Acts of Kindness: Heartwarming Stories of Strangers Helping Strangers
Research suggests that people often underestimate the goodwill of others. In line with these findings, BBC readers have shared their personal experiences of unexpected kindness from strangers.
A study conducted by the University of British Columbia provided compelling evidence of this. Researchers deliberately lost wallets as an experiment, and the number of wallets returned nearly doubled the predictions made by participants in the World Happiness Report survey.
Halloween Treat Turns Sweet for Ipswich Boy
Athena Rowley, 40, from Ipswich, recounted a delightful instance of unexpected generosity involving her four-year-old son, Robert. This heartwarming event is one of many shared by readers demonstrating random acts of kindness.
Last Halloween, Athena and Robert, dressed as the popular CBeebies character Hey Duggee, enjoyed trick-or-treating around their Suffolk town, filling a small bucket with candy. Athena describes Robert as having a cheerful personality, easily making friends wherever he goes.
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Upon returning home, they were visited by groups of older children seeking treats. The last group, Athena recalls, consisted of six teenagers in costume who initially appeared “very scary.”
Despite their appearance, Robert offered them the last of his collected sweets and even gave each of them a hug. To their astonishment, the teenagers returned just five minutes later.
“I thought, ‘oh no – I don’t have anything left,’” Athena stated. “I opened the door, and the kids were standing there with bags of candy.”
“And then they gave them to my child because they thought that he might not have any more candy,” she added.
Athena was deeply touched by their thoughtfulness. “It was absolutely wonderful because teenagers often get unfairly judged,” she remarked.
This act of kindness reinforced her faith in humanity and young people. “The next generation has so much kindness and empathy… eventually, the world will be in very good hands,” Athena concluded optimistically.
Unexpected Help on the Motorway
‘Young Man in a White Van Turns Back to Assist’
Sharing Athena’s positive outlook on young people are Jocelyn Tress, 88, and her husband Mark, 89. They experienced a helpful act of kindness when they encountered trouble on the road.
The couple was driving to the airport from their Fulham, southwest London, home when a tire punctured on the M25 motorway.
Considering their age and the fast-moving traffic, they felt unable to change the tire themselves and called for roadside assistance. They were informed that help could take approximately half an hour, making them anxious about missing their flight to Portugal for a planned vacation.
However, just ten minutes later, a young man in a white van pulled up on the hard shoulder behind them. He explained he had initially driven past but turned back after noticing their parked car and wondering if they needed assistance.
“He quickly changed our tire,” Jocelyn recounted. In her haste, she forgot to ask his name but did inquire why he stopped.
Jocelyn remembers him replying, “When I drove by and saw you were in trouble, I thought, what if that were my granny and grandpa?”
“He wouldn’t accept anything for his kindness,” she added.
Jocelyn further shared instances of being helped by young people after falls, reinforcing her view: “I think on the whole young people are very, very helpful.”
Department Store Angel: A Moment of Generosity
An ‘Angel’ in John Lewis
Sarah Marten, 66, also benefited from the kindness of a stranger, albeit an older one, during a moment of need about 25 years ago. The memory of this event remains vivid for her.
She was shopping in John Lewis at Brent Cross, west London, with her children to purchase ballet attire – a leotard, tutu, and tights – for her three-year-old daughter Emily, who was about to begin ballet lessons.
Finding the right items had taken considerable time, and her younger son Joel, 19 months younger than Emily, was becoming restless. “Because he was so young, it had been quite a stressful morning to be honest,” Sarah explained. “He was ready to go home.”
At the checkout, Sarah’s debit card was declined. Without a credit card or sufficient cash, and with her children eager to leave, Sarah became distressed.
Suddenly, a man in the queue behind her stepped forward and asked how much she needed.
He then opened his wallet and insisted on paying for the ballet clothes.
He gave her £40. “That was quite a lot back then,” Sarah noted. “I was very surprised that someone would do something like that and not expect repayment.”
Sarah did, however, obtain his address and send him the money shortly afterwards.
“I remember him being really charming and very kind,” she recalled. “I have often described him as an angel in those circumstances.”
Sarah, whose children are now musicians, reflects that recalling this act of kindness and hearing similar stories helps to reaffirm her belief in human goodness.