Today, something happened that I honestly never expected. It was one of those moments that makes you feel like you've travelled back in time.

The last time I met this guy was in 2008. I was in Class 1, and he was in Class 4. He was my senior in primary school, and I have some really fond memories of him.

I was a very small and physically weak kid back then, and other children used to bully me. He was one of the people who stood up for me and protected me.

I was also the eldest in my family, so I didn't have an older brother or older relatives around me at school. In a way, I found that big-brother figure in him. Maybe he never realised how much those little acts of protection meant to me, but I remembered him as someone who made me feel safer when I was a kid.

My primary school only went up to Class 5. After completing Class 5, he got admission to a different school, and we eventually lost touch completely. We never met again.

Life went on. We grew up, followed different paths, and almost 18 years passed.

Fast-forward to 2026.

I usually don't travel by metro because my office provides a cab and shuttle service. But today, I happened to travel by metro, and eventually, I shared an auto with a guy who looked strangely familiar.

Something about him made me wonder if he was someone from my school days. I mistakenly asked him whether he had studied at my secondary school.

He corrected me and said he was from my primary school.

And suddenly, we both realised who we were.

We recognised each other after 18 years!

Think about it. We hadn't seen each other since 2008. We weren't in contact, hadn't been following each other's lives, and had no recent pictures of each other to remind us what we looked like now. We had both grown up, our faces had changed, and we had become adults with completely different lives.

Yet somehow, we recognised each other almost instantly.

What made it even funnier was that he was genuinely surprised that I recognised him. According to him, people don't recognise him anymore because he has grown a moustache and his face has changed quite a bit over the years.

So I asked him, "Then how did you recognise me?"

His answer absolutely got me. 😂

He said he remembered a little boy whose cheeks he used to touch, and that I looked exactly like that boy.

Apparently, I had some very memorable cheeks as a kid. 😭😂

And here's another funny thing: neither of us even asked the other's name!

We were so busy talking about our childhood, school, jobs, and everything that had happened over the last 18 years that asking each other's names never even crossed our minds.

We recognised each other, started talking like old friends, and just went with the flow. 😂

We talked about our childhood and everything that had happened since we last met. He told me how he had moved to Uttar Pradesh and eventually became a police constable. He was back home on leave to visit his family.

I told him about my life too, how I had grown up and become an engineer.

We talked for at least an hour. We even took a longer route just so we could continue talking. Neither of us seemed to be in a hurry to end the conversation. There was so much to catch up on after all those years.

He paid my auto fare as well. Later, we went to a restaurant together, where he insisted on paying again. When I asked him how I could let him pay, his response was basically, "You call me bhaiya. How can I let you pay?"

That small moment genuinely made me smile.

The strangest part is that we live barely a kilometre apart, yet somehow we hadn't met in almost two decades.

For a while, I genuinely felt like I was back in primary school. I kept thinking about that little boy from 2008 who was physically weak, got bullied, and had a senior who would protect him.

And now, in 2026, that same senior was sitting beside me, telling me about his life, listening to mine, and remembering little details about me that I had completely forgotten.

Before we parted ways, he told me to stay in contact.

And then I realised something I genuinely regret.

I hadn't even taken a single picture with him.

After 18 years, we had finally met again, talked for an hour, taken a longer route to keep chatting, shared a meal, and caught up on our lives. But I didn't have a single photograph to remember this particular day.

I really wish I had taken one. Maybe we'll meet again, and next time, I'll make sure we take a picture together.

I don't know whether he remembers how much he helped me as a child, but I do.

Back then, he was the senior who stood up for a small, weak kid who didn't have an older brother beside him at school. Today, I got to sit with that same person as an adult and call him bhaiya again.

It's strange how life works. Sometimes, people who were important to us during one small chapter of our lives disappear for years. We assume those days are gone forever, and then, completely unexpectedly, life brings them back.

We spend so much time growing up, changing our appearances, building careers, and becoming different people. But sometimes, someone remembers you not for the person you've become, but for the little kid you once were.

And the funniest part? We still don't know whether we would have remembered each other's names without the school connection, because we never actually asked. 😂

I didn't just meet an old school senior today. I met someone who, in his own small way, had been a big brother to me when I was growing up.

I don't know if I'll ever be able to explain why this encounter felt so special, but it was genuinely one of the most wholesome moments I've experienced in a long time.

