(Up until this point, my day hasn’t been going well. It started with a car issue where several pieces of my engine just kind of fell off, leaving me to walk everywhere in 95 degree heat. Then the tow truck driver was angry and aggressive, and the kids at my job were especially crazy. I stop on my way home at a popular sandwich shop to pick up some cheap, day-old bread for dinner.)

Me: “Hi, I hate to do this during the rush, but can I just have a loaf of day old bread?”

Cashier: “Have you ever played Dungeons and Dragons?”

Me: “Yes?”

Cashier: “Then you just rolled a natural 20. We don’t have any day-olds, so here’s a fresh loaf, and it’s on us.”

Me: *completely flustered with gratitude* “Thank you so much! This day has been pretty rough; I had major car trouble, and work was insane. I really needed something like this.”

Cashier: “Well, I’m sorry to hear that, but I’m glad you’re safe, and I’ll always be here if you need your day turned around again!”

(I think I’ll be going there a lot more often!)

My brother and I are at the grocery store after class, both wearing backpacks and obviously students.

We are looking at bread, and discussing the sale it has, and whether or not we should spend more money to get more bread. Suddenly, a guy in his mid-forties walks up to us and says, “Can I tell you a story?” Being polite, we listen. He tells us a story of how he met a girl in college, and that me and my brother reminded him of a young him and this girl. He hands us $100, and then says, “I’d like to pay for your groceries today, and someday when you’re in your forties, pay it forward and pay for someone else’s groceries.”

I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I was with my brother and not my boyfriend! Regardless, guy at a local grocery store in Eugene, my family and I really appreciate your random act of kindness. Of course you know nothing about our life, but know that at that time, getting free groceries was a massive help. Thank you.

(I work at a pretty well-known pet store that has a boarding facility within it, where I work front desk. Lately I have been having bad day after bad day, and totally unable to catch a break. I have been yelled at, cursed at, accused of being rude to someone I had only just met, and had my stapler thrown at me. On top of this I have been battling really intense anxiety and mounting depression, and I struggle with bipolar disorder. Overall, not a great concoction. Some of my regular customers make it worth it, though. My favorite is a woman and her best friend who bring their two dogs to us a couple times a week. They are both very understanding and have a great sense of humor, so I am comfortable joking around with them.)

Female Customer: “You look like you got hit by a truck today! Is everything all right?”

Me: “Oh, you know, just the usual irrationally angry customers that act like I supposedly torched their house with their whole extended family inside because I wouldn’t accept their four-month-expired coupon.”

Male Customer: “That bad, huh?”

Me: “Oh, yeah.” *notices Female Customer is wearing a gorgeous pulled glass necklace* “Oh, my god, I LOVE your necklace!”

Female Customer: “Oh, my, thank you!”

Me: “I used to have a necklace like that when I was younger. It was a little pulled glass turtle and I wore it every day but then it fell and broke at school and I was heartbroken. Oh well, things happen! Your total is [total] for the day. You guys take care!”

(A week or so later I see them come in to pick up their dogs so I get the till set for them. They walk up and I greet them as usual.)

Me: “Came back for the boys, I see! I guess you wanna keep them after all?”

Male Customer: “I mean, I guess we could take them back if you don’t want them.”

Me: “We’d be glad to keep them if you don’t want them! They can be our new mascots! Phone number, please?”

Female Customer: “[Phone Number]. By the way I want to give you this before I forget.” *reaches in her pocket and pulls out a beautiful blue pulled glass necklace* “This is for you. You seemed really stressed last week and I saw this online and I thought of you!”

Me: *in awe* “This is… for me? Really?”

Female Customer: “Yup! I think it matches your eyes well!”

Me: *holding back tears* “I… I don’t know what to say. Thank you so much. I love it so much. Thank you. I’ll be back with the dogs in a moment!”

(I rushed into the back and asked my coworker to get the dogs ready to go. Meanwhile I broke down in tears. The necklace meant so much to me and was a symbol to myself that no matter how many times I get yelled at and how many times I want to quit or give up on life, there are people out there that truly do care and are good people. I can never express my gratitude towards her with her simple act of kindness towards a struggling college kid. She doesn’t know about my anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder and yet she still went out of her way to make me feel better. Makes me believe there are good people out there after all. Thank you.)

Today I had my bike serviced. The shop adjusted the brakes and gears, etc. and made it run well. Really good job. They also inflated the tyres to full and hard.

I leave the shop, headed home, and the bike rides really well so I go a bit faster, feeling really pleased. It is raining but it feels fine.

I get to the first roundabout and I realise that the combination of wet roads and rain, plus tyres that are blown up much higher than they had been before and thus have much less grip than I am used to, is a bad thing.

I slide sideways and roll over on the road, cutting my arms and legs, and initially being a bit shocked and shaken.

Immediately, the lady driving the car behind me parks her car, blocking the road to prevent anyone crashing into me, and then gets out and helps me up. Another lady in a different car drives straight over and parks up, introducing herself as a trained first-aider. She also helps me get to the side of the road and asks me medical questions whilst inspecting my injuries. A third lady appears from somewhere, introduces herself as a nurse, and also checks that things are ok, whilst also holding a huge umbrella over us to keep us dry.

The first lady then leaves as she is blocking the road and can see I am in safe hands, and traffic gets moving again.

The lovely first-aider stays with me on the wet side of the road, puts plasters on me and cleans me up, before then asking how far away I live (just under a mile) to see how I can get home.

At that point yet another person pulls over to check I am ok and to ask if we need any help, although we are fine by then.

The lovely first-aider then loads me and my bike into her car, insisting she drive me home.

We get to my house, and she passes me over to my wife and son, who then start fussing over me, too, in the wonderful way that they do, and she makes sure that they will look after me and keep an eye one me.

She then leaves, completely refusing to accept any kind of reward for her wonderful help, despite me trying to give her a bottle of wine or something.

To everyone, but especially the first-aider: thank you so much for the wonderful help and concern for a complete stranger.

Faith in humanity definitely restored. 🙂

My husband has sadly passed away suddenly, leaving me and our daughter on our own. I tell her speech therapist so I can cancel an appointment and she comes over to check on me.

During this time, she suggests that as his unemployment check has come in, to go and draw it out, and see what to do about his loan. I go into the bank, crying, worried about our future and missing my husband. Apparently someone overheard me and the bank people talking. When I come out of the office after talking about the loan and what I can do and they can do, I’m stopped and given an envelope.

When I open it, I find fifty dollars from an anonymous person. I broke down crying. Whoever you are, thank you. Along with whatever was in the bank, that fifty will help me and my daughter survive on basic needs until I’m able to make other arrangements.

I don’t know who you are, but you took that much stress from me during an extremely difficult time in our lives. Thanks so, so much!