiently as I finished buckling our dramatic two-year-old in place and then set down an appetizer “on the house.”

He quickly asked what he could get them (and me) to drink and hurried back. My two-year-old immediately quieted; his needs were met. The restaurant ended up getting packed by the time we got our food, but our server still checked on us frequently.

It ended up being a great family dinner. When I asked if I could speak to the manager to brag about him, he humbly said that it wasn’t needed. We tipped well, but I hope that server knows that what he did was more appreciated than I could express.

An Apple A Day Keeps The Children At Play
Inspirational, Non-Dialogue, School, Sweden, Teachers | Learning | June 10, 2022
I’m a middle school teacher in an area where about half of the students come from socio-economically challenged families.

One of my coworkers moved into his parents’ house when they became too elderly to care for it. He had no interest in the massive amounts of apples that he could enjoy every fall from his mom’s orchard. So, every morning, he picked two bags full of apples and put the bags next to the door in the teachers’ lounge. The students were welcome to get free apples as long as the core ended up in a trash can. If a single apple core was thrown in the wrong place, there would be no more apples. Not a single core ever ended up outside a trash can since no one wanted to be the reason for ending the apple bonanza.

As the final two classes of the day began, most teachers brought with them a supply of apples and handed them out to the students to munch on in class.

Some days, we still had plenty of apples left at the end of the day, and my coworker then convinced some student we knew came from a struggling home to bring home the leftover apples. Almost every time, the students dropped by the next day and told us in great detail how their moms had used the apples for all sorts of goodies.

When the students in more well-to-do families told their parents of our apple bonanza, several parents brought in bags of apples from their own gardens. That was incredibly sweet, but we struggled a little with getting through up to eight huge bags of apples per day.

We noticed that during the weeks when the students got these free apple snacks, in the afternoon, they were a lot more alert and active in these last classes of the day. It was almost like they were somehow energized.

A Godly Glitch
Awesome, Bizarre, Inspirational, Photo Lab, Rest In Peace, Retail | Right | June 6, 2022
I worked in the photo department of a pharmacy store chain a few years ago. Our card machine randomly spat out three pamphlets for a funeral service that had been ordered about ten days prior. It was weird because our orders only stayed in the system for three days. Neither my manager nor I could not figure out how it had printed these pamphlets, but we finally shrugged and I threw them on top of our waste pile.

About an hour later, a woman came up to my counter.

Woman: *Quietly* “How long are orders stored? My brother’s funeral was last week, and I wasn’t able to get one of the pamphlets.”

I just stared at her for a second, then walked over, grabbed the mysterious pamphlets, and placed them in front of her. They were for her brother’s funeral.

Me: “Our machine randomly printed these three copies out for no reason.”

The woman started crying.

Woman: “How much do I owe you?”

I just laughed.

Me: “We don’t charge for acts of God.”

It was the only explanation I could come up with.

Positive Feedback Is Just As Valuable As Negative
Children, Inspirational, Kind Strangers, Museum, Parents/Guardians | Friendly | June 6, 2022
I was once in a children’s museum with my niece. There was some kind of climbing structure she was old enough for, but her little legs were so short that she had trouble navigating. A sweet boy a couple of years older helped her through and disappeared before I could thank him.

I saw him again later with his family in a different part of the museum and went over to his mom.

Me: “Your son was so…”

She got this look on her face like her son was frequently a troublemaker and she was used to getting complaints. When I continued to explain how sweet and helpful he had been, she was so relieved and then grateful that I had come over to thank them.

It doesn’t take much to brighten someone’s day.

Str-Aww-berries
Awesome, Employees, Inspirational, Michigan, Restaurant, USA | Right | June 4, 2022
As a kid, whenever I went to a sit-down restaurant that offered lemonade, I always asked if they had any strawberry lemonade. I loved strawberry lemonade but never got it at home.

I’m at a restaurant with my family and the waitress is taking our drink orders.

Waitress: “How about you?”

Me: “Do you have strawberry lemonade?”

