11 Reader Comments on Kindness | A Cup of Jo

Lately we've been blown away by all the kindness we've seen in the reader comments section. In fact, we've been smiling and tearing up all week. "Kindness, as it turns out, expands to include...well, everything," said George Saunders in a 2013 commencement speech. Here are 11 comments that show the good of humankind...

"My mother came up with a sweet way to ease the 'at-school homesickness' I experienced when I was little. When the car pulled up to school in the morning, she'd pull back my sleeve and give me a kiss on my wrist. Mum always wore bright red lipstick to work, which meant that whenever I felt lonely during the school day, all I had to do was roll up my sleeve just a little, and I would see a red lipstick reminder that she loved me and that I was not alone." - Sarah

"One of the dark arts of being Chinese is to secretly pretend to go to the bathroom at dim sums and pick up the tab for the table. My mum once trumped everyone by putting money down before any other guests arrived, so she paid the bill without even getting up. Everyone was floored. The incident is now described as folklore by family and friends." - Annie

"When I was in my early 20s and working a low-paying job, my mom and her best friend came to visit. The day they left, I came home after work to find my fridge and cupboards full of food, and several vases of fresh flowers around my apartment. It was like a fairy tale. It's still one of the best gifts I've ever received." - Emma

"My dad would go to the local bakery almost every morning. Part of his routine was to check in with all the workers, asking them about their families, harassing them in a funny way, or telling them funny jokes. He was *that* guy. When he passed away and it was time to plan the funeral, I set off to the bakery to order a tray of his favorite desserts. When I arrived, I was greeted by a very nice woman. I mentioned my dad's name, word spread, and soon every one of the women was crying! Each told me stories about my dad - how he would remember their stories, how'd he wear a certain hat every time one of the ladies was working because he knew it was her favorite color, how my dad put new tires on someone's car when she couldn't afford to buy them. (My dad was a tire salesman.) When it came time to complete the order, the women said, 'This is on all of us. We loved your dad.' I was speechless." - Julia

"We were taking our toddler daughters on a long flight. Shuttling the kids through baggage check and security, I forgot to buy milk. The airline didn't serve milk on board, and my husband wondered if we could get by with coffee creamers (gotta love that fatherly ingenuity!). Finally, as we were sitting down (and my oldest was biting my arm for no obvious reason besides toddlerhood), the flight attendant came back with a pint of milk. 'The captain got it for you,' she said. Reader, I squeaked out a 'thank you' and immediately started crying. It was a small reminder when I needed it that we're not islands, that the world is kind, that parenting is for all of us." - Anna

"At the end of my maternity leave with my first child, I ran into a neighbor in our building's lobby. We weren't close but I found myself awkwardly gushing about my anxiety about returning to work the following morning. The next day, as I came down the stairs, I found a note taped to our building door with my name on it. My neighbor had left me a 'back to work' pep talk that made me laugh and smile. To this day, I keep it in the console of my car and whenever I feel sad about leaving my kids to go to work, I take it out and think of her and her kind gesture." - Rebekah

"When I was studying abroad, two of my female friends and I were eating at a restaurant in Rome. A couple in the restaurant noticed us enjoying our meal and that we were young and choosing the cheapest drinks/food, and decided to send a bottle of wine we probably wouldn't have bought ourselves over for us to enjoy. We ended up combining tables with them and sharing a second bottle while walking together to the Trevi Fountain. To this day my girlfriends and I still talk about that night, and it all started with such a sweet gesture from strangers!" - Allison

"I was working in Europe as a humanitarian aid and was traveling to Switzerland. I was exhausted, dirty and running a high fever. I was running through the train station in Zurich when my sleeping bag unhooked from my bag and dropped onto the floor. I scrambled around trying to roll it back up, but I wound up missing the train. I immediately broke down and just wrapped myself in my sleeping bag. All of a sudden, a young Swiss guy appeared with two cups of tea. He sat down with me and offered a cup. I was stunned! We chatted, shared some tea, and he helped me find another train. I will be forever grateful to him for making me feel so welcomed when I felt so alone." - Caitlyn

"My sister tipped me off to this modern day practice: the random Venmo. I've sent my sister-in-law coffee money when she started a new residency rotation, my little sister beer money when she was going out at night, and my big sister 'kid-free breakfast' money when her twins started preschool." - Kate

"I got mugged a few years ago. It was scary and my purse and phone were taken at a time when money was tight. My best friend from the other side of the country ordered flowers to my office and in the florist's neat, cursive handwriting she had written out the note, 'Sorry that shithead stole your phone.' Still makes me laugh. - A.

"I went to Maui for my 50th birthday, but it was during a tough time. The trip was supposed to be with my boyfriend, but we had broken up right beforehand. Luckily, a dear friend came with me, which was wonderful in and of itself. And when we went out for my birthday dinner, the server came over with a bottle of Champagne and a sweet note from a group of my closest friends. They had sent the Champagne and taken care of dinner. I burst into tears! It was a loving and beyond thoughtful gesture. Even though they couldn't make it to Hawaii, I knew they were with me." - Ela

P.S. More amazing reader comments and a small kindness I'll never forget.

(Photo from Insecure.)