Heroes don’t always make headlines. Sometimes, they’re the people who show up when you least expect it—offering help, a smile, or just a moment of connection.
Take the day I lost my bag at a hardware store. I didn’t even realize it was missing until my husband asked about my passport. Panic rushed in—until the store called. Someone had turned it in, untouched. No name, no reward expected.
Or the time my car alarm went haywire in a parking garage. I was stranded, pressing buttons uselessly, until a stranger stepped in. “Mind if I take a look?” he asked. With a few quick adjustments, the noise stopped. His girlfriend grinned. “He’s always doing stuff like this,” she said.
Then there was the man on the subway who made me feel seen. “Your dress is stunning,” he said. “Like something out of a fairy tale.” As a mom who’d spent years in leggings and messy buns, his words were a gift.
Even in a busy New York McDonald’s, kindness appeared. A stranger caught my eye and said, “Whatever’s bothering you, it’ll pass.” Just like that, my loneliness faded a little.
These people didn’t change the world in huge ways—but they changed mine. And that’s what matters most.