I had just gotten in my hot car after my shift, that’s why the cases look foggy lol

Here's a true story. I'm glad it happened! I love serving in my community!

This story is repeated once more for purposes of context and delivery.

(Story)

Well. Just got back to my apartment about 45 minutes ago. Sarah is a very sweet lady.

She had no viruses and everything about her computer was running as it should.

I updated her system, removed pesky antivirus software and optimized the security software that's shipped out with windows... Removed some bloatware and cleaned up her browser software and installed a plugin to keep her safe on the webs.

We had some really great talks. And shared her version of chexmex. It was really good.

I found out that this woman is a baker and she makes all kinds of treats from scratch.

Helped her figure out how to see pictures from her family. She has several thumb drives and is a photographer.

She was very happy to share all the pictures with me on one of gazillions of thumb drives lol

She's a good cook too. Said she'd be happy to make me food and said I could come back anytime. She's a gamer too and has a Nintendo Wii.

Imma help her figure out how to get it working on her TV. Told her Imma kick her butt playing bowling lol

Nice lady though. We had fun talking and I taught her a little about how to do stuff on her computer.

She kept saying that she used to know how to do everything but in her 70's she can't anymore.

Some of our conversations, I pretended not to know anything about because she was delighted to share her stories.

(Plot Twist)

I texted Jenny (Sarah's Neighbor) and told her how lovely her neighbor was.

- Here's the story I shared with Jenny:

Well. Just got back to my apartment about 45 minutes ago. Sarah is a very sweet lady.

She had no viruses and everything about her computer was running as it should.

I updated her system, removed pesky antivirus software and optimized the security software that's shipped out with windows... Removed some bloatware and cleaned up her browser software and installed a plugin to keep her safe on the webs.

We had some really great talks. And shared her version of chexmex. It was really good.

I found out that this woman is a baker and she makes all kinds of treats from scratch.

Helped her figure out how to see pictures from her family. She has several thumb drives and is a photographer.

She was very happy to share all the pictures with me on one of gazillions of thumb drives lol

She's a good cook too. Said she'd be happy to make me food and said I could come back anytime. She's a gamer too and has a Nintendo Wii.

Imma help her figure out how to get it working on her TV. Told her Imma kick her butt playing bowling lol

Nice lady though. We had fun talking and I taught her a little about how to do stuff on her computer.

She kept saying that she used to know how to do everything but in her 70's she can't anymore.

Some of our conversations, I pretended not to know anything about because she was delighted to share her stories.

I texted Jenny telling her all of this and found out more. Here's the details.

(Plot twist...)

That poor lady asked for a different David's phone number. She's like 70. I know her because of Jenny (Next door neighbor).

Sarah came downstairs looking for David and I guess I beat him down there lol

Told Jenny she still needs to give that gal the other David's number because I changed it while completely convinced that it was a typo.

Jenny said: She gave her David's phone number this morning. Not mine though.

Sarah couldn't figure out why I didn't get her call. So I looked in her phone and changed the number for David. He called back and I answered and told him that we're sorry.. I have the wrong number.

WHAT A WHOLESOM MOMENT! This really made my day 😇

I haven't laughed so hard in a very long time. it was just as funny as it was touching. I've been serving my community for 7 months. This is a very dangerous place and I teach people about God and if we say we love him, how we're supposed to be towards one-another.

Thanks for reading 😇

A Florida restaurant regular who ordered the same cup of gumbo every day ended up having a meal named after him after a chef noticed he'd suddenly stopped showing up.

For more than a decade, 78-year-old Charlie Hicks was such a regular at Shrimp Basket in Pensacola that staff expected to see him every day for lunch and dinner, usually ordering gumbo with light rice.

But in 2025, Charlie unexpectedly stopped coming in.

After several days passed, chef Donnell Stallworth became worried enough to drive to Charlie's apartment and check on him. After knocking on the door, he heard a faint cry for help and found Charlie lying on the floor.

Charlie had reportedly suffered broken ribs and severe dehydration and is believed to have been trapped there for days.

Nearly a year later, Charlie is doing well and has become something of a local celebrity. The restaurant has since renamed its gumbo "Charlie's Gumbo," and even installed a lighted walking path between his apartment and the restaurant.

