29 Times A Small Gesture That Seemed Totally Insignificant Turned Out To Be Really, Deeply Important
The world may not feel like the most loving and friendly place right now, but reading stories about individual kindness can really, really help. Recently, on the r/askreddit sub, u/Time_Sound_8726 asked, "What is a tiny gesture from someone who meant way more than they probably realized?" and the answers were incredibly heartwarming. Here are 29 of the sweetest stories:
1."I was going through a breakup where I chose to keep the nice apartment I worked so hard to find and get, and loved. I was determined to make it work. In the intermediate time of figuring out finances, I’d had a stretch where I chose bills over lunch at work. I wasn’t having a great time. One of my coworkers, whom I ate lunch with occasionally, asked me one day when the last time I ate was, as I picked at popcorn (free in my corporate cafeteria) as I sat with him."
"I probably blushed and told him dinner a couple of days ago. He handed me his card and told me to go get lunch so I could properly eat with him. Never said anything about it or made me feel embarrassed. Over a decade later, we are still friends, as he’s now in my husband’s extended friend group. I’ll always have a soft spot for him — it meant a lot to me in the moment."
2."One of my coworkers told me, 'I saw a video the other day that made me think of you,' and then described it to me. It’s really hard for me to conceptualize that people I’m not family/friends with actually think about me, the confirmation is really nice and makes me feel cared for."
3."I was at work, focusing on a task, when a little girl came up to me and just said, 'Excuse me. I like your hair.' I'm 33 years old, and I think that may be the first time anyone has ever complimented how I look. It really made my day."
4."I was at a Pret a Manger shop in London eleven years ago at my lowest, and I had been looking forward to my favourite sandwich all day. I couldn't find it on the shelf (it was end of day, and they were emptying the shop), and so I asked (nicely) the person there. He told me that, unfortunately, they were out for the day. I just said, 'Oh. That's ok. Thank you.' and kept browsing for something else."
"But I must have looked truly, truly sad, because the person came back a couple of minutes later and asked me if I was okay with waiting five minutes. They had found enough ingredients to make me one if I would just wait. I was so happy! I must have looked just so freaking pathetically happy they would make me a sandwich, the barista came up to me and asked me if I wanted a hot drink, on the house? I said, 'Yes, please, a cappuccino.' He drew a really pretty, really careful heart on it with chocolate powder.
It was a truly terrible year, and London is a truly terrible city to be alone, broke, and unhappy in — but those small gestures made me feel so, so much better. I will never forget it."
5."Back when I lived with my sister, I was headed to a concert four hours away with a friend. I would be back home extremely late; I had class the next morning, and on top of that, a huge lab report to finish. We had started some laundry with our bedding before I left, but it wasn’t finished in time for me to make my bed. Late that night, when I stumbled in exhausted and after a very long drive, I found my bed already made."
"My sister had done it for me while I was out having fun, just because she knew it would suck to come home and have to do it before getting to go to sleep. It was probably such a small act to her, but it meant the world to me that night. Years later, I still think about it and just how much consideration she had for me (and still has)."
6."Many years ago, my boyfriend and I went out for a walk. It was a rather long walk, and by the time we were halfway done, the weather had turned, and we were cold and exhausted. We stopped in a sandwich shop for food and shelter, but they were closing. They had cashed out the registers and couldn’t sell us anything, but the lovely staff gave us some free day-old bread to eat."
"They also let us warm up inside the store as they cleaned around us. How sweet does kindness taste? This was over 30 years ago, and I’d still rank this as one of the best meals of my life."
7."I worked as a fireman years ago before I was medically discharged. We went to a house fire, and the woman was nearly hysterical over her house being ablaze. Her young son, who was maybe eight, said, 'Don't worry, mum, the firemen are here.' To this day, I nearly tear up thinking about that."
