This story of a random act of kindness will make you smile today
- Replies 6
The past few years have been difficult for all of us. Together, we’ve experienced a pandemic that resulted in many forms of loss, such as unemployment, interrupted life plans, or, worse, the death of a loved one. Currently, we face inflation, putting many under even more financial stress. Elsewhere, we’ve learned of distressing news that might make some lose hope for humanity (we’re looking at you, Vladimir Putin).
But there is a glimmer of hope – we can still be kind to one another even without the promise of anything in return.
One woman on the social news website Reddit shared her experience of being the recipient of a random act of kindness while doing her groceries.
She said: ‘I was shopping at a grocery store with my young child and we were playing and doing races (anything to avoid tantrums). When we got to the checkout, I realised I dropped a $50 note from my pocket. I quickly ran around trying to find it, but I had no luck. When I got back to the cashier, I asked them to please hold my groceries and I would be back to pay for them.’
However, a random stranger came to the rescue: ‘The loveliest woman overheard and paid for my groceries. I can’t fully describe my gratitude, especially when we’re experiencing a cost of living crisis. I hope she knows that that moment will stay with me forever. I will do my very best to pay it forward.’
The story warmed the hearts of many Redditors.
One said: ‘I wish it happened more. Random kindness is the best feeling, and it can go both ways.’
Another commented: ‘The biggest gift you received wasn't the money, but her kindness and the positive memory you'll keep for years. It's so good hearing these kinds of stories. We're all in this together, and if everyone took some time to help someone else daily, the world would quickly become a happier, more peaceful place.’
Others couldn’t help but joke. A Redditor said: ‘Maybe she paid with the $50 she picked up in one of the aisles.’
The author of the post didn’t mind even if it turned out to be that way: ‘Even if she did, it’s a lovely way to steal.’
Another user commented: ‘You’ve gone viral on TikTok by now.’
Random acts of kindness are easy to document now, especially with social media and everyone having a smartphone camera at their fingertips. Some may seem too orchestrated to feel genuine, leaving recipients of ‘generous acts’ feeling dehumanised, but there are still some truly heartwarming posts. (Of course, some may argue that a truly kind act doesn’t need to be recorded.)
Others took the chance to share their experiences of kindness from strangers, giving the thread more good vibes.
Someone shared: ‘I was at a market recently and thought all the stores had payWave. I filled a bag with apples and realised that the particular store only accepted cash, which I had none of. The grower said I could have the apples for free, but I refused this.’
That wasn’t the end of it, though: ‘And then, the lady next to me paid him for them. I couldn’t stop her. She said that in the previous week, the same thing had happened to her at a different store and a stranger had paid for her coffee. She had been waiting to pay it forward.’ Still, the Redditor wanted to return the generosity: ‘I bought her some fancy chocolates to thank her. It made me feel better about people for a while.’
Another Redditor shared a random act of kindness during a low point in her life: ‘I had just moved to a new city by myself with no family or friends in the area. I went to the shops at about 9:30 pm before they closed to check out some food and necessities that I had left at my old place. Everything came up to about $40, but the store had really bad reception. I tried to pay, but it was declined. I was really struggling with money.’
They continued: ‘I was being paid $60 a fortnight, so I didn’t have much to begin with, but I thought I did. I ran out of the shop to try and get service, but my phone wasn’t working and it took me about 10 minutes of trying to fix it. I finally just decided to get rid of a few things, tried to pay, and it was declined again. I took out a few more things but there were two ladies behind me who said they’ll pay for everything.’
The kindness overwhelmed the Redditor: ‘I immediately started crying. I just couldn’t stop thanking them. I said I could pay them back later, but they refused and didn’t even give me their names. To this day, I am so grateful for them.’
Kindness is a part of our nation’s fabric. In fact, according to the Kindness Index for 2021 commissioned by Helga’s Bakehouse, Australia scored ‘Great’ at 74. McCrindle Research found that we believe that the culture of kindness is stronger in Australia than in the rest of the world, and that is applied in our daily lives. The average Aussie is also said to perform 16 acts of kindness weekly, be it by simply holding the door for someone else, asking how they are doing, or giving a compliment.
