Every act of kindness has a way of finding its way back to us, often when we least expect it. Consider the last time you crossed paths with someone in need.

Maybe you offered a small token—a dollar, a warm drink, or a smile.

These simple gestures may cost little, yet their impact runs deep. In helping others, we often lift ourselves, too.

In the bustle of daily life, it’s easy to overlook how small acts of goodwill can have profound effects.

So, extend kindness to those around you; you might brighten their day—and yours.

During my college years in Santa Cruz, California, I spent three months homeless, even while working. I lived in my VW van, which I’d managed to outfit with a small mattress, a sink, and a few bins for clothes and food.

Each grocery trip with food stamps was a struggle—I’d feel a wave of embarrassment, often leaving the store with tears in my eyes.

I’d park alone around town, making the most of each day.

It’s remarkable how kindness can pierce through our lives in ordinary, unexpected moments.

One day, while waiting for my clothes to dry at the laundromat, a stranger named Mark approached, took my hand gently, and said, “You don’t need to say anything. Just stand here with me. I’m Mark. I’m scared, too.”

His quiet presence and steady grip were precisely what I needed.

As people came and went for twenty minutes, he didn’t let go. I finally felt ready to move on with my day.

“Look at you two, all cozy. Aren’t you cute?” a fellow student called out, misunderstanding the moment.

Mark turned to them, his expression serious, and replied, “I was holding her hand because she’s going through something terrifying. Is that alright with you?”

The student’s face went pale, and he muttered a quick apology before leaving.

As soon as he was out of sight, Mark and I burst into laughter, the tension lifting as we laughed until our eyes filled with tears.

“That was brutal, Mark!” I said, unable to stop laughing.

His humor was unconventional, but in that moment, laughter was the release we both needed.

Moments like these remind me of how joy, laughter, pain, and tears often find ways to coexist.

This memory of Mark’s kindness stays with me, and I often recall it in my work as an Advocate for at-risk children and as a volunteer grief counselor at Hospice.

That day, Mark taught me a very valuable lesson: sometimes, the greatest gift we can offer someone is to be there, to listen, and to laugh when it feels like life could swallow us whole.

Reflecting on that period of homelessness, I am deeply grateful for those difficult days—they taught me early on how universally hardship affects people.

They revealed the profound strength that kindness can provide.