8."I’ve always had body confidence issues, and it’s taken a lot for me to feel comfortable in a swimsuit. I was on the beach a couple of years ago, feeling like everyone on the beach must have been looking at me, thinking how awful I looked, when a woman came up to me and told me she liked my swimsuit and that it suited me. Instant confidence boost. Made me relax a little and enjoy my day at the beach."
9."Years ago, I was at work in a grocery store, stocking the bananas. A little boy, probably six or seven, stopped me and asked if I was a Disney Princess. I told him I was taking the day off from Princessing, and he gave me a big hug and ran away. Whenever I'm feeling down on myself, I just remember that for a brief moment, I truly was a Disney princess for that kid."
10."I was pregnant at university in a state I wasn't from. I had student loans and grants to cover most of the tuition, but not much extra. One of my classmates, who wasn't 'really into babies', threw me a surprise baby shower. It was really sweet. Since we didn't know the gender until birth, all the gifts were practical items. I still think about her effort and my classmates' contributions that helped me when I needed it the most."
"During that same time, I responded to a post from someone giving away baby items. I went to pick them up and was astounded by how many she had. Upon returning home, I sent her a thank-you note expressing my gratitude. She later messaged me back asking if I wanted even more items. (That's how my baby got her bassinet.)
We paid it forward by giving away all of her baby items (including ones we purchased) to other moms for free."
11."In the 10th grade, I got a haircut. (Almost waist-length hair to a long bob just at the shoulders.) A boy complimented it in a totally non-flirtatious way. He was sincere and respectful about it. I was not at all used to being talked to like that. (Everything was either sarcastic in nature, a play at flattery, or clearly just out of obligation.) It changed the way that I viewed interactions with men."
"It was 20 years ago, but when I get a haircut, I still go for about that same length.
Jon C, if you read this — I still think you should run for president."
12."I had emergency surgery for an ectopic pregnancy, completely unexpected. I was in the operating room, people prepping all around, stainless steel everywhere, and I was quite scared. A nurse knelt beside me and asked how I was feeling, and I said I was scared I would wake up during the surgery. He promised I wouldn’t, and something about that interaction made me feel seen as a person, like he took the time to make me comfortable before I was knocked out."
13."I flew with my son when he was 11 weeks old, just the two of us. I was a first-time mom and was juggling all the gear and anxiety along with this little peanut. A flight attendant offered to hold him while I got settled."
"She not only held him, but carried him up and down the aisle, greeting passengers. She seemed like she was genuinely happy to take him for a bit. By the time she brought him back, I had all my gear stowed and a few minutes to just breathe.
I wish I’d gotten her name. My son is 13, and I still tear up a little when I remember her kindness."
14."I had a friend I hadn’t seen in a while come up to me after my son passed and explain that he saw someone he thought was me and got nervous because he didn’t know what to say or do, then determined that he was upset he reacted that way. He said, at that moment, that he decided the only thing he would think of doing was to give me a hug."
"He then proceeded to say, 'So I’m going to give you a hug now,' and gave me one of the most sincere, heartfelt hugs I’ve ever received. To him, it wasn’t huge, but to me, the idea that someone cared that deeply about me and my hurt that they would put active time and thought into how they would respond to seeing me next was incredibly encouraging and humbling. It was like all of the hurt he felt for me and for the loss of my son amplified the meaning of this hug."
15."My fourth child turned into an emergency C-section. There were a few minutes between the determination that I needed one and the chaos of it happening. My nurse took the time to tell me, 'There are going to be a lot of people in here and a lot going on. I want you to remember that you are ok, your baby is ok, and we are all working to keep it that way.' I was too epidural-stoned to notice much else, but that stuck loud and clear. That baby just turned 12, and I will always remember Nurse Jenny."
16."Had the usual parents who think yelling instructions makes you understand better. So in my mid-teens, I had gone over to a friend’s house, and a group of kids and their parents were there. One of the dads whom I knew took the time to teach me how to tie a tie. I had never learned, and I messed up so many times. I was openly crying and shaking because I kept messing up, but he just continued to calmly teach me until I got it."
