On Tuesday, March 4th, The Voice went to homerooms during Owleus and asked two questions: Describe a time when you received an unexpected kindness from someone, and How did this unexpected kindness make you feel? Why did it surprise you?
Responses were not anonymous, but The Voice removed names for people’s privacy. Here is how you responded:
“A time I got unexpected kindness from someone who was at kissing bridge. I fell into a three-foot ditch, and my friends thought I was at the bottom, so I had no help; but this random guy saw me and helped me get up and made sure I was okay. I felt joy after because he helped me when I was hurt, and it surprised me because I thought no one would step in.”
“I received a random act of kindness when my hockey team got me a goody basket for when my grandpa died. This made me cheer up and know that people are here for me.”
“Once when I was young, my whole family got on a train, but I wasn’t paying attention, so right before the doors closed, a random person pulled me on because he realized I was going to lose my family. This made me feel safe and seen.”
“A time I received unexpected kindness was when I had nobody to sit with at lunch, and my friend Aly let me sit with her. This made me feel happy because now I didn’t have to sit alone.”
“My best friend randomly called me one night after I was having a bad day. He talked and helped me through my situation. This made me feel better since I felt isolated, and he stepped up and helped me. This surprised me because I was not expecting anyone to reach out and talk to me.”
“My friends have written nice paragraphs for me telling me how I have positively impacted their lives and told me what they love about me. It made me feel so good about myself to know that they find happiness and comfort in our friendship.”
“My teacher will let me talk to her about anything and will write me passes so we can talk. This made me feel safe around her and [like I have] someone I can talk to whenever I need it.”
“One day, I was having a bad day in school, and I was feeling like I just wanted to go home. Then, in the hallway, one of my friends came up to me and told me they liked my outfit, smiled, and walked away. A simple compliment changed my day completely. This kindness made me feel really happy and gave me hope that the day would get better.”
“When we were in Japan, this lady walked us to our apartment building when she didn’t know us or speak English. It made us feel less stressed and happy.”
“When I had to stay after school to take a test and couldn’t find a ride home, my hockey teammate saw me walking and offered to take me home in his truck. I was not expecting him to stop and pick me up when he could have easily driven past me. I was glad that I didn’t have to walk the rest of the way home, and it was nice of him to help me out.”
These wonderful responses truly show how little acts of kindness can change somebody’s day. Thank you to all who participated, and stay kind Orchard Park!
Credit to Kira Weber for helping select the Top 10 responses.
