Food for the body and soul

Everyone Has Two Voice Settings: “Normal” And “Customer Service”
Medical Office, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Reception, Siblings, USA | Healthy | January 25, 2021
When I need to find a new primary care physician, my sister, who’s a medical assistant, strongly recommends one of the doctors she works for. I accept — and she turns out to be the greatest PCP I’ve ever had, but I digress.

I don’t know if this is the law or their office’s policy, but my sister explains to me from the beginning that she’s not allowed to have anything to do with my treatment; she can’t look at my chart, she can’t room me when I come in, she can’t talk to me on the phone, etc.

Okay, rules are rules. I almost never have to call the office anyway — you call the network’s central line to make appointments, not the office directly — but I figure if she ever answers, I’ll simply say, “It’s [My Name],” and wait for her to put someone else on the line.

There comes a day where I call the office with some questions for my doctor about a course of treatment I recently began. A female voice I don’t recognize at all answers.

Assistant: “Thank you for calling [Office]. We’re on a recorded line. How may I help you?”

Me: “Hi, this is [My Name]. I saw [Doctor] earlier this week and just had some questions for her about [treatment].”

Assistant: “[My Name], it’s [Sister].”

Me: *Stunned* “Oh! I’m sorry, I—”

Assistant: “Here, let me get [Coworker].”

Another employee took care of me. For the record, the health issue was neither embarrassing nor something I hadn’t already told my sister about in typical family conversation.

When we hung up, I texted my sister, “I’m so sorry! I know you can’t help me, and had I known, I would’ve waited for you to get someone else, but I swear, I had no idea that was you! Your voice sounded so much deeper and more mature.”

When she was free, she simply texted back, “Customer service voice.”

And now I know what voice to listen for!

Ask Someone How They’re Doing Today; They Might Surprise You!
Cousins, Dallas, Health & Body, Home, Inspirational, Texas, USA | Related | July 11, 2022
One of my distant cousins is, for lack of a better word, a bit of a sourpuss by all appearances. She’s very closed off and standoffish and is generally emotionless, but I’ve always chalked it up to her just being a private person. She also has Lyme Disease and was diagnosed while she was pregnant with twins. Both kids ended up having symptoms, and one of them had to get a cochlear implant.

On one of the rare occasions we get together, I try talking to her.

Me: “So, how are you doing?”

My cousin positively lit up and started talking like we were old friends. As it turns out, the entire six years she’s had Lyme Disease, not one person has asked how she was handling it, just the twins. I’m a little shocked that no one has asked, not even within the family, but I suppose they were too focused on the babies to realize.

I also found out that the reason she never smiles or shows much emotion is because the Lyme Disease gave her Bell’s Palsy on and off, and she’s self-conscious about it becoming apparent and someone pointing it out.

Take The Time To Check In Some Humanity
Awesome, Hotel, Inspirational, Jerk, Kind Strangers, Non-Dialogue, USA | Right | July 8, 2022
It had been an unbearable evening as a hotel front desk agent, with multiple people screaming at me for things such as no free Wi-Fi and not enough beds in their rooms, both of which are not even a little bit my fault.

We have twenty-four-hour desk service, but I’m supposed to lock the doors at eleven and just let people in when they knock. I locked the doors and sat down to have a good cry over the barrage of insults and verbal abuse I’d received that entire evening.

Suddenly, a knock came at the door, and I hurriedly wiped away my tears. I let in a lady who needed to check into her room, and she seemed a little tired.

I steeled myself for more anger; tired people are usually angry, not to mention the fact I still had uncontrollable tears spilling out of my eyes as I tried to check her in. I could only get a few words out at a time, but I tried valiantly to ask all the necessary questions, hiccupping between words.

This precious woman stopped me, grabbed my hand, and told me to take a minute and let it out; she didn’t mind waiting. She let me cry for a moment, and then she spoke some reassuring words about how I was doing a good job, and she was so sorry for people’s rudeness. She then thanked me for checking her in and thanked me for trusting her.