17."I was at a store getting shoes for my daughter, and we both commented on a purple backpack we liked. After checking out, I said, 'Let’s go look at the turtles in the pet store next door.' While looking at the turtles, a young man in his 20s found us and had a purple backpack in his hand. He said he wanted her to have the best school year possible and handed it to her after asking me if that was ok! I think about this young man all the time. Such a kind thing to do for a little kid."
18."I'm getting divorced and had spoken before at work about how excited I was to have my name back. One day, my coworker asked if I wanted him to change my last name back to my maiden name on my customer profile in our POS [Point of Sale], something I hadn't even thought of doing. For him to remember and offer was such a small thing, but it made me feel so loved and grateful."
19."I was working an overnight shift and training a new employee. I mentioned to her during the previous shift that I like to watch Forensic Files during my break. The second night we worked together, she turned the break room TV on to Forensic Files. It seems so silly and small, but it really meant a lot, and she’s such a kind person. This happened years ago, and I still think about it from time to time."
20."My work's secret Santa actually got me the one and only (very cheap) thing I asked for. Nobody has EVER done that for me before. I've always wanted a proper birding journal, but I always got soap, candles, chocolate, or alcohol... (I don't drink) Lol! Honestly, though, I broke down crying in front of everyone."
21."This gesture wasn’t tiny but definitely my fave throughout my life. I was a broke college student. 'I took toilet paper from the student union and sat down to eat food from the student buffet, so I wasn’t hungry at night' kind of broke. I couldn’t afford a cellphone because my work-study job only allowed me to buy hygiene products. My college was in a small city, so there were no jobs around, and I applied everywhere I could. Anyway, I was wearing $2 Old Navy flip flops in the winter because it’s all I could afford."
"I was home for Christmas break, and my cousin, who was a couple of years older than me, asked why I had on flip flops in the freezing rain, and I just started crying. Don’t know where the tears came from. I didn’t know I felt so alone and embarrassed by my situation. The next day, when I woke up, my cousin and her younger sister had already bought me some tennis shoes. I felt so seen and thankful in that moment. I kept those shoes for years, long after I could no longer wear them."
22."My first night waitressing on my own, I was running at full speed, always a step behind, and had the rudest customers. I had a very kind assistant manager who was running my drinks for me at the same time. That was incredibly kind in itself, but what really got me was that the last table of the night was a 12-top, and I guess they saw me being run into the ground."
"When I finally got to the table to introduce myself and take their drink order, a man around 60 at the head of the table gently grasped my wrist and said, 'Don't worry. You're at the nice table now, and we are very patient. I'm paying the bill, and you will get a fifty percent tip no matter what happens.'
It was the touch on the wrist for me. Before the end of his speech, I burst out crying and had to run into the kitchen. After two minutes, I composed myself and gave that table my full attention. If you ever want to see someone cry, show them kindness when they are most stressed. They will never forget you. I am 39 years old now, and this happened when I was 21."
23."Last year, my dad nearly died of sepsis after an operation to remove a big tumor. He was in the hospital for months. During that time, I was so stressed and depressed that I could barely feed myself, and lived on takeaway and ready meals because I just couldn't face cooking or washing up."
"When I was finally able to go back to Ireland to visit him, I stayed with my best friend and their partner. They made me a roast dinner with loads of veggies. It was the first home-cooked meal I'd had in three months, and I wanted to cry while I was eating it; it was so good. I don't think she'll ever understand how much it meant to me to have someone make me food. "
24."I am so self-conscious about my teeth, and I broke a tooth eating lunch. I was so distressed as I was going to a family wedding, and I booked an appointment to see a dentist ASAP. I went to my boss, a gruff man, and said 'I’m so sorry, but it’s urgent — I hate my teeth already and need to fix this,' and he said, calmly, 'I’ve always thought you have lovely teeth and a great smile,' and I absolutely died on the spot. I think about that comment a lot, and eight or nine years later, I think I agree with him."