Waitress: “I’m sorry, we don’t.”

Me: “That’s okay. I’ll have a Sprite, please.”

When she comes back with our drink order, she saves mine for last.

Waitress: “Guess what? I found some strawberry flavoring in the kitchen!”

She plunked down a strawberry lemonade in front of me. It tasted amazing. It’s been over a decade since then, but I still smile at her doing something she absolutely didn’t have to just to make a kid smile.

It Takes A Village… And A Couple Of Thoughtful Employees
At The Checkout, Awesome, Employees, Inspirational, Kind Strangers, Reddit, Retail, Sons & Daughters | Right | CREDIT: Bookaholicforever | June 4, 2022
I had to go into the shops this morning to get a few things. I thought my (almost) eleven-month-old would be all right, and she was for about 90% of the time. But it took me longer to find what I needed and she was due a nap and a feed. I was rushing to the checkout… and it happened.

She entered into a full-blown meltdown. She was grabbing at me to pick her up. I was panicking, trying to calm her down and scan my things. People were looking and I was getting more stressed. My assistance dog was nudging me, alerting me to an anxiety attack coming.

Enter two staff members. One came over and started talking to my kiddo and singing her a song. But she wasn’t having a bar of it.

Employee #1 : “Can I pick her up?”

Me: “Yes!”

She picked my kid up and started walking around and saying hello to people. The other staff member started helping me scan my stuff as quickly as possible. When that was done, the one holding my kid offered to help me get out to my car and stuff.

They were amazing.

What We Would Give To See That Cosplay!
Convention, Geeks Rule, Inspirational, Kind Strangers, Strangers | Friendly | June 3, 2022
A few years back, I purchased a shoulder dragon plush from a convention vendor and almost immediately lost it. I retraced my steps and still couldn’t find it.

I finally went back to the vendor to explain what happened with little to no hope that they would be able to do anything.

Vendor: “Can you describe it?”

When I did, they whipped it out from behind their counter.

Vendor: “Someone dressed up as a Deadpool Eternal Sailor Moon cross-play turned it in to us in hopes that the owner would come back!”

Of course, I thanked the vendors profusely. I looked everywhere for the Eternal Sailor Moon Deadpool but never found them to give my thanks.

Maybe More Kids Would Enjoy Math With More Teachers Like This
Inspirational, Maryland, Math & Science, Non-Dialogue, School, Teachers, USA | Learning | June 3, 2022
As a little kid, I was such a geek that I actually enjoyed math, and since my parents were often doing math with my older sister, I picked up some things by listening in on them. One of those things I learned ahead of my class was the impressive feat of adding a whole three numbers at once!

But when it came time for the class to learn the same thing, they didn’t add the numbers right — at least that’s what young me thought. Our teacher taught us to add all numbers in the ones column, then the tens, etc. By contrast, I’d always added the numbers by adding the first two and then writing the third number under the sum of the first two and adding those. The way I had learned seemed less error-prone. I mean, adding three whole numbers in your head at once — who could possibly manage such a feat?! So, I chose to ignore the way our teacher was teaching it and keep doing things the way my father had taught me.

Then, one day, the teacher had multiple problems written on the board and she called four or five students up to solve their problems at the same time in front of the class. I was on the far end, away from the teacher, but I was worried that she would catch me doing things the “wrong” way, so I did things my way, put the answer, and then hastily erased my work so she wouldn’t see how I did things.

She wasn’t having any of that. When she got to me she agreed that the answer was right but insisted that I needed to show my work. So now, I got extra attention as she made me redo my work in front of the class with her watching me as I did my math “wrong”.

I was honestly expecting a scolding for not doing things the way she had taught us. Instead, she acted surprised and asked me to explain my “complex” logic for how I was doing the work to the class. She told me that was a good way of doing things and actually said she was fine with kids doing math however they wanted if they got the right results.

Come our next math test, we were asked to add numbers the way she had taught us, but the very next question asked us to add the same numbers “[My Name]’s way.” She continued to encourage kids to learn both ways, and I was proud to have a whole way of doing math named after me!