It’s been years, but I still look back on that memory and smile. I hope that woman is happy, wherever she is; she deserves the wo

Signs The Nation Is Still Great
Awesome, Holidays, Inspirational, Non-Dialogue, Retail, USA, West Virginia | Right | July 4, 2022
During the Fourth of July, my sister and I are doing free face paintings and chalk drawings outside our father’s store. We have been there since eight in the morning and it’s now nearing six in the afternoon.

A young woman comes up with her elderly great-aunt. The elderly woman sticks her hands deep into the bowl of free suckers we’re giving out; I am a little stunned. Before I can say something, the woman scolds her like a child. She tells her great-aunt to only take one, but we allow her to take two.

She asks for my sister to paint the West Virginia symbol onto her cheek. My sister pulls up an image on her phone and shows it to the elderly woman, who approves it, and my sister gets to work.

I talk to the woman during this time, and she tells me her great-aunt has a mental disability and that she may behave childishly.

After her face is done, the great-aunt sits down on the sidewalk with me as her great-niece gets her face painted. She grabs some of the chalk and writes out in childlike handwriting, “Kathy-Happy.”

She says she is very happy and there is so much joy on her face as she shows other customers her freshly painted cheek. Her great-niece takes her hand and they walk off.

It made my tiring day better and I don’t think I’ll forget Kathy anytime soon.

Tipped To Be A Good One
Awesome, Holidays, Inspirational, Maryland, Restaurant, USA | Right | July 4, 2022
In the depths of lockdown, the restaurant where I work is doing takeout. We decide to do a big family meal for the July 4th weekend: fried chicken, multiple sides, housemade potato salad, and fruit cobbler, for a set price.

The good news, the holiday meal is incredibly popular and we do well that weekend. But we, the staff, are run off our feet in a hot kitchen, taking orders out to cars for pickup on a steamy summer day, and fielding dozens of calls complaining about this wonderful dinner. There are not enough drumsticks in the fried chicken, how dare there be carbohydrates in the potato salad, my kid doesn’t like the cobbler and I want a refund, etc.

We work all weekend and are closed on Monday to recover. On Tuesday, we get a call:

Caller: “Yes, I am following up on my July 4th meal.”

Me: “If there was an issue, ma’am, I’m very sorry—”

Caller: “Oh, not at all! Everything was absolutely delicious! I’m calling because I just realized when I saw the receipt that I completely forgot to add in the tip when I ordered. I feel terrible; you all worked so hard to provide a treat during this weird summer. I have my card. Would you be able to run it for a belated 25% tip?”

Me: “I… Wow, that’s very kind of you. Yes, I can run your card and add in the tip, if you’re sure.”

Caller: “I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t. Here you go.”

When we reopen soon for in-person dining, I hope she and her family come in. I’d like to thank her for being a bright spot in a rough time. It’s thanks to customers like her that we’re going to be able to reopen!

Kindness With A Cherry On Top
Awesome, Cheaters, Fast Food, Fights/Breakups, Inspirational, Kind Strangers, USA | Right Romantic | July 1, 2022
Me: “What can I get you?”

Customer: *On the verge of tears* “A boyfriend that doesn’t cheat on me?”

Me: “Uh… so, a chocolate sundae?”

Customer: *Sniff* “Yes, please.”

Me: “With extra sprinkles.”

Customer: “And a cherry?”

Me: “You can have five!”

Customer: *Sniffle and a slight smile*

While I don’t always appreciate a customer giving me TMI, I’ll help if it’s wi

A Small Cookie To Make All The Difference
At The Checkout, Grocery Store, Inspirational, Kind Strangers, New Zealand, Wellington | Right | June 30, 2022
I worked lunchtime four days a week at the supermarket. As such, I got to know some of the regulars who worked in the area and bought their lunch here most or all of the time.

