(I’m moving to Germany to study and it’s been a weird and hectic month, with me looking for an apartment in the city I’m going to. There are no rooms available on campus and every apartment I like online is only available after I visit the place and talk to the rent company personally. I finally manage to find a room in a weird private dorm that doesn’t require any of that. At work I happily share this with my coworkers.)

Me: “…it’s not very big. Actually it’s really small, but it’s already furnished: it has a bed, a table, a chair, a tiny kitchen, a bathroom, and a wardrobe, and even curtains for the window.”

Coworker #1: “This is nice, but isn’t it too expensive?”

Me: “It’s all right. [Amount] per month, but the furniture, electricity, heat, and Internet are included. And even TV, which I won’t be needing. It’s cool. And after some time I can always find something better, if I don’t like that.”

Coworker #2: “Where is it? Do you have to travel to the university a long time?”

Me: “No. It’s nearby. That’s what I also like about this place. Aww, wish me luck!”

Coworker #2: “How are you going to find it, though? Do you have any idea where it is?”

Me: “I’ll have to improvise, won’t I?”

Coworker #3: “Oh, I have an idea!” [Coworker #4, who is from the same city I’m moving to] is visiting me next week. You two should talk! Maybe she could help you out!”

Me: “Okay, I’ll ask her for some pointers…”

(I’m not that optimistic, since I’ve seen the lady a couple of times, but she wasn’t assigned to my project and we just said hi to each other every now and then. Fast forward to next week, when Coworker #3 is off work, but calls me on my cell right after clock-out.)

Coworker #3: “Hi, [My Name], we won’t be able to go out so you could talk to [Coworker #4]. She’s not feeling so well and we have to get her back on her feet so she’ll get home safely on the weekend.”

Me: “Oh.”

Coworker #3: “Wait, she asked to talk to you on the phone!” *hands over the phone*

Coworker #4: “Hello, [My Name]? Are you moving to [City] in about a week?”

Me: “Hi, yes, I am, and I was hoping you could show me around once I get there… Please?”

Coworker #4: “Oh, please, I’ll meet you right at the central station when you come in, and I’ll help you find everything! No problem at all!”

Me: “Wow, this is so nice of you, thank you very much! And you don’t even really know me…”

Coworker #4: “Nah, I’m sure we’ve met. I just can’t place your name with a face right now, but this is all right. We’ll work it all out when you get there!”

Me: “Thank you! And many thanks to [Coworker #3]! Safe flight back home and I guess I’ll see you in about a week!”

(Fast forward again. I catch my very early flight, somehow manage to catch a train from Berlin to the city I’m moving to, and when I somehow get reception, I text Coworker #4 the time of my arrival. Even though she’s at work, she gets out two hours early and meets me in front of the station, where we greet each other, I thank her for meeting me, then she asks me my living situation.)

Me: “This is the thing… I just spoke with the rent office. They can’t give the room today, because all of their agents are fully booked. They asked me to come in at three pm tomorrow.”

Coworker#4: “Ah, these idiots. Why didn’t they give you an appointment when you rented the thing?”

Me: “No idea. I tried to set one a couple of times, but no response. I don’t know what to do now. Do you know any place where I can stay for tonight and tomorrow? But not too expensive…”

Coworker#4: “It’s pretty easy, isn’t it? You’re coming to my place and you can crash on my couch, if you like.”

Me: “But, but…”

Coworker #4: “I don’t bite! Come on, you can relax a bit, tell me where your room is so I can find it on the card, and then we’re going out to find it. Then I’m showing you the city! And later we’re watching a movie! Girls’ night for your first night here!”

Me: *teary-eyed* “You’re literally one of the best people on the planet.”

(We found the building the room was in, she showed me the city, and we ate at a neat tiny noodle place that is now one of my favourite places. The next day I went to fill the huge protocol for the room, then I made a list of things I needed. She fished a bunch of stuff out that she didn’t need — like old tea mugs or dry food jars — then she called her boyfriend to ask him to do the same. Both of them gave me a huge carton full of dishes, cutlery, and a bunch of crap I still use to this day. Then they drove me to a big supermarket so I could get some of the other things I needed plus some food. Finally, they drove me to the apartment building and helped me get all the stuff inside. The next day she brought me a prepaid mobile card. To this day they are one of my best friends here. They are still together and now have an adorable little boy. And a couple of months ago she heard accidentally that I didn’t have enough cups and brought me another box full of kitchen stuff. I’ll never be able to pay her back, not just for the things, but for all the help and for her warm heart.)

(I’m at the end of a particularly long and draining two days. I’d had a 19 hour, fly-in fly-out interstate trip the day before, had planned on sleeping until I had classes in the afternoon, but had been called into work. It’s now 9 pm and I decide I’m not cooking and stop past a relatively quiet drive-thru for some dinner.  I place my order and make small talk with the server as I’m paying.)