25."Over a decade ago, I was newly divorced, and my friend (now spouse) drove me home from the ER. I'd fractured my ankle and was in a boot. He parked the car, got out; I was shuffling my crutches and stuff when my door opened up, and he offered his hand. I was so confused, I asked him, 'What are you doing?' and to his credit, he looked at me like I was nuts and said, 'I'm opening the door for you?'"
"That was such a massive paradigm shift in my world, because I'd never experienced that before. I'd never had a moment where I was very obviously struggling, and had anyone reached out to help me. I immediately felt embarrassed for having asked, because it made it so glaringly obvious. But to know that someone thought I was worthwhile enough to even open a door for... looking back, it sounds pretty pathetic, but it meant so, so much to me."
26."I was probably around 12-13. I had pretty bad acne on my forehead, and people would constantly point it out in some way — not maliciously, but I was still SO self-conscious about it, and I was massively self-conscious about my appearance anyway. One day, my friends and I were standing in a circle just talking, and at some point, one of the popular guys in our class (he was kind of our friend, too) came up and joined the conversation. This kid was handsome and well aware of that, and kind of a troublemaker, so I think all of us had a little crush on him."
"After a while, he said he had to go and started saying goodbye to all of us, but the way he decided to say goodbye was by giving each and every girl a kiss on their forehead (we were a group of like six or so). I WAS MORTIFIED and internally freaking out because I knew that he would be so grossed out that he wouldn’t want to do it, or maybe would pause when he got to me and do it out of a sense of obligation. Every time he got closer to me, my stomach sank even further, and I honestly considered just stepping aside and pretending I was leaving, too. Eventually, my turn came, and when I tell you this kid just didn't even miss a step, grabbed my head gently and kissed my forehead like it’s nothing, and just kept moving? I was in shock. I honestly could not believe it. I didn’t really know how to feel, but I was SO grateful.
I wish I could thank him for that to this day. I don’t know if he realizes the impact of what he did, or what his thought process was. I know for a fact it’s not like he didn’t notice my acne because it was honestly really bad, I had to go on Acutane and everything, and he would sometimes look at my forehead instead of my eyes when talking to me, so I know he saw it. But it’s the fact that he was pretty young too and acted that kindly, especially when kids at that age aren’t that self-aware. I was constantly feeling like the ugly duckling of the group, and that made me feel part of it, or like I was normal.
I’m 26 now, and it’s still one of the kindest things anyone has ever done."
27."Since we started dating, every time I take a sweater off next to him, my boyfriend grabs my shirt underneath so it doesn’t ride up, and I don’t flash anyone. I have since told him how much it means to me, but it makes me feel so loved that, without asking, this man would recognize a potential issue and solve it without saying anything. I love him so much."
28."I was out to lunch with my grandparents and my cousin, celebrating my 9th birthday. It was a special thing that I went out to a restaurant and saw family for it because my birthday is the day after a holiday, and everyone was (still is) normally too busy to spend time with me. So I was already happy, but an old lady carrying a bouquet of flowers walked by our table and overheard that it was my birthday. So she pulled two flowers out of it and gave one to me and one to my cousin. I still think of that whenever I’m sad, and white roses are my favorite flower to this day — that gesture is why. I just wish I could thank her again."
29."I was a too-young exhausted parent with a child who was having a ferocious, screaming, raging tantrum on the street. I was sitting a few feet away, quietly raging. A young woman came walking by. She took out a bar of chocolate, waved it enquiringly at me, and gave it to my child, who immediately sat up and looked at it in astonishment."
"She walked on, and as she passed me, she whipped another bar of chocolate out of her bag and gave it to me. Moments later, we were sitting together, leaning on each other, and happily eating the chocolate.
That good fairy saved me in London in 1973."
Do you have a memory of someone doing something small for you that made a huge impact on your life? We'd love to hear about it. Let us know in the comments, or if you'd like to remain anonymous, you can use the form below. Your response may be featured in an upcoming BuzzFeed post!