There was one customer who came in every day and bought the same three things for lunch: a sandwich from our deli, a cookie, and an energy drink from the fridge. I was often on the express checkouts, and he often came through my queue but never said a word. He wasn’t unfriendly; it was more like he was distracted by something else that was getting him down.

After several months of buying the same three things every day, he once came in and got an apple instead of the cookie. Trying to be friendly, I asked him:

Me: “Changing it up today?”

Regular: *Taken aback* “How did you know?”

Me: “You come through my checkout a lot, and we get to know the regulars.”

Surprisingly, this perked the customer right up. He smiled and thanked me for the first time, and he continued to do so each time he came through after that. He even started making small bits of conversation. I learned that he was in a job he disliked but would be moving soon to a new job in another town.

He stopped coming through after a couple of months. I hope the new job worked out for him.

A Far Sweeter Gift Than Coffee
Awesome, Coffee Shop, Employees, Inspirational, ISP, Kind Strangers, Ohio, USA | Working | June 30, 2022
I’ve just moved to a new town and have been having a nightmare of a time getting my Internet set up, mostly because the previous tenants never terminated their account with the only ISP that serves the apartment complex. I get home from work at around six in the evening, and three evenings in a row, I phone the Internet company and play run-around with a different person who gives me a different answer every time.

On the fourth evening, I’m so frazzled that I don’t bother to call back after the latest agent’s latest thing that doesn’t work. I decide to go to the coffee shop down the street and, if nothing else, at least get some Internet use while trying the ISP’s online helpdesk.

I walk in the door at 8:50 pm, and while I’m waiting in line, I hear the employees saying things that sound like they’re getting ready to close.

I place my order, and, dread clenching my stomach, I ask:

Me: “Um, when do y’all close?”

Cashier: “At nine. Are you okay?”

My whole body just deflates, and I’m struggling not to cry. The coffee shop in the town I just moved from had the lobby open twenty-four hours, and it never occurred to me that they would close.

The cashier is looking very concerned and repeats:

Cashier: “Are you okay? Do you need a ride or something? Do you need to borrow a phone?”

I explain, trying hard to keep my voice neutral.

Me: “Oh, no, thank you. I just moved here and I’m having a horrible time getting my Internet set up. I was hoping to come here and use the online helpdesk to get it set up, but since you’re closing—”

She gives me my coffee.

Cashier: “Hey, you can go ahead and stay. No problem.”

Me: “Are you sure?”

Cashier: “Yes, it’s fine! We’ll be here for an hour cleaning. We might play some music really loud if that’s okay with you.”

I’m almost on the verge of tears again, but happy ones.

Me: “Are you kidding?! You’re doing me a huge favor. You can do whatever you want! Thank you!”

I set up my laptop where they can see me from the register and get online. Within thirty minutes, the online agent has completely solved the problem with the previous tenant’s account, and they assure me that my Internet will be up and running by tomorrow afternoon.

Just as I’m about to start packing up, one of the employees comes up to me.

Employee: “Hey, do you like doughnut holes? We’re just going to have to throw these out.”

Me: “I sure do!”

She gave me a huge box full of doughnut holes that fed me for a week!

Between the awesome online help agent and those sweet girls, the worst part of my move became the best part! I can’t thank them enough!

Pokémon Go The Extra Mile
Awesome, Inspirational, Kind Strangers, Mall, The Netherlands | Friendly Right | June 27, 2022
My husband is very introverted and shy, avoids strangers, and has trouble saying no. If he comes across a sales pitch person, he can’t bring himself to say, “No, thank you,” and walk away before the sales pitch starts and instead politely listens to the end.

My husband gets a notification that there’s a rare mobile game pocket monster on the other side of our shopping mall. He rushes out, and when he gets to a road, he sees a blind man waiting at the crosswalk (eyes closed, white cane, so he assumed blind). He has right of way, but since he can’t see traffic, he clearly hesitates.