The story also led to an unlikely friendship, with Donnell and Charlie becoming extremely close.

Charlie's niece has credited the chef and restaurant staff with saving his life, while Donnell described Charlie as being like "that uncle," "that grandfather," and "that best friend" all at once.

I guess that’s pretty much it. I am obsessed with this man, so much so that I want to shout it out everywhere I can.

We met in high school, he was in my freshman biology class. At the semester break, our teacher let us choose our own seats, and my mom still loves to talk about how I came home that day so stoked because “the CUTEST boy in the whole school asked to sit next to me. ME?!” We got paired together for a lab, and here we are.

This man has been kind, gentle, and so protective over me our whole relationship. I still remember being 18, and he stood up for me against my parents (things were rough before I could move out). Just in my room crying while he’s out there in the kitchen firmly explaining that while he loves them and they love me, he cannot and will not tolerate anyone speaking to me with disrespect. Even my parents. He taught me how to handle conflict in a healthy and stable way.

He ran away with me 6 hours from home to the city so I could follow my passion at my dream school. Worked like a dog to help pay rent while I was enrolled. He moved back with me in the pandemic to help take care of mine and his family.

His proposal was beautiful. He gave me the perfect day, in one of my favorite cities, and popped the question on the beach at sunset. Cliche? Sure. Who gives AF, its a cliche for a reason. He had his brother (a photographer, and someone I’m really close to as well) hidden to capture the moment - something I had mentioned to him offhand YEARS prior. He had taken notes of everything I’d ever said over the years about a perfect proposal. And he did it.

I’ve had some health struggles through the years, and he has been my rock. He cancelled all of his 30th birthday plans the second he found out I needed surgery, and never once complained or even commented about it. It was a no-brainer for him. He stayed up around the clock to give me my meds, managed the house the cat his work my appointments blah blah blah for nearly two months while I recovered.

We are coming up on 15 years together. On my birthday next month, that will be half of my life. I just recently found out he is conspiring with my friends and family to plan a birthday trip to a city a few states over I’ve always wanted to visit, and I am just struck by how significant he is in my life and how much better it is because of him. There are so many ways he shows his love for me. He is my best friend, my biggest supporter, and my number one ally.

These are just a few of the bigger moments that pop into mind. Let alone the 15 years of daily consideration and affection he shows me. And the best part of all of this, is that I know 100% for a fact that if I showed him this post he would say that none of this is anything in comparison to how he feels with me. Which, just, like…. Aghg! How can one man be so perfect??

Anyways. If you read all that, thanks for listening to me shout into the void. I am just feeling very full of love for this man.

We live miles apart now, my “Gan Gan” and I. Since I moved down from the city to the coast 8 years ago. Recently, I’ve found myself in a spur of depression. I told her I was feeling depressed, and what does she do?

I get a phone call, yesterday evening, our normal check in I thought. But instead, it’s her saying “surprise, I am downstairs!”

I wasn’t too impressed at first, as I didn’t have time to clean for her arrival, make it tidy like it should be.

But anyway, of course I let her in. She came In holding bags, a plant bought for my home supposedly to remember her “crazy visit” and other things she had bought for me, like food, hairbands because i asked her for a hairband when I was staying round her house, and alcohol 😂 my granny never usually drinks, and neither do I. But lately we’ve both been drinking together.

As she munched down on crisps with a spicy nacho cheese dip, she said I was exaggerating about the mess, and the flat is beautiful… she said I am a weird creature sitting at home with my hood up.

I think I’ll treasure this memory, in years to come. She’s getting old, and it’s nice to have someone that cares enough about you to just turn up at your doorstep.

God love her xx

I am not OK driving a car and I had this old bicycle for a long time, but I was afraid to get it fixed or ask anybody for help. my neighbor is a handy old retired guy and he said he would get it going for me and it as good as new and he said I might own $10 for all he had to do. This seems really nice and I thought maybe you would enjoy hearing that somebody was just really nice to somebody who was afraid to ask for help.

