When I was a brand-new mom with two kids under three, I remember standing in the checkout line, my heart pounding. My baby was snug in the car seat, my two-year-old tugging at my hand, begging for bubble gum and chocolate bars. I reached for my wallet, only to have my card declined. I felt like I could just melt into the floor.
Without missing a beat, the man behind me in line stepped forward and handed the cashier his card. “I’ve got it,” he said, with a gentle smile. That simple act of kindness lifted a weight I didn’t even realize I was carrying. That was ten years ago, and I still remember it vividly.
Years later, I worked at a coffee shop and witnessed a chain of generosity that felt magical. A customer bought their own coffee, then anonymously covered the drink of the next person in line, saying only, “pay it forward.” The next customer, shocked, insisted on buying the following person’s coffee. And so it went, cascading through the line for hours. By the end of her shift, my friend at the register was nearly in tears. I know she’ll never forget that day, and neither will I.
Another memory that stays with me is from a trip to Target. A frazzled mom, juggling a newborn and two toddlers who clung to her legs and wailed, asked if I could hold her baby for a minute. I took the tiny bundle in my arms and rocked her until she calmed down. That mom probably remembers that moment, and I know I do.
Parenting is messy, too. When my toddler was somewhere between “threenager” and “fournado,” she threw a tantrum in a busy shopping center, screaming like I was her kidnapper. I held her on a park bench, letting her release all her frustration. A couple of older women stopped, smiled at me, and said, “You’re doing an AMAZING job, mama. Hang in there!” Their words were like a lifeline. I will never forget their kindness or the encouragement they gave me that day.
Our travels have also shown us the unexpected generosity of strangers. In a train depot in France, we were lost, trying to figure out where to go. An older man accidentally dropped some cash, and my six-year-old daughter picked it up and returned it. He and his friend, in broken English, offered us snacks from their bags and insisted on helping us. They walked us to our next train and even rode with us part of the way to make sure we didn’t get lost. We will never forget those two men and the warmth they shared.
Even on a family road trip, simple kindness left a lasting mark. We stopped at a roadside café for lunch, only to discover that another couple had already paid for our meal, saying we had a “sweet family.” That unexpected gesture made an ordinary day extraordinary, and it’s etched in our memories forever.
Kindness, in all its forms, is powerful. It doesn’t have to be grand—sometimes it’s as small as buying someone’s coffee, holding a crying baby, or offering an encouraging word. You never know the impact it will have. Most of us carry these moments with us, tucked into the heart, remembering the people who stepped out of their own lives just to bless ours.