Nervous, my husband carefully says there’s no car, worried he might insult the man. However, the blind man thanks him and crosses the road. My husband is ready to turn left when the blind man asks:

Blind Man: “Do you know where [Store] is?”

Husband: *Gestures* “Eh, yeah, it’s that…” *realises what he’s doing* “Eh, it’s straight ahead.”

Blind Man: “Thank you so much. Have a good day!”

My husband stops to check how much time he still has for the rare pocket monster. Behind him, he hears:

Blind Man: “Excuse me, excuse me? Is this the right way to [Store]?”

My husband sees the clock ticking but puts the phone away. He walks to the man.

Husband: “Sir, do you want me to walk you to the store?”

Blind Man: “Oh, how kind of you. I hope it’s not out of your way?”

Husband: “Nah, I still have time.”

My husband told me he felt very awkward all the time, not really knowing how to behave or what to say. He walked the man to the store, and when they entered:

Store Owner: “Hey, [Blind Man], I see you managed to rope someone into bringing you again!”

Blind Man: “Yes, and I would like to get him something.”

Husband: “Whoa, that’s not needed!”

Blind Man: “No, no, I insist! Do you like grapes? [Store Owner], how are the grapes?”

The store owner gives him a few to taste.

Blind Man: “Excellent! Now, how many are you at home?”

Husband: “No, no, it’s not needed. You’re most welcome.”

Blind Man: “Nonsense! Here, taste these grapes! They are very sweet. Now, how many are you at home?”

Husband: “Eh… just my wife and me.”

Blind Man: “Three cases for this man! Put it on my tab!”

Not much later, my husband was outside with about one and a half kilos of grapes, quite confused. Collecting himself, he got out his phone — seven minutes left! He decided to sprint for it… and made it! (It turned out it was not worth it after all!)

I’m very proud of my husband. Maybe that’s why the grapes taste extra sweet.

Fathers Aren’t Left Out To Sea
Awesome, Children, Cruise Ship, Daycare, Inspirational, LGBTQ, Parents/Guardians | Right | June 27, 2022
I work for a cruise line helping with a children’s activity area. Parents are allowed to drop children off to be watched by us for a little while. One day, a man dropped off his young son with us. It was close to Mother’s Day, so we had little Mother’s Day cards to color, and my coworker tried getting the boy to make one.

Boy: “Does it say Mommy?”

Coworker: “It says Mom right here.”

Boy: “Do you have a Daddy one?”

Coworker: “You mean for Father’s Day?”

Boy: “Yes, please.”

Coworker: “But Father’s Day is a long way away. Mother’s Day is soon so maybe you should make something for your mom first.”

Boy: “I don’t have a mommy.”

Coworker: “What do you mean?”

Boy: “I have two daddies instead of a mommy. Aunt [Name] was pregnant for my daddies, but she is my aunt not a mommy.”

Coworker: “Oh, umm…”

Me: “Oh. It was nice of your aunt to help your dads, and it is nice of you to want to make something for them. Just give me a minute and I’ll get a special Father’s Day card you can color for them.”

We have similar cards we used for Father’s Day, so I printed out one for the child. Then, using a thick pen so it would hopefully stand out against kid coloring, I put an apostrophe after the S in “father’s” and tried my best to turn the apostrophe in front of the S into a tilted heart, so it would read as “Fathers’ Day” instead. The kid happily decorated it before moving on to other activities.

I’d mostly forgotten about the exchange until the man who dropped the boy off and another man walked into the center. The kid immediately shouted, “Dad!” and got up to run to them. I was busy with some other kids, but I did notice the kid proudly presenting the card to his dads while talking animatedly.

A little while later, one of the men came up to me.

Man: “My son told me you made a special Fathers’ Day card just for him. I just wanted to say that my husband and I really appreciate your doing that for him. We’re going to hang this card up as soon as we get home. Thank you.”

