“You will never regret being kind” – Nicole Shepherd

To celebrate World Kindness Day, we’ve decided to ask people “What’s the kindest thing someone’s ever done for you?”, and the answers we received were overwhelmingly touching. Here are a few of our favorite stories:

"He didn't know me but he enjoyed helping people he didn't know"

“I applied for a job in a bank, but had absolutely no connections there, no ‘wasta’, and no experience in the bank sector, but I still gave their security my CV and left. The bank called for an interview and when I got there, I found my CV had “recommended by Mr. Magdi Tayea” written on it.

I was asked by HR how I knew him because that man had personally recommended me, but I had never seen nor met him before. Thankfully, I did get hired! I tried finding Mr. Magdi Tayea to thank him and it turned out that Mr. Magdi did not know me, but he just enjoyed helping people he didn’t know and giving them opportunities, may he rest in peace.” - Noha Sehsah

"He left me his power bank and 100 Turkish lira"

“I was in the airport in Turkey and my phone had just died, I missed my flight, and my bank card wasn’t working. A complete stranger gave me his phone until I charged mine, then I found out he left me his power bank and 100 Turkish lira.” - Soha Mohammed

" I still pray for him every time I remember him"

“Once in July and in the scorching heat, our car broke down on our way back from work. A man stopped and tried helping my husband but couldn’t, so he dropped us at the mechanic under our house and sent our car there to get fixed. Once the mechanic was done and when my husband went to pay, he told him “The man with you already paid”. I still pray for him every time I remember him.” - Amal Mobarak

"I never had the chance to say thank you."

“Once my son fell from my hands on the floor and he started bleeding from his head. A complete stranger saw him, quickly carried him, and ran to the nearest hospital. I don’t remember him or know anything about him, so I never had the chance to say thank you.” - Ola Al Abonih

"I was going through a difficult time but hadn't told anyone"

“I was going through a difficult time but hadn’t told anyone. On that day, I had just gotten back from the doctor, and as I was strolling through Facebook and found a post of dessert and commented “Oh I’d love some”, or “I wish I was your neighbor” I don’t quite remember. Suddenly, she replied asking for my address and insisted on bringing me some free of charge!” - Nada Yosef

"She saw me holding my head in pain"

“I work at a nursery, and once one of my students’ mothers came into the office and found out I had migraine when she saw me holding my head in pain.

The next day, she sent me a message telling me to check her son’s bag for a pink box. When I checked, I found medicine for migraine that she got from London. “ - Raneen Aref Burji

"Woke up to my dad calling me saying he watched the movie for me"

“I was in undergrad, and I was in this foreign film class. I was stressed out because I didn’t rent the movie from the library on time and didn’t know how to download English subtitles by zip file for the version I found online. I didn’t know how I was going to complete the assignment because I don’t understand Hindi that well to write an entire essay analyzing the movie.

I went to bed and woke up to my dad calling me saying he watched the movie for me, he gave me the entire synopsis, and then he made me watch it with him while he provided subtitles in real-time for me.” - Nikole Thomas

"Both bought me a gift because I was going through a divorce and leaving Kuwait"

“My coworker helped me get boxes and wrapping paper, exchange KD to USD, invited me to dinner with his wife, and both bought me a gift because I was going through a divorce and leaving Kuwait.” - Maya Saleem*

"My neighbor that I barely knew, and her kids had decorated my door"

“I was new in Kuwait, pregnant, and didn’t know anyone. After I gave birth, I came back to my house and found that my neighbor, Samah Ameen, that I barely knew, and her kids had decorated my door and bought me house decorations to celebrate. She also made me breakfast and lunch every day and introduced me to another neighbor so I wouldn’t feel lonely.” – Heba Hamdi

"She let me live with her rent-free for 5 months"

“My friend who I wasn’t close to at the time let me live with her rent-free for 5 months.” - Rawan Kamel

"She would visit me every single day to make me feel better"

“I had just given birth with C section, my baby was in the nursery, and I was mentally overwhelmed and exhausted. My friend used to make me food and visit me every single day to make me feel better.” - Dena Safwan

* Names have been changed upon request