I’m always amazed by the kindness of strangers.
I think there’s far more kindness in the world than we give it credit for.
We’re surrounded by tragedies, conflict, and uncertainty. Every day we’re reminded of what’s broken, what’s frightening, and why we should worry about the future.
But alongside all of that, there is something greater.
The grace offered by strangers is, to me, one of the greatest expressions of our humanity.
Somehow, these moments seem to appear when I need them most—during the difficult seasons, the exhausting days, the times when I’m simply trying to make it through.
I’m not talking about basic courtesy.
I’m not talking about someone holding the door open, a barista making a great coffee, or saying thank you with a smile. Those are the small acts of civility that make society function—things I hope for and generally expect.
I’m talking about something more.
A stranger who offers to lift your luggage into the overhead bin without hesitation.
An officer on duty who treats you with dignity as part of a routine airport security check.
A compliment from a stylish young woman on a day when you felt awful and convinced you looked anything but your best.
None of these people owed me anything.
Yet each left me feeling just a little lighter than before.
But what moves me—what truly means something to me, what changes me in ways both little and not so insignificant—is the kindness of a stranger.
And by the time I come home after a day in the wilderness, I feel a sense of lightness in my heart, as though the world had held me up—often when I needed it most.
It wasn’t because of money.
It wasn’t because of our government.
And it wasn’t because of the company they worked for.
It was people.
People offering kindness when they had no obligation to. No reason. Just because.
I don’t quite know how to pay it back, let alone pay them forward. But I do know they shape how I move through the world.
And for that, I’m forever grateful.
Thank you.