It really was nothing special on my part; it only took a few minutes. But his thanks warmed me anyway.

Operation Independence
Awesome, Golden Years, Inspirational, Retail | Right | June 25, 2022
I once had an eighty-four-year-old customer come into the men’s department to buy some flannel shirts. He had never shopped for anything in his life; first, his mom had done it for him, and then, his wife.

His demeanor as I waited on him suggested he was probably a World War II or Korean War vet. He tackled it like a military campaign. He had no idea what size he wore. I measured him. I directed him to shirts that were easy to care for and long enough in the arms.

Me: “Have you ever done laundry?”

Customer: “No.”

Of course he hadn’t. I showed him the label with care instructions and explained washing and drying procedures.

He left, armed with knowledge sufficient to do it on his own. He left, having succeeded in his mission, with the help of a local. It was one of my favorite customer encounters of all time.

If They’re Willing, There’s Usually A Way, Part 2
Awesome, Employees, England, Inspirational, Train Station, UK | Working | June 24, 2022
I entered a 200-km Audax (non-competitive cycling event), and I have a day return train ticket from London. I am just recovering from a broken clavicle, and it turns out this ride is a bit much for me at my current level of fitness. When I realise I am not going to finish the ride in time to qualify, I slow down and wend my gentle way back to the station to take me home.

I am hungry and tired and the temperature is dropping. I find I have missed the last train back to London, but no worries; it’s only four hours until the first morning train, so I can just curl up in the waiting room until it comes. It’s warm enough, and I am so tired that I will probably have a nice sleep. My biggest concern is whether I need a new ticket.

A train employee comes in and asks me where I am going. I tell her London. She points to the depart board where there is only one train, heading away from London, arriving in a little while. She tells me once that train departs, the station will close until the first train in the morning. She looks very concerned and walks away.

I am too tired to be worried. I know it’s impossible after midnight to book a hotel room online for the same night, and the idea of cycling around to find a hotel with a manned reception or calling random hotels sounds harder than the alternative of just finding a bus shelter and curling up until the station reopens. I won’t die at 3°C, and I am unlikely to come to harm. It’s been a hard day, and it’s just going to be a little harder.

Meanwhile, my heroine is apparently more worried than I am. Maybe she knows her town better than I do and doesn’t want to leave a woman sleeping rough near the train station. Or maybe I just look as pathetic as I feel. Whatever the reason, she has obviously been thinking hard about how to keep me safe or warm or both.

Train Worker: “I’ve worked out what you should do. Catch the train to Peterborough. When it gets there, just stay where you are. An hour later, it will leave again, coming back through Stevenage and on to London. I will let the guard on board know what you are doing.”

So that was it. A concerned rail worker went out of her way to make sure I was warm and safe the whole way back to London. I even got enough sleep to make the cycle from Kings Cross station to my home pleasant — London before six is a delightful place to cycle. She was so careful of my welfare that it would not have surprised me if she was considering inviting me into her home before alighting on a better solution.

I filled in a very positive customer feedback form, which was actually rather difficult, as the form assumed I was making a complaint! Oh, and the gates were open when I got to London, so I didn’t have to buy a new ticket.

If They’re Willing, There’s Usually A Way
Awesome, Employees, Inspirational, Public Transport, Train Station, USA | Working | April 4, 2022
Two or three times a year, I take the train back to my hometown to visit family. It’s always the same route: a long trip to a city in my home state and a short trip from that city to the station nearest my parents’ house. One year, I decide to take the earliest possible trip, which leaves around 6:30 am. I don’t have a car, but there’s a bus that will take me to the train station with plenty of time to spare, so I don’t think anything of it.

