Kindness & Caring

Last Tuesday, I watched someone hold the door for a delivery driver whose arms were stacked with packages. No phone came out to capture it. No one announced it. The driver nodded thanks, the door-holder walked away, and that was it.

My neighbor Jake is the kind of guy who fixes everything with more pressure. Stubborn jar lid? Bigger wrench. Clogged drain? Stronger chemicals. Teenage son acting out? Louder lectures and stricter punishments. I’ve watched this approach backfire spectacularly for three years now

You know that moment when someone does something so unexpectedly kind that it catches you completely off guard? Not the performative stuff—the real thing. The gesture that makes you realize you’d forgotten

Last week, I watched a teenager at the grocery store help an elderly woman reach something on a high shelf. His gentle “I’ve got it” cut through the hum of shopping carts and checkout beeps.

I remember rushing through the grocery store, annoyed at the cashier who seemed painfully slow. I huffed and checked my watch, making sure she noticed my impatience.

Last week, I was rushing through the subway station, trying to silence my pinging phone and ignore my racing thoughts about being late – again. That’s when I saw him: an elderly man, cane clattering down the stairs

Last week, I witnessed a scene that touched my heart deeply. In a bustling park, an elderly gentleman noticed a young woman visibly upset on a bench. He approached her gently, offering a tissue and a kind ear.