It’s only later as an adult that I can fully appreciate how refreshing it was to have a teacher willing to encourage kids to solve problems their own way rather than insisting we all stick to the officially taught way of doing things. Thanks for being flexible, Ms. [Teacher].

Unfiltered Story #262748
Home, Michigan, USA | Unfiltered | July 13, 2022
(I have friends who are scattered across several states and we rely on technology to keep us connected. One day we’re chatting online about someone one of my friends admires.)

Friend #1: “. . . And while we were remodeling she pulled the cabinet off the kitchen wall like freaking Wonder Woman.”

Friend #2: “Because she’s AWESOME.”

Friend #3: “Nooo, why must you destroy the kitchen?”

Friend #1: “In order to heal, we must destroy.”

Friend #2: “. . .”

Friend #3: “So to heal my heart I have to gouge it out?”

Friend #1: “Um—no. This is not medical advice.”

A Storm Of Kindness, Part 2
Auto Shop, Awesome, Car, Germany, Inspirational, Kind Strangers, Weather | Right | May 23, 2022
We were going through one of the strongest rainstorms I’d ever seen in my area. My girlfriend and I were on the road when it hit. The rain became so dense that the cars in front of me turned on their fog lights because visibility was down to less than twenty metres.

In a small town, we had to turn around because a powerline had torn off and was laying on the road. When we reached the next traffic light, my engine started to sputter and stopped. I tried to start it a few times, but to no avail.

Because other cars were still driving along that road and would have to turn around, too, I figured we were blocking off traffic if we stayed there, so I decided to push the car around the corner, where other cars were parked on the side of a road at the beginning of a hill that was steadily getting steeper.

We stepped out of the car and into water that reached over my ankles — probably why the car stopped. After we pushed the car around the corner to the beginning of the hill, we were completely soaked, but we were in a safe spot, and due to the incline, there was no water standing on the road. We got back into the car and discussed what to do.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the window. A guy was standing in the pouring rain.

Guy: “Hey, are you having problems? Do you need some kind of help?”

Me: “Well, our car died on that road down there, probably because of all the water. We were just planning to wait until the rain lessens and try to start again. Perhaps something will have dried off by then. If it doesn’t work, we’re gonna call the ADAC.” *German AAA* “But it’s no use getting them out in this rain.”

Guy: “You see, I’ve got a little auto repair shop about fifty metres uphill. I can push you up there and we can see what we can do for you.”

Me: “That would be great! I can help you push, and my girlfriend can take the wheel.”

Guy: “No, you two stay in there. I’ve got a coworker here. We will manage that.”

And so, the two guys pushed us uphill on a steep incline, in the midst of pouring rain and quite a bit of wind, toward their workshop. Once inside, we got out of the car, and the guy got a few towels for himself, his coworker, and us to dry off.

Guy: “I know your car model. The place where the engine gets its air is very low. With that much water on the road, it likely sucked in some water. If you’re lucky, only your plugs got wet and can’t produce sparks anymore. In that case, we can dry it off and everything is fine. But if the water got inside the engine, we’re looking at an automatic engine failure.”

He started checking the oil, while his coworker disassembled some parts around the plugs and started drying everything with a small blow-dryer.

We were offered coffee in the meantime. After about half an hour, the guy came back to us.

Guy: “Good news. I’ve checked the oil and can’t find any trace of water in it, so it looks like you got lucky there. Your plugs are all dried off, and my coworker just finished reassembling everything. You two are good to go. I hope your day gets better.”

He tried to lead us to the car to get out. I got confused.

Me: “Wait. Didn’t you forget something?”

Guy: “Like what?”

Me: “Well, this is a repair shop, isn’t it? You do fix cars for money, don’t you? So how about me paying you?”

Guy: “Oh, paying. I hadn’t thought about that. Well, you see, we actually just sell new tires nowadays. We hardly fix cars anymore.”