Except… the bus never comes. I check the transportation department’s app only to find the early morning route listed as CANCELLED for no reason. No worries. I rush to another stop for a route that also goes in that direction, only to find that this bus came ten minutes EARLY, and I’ve missed it, too. I have to wait for the next one, as the station is too far to walk, but already I’m getting nervous and checking my options. My train is taking the same route two more times today, but naturally, the price is twice what it was when I bought my tickets in advance, and I’m not sure how many tickets are left.

The third bus does arrive, and when I reach the train station, I see my train listed as “Last boarding call.” I rush toward the platform… just in time to see it pull away. I go to the ticket booth, instead. My first impression of the attendant is that she seems a bit sleepy and probably wishes she didn’t have to deal with flustered people this early in the morning. I’m a little embarrassed to explain the situation, even though I know it happens a lot; I generally have things planned well in advance, so I’m not used to this happening to ME.

Me: “Hi, I just missed my train. Is it possible for me to get on another one today?”

The attendant takes my information.

Station Attendant: “Okay… it looks like there’s another [Train #1 ] leaving for [City] at 12:05 and a connecting train between [City] and [Town] that will get in at 5:05. Unfortunately, it’ll be $140 if you purchase a one-way ticket at this time. Is that okay?”

Me: “Yeah, if that’s all there is, I can make it work.”

Station Attendant: “Hold on, let me check something.”

She spends a few minutes typing and frowns.

Station Attendant: “Hm. So, there is a [Train #2 ] that leaves for [City] in forty minutes, but there is no earlier connection, so you would still have to wait in [City] from about 11:30 to 4:00.”

Me: “Actually, that would be amazing. I’m pretty sure my ride wouldn’t mind picking me up straight from [City].”

Station Attendant: “Oh, okay, cool. And if you’re only taking one train today, I can apply the cost of your transfer ticket to the new ticket. So, instead of charging you $140, it’ll only be…” *More typing* “Oh, you get a dollar back.”

Me: “Seriously?”

Station Attendant: “Yup!”

Sleepy or not, the attendant really came through for me. She had me sign something to authorize the return, and printed out new tickets. Instead of paying extra money and sitting around for five hours waiting for the train — no way I was taking the bus to and from my place again — I had just enough time to catch my breath and get a cup of coffee, and in the end, my arrival was only an hour later than expected. As for my dad, who was my ride, he was more than happy to pick me up in [City]; the station was around the corner from his all-time favorite pizza place.

Can We Come Train With You Folks?
Awesome, Coworkers, Florida, Inspirational, Office, Pets & Animals, USA | Working | June 17, 2022
During training at work where I had to sit and listen to a presenter for a two-hour session, my kitten decided they wanted to fall asleep on my shoulder and be held. As I get to work from home, this typically isn’t an issue if they are in my lap as I can still work, but being held for any length of time doesn’t happen often as I have to type a ton of reports. My kitten was very happy and fell asleep, and I got to pay full attention to the training.

At the end, the presenter asked if anyone had any questions, which several did, but then one of the people in another department asked:

Employee: “[My Name], how did you get your cat to stay on your shoulder for the entire training?”

As everyone had been on camera, including me, I guess people noticed me cuddling and petting my kitten during the training, which derailed the rest of the questions as everyone else brought their cats, dogs, birds, and a giant lizard onto their cameras so we could do a giant show-and-tell.

Meanwhile, In An Alternate Universe…
Art/Design, Awesome, Bizarre, Clients From Hell, Inspirational, Money | Right | June 17, 2022
I had just sent a company my invoice for designing their new logo, and the guy I was working with texted me the very next day.

Client: “Hey there. I just wanted to let you know that my boss loves the new logo, and we got your invoice and everything… But my boss wants you to make some changes to the invoice.”

Me: “Okay…? Did I get the company info wrong?”

Client: “No, not that. He wants you to change the payment amount.”

Me: “Absolutely not. We settled on the price before going into this, and everyone approved of the logo design, and I expect to get paid exactly what I have billed you for.”

Client: “Oh, sorry. You see, my boss was so impressed with your design that he actually wants to pay you more than we agreed.”

