15 Times Being Kind Was The Easiest Choice

Whether it's people coming together or an individual standing up, kindness is a beautiful thing to see. We often forget how much good there is in the world with so much violence and hate seen in the media, but there is another side to these things. People are good and kind at heart, and there is at least one person each day who can remind us of that. These 15 examples are of people or groups who went out of their way to make someone else's better or even save it. Kind acts are everywhere you look. You just have to be open to it.

1. This person surprised all their co-workers and bosses.

They baked treats and then wrote a note to each person and left it at their desk. A little gesture can go a very long way.

2. Sgt. Steve Wick washed this homeless man's feet and clipped his toenails to make it easier for him to wear shoes.

The Homeless Outreach Team of Houston brought the man, Quintus, to an emergency shelter where he was set up to visit the eye doctor and get any other help he needs. 

3. Jamie Dawn Beckstead's daughter Faith had to have her hair shaved for brain surgery.

To make her daughter feel better about her hair, Jamie got her hair shaved in the exact same way.

4. This photo might not look like much at first, but the man walking the bride down the aisle is actually a stranger.

The bride's father passed away in 2006 and his heart was donated to Arthur Thomas. Jeni Stepien, the bride, contacted the man and asked him to walk her down the aisle despite never meeting. Her father died in 2006, but his heart was there to walk her down aisle. Arthur traveled from New Jersey to Pittsburgh for Jeni's big day.

“It is just like having my father here, and better because we get to share this story with other people, and people get to see that organ donors do matter."

5. Villagers from Pimpalgaon Siddhanath village worked together to rescue a drowning leopard.

The three-year-old leopard had fallen in a 60-foot well and was struggling to stay above water. Villagers lowered a metal cage down for her to jump into. She was hesitant at first but eventually jumped in and was pulled out. She was checked over and then released into the wild.

6. This is the moment Lauren Hernandez asked her mom's boyfriend, Joe Losco, to adopt her.

Joe had been dating Lauren's mom for 17 years, and Lauren says she has never doubted that he was her dad. Joe has always been there for Lauren and always wanted to be her dad. Now it's official, and the family couldn't be happier.

7. Pablo Iglesias lost his leg in an accident 20 years ago.

He worked as a farmer despite having only one leg, but after a picture of him went viral, $10,000 was donated to a GoFundMe account for Pablo. 

One of the people who donated, Renee Mora, wanted to take things a step further and contacted Hanger Clinic. The clinic agreed to make Pablo a prosthetic leg free of charge so he could walk again without crutches.

8. This bear cub was rescued from a forest fire.

He insisted on staying close to the man who saved him and kept following him around.

9. Connor Nicol is only four years old and already has a heart bigger than most.

Connor's friend Ella passed away at the age of three from a brain tumor, so Connor is trying to honor her memory and help other young cancer patients. He set up a lemonade stand and garage sale and is donating all the money raised to buy toys for kids going through cancer treatment. 

"We used to play and have fun and blow bubbles. I love her."

FOX 2: "You miss her a lot?"

"Yeah."

10. For Evan Wilson's sixth birthday, he didn't ask for any presents.

Instead, he made a donation of $122 to the Constance Creek Wildlife Refuge. Evan loves animals and has wanted to make a donation for a while. The CCWF gets most of its funds from donations, so every penny helps. Evan's contribution was a surprise but very much welcomed.

11. Ernestina Nunez used to walk about a mile every day to get to Dixie Hollins High School where she works as a custodian. 

When Richard Newberry found out how far she had to walk, he offered to sell her a car from his shop. Even with a lowered price, she couldn’t afford it. He decided then to give her the car for free. 

Ernestina had lost her son and was struggling to live with the pain, but with the kindness of Richard, she is seeing some light in her dark days. A GoFundMe page has also been created to help raise money so Ernestina’s car can be ready for the road.

12. Five-year-old Haylen Astalos chose to spend his summer selling ice cream to raise money for sick kids.

Haylen has raised $2,617.21 and donated it to the  Ronald McDonald House in Red Deer, Canada. His goal is to reach $3,009.

“A lot of people ask him, ‘Why this number?' Because he’s 5, I have no idea,” said Haylen's mom. “His original response was, ‘I know it will help lots and lots and lots and lots of kids and I want to help as many as [I] can.'"

13. Mary Cotter has been volunteering for the past 25 years as Wonder Woman at the Montclair Senior Center in California.

The now 103-year-old dresses up to serve tea and coffee at the center five days a week. She asks for nothing in return, just that people understand her message that you don't have to lose anything with age.

14. Lee Hardy has spent nine years making hundreds of Easter basket for kids in need.

She buys most of the contents of the baskets, but The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office likes to donate toy cars and stickers. She's called the Easter basket lady, and kids are invited to her home to pick out a basket. 

The smiles she see on the kids' faces are all worth the hours of work she puts in. "I just think of joy and love."

15. Fifteen-year-old Taylor Rapp filled 100 backpacks with school supplies and sent them to a local school.

After a tornado destroyed J.E. Rhodes Elementary School in East Texas, students moved to portable classrooms for the next two years until the school could be rebuilt.

So much was lost, but with these backpacks, students can get on with their schooling.