Me: “Nevertheless, you just fixed mine. So how much do I owe you?”

Guy: “Well, um… how about you give me 10€?”

Me: “What? Only 10€? Wait, do you have some kind of coffee fund?”

Many German workplaces do. Tips are not common outside of restaurants, sometimes even forbidden, so as a workaround, tips are often given to the “Kaffekasse” to pay for the workers’ coffee or other things they normally would chip in for.

Guy: “Well, yes, i’s right over there.”

I put another 20€ in it. I know, they deserved more — a lot more — but I was broke at that time and that was all I had on me that day.

The car was running smoothly again and lasted another two years before it finally had an engine failure. I’m still wondering if it had gotten a little water inside the engine that day, after all.

A Little Kindness In Hard Times Goes A Long Way
Employees, England, Grocery Store, Inspirational, Kind Strangers, Pets & Animals, Rest In Peace, UK | Working | May 22, 2022
CONTENT WARNING: Pet Death



My husband and I had just dropped our rabbit off at the vet’s; she was not doing well and the outlook was not hopeful. We needed some groceries, so we were in the discount supermarket next door when we got a phone call to tell us that our rabbit had had a seizure and ask if we wanted them to attempt resuscitation.

As we were next door, we said we’d be right over, but we had a basket of shopping. My husband refuses to be one of those people who just leave stuff in the wrong place, so he handed it to a cashier.

Husband: “I’m sorry. Our pet is dying, so we need to go, but we’ll be back for our shopping.”

Our rabbit sadly passed away, and after saying our goodbyes, we went back to the supermarket to get our shopping. As soon as the cashier saw us — I was still sobbing — she left her till and the large queue. She’d put our basket in the chiller out the back to stop anything going bad. She gave me a hug and got a colleague to open a till so we could just get our things and go.

The supermarket in question has a reputation for curt service and scanning items too quickly, but that cashier made a terrible night slightly more bearable. It really stood out as an example of people caring, which doesn’t happen too often these days.

That’s What Second Chances Are All About
Inspirational, Non-Dialogue, Ohio, Retail, USA | Legal | May 21, 2022
One of my childhood friends is now a parole officer. She’s one of the most proactive parole officers I’ve ever seen. She has a web of contacts in charge of hiring at various companies, and she will go out of her way to get the people whom she’s responsible for hired.

She first gets them through some sort of vocational testing to determine what sort of position to recommend them for. She will often give them rides to and from the interview, and she helps them get interview-appropriate clothing from local charities. She really goes above and beyond.

I happen to be in charge of hiring for a local branch of a large retail chain. Of the twelve criminals she’s brought to me over the years, I’ve hired eight of them, and all of those eight were among the best workers I’ve hired. Most of them eventually moved on to better jobs.

But, recently, one of them has been promoted to manage a newly opened branch. He invited my friend the parole officer to his promotion/going away party and thanked her profusely. He gifted her a PS5 that he had set aside to buy for her.

After he left for the new position in Tennessee, she quietly returned the PS5. She’s not into video games. Instead of returning it to stock, I donated it to a children’s charity. I think both of them would have approved.

Give That Sweet Puppy Anything They Want!
Adorable Children, Inspirational, Pets & Animals, Reddit, Restaurant | Right | CREDIT: I_am_also_a_Walrus | May 21, 2022
I’m serving in a restaurant and I approach a table to take an order. A little kid at the table speaks up.

Kid: “I have a question. The Bailey’s cheesecake — is that for dogs? Because our dog’s name is Bailey.”

They pointed to the puppy sleeping in Dad’s lap. Awwww!

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, But Easier When People Care
Awesome, Coworkers, Fights/Breakups, Illinois, Inspirational, Office, USA | Working | May 20, 2022
I’m at work. Our office is right across the street from a national chain drugstore. We often run over there for snacks. Usually, one person goes with a list and everyone else reimburses them when they come back.

