Whether it’s a young boy lending a hand, a stranger showing unexpected kindness, or an uplifting moment of human connection, these uplifting short stories are here to brighten your day and spark a little hope.
So take a sip, slow down, and enjoy these inspiring morning reads that prove small acts of love and compassion can make the biggest difference.
1. A 2-year-old girl from Taiwan was asked by her teacher to wear a costume for their Halloween party. So she pulled off dressing up as No Face from Spirited Away.
Momo, a 2-year-old toddler, would usually blend in with her classmates, until one day, when her teacher asked her to come in a costume for their Halloween party.
So Momo returned home, asking her mother to dress her up as No Face, the black figure from Spirited Away. Her mother decided to go with her idea.
Upon turning up as the black figure at the party, Momo managed to turn everyone’s heads, leaving others surprised and excited. Parents of other kids also began to click her pictures while she took pride in her attire.
Momo’s cute pictures were later posted by her mother on Facebook, which turned into a viral internet meme and won the hearts of many fans around the globe.
Momo indeed set the bar high for other kids when they turn up at next year’s Halloween party.
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2. Young man sees this sad mom's Facebook post and takes her daughter to the prom. "Mom, I'll do it," he said.
The post said: "THIS BOY! A couple of weeks ago, I was teary. Carson came in and asked what was wrong. I read him a Facebook post about a mother of a 16-year-old girl with special needs, looking for a date for her daughter to go to her school prom. He said, ‘Mom, I will do it!’
And so he did! We went the day before her prom to decorate her room and let Izzie meet Carson. Then, he accompanied her to prom, where she was crowned Duchess. Afterwards, he sat in her room for over an hour and watched cartoons with her! SO TENDER, this boy!
Izzie is a darling girl, non-verbal, wheelchair-bound, on a feeding tube, and mostly uncommunicative. However, there were a few times when her eyes met Carson’s, and she lit up like the 4th of July... and, well, so did he!
We are all far more alike than we will ever be different. In a world full of choices, choose kindness!
Just a story about a boy I am blessed to call ‘son!’ He makes me want to be better, do better!"
Such a selfless young man. His kindness proves young people still have good to show to this world, just like this teen waitress who helps the elderly customer to cut his ham.
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3. The oldest British person on record celebrated her 116th birthday in Surrey, England. She refuses to give any interviews, unless it’s King Charles who called her.
Ethel Caterham was given the title of the world’s oldest living person by Guinness World Records on April 30. While her sister died at the age of 104 in 2002, Ethel has outlived her by celebrating her 116th birthday on August 22, 2025.
She has also managed to outlive both her daughters and now has three granddaughters and five great-grandchildren as her company.
Ethel refused to give any interviews for her birthday, as she prefers spending time with her family, “Unless King Charles called,” said a representative.
Her secret to a long life? “Say yes to every opportunity because you never know what it will lead to. Have a positive mental attitude and have everything in moderation,” she said.
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4. A 14-year-old boy spends his summer holidays making lunch boxes so that children in his area won’t go hungry.
Buddy, 14, makes and packs roughly 100 lunch boxes in the town three times a week to help families who rely on free school meals during term time. He funds the meals through his website and Facebook page.
Buddy’s lunch boxes generally include sandwiches with different fillings, fruit, and crisps. “It makes me feel really happy to help people,” said Buddy, who enjoys making meals even at home.
“You see a lot of families that really need this. So it can really make you think about the struggle,” he added.
Buddy’s mum, Emily, is extremely proud of him. “I can’t think of anything better I’d like to do this summer than be here with him,” she said.
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5. Officer who saved the life of a teenager gets awarded by him 8 years later at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
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| Credits: maryannerussell |
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| Credits: maryannerussell |
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| Credits: maryannerussell |
On March 11, 2005, Sgt. Kevin Briggs convinced a teenager named Kevin Berthia to come back to the safe side of the rail on the Golden Gate Bridge.
Years later, on May 8, 2013, Berthia presented the Public Service Award to the officer at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
The two of them hadn’t spoken since that life-or-death moment when Briggs persuaded Berthia to climb back to safety. Eight years later, they reunited, making the moment extra special for everyone in the room.
This is not the only moment when an officer’s act of kindness has been appreciated by internet users. For example, this officer helps an elderly with dementia find her way back home by pretending to go on a walk with her.
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6. Football players give special moments to neurodiverse child, while holding up the queue.
Following Manchester City's Super Cup victory over Sevilla in August of 2023, the City players lined up to collect their medals. One by one, they collected their medals and shook hands with the UEFA President presenting them. However, they all seemingly ignored the young visually impaired girl stood next to him... all but English winger, Jack Grealish.
Grealish took time to shake the girl's hand and spend as much time as he could talking with her, even holding up the queue and letting the President know that he wanted to chat a bit. Jack is known for such heartwarming gestures towards children with neurodiverse children as his own sister, Holly, lives with cerebral palsy.
Be like Jack.
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Our stories are for those days when you’ve lost a little faith in people. These feel-good, wholesome stories are here to remind you that kindness still exists, and that small moments can make the biggest difference. If you’d like more of these reminders, you can subscribe and never miss a story.
Send story ideas, facts, correction, or kind thoughts to hello@nostalgicgrandma.com.