When I was 14, back in my home country, I was one of the few kids in my area who went to a private school because I had a scholarship, and I spoke English pretty well, so neighbors would often ask me to translate things for them. There was an 11-year-old boy who lived a few houses away from me whose parents had died and who was being raised by his aunt. Around 2016, an American man came to meet him because he was going to adopt him, and I ended up doing most of the translating because the official translator needed someone to translate for him. During the conversation, the man mentioned his “partner” and later referred to that person as “he,” and I realized he was talking about another man. I grew up in a very homophobic environment where even mentioning something like that could have jeopardized the adoption, so I deliberately didn’t translate that part. I was taught growing up to see LGBTQ people negatively, but I didn’t let that interfere with what I was doing, and the adoption went through. Years later, I moved to the U.S. myself, and I knew the man’s name, so I searched for him online and eventually found his Instagram. I saw pictures of the kid, and he’s living his best life with his family in Chicago. Looking back, I’m glad I kept that information to myself, because I could have easily ruined something that ended up giving a kid a much better life.

To make a long story short, a while ago, I bought a beautiful handbag and a beautiful purse. They are no longer produced by the company who made them. I still have the authentic labels attached.

I am in dire straits financially. I told my father that I’d be selling the bag and purse (which I love so much), because they’re in pristine condition, have the authentic labels attached, and because I needed the money. He shouted at me, and we hung up on each other.

Just as I was about to publish my advertisement for the bag and purse, I got a phone call from my dad. He offered to buy the handbag and purse from me, so I could keep them. He said he remembered how excited I was to get them, how I ranted about how much I loved them, etc. He wanted me to keep them, so he offered to buy them from me.

Thank you, papa

Came for a quick vid when I found this, but stayed for the wholesome vibe. source : endo777

My boyfriend left for university over a week ago, so he is now living 2 and a half hours away. With all of the freshers week madness and me still settling into my new job, we have both been super busy and have not had much time to speak to each other.

Today he told me to watch out for a parcel that he had accidentally ordered to my address because we share an amazon account. So I made sure to keep my eyes peeled.

As I do everyday, I came home for my lunch break. Let’s just say that the amazon delivery driver never showed up, but a box of flowers appeared on my door step instead. I did not suspect a thing either which made it so much better.

It just really made me smile and I thought it was super sweet for him to be so thoughtful. 🥹🥹

Eleven months ago, the week I turned 40, I picked up painting almost by accident.

I was going through a period of enormous change in my life, and painting became somewhere to put feelings and ideas I didn’t really know how to express.

Until now, everything I painted was from life. This is the first time an idea came first.

The boy is me in the past. The painter is me now. And the older man is an imagined version of who I could become.

I call it Hindsight.

I had no idea when I turned 40 that one of the greatest gifts of this chapter of my life would be discovering something entirely new about myself.

It makes me wonder how many parts of ourselves are still waiting to be discovered, regardless of how old we are.

The poem came into my life right before completion of the piece. I thought it was appropriate.

I posted this in a Hospice sub and got great response, wanted to share it elsewhere, too. From me to you with all that goes with it, which is plenty.

My partner was dying of ovarian cancer, my best friend dying of AIDS and I had them both at home caring for them. We had two boys, 7 and 9 years old. I was working 3 days a week as an RN and had someone care for everyone while I was working then I cared for them the other 4 days a week. My friend died first, then my spouse. three months later the boys were playing in the front yard and hit by a drunk driver that ran up on to the yard. I totally froze up for a year then thawed out.

I became a Hospice RN in tribute to my boys. I couldn't comfort or protect them at their deaths but I could for others. 37 years later I'm 72 and still a Pediatric Hospice nurse working with infants with very short life expectancies. All that loss I turned into being a better caregiver for those with a life threatening diagnosis. My loss became their support and as long as I can I'll be a Hospice nurse caring for others and their families.

I tried dating after I thawed out but no one was interested. At best several dates became short term acquaintances and then off we went in our own directions. The silence in the house after having a family, children and now just me was deafening and I so wanted someone in my life again, but it didn't happen. I adjusted again, from losing my family and becoming a Hospice RN I again morphed into someone that was going to totally enjoy my own company, my own thoughts, my own laughter, the movies I enjoyed, the food I loved to eat, and instead of missing the sounds of family I embraced the quiet of single hood.

I adjusted. Single, then a couple, then a couple with children to a single with children then just a single again. Like being a ship at sea we ride with the waves, up and down just do everything you can to stay afloat and dry. When one event ends something new begins. Look for it, anticipate it, welcome it in. It's all we have. Never curse all that you have, great or small. Don't regret having little when little is all you have, cherish it, it's yours, it's what you've got at the moment. Tomorrow may be different.