A couple of days ago, the guy I was in love with dumped me on my birthday, so I am in a horrible mood. I told a couple of female coworkers who asked why I was so quiet. One of my male coworkers was walking by at that moment. He mostly keeps to himself at work, as our department is majority female.

About two hours later, I see him going from desk to desk. He stops at mine.

Coworker: “Hey, I’m doing the snack run today. Want anything?”

Me: “Um… something with caffeine in it. A soda or coffee would work.”

Coworker: “Gotcha.”

He leaves and returns about twenty minutes later with everyone’s food and drinks. He hands me a bottled flavored coffee from an internationally known chain.

Me: “Thanks! This is great. How much do I owe you?”

Coworker: “Oh, don’t worry about it.”

Me: “No, no. These are usually about $4, right?”

I pull out my wallet.

Coworker: “Put that away. It’s on me. Breakups suck.”

It was a small gesture, but it helped my mood a lot that day.

Using His Powers Of Intimidation For Good Instead Of Evil
Inspirational, Kind Strangers, New Hampshire, USA | Friendly | May 20, 2022
One year, while visiting a famous motorcycle rally in New Hampshire, my wife (in a disability scooter) was trying to cross a road protected by a crossing guard. Every time it was the pedestrians’ turn, my wife would be surrounded by people crossing the road, preventing her from crossing. You become invisible on a scooter for some reason.

This happened for a few cycles.

Then, Biker Dude appeared. He was the personification of a 1% club member — big, bearded, inked with leather and chains, and triple-patched. He was the real deal. He leaned down to my wife, yelling over the noise of all the motorcycles.

Biker Dude: “DO YOU NEED HELP, MA’AM?”

Wife: *Slightly scared* “Uh-huh.”

The next time it was the pedestrians’ turn to cross the road, Biker Dude stood up and bellowed:

Biker Dude: “ALL YOU F***ERS NEED TO LET THIS LADY CROSS!”

Leaning down, he softly said, “Please follow me, ma’am,” and off he went like an icebreaker dressed in leather and chains in the Arctic clearing a path for my wife, on her scooter, following closely behind.

On the other side, the man leaned down again and softly asked:

Biker Dude: “Do you need anything else, ma’am?”

Wife: *In awe* “Uh-uh.”

Biker Dude: “You have a nice day.”

And off Biker Dude disappeared into the crowd.

NEVER judge a book by its cover.

Waitstaff Have Feelings, You Know
Awesome, Bad Behavior, Inspirational, Instant Karma, Reddit, Restaurant | Right | CREDIT: MOMTHEMEATLOAFF | May 18, 2022
When I worked at a nearby restaurant, it would attract quite the crowd. The food was amazing and we had a band that played almost every night. It was also right next to a really nice country club and would attract a lot of their residents.

One night, we were absolutely slammed. I had a total of probably twelve tables at once and it was just a mess. Everyone was pretty understanding and could see we were understaffed, except for this party of four I had. They were rich, rude, and just downright degrading.

I was doing the best I could, considering how busy we were, and the one woman was just not having it. She absolutely flipped out on me.

Woman: “You suck at your job! You’re not cut out to be a server. You should be fired, and you should be ashamed of how horrible your performance is! You’re the worst server ever!”

She just kept going on and on. I don’t usually let people get to me, especially this entitled jerk, but it happened; I broke down and started crying from the stress of how busy it was and her degrading me.

I took five, went to the bathroom, composed myself, and went back out to finish waiting on them.

Their attitude had completely changed; everyone at the table apologized to me profusely, even the woman who screamed at me. Apparently, another table nearby (who I wasn’t even waiting on) heard what the lady was saying and went up to the table and ripped them a new one, told them it was disgusting the way she was speaking to me, and basically called the table out on being horrible people.

And after all that, as I was talking to them, the guy from the other table came up to me (in front of the rude table) and said, “No one should ever be treated like that.” He gave me a hug and handed me 100$. I tried to refuse to take it, but the guy insisted on it and wouldn’t take it back.

It almost brought me to tears again. It was a very emotional shift.

