The Wonderful Surprise of Random Acts of Kindness

Just when you need a helping hand, one is there – amazingly, every day, people perform and receive random acts that show their deep kindness and generosity toward their fellow man. Whether helping someone across the street, helping to change a tire, or just a warm, loving smile, you can change someone’s life with a small act.

This woman had a terrifying event on the subway, a place where people don’t usually interact with one another. Yet, one Chinese woman, who could not even communicate with her, rushed over to help.

A man they’d never met saved the lives of two little boys. A biker riding down a street saw a burning house and saw two little boys inside. Without hesitating, he just jumped off his bike and ran into the burning home to save the boys.

During times of trauma, each of us reacts differently. Some need to keep busy, while others need time to process. This woman’s mother had just died, and she needed to sit outside while others dealt with the details inside.

Few things are as beautiful as a parent teaching a child to be kind. In this story, a woman with an injury was having trouble with her groceries. The woman behind her, standing with her little girl, whispered to the girl to help the injured woman.   

Six-year-old Harry was helping the contractor his mom had hired to build the family’s patio. Harry was so thrilled to help with the project, and the builder was amused to have such a good assistant.

Susie, a single mom, got laid off from work, then her car broke down. She was desperate, and there was no way she could afford even a used car. So her friends commiserate with her. But one friend did even more.

A family inside a restaurant noticed a man standing outside the building for a long time. They didn’t think much of it until they got outside. That’s when the man approached them. What he told them was life-saving information.

This woman was under incredible stress – trying to get IVF treatments and being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. Her IVF treatments alone would cost $10,000 through a private doctor. But, through the acts of kindness and selflessness of some medical professionals, she was able to have the treatment for free. 

At age 16, physical appearance is of prime importance. Teens put a lot of time and care into hair, makeup, and clothing and want to go out looking their best. So when they receive a compliment, their self-esteem shoots up, and sometimes it’s a moment they’ll never forget.

Women watch out for other women, especially women in vulnerable situations. Women tend to recognize when other females are stressed or not coping well, and often the reaction is to jump in and offer help.

Some of the best random acts of kindness take place on airplanes. When you’re sitting next to someone for hours, and that person is clearly upset, isn’t it amazing how many others offer caring, a shoulder to cry on, or a sympathetic ear?

Many of us have been in airplanes with crying babies – either handling our own or tolerating the wails of other people’s infants. It’s a stressful and embarrassing situation, and you just can’t wait for the flight to end.

No matter how old we get, there is always that need for a good old hug from Mom, reassuring and comforting. But, as a Mom, you can also recognize others who need a hug, and what a generous act it is to go over to that person and offer one.

Business owners are always worried about the bottom line, and rightfully so. Of course, it’s their job to keep the work flowing and generate revenue. But sometimes, acts of compassion are more important than payment of bills.

One of the worst feelings a school kid can have is the loneliness of sitting by himself at lunchtime. This is especially tough when you are the new kid. This kid was so lonely he’d taken to eating by himself outside. 

It’s amazing how important it is to smile at others. Most people go through their day with no expression on their faces as they pass other people. Unfortunately, that non-expression spreads quickly; soon, everyone around feels sad and lonely.

We often see people sitting alone in parks or restaurants and assume they want to be alone. Don’t be so sure. This man took it upon himself to approach an older man sitting by himself and was rewarded in untold ways.

Waiting in line at the grocery checkout can be tedious. This woman tries to make life a little less tedious for others by offering them to step in line in front of her. 

Women walking alone often feel vulnerable. This is because so many awful things can happen quickly, and we all read about these incidents. As a result, women must be super-cautious when out by themselves.

You never know when kindness will happen. Who would have thought that a young man buying a car would experience such an act of generosity? 

Sometimes it’s the people who have the least who are the most generous, perhaps because they know how hard it is to get through life. For example, who would have imagined that a high school kid would also work as the school janitor just to help his family?

The online world has lots to offer, some pretty awful and some pretty wonderful.  Here’s an example of the wonderful. This dad provides advice for kids without a dad. He makes short videos about the things kids encounter to help them figure things out.

Every daily act becomes a chore for pregnant women as the pregnancy progresses. It’s so lovely when you get help or consideration from others. The young man exhibits far more sensitivity for this woman than the businessmen.

We encounter opportunities for acts of kindness in the oddest places. But, unfortunately, we don’t always realize that the tiniest moments can give us a chance to do good. Sometimes it’s just a matter of being aware of what’s around us and jumping in when someone needs help.

Sometimes our hearts just go out to people in need, and we can’t help but act. This woman was probably already soaking wet when the car pulled up next to her.

Sometimes when we are at our lowest point, we need just one pick-me-up to make the day a little brighter. This older man didn’t know that the mother in this story was suffering; he just wanted to make a little girl happy. But he restored the mom’s faith, which is worth all the flowers in the world.