Me: “…what?”

Client: “So he wanted to know if you could update your invoice for our records? Just double the amount you have listed.”

Me: “Uh… Okay…?”

Client: “That isn’t going to be a problem for you, is it?”

Me: “No! Of course not! Not at all! I’ll get that updated invoice to you right away!”

Still Wary About Who Won’t Be Civil
Awesome, Grocery Store, Inspirational, LGBTQ, New Zealand, Wedding | Right | June 15, 2022
As I’m starting to set up stock lists, I notice two men browsing the area I’m stocking, which is a quiet nook that holds the baking supplies. They seem to be having trouble but don’t have anything that indicates they might be working on a new recipe, which normally means they’re browsing for ideas. As a stockist, I take pride in knowing a lot of the more unusual items, so I always like to offer help.

Me: “Hey there. Were you finding everything you needed today?”

Customer #1 : “Oh, kind of? We’re looking for ideas…”

Me: “For anything special? We have a few bits and pieces of other stock in some of our other areas. I can also just leave you be to browse, too.”

They exchange a small look.

Customer #1 : “For an engagement party.”

At this point, I realise why they might be so shy about it. “Civil unions” (legally recognised same-sex partnerships) have only recently been legalised in New Zealand.

Me: “Oh, how lovely! Who for? If there’s a theme, or anything?”

Customer #2 : “It’s… ours.”

Me: *Beaming* “Congratulations! That means you’d know better than anyone what theme you’d like!”

Customer #1 : *Starting to grin* “Very true.”

I spent the next five or ten minutes chatting with them about different thoughts and good ways to get good results on a small budget, including a few tips from my sister’s recent marriage — like buying cheap-as-chips lacy curtain fabric and cutting it into fancy-looking tablecloths.

I was overjoyed to encourage them into thinking about what made THEM happy and what THEY wanted in the party, not what anyone else demanded of them. I think they spent a good hour looking through that tiny room after I left them and then going to check the other departments mentioned to see the other decorations.

They started out nervous, obviously not knowing how a stranger would react, but they left full of the same joy I would hope to impart

Socking It To You In The Sweetest Way
Boyfriend/Girlfriend, California, Home, Inspirational, Love/Romance, San Diego, USA | Romantic | June 13, 2022
My boyfriend and are closing in on our one-year anniversary. He is very good with his hands and keeps himself happy by always having some project to occupy them. Knowing this, I go out of my way to buy the most complicated modeling kit I can find. It’s of a famous clock tower and has hundreds of tiny, intricate pieces, so I know it will take him a long time to complete.

Our anniversary rolls around and I give him his gift. He is delighted by it. He then presents me with his gift: a pair of socks with a couple of cartoon characters on them. While they are from my favorite cartoon and the gesture is sweet, when comparing them to the modeling kit, I’m unable to keep from looking disappointed. He only seems amused by my reaction.

As I awkwardly thank him for the gift, he asks me:

Boyfriend: “Do you want to know a secret?”

I say, “Sure,” not expecting much.

Boyfriend: “Well, you know how you always have trouble finding clothes that fit?”

I had emergency surgery after an accident that left my torso with an unusual shape.

Boyfriend: “I decided to learn how to knit, sew, and crochet, so now I can make you anything you want. I made those socks in a day.”

Now, I was looking at the socks in amazement. They looked professionally made. He had taught himself how to make professional-looking clothes in less than a year! I think I might have started crying if I wasn’t so blown away.

Last month, my now-husband and I celebrated three years of marriage. For our anniversary, he taught himself metalworking so he could make me authentic items for when we go to the Renaissance Faire.

Some Days You’re The Hammer, And Some Days You Need One
Inspirational, Kind Strangers, Maryland, Parking Lot, USA | Friendly | June 13, 2022
My tire had gone flat, so a friend and I were trying to replace it outside of the place I rented. We had removed all the nuts, but the tire refused to come off no matter how hard we tried to pull it, and we were both stumped on what to try next.

