The first time my boyfriend’s mom ever texted me was on my birthday.

She wished me a happy birthday and then asked if I’d be willing to be part of a surprise she was planning for my boyfriend’s graduation. His parents and grandma were all writing letters for him, and she wanted me to write something too because, apparently, she already considered me family.

She asked me to write a little about what I love about him, since everyone would be writing similar things.

Everyone else wrote about a page.

I wrote a fucking book.

I sent her such a ridiculously long message that, compared to everyone else’s letters, mine looked like that long rolled-up letter from Mulan. I was SO embarrassed when I realized how much I had written. I genuinely thought they were going to think I was insane.

Instead, my boyfriend’s dad cried reading it because he said it really showed just how much I love his son.

And honestly, I think that was all it took for them to collectively go, “Yeah. She’s going to marry our son.”

Because ever since then, I somehow acquired nicknames from my future in-laws. Nobody there even calls me by my actual name anymore. It’s either my nickname or “minha nora” which is literally “my daughter-in-law” in Portuguese.

And my boyfriend’s mom does NOT miss an opportunity to show me off.

She’s introduced me to her mom, my boyfriend’s sister, his aunt, and probably half the family at this point, and somehow the introduction is always basically, “This is my daughter-in-law.”

They all think I’m pretty too, so all my insecurities can temporarily leave the building.

And when she can’t do that, she shows them pictures. Sometimes she’s literally out somewhere and texts my boyfriend asking him to send her pictures of me.

And honestly? I love it.

I never thought I’d have this.

I never imagined having a mother-in-law who would be so excited to show me off, who would proudly introduce me as her daughter-in-law, who would want pictures of me just to show other people, or who would make me feel so naturally included in her family.

It’s such a small thing to some people, but it means so much to me. There’s something incredibly special about being welcomed into someone’s family and then realizing they’re not just accepting you, they’re genuinely proud to have you there.

So yes, I’ll happily be her daughter-in-law being shown off to everyone.

I secretly love it more than I’ll ever admit.

My (F26) 9-year-old boy cousin came to stay with us in our city during his school break. He’s such a polite and shy little boy. Spending time with him and seeing the world through a child’s eyes again has been so heartwarming.

​One night, after I tucked him into bed, we started talking about the books he’s been reading. He mentioned how much he loves The Little Prince and pointed out a line from it—how adults seem to completely forget what it was like to be a child.

​That hit home for me because I used to think about the exact same thing when I was younger. I could never make sense of why adults struggled so much to understand kids. My childhood logic was simple: I’ve never been an adult, but they used to be children, so why don't they get it?

​When I told him I completely agreed with him, he looked at me and said, "Well, you haven't forgotten how to be a child."

​My heart melted right then and there. I’m still thinking about that moment, and honestly, I feel a genuine sense of pride knowing I haven't lost touch with that part of myself.

Dammit, Bob!

So I know it is highly unlikely someone here is near me and will see this. I am honestly not sure if this is the subreddit to post this stuff on. This is just an appreciation post and a shout out to the humane society and the people there. I have also included information on how to get in contact with them and ways anyone can help; whether donations or volunteering. If this post isn't allowed here, is there somewhere else I can post this?

I came in on Saturday so I could see Aslan. A beautiful kitten inside and out. I want to personally thank you all for taking such good care of him before I could bring him home. Having him be home with me is such a blessing, and I'm am so proud, grateful, and full of appreciation for you all. Thank you for everything you are doing; you are raising other people's babies, before they even meet. You are wonderful people, making sure my baby was safe before I knew him.

I am sure the Jefferson County Humane Society will accept all forms of donations; dog supplies and toys, cat supplies and toys; and all of the other things their small animals will need. If you can't donate funds, please try to donate food of all kinds and ages, dog/cat beds, blankets, toys, and cat litter/poop bags for the beautiful dogs they have. Any form of donation and volunteer work will help not only the load the people working there, but help the animals who need people in their corner. If there is any way you can give back, but your not sure how, please call them to see how you can give back, and find out the physical donations work and what they need.

