What is a tiny gesture from someone that meant way more than they probably realized?

Elementary school, voting for student rep. I threw my hat in the ring because why not (or so I thought). I was far from one of the popular kids, and this became even more apparent as the votes were counted. The other candidates had a lot of marks by their names, and I had none.

Then suddenly one mark is added to my name.
"You voted for yourself, didn't you?" Some asshole remarked. I pretended I didn't hear him, because it was true.

Then another mark was added behind my name.

I ended up dead last, only getting those two votes, one of which was mine... but that other vote absolutely made my day. One person in the class had me as their pick, and I'm sure they forgot about it within hours. But I remember that vote 30 years later, and how it made me feeI. I never learned who it was.

I may have gotten the fewest votes. But I got the best votes.

I once ran out of money abroad, broke a rib and spent several days completely alone in the mountains. An American guy with the world's largest backpack gave me some painkillers for my chest. We didn't talk much but In the middle of my loneliness, pain and vulnerability it really touched me.

In the depths of COVID I was trying to do everything I could to make a point of doing everything I could to support my partner, who was a teacher at the time so she couldn’t work from home. Her school was full of kids who would act up and she got COVID a number of times. She was always exhausted and so I would try to make dinner most days and I would try to clean the house at least once a week before she got home. It was work but seeing her be thankful for it honestly just made me happy to help.

My birthday rolled around and she asked if, even though I don’t like cake that much, I would like a black forest gateau since we had been binging The Great British Bakeoff and I told her that sounded delicious. On my birthday, she worked for hours to make this cherry cake for me and I offered to help many times but she insisted that she do it herself.

When she reached the point of the construction when she had to make the whipped cream that she was gonna put in between the layers, the cream wouldn’t stiffen up even though she whipped it for like 20 minutes. She had been working on this cake for so long and it was already getting pretty late (like 9 pm or later). She broke down crying.

I don’t think I’ll ever forget that birthday. I don’t think I ever felt more loved or appreciated. I don’t think anyone has ever wanted to do something for me as badly as she wanted to make that cake for me. I tear up literally every time I think about this moment.

Ultimately it turned out she had bought cream instead of heavy whipping cream (or double cream) and so I offered to run to the nearest open store to get some while she worked on other parts of the cake that were yet to be finished.

That turned out to be the most gorgeous and the most motherfucking delicious cake I’ve ever eaten.

I’m absolutely crazy about her. She’s the best. I wouldn’t ever expect to say I love the thought of her crying, but this one memory makes me so happy.

I have no idea how this story will come across to other people, but I want to share it because it really is something so special to me

A stranger complimenting my top.

It was my first time going out completely alone while wearing what felt like a pretty obviously feminine outfit in the daylight, and I was feeling really self-concious about it, especially given the location I was in.

Having someone give me what felt like a genuine compliment really changed how I was feeling that entire trip. Made me feel dumb for trying to hold myself back. All I could think to say was "thank you", and I hope he understood that I truly meant it. Lit up my entire day.

Sitting in my car at the peak of a tall bridge in the middle of a crazy rainstorm.

It's 3AM. I don't want to go home. Ever.

Suddenly car pulls over and guy gets out and knocks on the window to see if I need any help. I tell him the car was acting up (it wasn't) and it might start (it did). He offered to follow me home in case it died again.

If he hadn't followed me home I might have decided to jump that night.

He probably thought he helped a stranded motorist during a crazy storm.

I’m a straight male. Compliments on my suit from a fashionable gay man. That was like 3 years ago and I still think about it.

My car got towed this week.

It was my own fault, parking there on a weekday, though the lot was mostly empty. I knew the building owners are jerks about it.

So, with laptop bag and thermos in hand, I turn around and go inside to find out where my car is.

Predictably, the goddamned towing company is like an hour or more walk. I only had about 70 minutes to pick up my kids from school 20 minutes away, so it was only feasibly walkable if I hauled ass and had very good luck. This was in an area where the nearest taxi was 2 hrs away. Uber or Lyft are only sporatic. Basically, I was just fucked and would have to call my spouse to leave work and pick up the kids. It is not a good look, as they say.

As I'm venting to the security guard about my situation, some folks in the lobby were bored and listening I guess. An older lady in the lobby spoke up and offered to help.

Now, for context, I was dressed pretty well for work (like at a courthouse), but Im a guy and largish at that. I probably outweighed her by >100 lbs. She even joked that they should get a good look at me in case I murdered her. It was in jest, I guess, she laughed more than I did... We were all on camera(s) etc, so I suppose she probably felt quite safe.

Within 5 minutes, she concluded her business and we headed out. Got out to her car and off we went. She knew where the towing place was and it was already on her way. She just got me delivered and ushered me out.

That poor lady lost her husband of 55 years last month and she still gave me a ride when I needed help. It was only a 5 or 10 minute ride, so I am sure it was not a big deal to her at all, but it meant a lot to me. And I cant even remember her name.

I guess maybe not a "tiny" gesture, but tiny compared to the effect on me.

I'm a loner and some years ago, I was in the Grand Canyon and I was setting up a camera on a timer to take a selfie. This guy and his family saw me and I over heard the dad sadly exclaim "aww" at me and then offer to take the picture for me. After he took the picture, I had a real hard time holding back years because the "aww" was clearly an expression of pity. Even as I write this, I'm tearing up.

I reconnected with a middle school friend the other day. I was so happy to see her and meet her family. We grew up in white suburbs and I felt like a super loner. I was one of only Asians in community, shy, and awkward. My parents weren't as wealthy as everyone else. She would invite and include me all the time in things. It really helped me build my confidence and I think of those times fondly. We weren't super close friends or anything but those invites meant the world to me and I was reminded of that when we reconnected over 15 years apart.

Back in the day when I was still in my hippie phase with dreds down to my ass, wearing a hand painted t-shirt and some raggedy ass pants, pierced face and bangles and shit all up my arms. In a conservative shit hole town where I was getting dirty looks and was even denied entry to pub not long before because they thought my roll up cigarette was a joint lol.

And I was also going through some pretty bad personal shit so I was feeling especially low and hard done by. And then a little old Indian lady that I walked past stopped and stopped me to especially tell me "you are very beautiful. And don't let anyone make you think differently." Getting close to 20 years later now and I've never forgotten it or that lady.

Apart from that, one of my favourite things as a pedestrian is having an occasional little moment with someone in their car at a stop street. When you just happen to look at each other and make eye contact and smile. That 5 second little connection that occasionally happens always leaves me smiling for the next 5 minutes.