Why Libraries Should Outlive Us All
Awesome, Books & Reading, Current Events, Inspirational, Library, Oklahoma, USA | Right | May 10, 2022
I have been a librarian for over thirty years. We are a relatively big library in our town, and one of the more conveniently located libraries — right across from a middle school, by a major store, and near a dog park. But when the health crisis hit, we went from being in person to being only pick up in the car. Our state considered us essential. People for the most part were understanding about it, though we did have some interesting people. The absolute best patron, though, was one who remembered our names.

She would drive up, and when we came out, she would always have a smile and try and make conversation. This girl would constantly check out ten to twenty books every week and return them promptly every Monday. The odd thing was that the books were all over the place; some days it would be mysteries and sometimes it would be classics or nonfiction.

When we finally opened back up, she was there that Monday afternoon with a big plate of cookies and donuts from the local bakery with a card letting us know how much she appreciated us, especially since she knew that we had a lot of work to get out all her books. I finally asked her if she was reading all those books, because honestly, we were always curious.

Customer: *Laughing* “I read some of them, but I didn’t want the library to go under during this, so I figured if I could get as many books as I could checked out, they would see that this was a necessary thing.”

I admit my eyes were a little teary. And now, nearly six months after we have fully opened, she still checks out that many every week.

Straight Into The Deep End
Awesome, Bank, Employees, Inspirational, Kind Strangers, New Hires, USA | Working | May 10, 2022
I started a new job as a banker about a month ago. Both my manager and the other banker, who is training me, end up out on unexpected medical leave for unrelated reasons within ten days of each other. I then get slammed with a bunch of stuff that I’ve not yet been trained on.

Thankfully, the bank I work for has a support line that branch staff can call for help. I call it multiple times. I get the same representative every time. After the fifth call, which requires a long explanation…

Representative: “…but it depends on your branch, really. I’d ask your manager to see how she wants it processed. You’ve called quite a bit today. Is your manager out?”

Me: “Yep.”

Representative: “Ah. Maybe you can hold the paperwork until she gets back.”

Me: “She’s on medical, so we’re not really sure when that will be.”

Representative: “Do you have a second banker to ask?”

Me: “She’s on medical, too.”

Representative: “So, there are no other bankers at all?”

Me: “Correct. Just me and our tellers.”

Representative: “Hmm. How long have you been a banker?”

Me: “About a month.”

Representative: “Oh, honey. Talk about getting thrown in the deep end. Please call us any time!”

Me: “That’s sweet, but I’ve already bothered y’all enough today!”

Representative: “Now, I mean it. You call us as much as you need to! What branch are you at?”

After that, every time I called, every representative greeted me with a cheerful, “Hello, [My Name] from [Branch]!” They even walked me through several tricky processes, step by step! They were lifesavers during the two weeks when I was working by myself. I don’t work there anymore, but I’ll never forget how kind those representatives were. If you’re reading this, thanks, ladies!

Compliment Confidence And Watch It Grow
Awesome, College & University, Inspirational, Students, Teachers, USA | Learning | May 7, 2022
I went through some serious mental health struggles all throughout my high school years. This was further exacerbated in college because I decided to go out of state and basically lost my entire support system.

In my freshman year, I was all but forced to withdraw from my gen-ed chemistry class because, between my mental health and my natural disinterest in the subject, I didn’t have any motivation to turn in any homework or lab reports. My professor for that class was also the ONLY one to notice my struggles and to try and reach out to me, but I wasn’t really receptive to getting help at that point.

A year later, I started digging myself out of my hole, so I decided to retake the class with the same professor. On this particular day, we had an exam. I finished a bit early, handed my test to my professor, and left the room like usual for her exams. Unbeknownst to me, she actually followed me out into the hall.

Professor: “[My Name]?”

Me: “Uh, yes?”

Professor: “I just wanted to say great job on your confidence this semester. You’ve come a long way.”

Me: *Genuinely shocked* “Oh, thank you. I’m… I’m really trying.”