Server: “That’ll be [amount].” *takes my card* “Hey, you look pretty tired. Are you all right?”

(It sounds like something that could’ve been rude, but he said it with concern.)

Me: “Yeah, mate, I probably look half as tired as I feel.”

(We complete the payment and I think nothing of it. I’m waiting for the food for a few minutes, and the server comes and hands me the food and leans out the window.)

Server: “Sorry it took so long. I had them do you up a fresh batch of chips. And just be careful; I gave you a bit extra, so the box isn’t shut properly in there.”

(I thanked him as best as I could in my tired state. It wasn’t much but it made my whole day.)

(I work in a small “hippie” store near the college campus. It’s the week before Christmas, and I’m exhausted but still having a good time helping everyone. A customer and her husband are browsing with their toddler son in a stroller. After helping them find a piece of jewelry, this happens.)

Mother: *noticing that her son is yawning*  “Looks like we need to get Aaron a coffee!”

Me: *jokingly* “My name’s Erin and you can get me a coffee!”

(The mother, father, and I all share a chuckle, and I wish them a good day as they head out. Five minutes later, the mother returns. She’s carrying a large coffee, and a few sugar packets.)

Mother: “This is for you, from Aaron!”

(I was literally shocked into silence! It was the nicest thing anyone had done for me at that store. I loved that job, and customers like that were definitely a reason why.)

(I work as a TA in a special-ed program. My students go out to content classes and are mixed in with regular-ed kids. I help them take notes, make study guides, etc. One of my students has several tics and on this particular day, they are pretty bad. My student is working on a new goal of speaking up for himself. We are getting him to try to ask people nicely to please stop what they are doing, twice, before we intervene. This time, the second “please stop” doesn’t work and on my way to intervene, this exchange happens.)

Student #1: “You know what, [Student #2]? [Student #3] asked you to stop. He asked you twice to stop. And he said please. You need to stop what you’re doing and listen to his words. He doesn’t understand when you’re joking. He can’t understand stuff like that. But it’s not cool to dog on him like that. It’s just not cool. So you need to stop or I’m going to tell [My Name] what’s going on.”

(Student #1’s little speech seemed to have done the trick and the rest of the period passed without any other incidents. After the bell rang, I hurried to catch up with Student #1 to thank him for what he had done and for standing up the way he did. What came next is what melted my heart.)

Me: “Thank you, [Student #1], for doing what you did and saying what you said. I really appreciate it and I know [Student #3] does too, even though he can’t really express it.”

Student #1: “You know, Miss [My Name]? [Student #2] just doesn’t get it. So we need to help him to understand. [Student #3], well … it can’t be easy being like that. Not understanding when people are joking or not. Or getting hurt feelings over things most kids our age don’t worry about anymore. It’s not his fault; he is who he was made to be. And you need to stick up for kids like that. Especially when you know people will listen to you. It’s the right thing to do and you should always do the right thing for your classmates.”

(I might have needed a moment in the bathroom to shed a few tears. It is so bittersweet when moments like these happen and they’re so few and far between that it makes these ones all the better.)

(I am working a particular evening and have a large group staying for a funeral the next day. One of the moms asks about the waterslide, which doesn’t typically run at this particular time.)

Me: “Oh, it’s usually just on [during specific hours], not [this particular evening].”

Guest: “Oh, okay.”

Me: “But sometimes we’ll turn it on for a little while, if we have time. I might have time in a little while. How long do you think you’ll be using the pool?”

Guest: “Probably an hour?”

Me: *pauses for a second to think* “You know what? Why don’t I grab the keys and turn it on now for a little while. But if I get any phone calls or anything I’ll have to pause the slide, all right?”

(I do technically have things to do, but I figure I can postpone them for a half hour or so to give the kids something fun to do.)

Guest: “Thank you! I’ll go let the other kids know.”

(I head to the pool and turn on the slide and let the kids know to go single file, etc. The moms stick near the slide to watch their kids and I go sit down for a little while. About thirty minutes later…)

Guest: “Why don’t we go give the kids a ten minute warning, okay?”

Me: “Sure, that’ll work.”

(The phone has been quiet, and no one has paged me to the front desk yet, so I figure another few minutes won’t hurt. At this point it is only a few of the many kids using the slide anyway. Ten minutes later they tell the kids it’s their last turn on the slide, and I close the gate. As I am walking away to turn off the slide, this happens.)

Guest: “Here’s a tip for doing this for us!”

(She proceeded to hand me some money as the other mothers and a few of the kids thanked me as well. What they gave me amounted to almost double what I had earned in an hour on the clock, and is the second or third tip I’ve received in three years at this job. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, I remember and am grateful. It may end up going toward some car repairs, so good timing, ladies!)