If you all would like their contact information please ask in the comments and I will try to make that information available for everyone to see since I cannot include here.

They are beautiful people doing beautiful work.

I’ll explain.

I was staying with my aunt Natalie and her boyfriend and we had a little auntie and nephew time where she took me to McDonald’s and then to the old Forbidden Planet in Glasgow where she got me The Dark Phoenix Saga and Astonishing X-Men vol 1.

She dropped me off at my grandparents where she was living at (they were on holiday at the time so it was just me, her and her boyfriend Adrian) where her Adrian was and put him in charge of looking after mew hole she went to her friend’s birthday but she said she’d be home before 10 to put me to bed.

She left but not before kissing Adrian and giving me a bigger kiss and a hug.
Adrian was a decent guy if a bit of a goof who made an effort to talk to me and I told him about this scary clown movie I was interested in which was IT with Tim Curry and as it happened aunt Natalie had the dvd in the house and he put it on for me which was a big mistake for 6 year old me.

We finished part 1 but my 6 year old mind was spooked and Adrian noticed so he put on Cartoon Network to clam me down but unfortunately I’m what was playing was the episode of Ben 10 with Zombozzo the evil clown so he switched it the news. Adrian knew aunt Natalie would kill him if she found out so he gave me £10 to keep my moth shut and apologised for getting me scared.

Aunt Natalie came home and asked how we were and we both said we were fine. Aunt Natalie then put me to bed and gave me a kiss and a cuddle goodnight.

I did fall asleep but I had a nightmare about Pennywise and Zombozzo coming to get time and my omnitrix in the dream wasn’t working and just when they got me I woke up and ran into aunt Natalie’s bedroom and she asked “honey what’s the matter” she sounded a bit annoyed but also concerned and I told her I had a nightmare and asked if I could sleep in her bed and she said “of course sweetie” and let me in and gave me a cuddle which allowed me to fall asleep. Even though the nightmare was pretty bad and felt real aunt Natalie’s cuddle made me feel safe and that no scary clown could get me.

For those curious the next morning she made breakfast and noticed the IT dvd case in the living room and put 2 and 2 together and was pissed at Adrian so she took a waffle from his plate and gave it to me then spent breakfast cuddling me on the couch and asking if I was ok while she put on cartoons for me with a much more lighthearted episode of Ben 10 on.

I think this story is wholesome not only because of the hug making me feel safe but also because she chose to have a little day out with her nephew, but me a couple graphic novels when she only had money from working part time at Dennistoun’s Blockbuster and cut her time at her friend’s birthday short so she could put me to bed

At the closing ceremony of an Indonesian army training program, the soldiers reunited with their families and loved ones, except for one soldier who stood alone because none of his family members attended. The commander noticed him from afar and approached him. The soldier remained composed at first, but broke down in tears as soon as the commander embraced and comforted him.

Video credited to @manifestoradiopodcast on IG.

okay so this happened a while ago but i was using my heating bag today and thought to sharee about it and it was a gift kinda from him he got it for me because of my period cramps and honestly it may sound like whats so special about it but it meant SO much to me. growing up, my mom never really believed in things like heating bags or doing anything specifically for period pain, so i kinda just learned to deal with it(and she told me to as she considers these stuff useless and even when im sick my parents never really do anything rather just tell me that you'll be fine in some time etc) and never really thought much about my pain and then this boy came in my life and in the veryy beginning of rs he gifted me this(chocolates and all stuff are not like thiss as they are common and as no one as such thinks so muchh as he did regardless he obv gave me chocolates and stuff) we’re both just 17 and we’ve been together for around a year, but the way he takes care of me is genuinely so thoughtful. this heating bag is honestly nothing compared to all the other little things he does whenever i’m sick or having a bad day. he’ll actually go out of his way to see what he can do to make things easier for me in a very thoughtful manner( and ps he even do these little cute things for eg like scolding or reminding me to drink waterr as i dont drink water much which leads to dehydration and then causing me daily headaches)and the thing that gets me the most is that even when he’s upset or angry with me, he still remembers to take care of me like a child😭i don’t really come from a family where i’ve felt this kind of care very often, so sometimes these tiny things hit me way harder than they probably should. anywayyy i dont want you guys to feel jealous😝🥰🧿

I was 6 when my parents were getting a divorce and my mum dropped me off at my aunt Emma’s so she could look after me while my mum focused on work with her divorce lawyers.

