On our worst days, in our darkest moments, when we feel like we’re falling through the cracks or being crunched under cruel feet, we might question if good people still even exist. If you’re having that kind of day and you need a little pick-me-up, here are some stories that prove there are still good people in the world; that there are, in truth, kind strangers everywhere.
My own story started with a small kindness
This small kindness was both something and nothing. Nothing in the sense that it was no more than a tiny flutter of wings, and yet it was something in the way that it changed my whole day.
All that happened was that a stranger showed a split second of kindness. That’s it. No big thing, no thunder, no lightning, no big superhero moment, just somebody in heavy, let’s-all-dash-home, afternoon traffic who made space for my car in the line ahead of him after he’d already let another car in before me. And as I turned to say thanks, he gave a graceful nod, a small smile, a thumbs-up. And that was it. That was enough to dissolve the emotional clutches that had been strangling my heart all day into golden-tinged puff of fluffy clouds.
My mind flew back to other total strangers who had shown up and shown kindness so spontaneously.
There was the woman who guarded me after I was attacked
My mind immediately touched on the unforgettable moment when a traffic officer almost became a personal bodyguard. I don’t know why she was drawn to help us that day; she didn’t know our story. She didn’t know that my brothers had just flown into town to say goodbye to our father who was slipping through death’s door. She didn’t know that on the way to the airport my car had broken down, or that the car I got to tow the first car suddenly broke down too, or that while I was on the phone trying to call for help, some guy attacked me and dragged me down the national highway.
She just knew something was up, and pulled over. When she heard our story, she kept watch over us until the tow trucks arrived. And then she swept us safely into her car and drove us home. Officer Ntsiki Mnyungula was my angel when I needed one most. And I will never ever forget her. She is one of many, many kind strangers who have shone their light throughout my life. But it’s not just me. I wanted to share some stories from others too.
There was a kind stranger who melted a meltdown
When Tanya’s 4-year-old had a public meltdown, she says, “I was trying so hard to keep it together and ignore all the stares of judgement, and then out of the blue, a lady came up to me and said, ‘You look like you need a hug.’ She hugged me, I had a little cry, and everything was alright after that!”
Tanya tried to track her down later to thank her, she even placed an ad in the local paper, but never found the woman who’d shone a little light in a dark moment.
And the kind stranger who stopped a train
People can be beautiful. And Chantelle found out just how beautiful when she was travelling in England and the last train closed its doors on her after a mad run to the station, an agonising day, and no money for a cab back home. A railway employee saw her sobbing on a platform bench and actually arranged a direct train to stop for her at her destination.
“Later, when I was on that train, and without a ticket, the person collecting the tickets waved the fee and arranged the office at my stop to call a cab for me. My travels have been blessed.”
Then there was the kind stranger who paid someone else’s rent
When Robyne didn’t have her rent and had a huge fight with her wife about it, it was just one of those days when everything went wrong and ended with Robyne walking down the street, crying hysterically.
“A woman came running out of her house to see if I was ok. She bundled me into her house after I told her what was wrong and before I knew it, I was back on the street with two loaves of bread and money for rent. She said God told her to give me the money because she was only going to gamble it away anyway.”
And the stranger who inspired the chase of dreams
Valerie says, she too, has many stories of kindness and generosity, but her favourite is the time she met Tristan Miller (the 52-marathons-in-52-weeks guy) on a train from Gatwick Airport.
“He was running marathons around the world raising money for charity organisations, but at the time I met him, he was running out of money and had just sold his car. His fear was that he would have to return to Australia penniless, but he still took the time to help a complete stranger.”
When he found out it was Valerie’s first visit to London, he accompanied her to Piccadilly Circus, helped get her set up with an Oyster Card and even walked her to her next train.
She says, “I truly believe people come into our lives at the time we need them. Even if it’s a fleeting moment, they still make an impact in our lives. Tristan made me believe in what’s possible and inspired me to keep true to my dreams.”
We could be that kind of stranger too
So next time you’re wondering if there are any good people left in the world, be that kind of stranger for someone else. It doesn’t have to be a big or flashy gesture, just something real, something genuine, something you. A kindness is often simple. A kindness is a smile. A kindness has a ripple effect … and you’ll never know how far it can go.