Even though it was just a small comment, it really hit me hard after everything. I cried the whole way back to my dorm.

Sometimes The Least You Can Do Is The Best Thing You Can Do
Australia, Bus, Health & Body, Inspirational, Kind Strangers, New South Wales, Public Transport, Strangers, Sydney | Friendly | May 6, 2022
When I was fifteen, I caught the same bus every Saturday to get to my flute lesson. I usually left early so I had some time to spare. One such Saturday morning, I left even earlier than usual. It was fairly cold and there was a light rain, so I was wearing an long, red coat and had a decent-looking umbrella. I’ve been told before that this outfit made me look around eighteen, so maybe that’s why the things that happened the way they did.

I made it to my bus stop and sat down to wait. The only other person there was a girl in her twenties. She was crying and clutching a single piece of paper. I also noticed that she wasn’t wearing anything warm, despite the weather. I felt really bad for her.

Me: “Are you all right?”

She looked at me, swallowed, and said:

Girl: “I just got some bad news.

Me: *Concerned* “Do you want to talk about it?”

That seemed to be the tipping point, and she broke down in front of me. She explained through tears that she’d gone to her doctor to check a lump on her neck and that she’d just gotten the results back. It was a tumour. She didn’t know if it was malignant, but her doctor wanted her back immediately for more testing.

I sat with her for about ten minutes. She told me that her friend was picking her up to take her to the appointment, but she didn’t know how long they would be. I didn’t really know what to do, but I just wanted to make sure she was all right. Then, my bus came. The girl waved me away, trying to smile, saying that she would be fine. Feeling guilty, I got on. I was the only person on board. The bus driver looked equally worried.

I didn’t even make it a single stop before I felt bad about leaving her in the rain by herself. I asked the driver to stop early. Since I was the only person there, he let me off, telling me to make sure the girl was all right. I ran the whole way back. Luckily, the girl was still sitting there waiting. She looked shocked that I’d come back but a little glad, too.

Me: “I really don’t think you should be alone right now.”

I sat with her for another ten minutes, talking with her and trying to distract her until her friend came. When her friend’s car finally appeared, she started thanking me profusely. Her friend pulled up and leaned over from the driver’s seat, asking what was going on.

Girl’s Friend: “Thank you so much for staying with her. [Girl] called me and I came as fast as I could, but the traffic was terrible. Do you want a lift since you missed your bus?”

Me: “No, it’s all right. I was early anyway. I just hope everything turns out all right.”

Girl: *Through tears* “Thank you. It really means a lot that you did that. I’m sorry to have just dumped it all on you. Thank you so much.”

Me: “It’s fine. That’s just something you shouldn’t have to sit alone with. I only did what I thought was best.”

Girl’s Friend: “Are you sure you don’t want a lift?”

I shook my head, wished [Girl] good luck, and waved them off. They thanked me again multiple times and then slowly drove away. Even though I ended up being a few minutes late for my lesson, I’ll never forget the way [Girl] thanked me for simply sitting with her and listening. [Girl], if you’re out there, I really do hope you’re okay and that everything turned out all right in the end.

Good Samaritans Spreading Good Cheer
Inspirational, Kind Strangers, Money, Retail | Right | May 3, 2022
I worked at a large retail chain, and I got to meet one of the many good Samaritans who help pay off layaway.

Good Samaritan: “I want to pay off things for kids, like bikes and such. No video games — I want to pay for things that keep kids playing.”

Then, after we went through all those tabs, they still had money left.

Me: “What’s next?”

Good Samaritan: “You decide.”

I picked tickets for customers who I knew were elderly or on a tight budget and let the person decide. That was seriously one of the best times ever. They wanted to just quietly come in, pay off useful tickets, and help others.

When I got to make the list of calls that tabs were paid off, some of the people wanted to know who did it so they could thank the person. However, the good Samaritan made me promise not to call any of them until I was done and they left the store. And to this day, I’ll never tell anyone who it was. But the joy for some of those people was amazing that I even cried with a couple when they came to get their items.