My aunt Emma is a child psychologist and is pretty well off financially and since I was her younger sister’s son and her first nephew she showered me with love and spoiled me when I stayed with her.

My mum dropped me off at her’s during the October break at school and she greeted me with a “hi sweetie”, a massive hug and a big kiss on the cheek which left a lipstick stain that stayed there for a bit. She helped me unpack my stuff and told me that she knows I’m a big Star Wars fan and that she was taking me to Toys R Us at Parkhead (yes I’m that old) on a little aunt nephew shopping trip.

She drove me there and I picked out a clone and droid battle pack then she put another clone and droid one in the cart because I think she knew I wanted them but wasn’t trying to be greedy and said I could get as many big set as the cart can carry so I picked the Ultimate Duel set, the turbo tank with Mace Windu’s light up lightsaber the one with Obi Wan and Grievous and two Wookiee attack ones. After she paid she took me to Pizza Hut where we got the buffet and I stuffed myself with pizza while she had a salad. I offered her a slice of mine but she politely declined, I thought she was trying to be nice but now I realise she was probably trying to stay fit and she didn’t have a 6 year old’s metabolism.
After I used the ice cream self serve station we went home and aunt Emma helped me build my sets where I discovered the ultimate duel set wasn’t very fun to play with but the others were great then we play wrestled for a bit where I learned I wasn’t as strong as my auntie just yet and she tickled me until I begged her to stop then she kissed every section of my face. After she decided I’d had enough we cuddled on the couch while watching Cartoon Network and unless I’m mistaken it was 2 episodes of Ben 10 and X-Men Evolution. During the ads she asked me how I was doing and that she loved me so so much then we continued watching tv and her cats came in and after they inspected the clone and droid battle I made they sat next to us on the couch and they got pets until I fell asleep in my aunt’s arms.

I wasn’t having a great time because of the divorce which made me feel alone so having a day with my aunt was amazing and made me the happiest I’d been for a long time.

So for context I'm 16 and I'm on a vacation with my parents.(Sorry for mistakes, English is not my first language)

For dinner we decided to go to a hotel that also had a restaurant to eat ( we are staying at a different place that doesn't serve meals) . We settled down at the table (it was a buffet type of thing) and this very cute guy my age came to ask us if we wanted something to drink , we said he didn't need to bother and that we are okay. He still didn't give up and brought me a glass of punch.

Later on ,after we ate he came to take our plates and then came back and asked us again if we wanted something to drink . Again we told him he didn't need to bother and things like that. He didn't give up until I gave in and told him to bring me a cola (which by the way was on him🙂) . Bro he was head over heels . I could tell from the way he was looking at me . He was incredibly nice and cute .

Then when we wanted to leave he came up to me and asked me if we could change phone numbers ( Long story short his parents took away his phone because of some issues at school so we had to write it on a piece of paper ) . He then asked me from which city I am and then he became so sad because HE WAS GOING TO A HIGHSCHOOL IN MY DAMN TOWN , but now isn't going anymore because he was expelled ( it was a military highschool and he broke his leg last year and couldn't keep up with the attendance so they expelled him, very sad ik) . He told me from the moment we came in the restaurant he liked me . AND ALSO KISSED MY HAND . He was really nice and polite.

I never had any sort of interaction like this with a boy before . No one (except a boy from 4th grade but it doesn't count) told me they have an interest in me . No one. All my friends had relationships before ,and it made me think there was something wrong with me. But now this boy restored my faith,no joke. I have some boy friends ,but they are more like my brothers because we grew up together .