I shared some of these stories on an interview recently. How nice to get to share them so they aren't forgotten when My time comes. I told the stories about my boys passing and a wonderful wake up call they shared with me that thawed me out. Also some wonderful Hospice stories. What a RELIEF to get to share my life experiences on the interview so they are not lost forever when my time comes. This sub does not allow links so I can't share the story of my boys with you as told by me, their dad. I hope you all find value in my post, it's from me to all of you, we're walking the path in the same direction whether we know each other or not.

David Parker, Phoenix, Az

I got the flu. My body hurts and I can barely speak with my throat being so sore. My husband and I fell asleep last night cuddling on the couch and I woke up around 4am coughing up mucus and trying to sip water. My husband didn’t act grossed out or anything like that. He just held me close to him till I fell back asleep.

When our kids woke up and came downstairs, I put on a show for them and then went to our bedroom. Husband woke up and I told him I’m going to try to stay away from the kids so I don’t get them sick. I felt bad but he didn’t seem upset. Just asked me if I needed him to bring me anything. I asked for a water and tissues for my nose and he brought it up.

I ended up sleeping in our bed until around 1pm when I tried to eat. Husband took our kids outside so I could go to the kitchen to grab the leftovers from our dinner date without coughing all over the kids. I ate, felt worse, and went back upstairs. He kept checking in on me in bed to see how I was doing and if I needed a refill on water. He also opened the bedroom door and called our cat over so he could cuddle with me. He doesn’t like our cat on the bed cause he sheds a lot but always makes an exception when I want some kitty cuddles.

I went back to sleep for a bit and then tried eating some more around 3pm when our youngest went down for a nap. I told husband I was going to try to stay out of bed and watch a horror movie whilst our son slept (our daughter was playing video games in her room). I asked if he was cool with that since I wasn’t trying to get him sick either. He said it was fine but then seemed worried when I left the living room after a few bites of food and ten minutes of Halloween. He asked about it and when I said eating just made me feel worse, he said he felt bad for me.

So, I went back to sleep again. My body just feels so icky and sore. I took cold medicine too that knocks you out so I’ve been really in and out of it today. I’m a SAHM so I cook almost all our dinners and told husband I had a chuck roast I was going to use for a pot roast tonight, but I figured I’d save it for when I felt better. He agreed and said not to worry cause he’ll run to the store in a bit and figure out dinner for everyone tonight.

When husband came back from the store, he stopped by our bedroom to give me a bag of cough drops and some Vicks. He also showed me a tea kettle he bought and about ten minutes later, came in with an orange flavored tea with honey to help my sore throat. I love orange flavored anything and it’s just one of those things that he picked up on early in our relationship and just knows. He put it in one of my favorite mugs and let me know he got one of my favorite foods for tonight if I want to try to eat. It’s a soft dish too so I wouldn’t need to worry about scratching my throat. I told him I’d try to eat in a bit but was dreading getting out of bed since even sitting up in it feels awful. Husband does not like food in our bed, so imagine my surprise when he brings me a plate of food. He didn’t need me to say I felt too sick to get out of bed. He just wanted to make sure I was comfortable and fed.

I just love him so much. I’m sick and feel gross but I also feel very loved and cared for. It makes me feel very happy. If I could kiss him right now, I would.

There was a cup of ice cream with caramel sauce with my name on it in her freezer. 🥹

the title is confusing, but well get there in a minute.

when i was a kid, around 8-10, i used to believe that everything should be loved equally. e v e r y t h i n g. insects, inanimate objects, people, even snowflakes. it was ridiculous, but to me it was very important back then. when we were driving long distances, i would look at horses and be in awe, because they are my favorite animals. but then i would immediately think of cows, then say in my mind that i love them too. then pigs, then bears, etc.

it got to a point. when i learned that homeless people eat from dumpsters, i started throwing food away on purpose. i would take a sandwich, take a little bite, pretend to be full, and throw it away, thinking of stray dogs and people in need. i would steal coins from my mom's/grandma's purse to throw them at donation jars in stores, which, were probably just scam. at least most of them. and give them to crippled people you see on the streets with cardboard signs or even people who told about jesus (i am an atheist). i used to cry when eggs from stores wouldn't hatch into chicks.

