I recently admired a flourishing plant that a colleague had on her desk. We chatted about what it was and how it came to be in her possession; she asked if I’d like a cutting (houseplants bring me pure joy — it’s nice to have some greenery around during Michigan winters). The next day, my colleague brought in a perfectly propagated cutting from the plant, and to top it off, she put it in a beautifully crafted clay pot she had made herself. She did all of this out of the kindness of her heart and it almost moved me to tears; what a unique and thoughtful gesture that made such a big impact.

– Hillary T.

When I was in high school at gym class, one of the kids playing basketball was getting bullied so bad he ran sobbing into the locker room. I remember catching up to him, putting my arm around his shoulder. I apologized for what he was enduring by our classmates. I’m not sure it made him feel any better, but I told him he wasn’t alone. I told him it took a lot of strength not to retaliate and just walk away. There is no room for bullying but it happens in every school. After a few minutes, we went back out there and got a different game going.

– Justin M.

We have a mason (Dan) who’s helped us with several projects. He’s 75 years old; he loves his work and it shows. Today he mentioned he’s the happiest he’s ever been. When I asked why, he said it’s because he “gets to do work he loves for good people” and shared what his grandfather told him more than 60 years ago: “Always give someone a little more than they ask for and you’ll have a good life.” Dan does it every day, giving people more than they ask for and living the good life at 75.

– Dean W.

Back in 2020, my dad was diagnosed with stage 4 brain and lung cancer. Not only was it hard to deal with the diagnosis, but I wasn’t able to spend time with him or my immediate family due to the pandemic. Without being asked, friends were reaching out, asking what I liked to eat, and dropping food at my door. And my friends didn’t live close — some were driving over an hour each way. It was really nice to know I had people on my side who loved and supported me, even if we couldn’t be in the same room.

– Kaitlyn T.

I was at the post office mailing a package out to my nephew at a self-serve station since it was the weekend. An elderly lady approached the station next to me and began the process of getting her package mailed out. She didn’t realize it required the use of a debit/credit card and didn’t know what to do since she didn’t have one. I offered to pay with my card so her package could get sent out.

– Hannah P.

When I was a junior in high school, I was at one of our formals without a date. It had been an okay night, but nobody had asked me to dance. As the last song of the night started, one of my friends from French class invited me to dance with him. It was one of the kindest moments, and I’ll never forget it.

– Caroline R.

We were at Mayo Clinic’s pediatric floor getting my daughter adjusted to her new treatment for seizures, the ketogenic diet. It had been a long day and she was having a hard time drinking her glass of heavy whipping cream which was filled with a gritty supplement. Then Matt, a high school volunteer at the hospital, walked in with a super-soft pink blanket and a glass which looked like it was filled with cream (it was really milk). My daughter’s face lit up at the sight of the blanket. Matt had heard she was having trouble drinking her cream and said, “I have a hard time sometimes too. Do you know what I do when I have trouble? I snuggle with something soft like this blanket.” Then, with a twinkle in his eye he proposed a race. “If you can finish your cream before I finish mine, I will give you my blanket,” Matt challenged. Determined and encouraged by his playful spirit, my daughter took on the challenge. A few minutes later, she managed to drink every last drop, earning the blanket. Matt’s encouragement helped her realize she could do it. We will never forget Matt’s kindness and were so thankful he was there to support us when we needed it. In her senior year of high school, a friend of my daughter’s house burned down; she lost everything. My daughter gave her the blanket from Mayo Clinic so that she’d have something that gave her comfort during a difficult time.

– Rebecca A.

We were at dinner before the Taylor Swift concert, sitting next to a dad dressed in a suit and his young daughters in matching dresses. They saw we were all dressed up and asked if we were going to the concert. We were; so we chatted it up with the young girls and their dad throughout dinner. We even traded friendship bracelets! It was so lovely to see them so excited about their first concert. When we went to take care of the bill, our server shared that the dad had paid for our dinner. He wanted to thank us for creating such a positive experience for his daughters. A lovely memory.

– Rachel L.

On a spring day early in the pandemic, my young children and I needed to get out of the house and be active outside. We decided to bike to a local coffee shop, so I loaded up the kids — 2 in a trailer behind my bike and my then 6-year-old on his bike. Service was drive-through only, and we ended up in line between cars. When it was our turn to order, I felt flustered; the kids were misbehaving, it was chilly out, and we were all deciding what we wanted. At the window, the barista said, “You’re taken care of from the car ahead of you; they bought you a gift card. We used it for your order and you have $25 remaining. They’re regulars here and said to tell you you’re a good mom.” It was uplifting to know that somebody was so thoughtful to a complete stranger, especially during the pandemic. Their warm, kind words really meant a lot to me. It changed my whole day and showed my children the power of selfless giving and how it can positively impact others.

– Kristen F.

When I was in high school, I took my first solo trip abroad to visit a friend in Belgium. I was practically bursting with excitement until I realized after sitting on the runway for 2 hours in Chicago, I might not make my connecting flight. As soon as we landed at Heathrow Airport, I ran to the departure board and saw “on call” next to my flight number. What did that mean? Unsure what to do, I stopped a passing flight attendant and asked for help. She had never seen that designation before, but assured me not to worry. She went to the counter and started making calls. Minutes later she had my gate number and departure time. I had 15 minutes to get to the gate! I thanked her profusely and rushed through Heathrow, weaving through the crowds. I reached the gate just before they closed the doors. Without her help, my trip would have been a very different experience. It was a good reminder that kindness and compassion can be found in the most unfamiliar places.

– Rebecca A.

In my younger years, I was afraid to leave the house without makeup on. One evening I needed to get something at the store for dinner but had already taken my makeup off and changed into my comfy clothes. It was pointless to put makeup on again and I had to convince myself not to; I left with a clean face. As soon as I walked into the grocery store, an older gentleman kindly said to me “you’re beautiful” and went on his way. He probably didn’t realize it, but that was a huge deal to me at the time.

– Danielle H.

I have a coworker who has stopped by my office at least once a week lately to give me a compliment. It’s been things like, nice job on whatever task, or your hair looks great today! This might seem like a tiny thing, but it’s honestly brightened my mornings. I’m not very good at taking compliments, so my awkwardness has made both my colleague and me giggle, which is always a good thing.

– Hillary T.

Moving my daughter into college was an emotional journey. With my husband and son unable to make the trip, I felt a mix of excitement and apprehension. My elderly father, who had undergone heart surgery just months prior and couldn’t lift over 10 pounds, volunteered to come with us. As we arrived at the bustling university, the campus was teeming with people. Then, amidst the chaos, I heard my name being called. To my astonishment, a family friend and his son appeared in the crowd. They had come to lend a hand. With their help, the move-in process was a breeze. They took on the heavy lifting, and my father, despite his limitations, found a way to contribute by opening doors, offering moral support, and sharing stories of his college days with other students. I was very touched by their kindness and selflessness. They completely took the burden off of me and really made the move-in process fun.

– Rebecca A.

My Dad has Alzheimer’s. As we navigate this season of life with him, my siblings and I are thankful for the generous kindnesses from healthcare workers — the registrar who made cheerful small talk; the medical assistant who gently explained (again) what Dad needed to do and why. The sleep tech, a Navy veteran, who immediately put him at ease as they swapped military stories; the transporter, who saw us struggling to get through the parking lot and came out to help us. He noticed Dad’s Army hat and said, “Us veterans take care of each other.” He was a veteran who’d been on the Army basketball team. My Dad was delighted. These kindnesses felt like sunshine bursting through rain clouds.

– Beth S.