Go ahead and be kind towards someone else – you never know how much it might make their day.
Are there memorable instances when you experienced kindness from others? Share your stories in the comments below!
But there is a glimmer of hope – we can still be kind to one another even without the promise of anything in return.
One woman on the social news website Reddit shared her experience of being the recipient of a random act of kindness while doing her groceries.
She said: ‘I was shopping at a grocery store with my young child and we were playing and doing races (anything to avoid tantrums). When we got to the checkout, I realised I dropped a $50 note from my pocket. I quickly ran around trying to find it, but I had no luck. When I got back to the cashier, I asked them to please hold my groceries and I would be back to pay for them.’
However, a random stranger came to the rescue: ‘The loveliest woman overheard and paid for my groceries. I can’t fully describe my gratitude, especially when we’re experiencing a cost of living crisis. I hope she knows that that moment will stay with me forever. I will do my very best to pay it forward.’
The story warmed the hearts of many Redditors.
One said: ‘I wish it happened more. Random kindness is the best feeling, and it can go both ways.’
Another commented: ‘The biggest gift you received wasn't the money, but her kindness and the positive memory you'll keep for years. It's so good hearing these kinds of stories. We're all in this together, and if everyone took some time to help someone else daily, the world would quickly become a happier, more peaceful place.’
Others couldn’t help but joke. A Redditor said: ‘Maybe she paid with the $50 she picked up in one of the aisles.’
The author of the post didn’t mind even if it turned out to be that way: ‘Even if she did, it’s a lovely way to steal.’
Another user commented: ‘You’ve gone viral on TikTok by now.’
Random acts of kindness are easy to document now, especially with social media and everyone having a smartphone camera at their fingertips. Some may seem too orchestrated to feel genuine, leaving recipients of ‘generous acts’ feeling dehumanised, but there are still some truly heartwarming posts. (Of course, some may argue that a truly kind act doesn’t need to be recorded.)
Others took the chance to share their experiences of kindness from strangers, giving the thread more good vibes.
Someone shared: ‘I was at a market recently and thought all the stores had payWave. I filled a bag with apples and realised that the particular store only accepted cash, which I had none of. The grower said I could have the apples for free, but I refused this.’
That wasn’t the end of it, though: ‘And then, the lady next to me paid him for them. I couldn’t stop her. She said that in the previous week, the same thing had happened to her at a different store and a stranger had paid for her coffee. She had been waiting to pay it forward.’ Still, the Redditor wanted to return the generosity: ‘I bought her some fancy chocolates to thank her. It made me feel better about people for a while.’
Another Redditor shared a random act of kindness during a low point in her life: ‘I had just moved to a new city by myself with no family or friends in the area. I went to the shops at about 9:30 pm before they closed to check out some food and necessities that I had left at my old place. Everything came up to about $40, but the store had really bad reception. I tried to pay, but it was declined. I was really struggling with money.’
They continued: ‘I was being paid $60 a fortnight, so I didn’t have much to begin with, but I thought I did. I ran out of the shop to try and get service, but my phone wasn’t working and it took me about 10 minutes of trying to fix it. I finally just decided to get rid of a few things, tried to pay, and it was declined again. I took out a few more things but there were two ladies behind me who said they’ll pay for everything.’
The kindness overwhelmed the Redditor: ‘I immediately started crying. I just couldn’t stop thanking them. I said I could pay them back later, but they refused and didn’t even give me their names. To this day, I am so grateful for them.’
Kindness is a part of our nation’s fabric. In fact, according to the Kindness Index for 2021 commissioned by Helga’s Bakehouse, Australia scored ‘Great’ at 74. McCrindle Research found that we believe that the culture of kindness is stronger in Australia than in the rest of the world, and that is applied in our daily lives. The average Aussie is also said to perform 16 acts of kindness weekly, be it by simply holding the door for someone else, asking how they are doing, or giving a compliment.
Go ahead and be kind towards someone else – you never know how much it might make their day.
Are there memorable instances when you experienced kindness from others? Share your stories in the comments below!
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