After another failed attempt to get the wheel off, I heard a man I hadn’t realized was behind us speak up.

Man: “Is the wheel stuck on?”

Me: “Yeah, it won’t budge.”

Man: “I have the same problem with my car. I have a hammer that’s supposed to help with that in my trunk if you want to borrow it.”

Me: “Oh, sure, if you don’t mind.”

Man: “No problem, but my car’s a little ways away so it may take me a few minutes to get it.”

With that, he turned around and jogged back toward another part of the rental complex. A little while later, he showed up with the hammer; we’d made no progress with the wheel in that time.

Man: “Here you go. Just tap it around the back a few times and it should come loose.”

The hammer was more like a small mallet, with a large head and a good bit of weight behind it, at least relative to its small size. As the man said, a few taps on the back worked wonders and the tire soon came off.

Me: “Here’s the hammer back. Thanks for lending it to us., I’m not sure what I would have done otherwise.”

Man: “Oh, yeah, I used to have to get the whole car towed somewhere just because I couldn’t get the stupid tire off; there’s a reason I started carrying this thing around. You start to feel silly being stranded on the side of the road because you can’t do something as basic as replacing a tire.”

Me: “Well, thanks again.”

Man: “No problem. I was just out walking to kill time and get exercise anyway. I can walk to my car and back to pick a hammer up just as well as walking anywhere else. Glad I could help.”

Thank you, random stranger, for solving my inability to change my tire.

Some People Just Want To Watch The World Heal
Blood Donation, Inspirational, Maryland, USA | Healthy | June 12, 2022
I donate blood every few months; I know there’s a need for it, and my blood type is the universal donor.

Once, during a donation, a woman comes in and asks questions about everything. I figure it must be her first time. There’s nothing wrong with that; she just seems a little nervous. The phlebotomist hooks up her IV, and her bed is next to mine.

Woman: “So, who are you donating for?”

Me: “What do you mean?”

Woman: “My husband is having an operation, so I’m giving blood in case he needs it.”

Me: “Oh, I see. No, I’m not donating for anyone in particular.”

Woman: “You’re not?”

Me: “Nope. Just… whoever needs it, I guess.”

The woman looks around the room, shocked. The other donors are now listening to the conversation.

Woman: “So, all of you are just donating, what, out of the goodness of your hearts?”

She started laughing and then quickly stopped. She didn’t intend for the comment to sound mean; it just genuinely had never occurred to her that blood banks are full of blood from people who donate just to help others.

Waitstaff Handle Big Babies, So Real Ones Are A Walk In The Park
Awesome, Family & Kids, Inspirational, Missouri, Non-Dialogue, Restaurant, USA | Right | June 10, 2022
Being the parents of two boys two and under, my husband and I don’t often go out to eat, both because of finances and because, well, they’re pretty young, and expecting them to sit through a whole meal can sometimes be asking a lot. However, my husband and I were given a gift card. We tried numerous times to arrange babysitters, but it just didn’t work out.

So, finally, after almost a year, we went. I met my husband there, we went around 4:30 (before our boys were hungry for dinner), and I brought snacks just in case. I beat my husband there, so I took the boys in and got seated.

Of course, my two-year-old started crying. He was hungry, but the snacks weren’t his thing today. I was trying everything I could think of to help him calm when our server appeared. He smiled patiently as I finished buckling our dramatic two-year-old in place and then set down an appetizer “on the house.”

He quickly asked what he could get them (and me) to drink and hurried back. My two-year-old immediately quieted; his needs were met. The restaurant ended up getting packed by the time we got our food, but our server still checked on us frequently.

It ended up being a great family dinner. When I asked if I could speak to the manager to brag about him, he humbly said that it wasn’t needed. We tipped well, but I hope that server knows that what he did was more appreciated than I could express.