Woman Crying In Frozen Yogurt Store Parking Lot Found A Note From Strangers On Her Car That Turned Her Day Around
Kind gestures can transform someone’s day.
aslysun / Shutterstock Sometimes, when you’re having a bad day, you just need to cry in your car and get yourself a sweet treat to cheer up.
After having a cry in her car, a woman was pleasantly surprised to find a kind note from nearby strangers.
The woman took to Reddit’s r/humansbeingbros forum to share the kind gesture that made her day.
“I was crying pulling into a parking spot to treat myself to fro-yo because I was having a day,” the woman wrote in her post. “I caught a glimpse of a teenage girl and dad in the car next to me while I was crying.”
When she returned from eating her frozen yogurt, the teenager and dad’s car was gone, but she found a $10 bill and a note attached to it, reading, “Your fro-yo is on us. We hope tomorrow is a better day.”
Reddit
While most people would likely shrug off the incident and carry on with their lives, this dad and his daughter took it upon themselves to spread some love to someone who appeared to be having a difficult day.
The woman was surely shocked and emotional by their unexpected kind gesture, which proved that humanity and empathy still exist within our communities.
Just by engaging in a simple act of kindness, this dad and his daughter were able to not only lift the spirits of one woman but an entire Reddit community, seeking reasons to be grateful.
That warm and fuzzy feeling that comes from the kindness of strangers and spreads to others isn't just because someone might be cutting onions in the room you're sitting in. According to UCLA researchers, kindness is actually contagious. One good deed can have a ripple effect that continues long after the initial encounter.
Daniel Fessler, director of the institute that funded the study, explained, “Each of us is kind to someone, and therefore has the potential to be kind to everyone — even those with whom we differ.”
"Turns out some people are genuinely good people and look for opportunities to learn how to better the people around them," someone commented on the post. "I don't always hit this mark, but others doing so makes me want to try a little harder myself."
Be mindful of how spreading positivity influences others.
The woman was so moved by this act of kindness that she felt compelled to share it with others, continuing to spread positivity and kindness in the face of challenges and adversity.
Because of the strangers’ kind gesture, she had a reason to smile and feel grateful. Had the dad and his daughter chosen not to be generous, she likely would have carried on with her day, harboring the same weight of her worries.
But their small act of kindness lifted that weight, even if just a bit, and she felt so empowered by it that she wanted to share the moment with others. She likely hoped to share the impact spreading kindness has on others and encourage our communities to be grateful for the small moments that bring us joy within our chaotic days.
Where there are reasons to feel stressed and anxious, there are always significantly more reasons to be grateful.
But when life hits us with unfavorable experiences, it can be challenging to practice gratitude and see the good. Random acts of kindness from strangers can be one of the most effective and grounding experiences that help bring us closer to shifting our perspective and focusing on the reasons to be grateful.
In an era filled with struggle, sadness, and violence, kindness is needed more than ever.
We may not realize it at the moment, but living intentionally and spreading positivity to others can transform the perspectives of those who may not experience much kindness in their lives.
With so many individuals around the world feeling stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed by life’s circumstances, individually and collectively, kindness is needed more than ever.
The dad and his daughter were admirable in their efforts to raise someone’s spirits, and more of us should aim to exemplify such noble qualities.
Francesca Duarte is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team based in Orlando, FL. She covers lifestyle, human-interest, adventure, and spirituality topics.