You never know what people are going through in life; which is why one woman’s everyday act of kindness struck a real nerve on Twitter
“Be kind to strangers” is the sort of thing your mum drills into you growing up.
Not just because it’s a Nice Thing To Do, but also because you don’t know what others are going through.
People have bad days - personal struggles, break-ups, bereavements - all the time and we simply don’t know it.
You can’t tell anything at surface level, so it’s better to give those around you the benefit of the doubt.
This approach extends to random acts of kindness too, and is the reason why an everyday gesture went viral recently.
When Mackenzie Mauller brought the woman in the queue behind her a coffee earlier this month, she didn’t think much of it.
But it turned out that the two women lived close to each other in Uniontown, Ohio - and Mauller later received a note through her mailbox:
“The last couple of months have been a bit of a struggle,” the recipient, later revealed to be a woman called Nicole, wrote.
“My father just passed away and he was also my babysitter. My family and my children have had a really hard time… what you did for me was more than just a coffee. It was something that has turned my whole day around.”
Mauller’s act of kindness may have been small but it made a huge difference to someone battling away with problems of her own.
And when the 19-year-old student shared her story on Twitter, it immediately struck a chord, clocking up over 70,000 likes in a matter of days.
The woman who wrote the letter later joined the thread, too - and it turns out, she and Mauller have been chatting more in the days since their encounter.
“By the way, my children have been aware and apart of all of this since the beginning,” Nicole writes.
“This has been such a great learning opportunity for them, on how to treat others, no matter what. They are excited to pay it forward, and treat others with kindness and selflessness.”
As for the Good Samaritan herself, Mauller says she was “shocked” to get the note.
“I didn’t think a small cup of coffee would impact her day that much, but I’m glad it did!” she says.
Images: Getty
undefined
By signing up you agree to occasionally receive offers and promotions from Stylist. Newsletters may contain online ads and content funded by carefully selected partners. Don’t worry, we’ll never share or sell your data. You can opt-out at any time. For more information read Stylist’s Privacy Policy
Thank you!
You’re now subscribed to all our newsletters. You can manage your subscriptions at any time from an email or from a MyStylist account.