Brighten Your Day

The World Is Your Mirror

1,781 views | Posted by Joseph J. Mazzella on June 7, 2025

Well it happened to me again recently. It has happened before and it will probably happen again. Let me explain. I had just finished driving my son to the sheltered workshop where he works a few days a week. I decided to stop on the way back home to pick up some more bananas and whole wheat bread. As I pulled into the...

Yes, kindness does pay

1,613 views | Posted by A friend on June 11, 2025

Just dropped in to pick up a couple of items at my local grocery store. At the express checkout the elderly lady in front of me could not work out how to pay, she spoke no English and the checkout operator was trying to explain to her what to do, to no avail. I stepped in and said 'I'll pay for her', it was...

A middle school science teacher taught me more than just science

1,567 views | Posted by HammyBurrger on June 5, 2025

This is a brief story from almost a decade ago, but it hasn’t left me and I refuse to let it. My middle school taught the periodic table in eighth grade. Looking back that’s a little old, but it is what it is. From the beginning, I fell in love with the element “Bismuth” (Bi 83). If you’ve never seen...

Mom's Eyes

1,541 views | Posted by Joseph J. Mazzella on June 3, 2025

It was the middle of Summer, yet my Dad was already getting ready for Winter. He had dumped a load of firewood from his pickup truck and it was my job to put it in the wheelbarrow and move it to our winter woodpile. I was a skinny 12 year old and it wasn’t easy work. I was loading the wheelbarrow for the fifth time when I felt like I...

If you see someone in need, take a moment to lend a hand

1,504 views | Posted by K-nanator5000 on June 6, 2025

So recently I was at the gas station filling up on gas, and there was a man right next to me counting pennies to pay for his gas, and when you have to count pennies in order to get gas, you need a helping hand. So I walk over and pay for his gas and he started crying and hugging me saying he appreciated me so much. He...

Unexpected Pool Time Friends

1,481 views | Posted by Leann Leedom on June 9, 2025

Today we went to the neighborhood pool with my three kids. Aida is 4, Ryder is 11, and Siddhartha is 15. We typically invite a couple of kids who live on our block since their parents are seldom available to take them. We live in a working-class neighborhood in Southern California. There was a large party of about nine kids in...

Panda Express made me cry

1,438 views | Posted by A friend on June 10, 2025

The school year is coming to an end and im completely exhausted. To add to that, my kids got sick and have been passing it around. My youngest is having a hard time eating and all they wanted was Panda express noodles. It was late, I'm tired, but if it'll make her feel better then why not? I attempted to order on the app...

The bench, the dog, and a sign that says 'Believe'

1,396 views | Posted by A friend on June 9, 2025

A few blocks from my house, there’s a neighbor who set up a little library for kids. A simple setup, a bench, a kid-sized loveseat, and a small shelf of children’s books. You could tell it meant something to her. In 2022, she posted this on Nextdoor: "MISSING FURNITURE! 😲 Sad/mad...

Kindness when I needed it the most

1,374 views | Posted by A friend on June 13, 2025

I’m going through a tough time. My mother is unwell, my salary has been delayed, and I’m in a lot of debt. On top of that, I found out I can’t get pregnant, something that’s been really hard to come to terms with emotionally. It’s been a lonely, heavy phase of life. Today, while commuting back home...

She's right about no one talking to me unless they're mad

1,312 views | Posted by A friend on June 4, 2025

A few months back, my kids and I went out to eat at a fairly well known fast food restaurant. The food wasn't known for being the best, but my kids loved it, so I humored them. The food was amazing! It was hot and fresh and served quickly. The kids and I happily ate everything we ordered. As we were leaving, I...

Anonymously gifted singing classes to a girl who can't afford them but really loves musical theatre

1,297 views | Posted by Lottie on June 2, 2025

There's this girl I met through community theatre a few years ago. She's in her late teens, so significantly younger than me (I'm 25 female). I've been doing musical theatre for years and she's more of a newcomer, so I've always tried to give her advice and feedback if she asks for it, be supportive, even...

An Empty House

1,221 views | Posted by Joseph J. Mazzella on June 16, 2025

I grew up across the road from a 4-H camp. During the summer months it was always busy with various camps coming in for a week at a time. During the rest of the year, though, it was largely empty and I would ride my bike along its roads and shoot basketball at its courts, but I was always home by the end of the day. Then came the...

I work at a casino, and a sweet 30-something non-verbal man comes every Friday

1,210 views | Posted by A friend on June 14, 2025

I’m a beverage server at a casino that rocks in the Midwest, and have only been there a month or so. There’s a guy who is mentally impaired and barely verbal who tracks me down every Friday (I’m easy to spot,) and I’ve picked up on what he wants (water and a juice mix with cherries.) He...

You and your wife have raised a beautiful kind-hearted girl

1,195 views | Posted by Jen P on June 6, 2025

I wanted to give a shout out to Amelia and her dad David from Tasmania. I took my young daughters to Luna Park yesterday. Some rides they were ok to go on by themselves, others they needed an adult. Having 3 of us meant I could only take 1 child at a time (but couldn't due to not wanting to leave a child unattended), this is...

A person I formerly rented from asked me for my current address

1,084 views | Posted by Chris R. on June 21, 2025

A person I formerly rented from asked me for my current address recently. This person rented me a space in their house that was the first place I had to actually call home when I had to leave my house after I got divorced. I paid a completely fair amount of money for my accommodations and really enjoyed my time there, and like all rental...

Nice old lady helped me out when I was struggling

1,067 views | Posted by A friend on June 17, 2025

I remember this moment, it was sometime 2016 i guess. I was a student at Uni and on the way home, hungry, decided to stop by the Farmers market to get some stuff to cook. I had not originally planned for this and bought more than I could reasonably stuff into my bag with my laptop. Where I'm from it is not usual to get bags at...

The Ripple Effect of Kindness

970 views | Posted by Exciting Quotes on June 23, 2025

It was a rainy afternoon, and I had just finished a long, exhausting day. I found myself at my local café, trying to unwind with a cup of hot tea. As I sat there, I noticed a young woman at the counter. She was clearly struggling, going through her purse frantically, trying to find enough change to pay for her...

Helped a person in need at the grocery store today

909 views | Posted by A friend on June 19, 2025

I love this community! It always lifts my spirits! Yesterday I had my chance to randomly help someone with a random act of kindness. I was in line to get some items for our hot dog cook out. A young lady seemed to be having trouble with her EBT SNAP card for her food purchase. She started to remove a few items. The cashier was...

A complete stranger gave me flowers today! It made my day!

838 views | Posted by A friend on June 4, 2025

Okay so basically I love going to Trader Joe's, right? And I was just going in to get some coffee ice cream (their coffee ice cream is THE BEST!!) and I hadn't seen this girl in a couple of months. She said "hey _____!" (My name exactly as I prefer to be called it) And I was so surprised she remembered and I...

What I Know Now

663 views | Posted by Joseph J. Mazzella on June 25, 2025

It is funny how so many commercials these days steal the lyrics from old rock and roll songs. I can turn the television on and suddenly I am back in my childhood again. I usually don’t pay attention to the commercial itself. I just close my eyes, listen to the music, and sometimes even sing along. One of those songs was...