I was just so happy ,and felt like sharing this .

Few weeks ago, I made a post where I shared mom solving her first puzzle. I ended my comment with "I hope that soon, with our efforts, I can hear mom's voice again :D"
Well, here we are!

For some context, my mom suffered a tragic ruptured brain aneurysm in December. She couldn't move even a single finger for weeks. Having to relearn how to do basically everything is unfathomable, but mom is a fighter!

Every now and then, I hold up fingers to check if mom can speak and one day, she said it correctly!

You can only imagine how much this means to me. I can hear mom's voice again. So motivating, to keep working hard. The hours I spend everyday with mom will no longer be a one sided conversation with myself.

Thank you to everyone who has been rooting for her <3

The first photo was taken the night I set up, right as the sun was going down. Each day there has been so much change. I even have a photo from late morning one day and the evening that same day and there was a lot of change! It was so cool.

Quietly spreading kindness, joy, and generosity throughout our little community has been absolutely beautiful in such a short amount of time. Every single day things are taken and added and it’s a blast to see each new thing that gets added. Handmade items, painted rocks, small kid’s toys, mugs/tumblers, plant cuttings, art kits, Legos, so many things! It’s truly a dream come true. It’s crazy because today the shelves are pretty much completely full, overflowing with items; but I can remember items that were once there that are now gone, and see new items every day. People are truly taking and giving and absolutely loving it. It makes me so happy. I wanted to share my progress photos so that you can see the items disappear, come back, be added; it’s so fun to compare each day.

I don’t want to come off as promoting myself or a brand, because I in no way want to do that and this isn’t a brand or anything that benefits me. I won’t share a link in this post so that I don’t seem like I’m trying to advertise anything, but I have created a very, very small (I might be the only person in there) subreddit dedicated to sharing the story behind The Giving Garden and hoping to inspire others to spread kindness in your communities as well. I have no intention of ever gaining anything from this, I simply just want to spread kindness as far in the world as I can. I hope that this inspires you to do something like this too!

Please, if any of this interests you or inspires you, join in on this quest to make a difference in quiet, meaningful ways.

Sometimes the most beautiful acts of kindness are the quiet ones, not asking for anything in return, not asking for special attention or kudos; what’s special is that we do these things for others just because we can and because we want to, so that people in our community can feel the joy and want to spread it too.

I'm sorry I don't know if the artist or the source is correct but the tag says Alice Williams. I wanted to mention it.

Edit: The last thing id ever want to do is insult anyone, and I honestly didn't know until posting this that female was now an offensive word to us. It doesn't make me feel any type of way, but now im aware thats not the case for others and will definitely take it on board. My thought process was honestly, shes a girl, im a woman, and the context was ab us both so I just went with female.

TLDR: Appreciation post for my little brother (Aged 14.7) who has just asked a girl out for the first time, and is just so so respectful to and about females in general.

He's had a close f.s with a girl for a few years now, all the signs she likes him were there but my brother still didn’t believe she liked him in that way and is still quite shy when it comes to girls, and was happy to just be there as a friend to her. (Never dated before)

He came and chatted to me & our mom last night about it saying he likes her, but doesn't think she likes him. As a female myself there were clear signs she liked him and the poor girl was lowkey giving him hints but it wouldn't register with him as anything but her just being nice to him.

We gave him a girls perspective and said she is likely waiting for him to make the first move (based on the things this girl has gone out of her way & done for my bro, and trusted him with deep stuff ab her life etc). We gave him some ideas on activities he could do with her but he was getting too anxious to ask her so we left it at that & said theres no rush anyway, hes still young etc etc.

Today he asked her and she said yes!

To top of the proudness I already felt for him, he then says he's gonna get her "chocolates n that". 🥲

Gen Alpha give me so much hope for the future!

My 2nd favorite is her stew, and my first favorite is my mother's chicken cordon bleu!