(Photo: Jennifer)
Redditor Briawrz asks, "Who's the nicest person you've encountered through life and why?" The discussion thread filled with heart-warming stories of ordinary people--often complete strangers--acting with great kindness and generosity.
For example, mandrew31 shares how a truck driver whose name he didn't even know helped him escape homelessness:
A truck driver. I was sitting in my vehicle in a Wal Mart parking lot. I had been living in my vehicle, sleeping in the back. He had parked his rig for the night right next to me and we had a small conversation about trucker life and the places he'd been. The next morning I woke up to him knocking on my window and asking me to come out. He asked what led me to being homeless, I told him I was just divorced, working two full time jobs but couldn't afford the up front costs of an apartment without saving for a couple months because of alimony. He hands me $600 and says "here's first month's rent, you need it more than I do". A week later I was in my own studio apartment. I never caught his name, or where he was from, and I wish I had. I would love nothing more than to pay him back now that I'm able to.
-_Ryan_- tells the story of a teenager who was determined to be his friend, which required quite a bit of effort:
The nicest person I've known is one of my friends and his parents. I'll be the first to admit I wasn't exactly the best of kids. Crime, drugs, the works. My parents were never really there and the only reason I went to school was so I had something to eat and a place to be. I didn't really talk to anyone, had severe depression, was an outcast. Then one day as I'm just sitting in the corner sleeping during class this guy comes up to me. Just starts making small talk. Asking how I was, what I like to do, that stuff. At first I was pretty resistant. In fact, I was a complete ass hole. Told him to mind his own damn business. But he persisted. I've always had trouble trusting people. In my experience, at least back then, when you trusted someone it just gave it easier for them to betray you. I had acquaintances I would hang out with on occasion or crash at their place when I'd be kicked out but no true friends.
Anyway, so this guy just keeps trying and trying despite the utter cunt I was being. He even went as far as sitting with me at lunch. I still don't know why he did all this but eventually he did get through to me. We started hanging out at his place after school and he became my first friend. Eventually I became comfortable enough with him to start talking about my shitty life at home. No dad, alcoholic mom who wouldn't even notice if I vanished, no food, nothing. One night I need a place to stay. I decide to call my friend and ask if I can stay there. Up until not I had been avoiding asking him because he had no idea what was going on with me and I didn't want him to know. This is in high school by the way, I was 16 and couldn't even drive.
His place was a good ten miles away. I said I'd walk but he refused. So, just a few minutes later he pulls up with his parents. I just think "God damn, now I have to deal with them." We were friendly and all but they had no idea about my situation. During the drive to their house they begin prodding me and asking what's going on. I am my usual self and either give no answer or and am as vague as possible. Then, my friend, just goes on and tells them for me. I was pissed at first, very pissed. I trusted him and there he goes telling my secrets. I didn't say anything then because, hey, I still needed a place to stay...But I didn't plan on talking to him as much afterwards. His parents were just quiet for a moment. Then they just simply said "Well, you can stay with us as long as you need to."
I didn't think anything of it. But then the one night I planned on staying with them turned into two nights, then three, then a couple weeks, then a couple months. They took me in, fed me, pretty much adopted me. They hardly knew anything about me yet they didn't even have to think twice about providing for me. They turned my life around, got me to take school seriously, all without asking for a single thing from me. They treated me just as well as they did their own son. I still almost tear up thinking about this.
Five years later I have a full scholarship at a good college and am living a life I never once thought possible. All because of them. If they hadn't saved me I would have either killed myself or been thrown in prison by now. I owe them my life. I'm still just dumbfounded thinking about it. To just give so much to a kid you hardly know. If everyone was like them they'd be no concept of heaven because Earth would already be perfect.
Neatoramanauts, who is the nicest person that you've ever met?