In Puno, Peru, Maria adjusts her friend Rosa’s hat as the wind nearly carries it off while Rosa weaves a sweater. “Thank you for catching it before the wind carried it away, or I would have had to run down the mountain after it!” Rosa said. (Photo: Ana Caroline de Lima/The Everyday Projects)
On Nov. 13 we marked the 27th World Kindness Day and asked readers to share acts of kindness that changed them. You answered with stories that are surprising, heartwarming and convincing: small gestures really do matter. Here are some highlights.
Teacher Steps Up
In second grade my only shoes had holes and my parents couldn’t afford new ones, so I stayed home. My teacher, Mrs. Wortz, called my mother to ask why I wasn’t in school. When she learned the truth she told my mom, “Get her ready for school in the morning and I will come pick her up.” The next day my teacher drove me to a shoe store and bought me a new pair. Years later she gave me her library of books after she retired. Her kindness made a huge difference in my life. — Teresa Staats, Ohio
Grief Meets Grace
My husband died of COVID at 53 after 40 days in the hospital. During that terrible time hospital staff showed constant compassion. A nurse sat with him to explain visitation limits but looked at our photos and listened to stories. Another bathed him while he was intubated so he could attend our daughter’s wedding via Zoom. Palliative care helped me make hard choices; nurses and a resident comforted me for over an hour as I said goodbye. We called one nurse “Wonder Lizzie” for her daily compassion. At his funeral only 10 could attend in person, but a Zoom Mass had 200 people. His fellow UPS drivers came in uniform and sat in their trucks to listen, then did yard work at our house the next day in his honor. — Patricia Amaro, Arizona
Drive-Thru Kindness, Supersized
After hearing about paying for the person behind you in line, I started covering the tab for the car behind me at Dunkin’ Donuts and asking the cashier to tell the driver, “Have a nice day and pay it forward.” Employees nicknamed me “The Tacoma Dude.” Once the woman in front of me had already paid for my order because she recognized my truck. Another time the tab was $45 for a group; I paid it. Random acts of kindness just feel good. — Warren Standley, Virginia
Lights in the Dark
I grew up volunteering at veterans’ hospitals and soup kitchens. Later I escaped an abusive marriage with my child and was penniless and homeless. People in my community quietly helped: some gave me work, others watched for rentals with work-trade options, one couple gave me an old van in exchange for labor so I could get my child to school, and friends stood by me in court so I could gain full custody. Their quiet acts lifted me out of the darkest time and set me on a path to becoming a homeowner and small-business owner. Now I pay it forward whenever I can. — J.F., Hawaii (asked that her full name not be used)
Sorrow and Sisterhood
When my partner died I lay down next to him sobbing. Then my sister lay down beside me; I was crying for Bob, she was crying for me. That simple presence meant everything. — Rutie Havazelet, New York
Small Souvenir, Big Ripples
Years ago in Lalibela, Ethiopia, two girls sold me a metallic cross. One, “Mary,” gave me her email. Three years later I found her in Addis Ababa, where she was seeking a scholarship. Her father had died and her mother had become a nun, so I helped fund her education. She studied tourism and worked hard. On a later trip she bought berries from a young boy selling them on the street—even though they weren’t very tasty—because she remembered how it felt to sell small items to survive. Her compassion taught me the power of mindful, everyday kindness. — Cedric Yoshimoto, Hawaii
These stories show kindness in many forms: a teacher’s generosity, hospital staff’s tender care, spontaneous pay-it-forward moments, community support in crisis, a sister’s comforting presence, and a small purchase that blossomed into lasting help. Each act, large or small, changed someone’s life and created ripples beyond the original moment.
Do small acts of kindness matter? The answer, as these readers show, is yes. Always yes.