When someone goes above and beyond all expectations, we often don’t know what to say. Imagine an EMT noting that the older man who had fallen while mowing his lawn might need more than just a ride to the hospital.

Women these days are usually frightened if a man comes up to them with a compliment. The most likely response is to run away, hoping he doesn’t follow you. However, this woman had the opposite experience.

It’s inspiring and gratifying when your own good deed encourages another person to do the same. This woman decided to help someone, so another woman joined in, inspired by the act.

We can find opportunities to spread joy – acts of kindness are not always about helping those in need but also about sharing happiness. Remember that your own joy can affect those around you.

It’s not always easy to teach kids how to do kindness for others in this harsh world. Mostly they learn by watching their parents and their peers. But this young man clearly knew what to do. 

It’s common for people to feel ashamed of their bodies –with constant media attention on all the supermodels and other celebrities, people who are not svelte can feel sad. It’s even easier for others to make fun of physical size, which is always devastating and has lasting effects.

Moving a family to a new country has its trials, even if you don’t need to learn a new language. The customs and culture are different, and each child will likely have their own difficulties adjusting.

What a lonely, desperate situation this can be. You’re hiking, and you hurt yourself. How do you get back? Who’s going to help? Suddenly you fear the worst, and you’re in pain. 

You never know when you’ll get a chance to do good. This poor young woman was living in a shelter with a toddler and needed groceries. Unfortunately, the stroller broke at the store, already full of bags.

You see random people on the street, and you have no idea what their lives are about. Here’s a young man struggling to work and get an education. He is worn out, and it shows on his face.

Most of us have no idea how hard teachers work, whether in the classroom or preparing at home. Yet, their influence, not to mention the content they teach, last forever in their students.

When you take the time to communicate with others, which usually doesn’t take that long, you have no idea what an impact you make. This man had to give up his dog and was devastated at the loss.

It’s incredible how people sense the sadness in others and want to help. And one doesn’t need to spend money or a lot of time with that help- just one small gesture can do it.

Traveling to a foreign country is complex. If you don’t know the language or have someone with you who does, you can have a hard time finding what you need. In this case, another English speaker stepped in to help.

During frightening times, sometimes we need the comfort of an old friend, even if that friend is a teddy bear from our childhood. This woman knew she wanted her friend with her in the hospital, but she didn’t know how sensitive the nursing staff would be.

Living alone in a big city can be exhilarating and fun but also somewhat frightening. You are always on the lookout for shady characters and take extra care in where you go and how you get there.  

Being bullied is one of the worst experiences for teens. The bullies don’t realize the damage they are inflicting on the victim,  but the victim can be hurt and suffer for a long time from this treatment.

The Middle East is a warm area of the world. But in the winter, some people find themselves suddenly unprepared for the change when the temperatures drop.

Many people in our lives just do their jobs and are somewhat invisible to us – they’re just there when they’re supposed to be, but do we notice them and take the time to appreciate them?

Nothing scares a child more than finding himself alone in the house, not knowing where the adults are. This child had that frightening experience and did what any kid would do – ran to call for help.

What a great idea – an entire community sends a bouquet to a random neighbor, so everyone receives a gift.  This is a beautiful way to connect people, and everyone wins.

For kids, sometimes the greatest moments in baseball involve going to the game and hoping against hope to catch a fly ball. So kids come with their gloves and just wait for the ball to come their way.

It doesn’t take much. Just noticing people in the street as you walk by, sense when something is wrong, and decide to do something about it. But, of course, not all of us are comfortable doing something like that.

When someone needs a hand, it doesn’t matter what they look like, how old they are, or whether you think you might be offending them to help. So instead, we should just offer help and smile.

How beautiful is it to see young people helping others without being asked and knowing there is no payback? Instead, they just want to do good in the world, which is so inspiring nowadays.

Some people don’t think for a second before stepping in to help. For example, this cyclist saw a blind man crossing the street and knew he might be in trouble because a bus blocked his way.

These two young women had known each other for only one day. That’s all it took for them to find out that one of them had a birthday coming up. The other roommate jumped into action.

This story has all the makings of a movie. A woman is crying in a hostel lounge, a young man asks if she’s ok, and she tells her tale of woe. So what’s going to happen next?

At our lowest moments, we can’t imagine that help will arrive. But, in this case, a young mother down on her luck was helped by a stranger who overheard her child. He wanted to help without embarrassing the mother.

Just when you think you’ve come across an awful person, something may surprise you. This man was doing the right thing, but the trucker behind him honked because he didn’t like what was happening.  

When we feel down, sometimes we try all sorts of remedies to brighten up – some work, and some don’t. We need to be open to anyone who tries to help us because we never know where the advice or comfort will take us.