Words by Smiley Team
As the saying goes, the best things in life are free. And when it comes to kindness, and simple acts to put a smile on someone’s face, it couldn’t be more relevant.
Since the pandemic hit the world in 2020, kindness has become even more important in our society. The pandemic caused uproar in many people’s lives, but what became clear was that small acts of selflessness can go a long way.
Acts of kindness aren’t only good for the person receiving, but also for the person giving. Research shows being kind to others can make us genuinely happy in a number of different ways.
So, to mark Random Acts of Kindness Day, we’ve sourced 15 stories of kindness to make your heart sing – and inspire you to give a little love in your own networks and communities.
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We’ve reached out to the Smiley News community and asked people to share their stories of giving and receiving kindness.
If everyone embraced kindness like these people, wouldn’t our world feel a lot happier?
Laura Robinson: “I was rushing from my daughter’s ballet lesson, straight to my son’s football training, with a quick-stop at the petrol station on the way. I hadn’t realised though, that I’d left my purse and bank card at home. I was speaking to the cashier apologising profusely and arranging a way to go home and come back to fix the situation, when a gentleman who had only popped in to the petrol station for a coffee, asked how much it was and paid for it all on my behalf. With tears in my eyes, I asked if I could bank transfer the amount to him and he said “no, worry less, one day you can do the same for somebody else”. His act of kindness really touched me, I still think about it now.”
Tax Thornton: “Someone once paid for my car parking ticket when I didn’t have change. I want to give back, so I frequently ‘accidentally’ drop a pound coin near the trolleys at the supermarket, or leave my quid in there, plus pay for the car behind at tolls, or leave a coffee for someone in coffee shops.”
Hannah McKimm: “I once had my breakfast bought for me in a cafe when I forgot my purse! And have frequently had people pay the extra 20p I need for parking or air for my tyres! People can be so good.”
John Junior: “I do random acts of kindness for people all the time – I pay for meals, drinks, all sorts. It’s such a good feeling and the response I get from people is this, “Omg thanks, you never get this anymore people are selfish.” It’s nice to be nice and you never know what’s going in their life."
Kelly Davey: “Recently, a girl of about 19 gave my two girls a popper toy each that she had won from a grabber machine because she said they’d have more fun with them than her. My girls were so excited as it’s the one thing they had wanted to win.”
Carolina: “I was getting onto a train with a (then) 2-year-old plus newborn baby in a pram, having a panic about getting on and off. And someone ALWAYS offered to help in Berwick and it was very appreciated! Now I help any parent in the same position.”
Minreet Kaur: “I had someone drop off food and groceries to me when I was off sick. It was a friend from the gym who treats us like family. My parents and I were all unwell, completely wiped out with flu. My friend made us lasagne, bought us some bits from Costco, flowers, bread from a bakery and even got me some back pain relief too. I couldn’t believe how much she did, we were so humbled and touched.”
Sophia Palmer: “A friend and I had our drinks spiked on a night out and were picked up by a car we had believed to be a taxi. Luckily for the situation, my friend felt really sick and they kicked us out onto the street. After what felt like hours of panic as we were completely lost and struggling to even stand, a stranger kindly stopped his Uber, told me and my friend to get in and dropped us home before continuing to his destination. I am SO grateful for this random act of kindness as it could have been a really dangerous situation otherwise.”
Tom Saxon, Batch Coffee: “When I first cut my teeth in the coffee industry in Sydney I was working as a barista in one of Sydney's many specialty coffee shops. Many people would purchase a coffee for themselves and then one for the next person who comes into the coffee shop. There were a couple of times I recall people doing this but also asking me to give the person who received the pre-paid coffee a business card explaining that they received a free coffee from the person before them and to spread the love. I thought this was a wonderful way to continue the chain of giving and put a smile on someone elses face.”
Melis Akinci: “Once, on the way home from work, I got on the wrong train and the conductor stopped the other train that was starting to go so I could get on the right one. I will never forget that day.”
Saffron: “I finished a 10 hour night shift in a supermarket at 7am, went to McDonalds to treat myself to a breakfast and the person in front of me in the drive thru paid for my breakfast. I was so surprised by the act of kindness I cried a little.”
Vanessa Woolf: “In 2020 me and my husband both really very unwell with Covid. Our 2 sons in the house didn’t know what to do! Not only did a load of complete strangers go shopping for us and refused any payment in return…. but one couple of women gave us the pasta from their own cupboard because they said they couldn’t get hold of any at the shops for us… and we had two hungry boys to feed and so we needed it more than them.”
Lorna: “The kindest thing anyone did for me was when I had just had a picture printed off of my mum and was looking for a frame for it in a shop. A lady saw me putting the picture up against frames and said 'is that your mum?' I explained she had died a few days ago and the lady helped me pick the frame and then when I went to the till she had paid for it for me.”
Holly Matthews: “When I was a TV actress and commuting to London from Newcastle for auditions twice a month, a regular customer of the cafe I worked in used to pay for my train tickets. He was wealthy and wanted to give back. It made a HUGE difference to me. I’ve given back, too: my neighbour was struggling for money but I didn’t want to embarrass her by offering to get her food. So I bought a £50 voucher for food shopping and told her I’d been given a couple for free.”
Ilaria Mangiardi: “I was patiently waiting to get my ticket for a museum and people who just got out or changed their mind skipped a few people in front of me and handed their still-valid ticket to me. Happened once in Amsterdam and once at MoMa in New York!”
SHARE KINDNESS: Have you been inspired by an act of kindness? Help us share the story to inspire others, email: [email protected].
READ: The woman who left crochet stars to make people smile.
DONATE: You can donate to Small Acts of Kindness charity to help spread it far and wide.