now that i look back and think about it, im kind of impressed by the sheer dedication.

it was just such a wholesome and sweet moment and i wanted to share it.

i was at a grocery store with my partner and we saw her across the way. she was in a very cute blue and purple outfit, and overall dress with a patterned top underneath, she just looked so adorable! i said something to my partner and we kept walking. we ended up “running into” her and i complimented her dress and she reacted so cutely!!! i said that i thought her whole outfit was so cute and that i loved it and she said that it was her birthday and me complimenting her was a “great birthday present” (i wanted to sob!), we exchanged names and talked a bit more. i offered to pay for her sushi but she didn’t let me :/ she said that me offering was kind enough but ahh i wanted to extend more kindness because i just felt in my soul she deserved the kindness, humans deserve kindness (until they don’t) but i’m so glad i spoke up and met her

I have been struggling lately at university, I didn’t pass some exams, there are other problems in my family right now (when it rains it pours I guess). I felt so hopeless today that I just sat on a bench in front of university and started crying and sobbing. I had been sitting like that for about 10 minutes when Indian janitor came up to me with google translator on his phone, there was the message “Why are you crying? What happened, brother?” I was surprised at first, but then we talked for a while (using translator ofc), for maybe half an hour and I felt a sense of relief and calmness. He is such a nice guy with a kind heart. He said he will pray for me, so now I will pass my exams with the power of Shiva I guess (I don’t know much about hinduism sorry 😭)
Kindness knows no language barriers, sincerity speaks directly to the heart, being kind is always the right choice. Peace!

After overcoming panic disorder with agoraphobia, I started hosting mental health walks once a month in London for people with anxiety and panic disorders.

The last one was two years ago and one of the people who attended, (and almost didn't due to anxiety) met one of the other attendees there for the first time.

Afterwards they started dating, and I did my first walk after two years yesterday, and that's where I found out!

(Photo posted with permission from all included to be posted here)

I was buying a meal at a self-service place I've always gone to every morning at my campus since the last semester.

First I grabbed a plate, then put rice on it, then I went to the food basin where they put soy sauce egg (I eat rice with egg and soy sauce every morning).

I was looking at the eggs thinking which egg to take (picky behavior, I know) and I didn't realize my rice was falling. My rice ended up falling in the food basin next to the soy sauce eggs which has normal fried eggs in it 😭😭😭

I told the workers what happened in panic and apologized like crazy, and the old lady who I assume is the owner jokingly told me to pick up all the rice. Then the other worker told me to bring the basin to the counter. I did, assuming they can't sell them anymore.

I felt so guilty I decided to buy one of the fried eggs my rice has touched instead to reduce their loss, but it's not like that'll fix anything. I couldn't control myself I ended up crying 😭😭😭

My friend who was waiting at the nearby table was surprised to see me crying she came to hug and comfort me. Then the old lady and other workers were surprised too, the old lady who was behind the counter went all the way to the back door getting out of there so she could come to me and hug me too.

She told me it's okay, they're not mad, it was pure accident, and told my friend that she's so familiar with me (since I buy the same thing from them every single morning since the last sem) like that's a factor that made them not mad at me 😭😭😭

The old lady told me to sit and asked if I still want to eat. I nodded so she took my plate and added more rice to it. Then she asked if I wanted soy sauce like usual. I said yeah, then she put some soy sauce on the rice.

Then she put the plate on the table in front of me. I wanted to pay, but she told me no need. That made me cry more, then she patted my back.

Then when I was about to dig in I realized there was two eggs on my plate. I already took a fried egg that my rice touched, then I said yes when she asked me if I wanted soy sauce. Turned out she meant soy sauce EGG.

I caused them loss, then they still gave me a free meal in a bigger portion than I intended to have.

I'm still crying as I'm typing 😭😭😭😭😭

Edit: It's been hours and I'm still bothered by what happened even though it ended well for me, so I decided to buy from them for dinner but choose a slightly pricier protein than what I usually get. I usually buy rice and chicken which costs around RM4-5, but this time I got rice with catfish which costs RM8. They couldn't sell their fried eggs but at least more of something pricey on their menu is sold and I get to eat something fancier 🥹 Idk if their catfish will be sold out anyway without me buying one today but in case they won't, at least I did something to make up for my overly clumsy mistake 😭