Babysitter's act of kindness encourages little girl to believe in herself and pursue big dreams

The good things we do have a positive impact on the world around us. It might take a while, but good deeds—whether big or small—ultimately bear fruit. It took several years for one woman to see the lasting impact of her kindness, but what she received was the best payback possible. In a social media post, reposted by u/RinaFrost on Reddit, the woman explains that she started babysitting a girl when she was just 12 years old. The little girl would come to her and enthusiastically show her the art she'd created, dragging her by her wrists and pointing at the pieces she'd made during the week. 

The child would also urge the babysitter to "do the voice" and the woman shared how she would "put on a sports-announcer Olympics-style voice." She would try to boost the confidence of the girl by saying, "such form! this level of coloring! why haven't seen such perfection in Crayola in a long time? and what is this? why jeff, now this is a true risk.. it seems she's made ... a monochrome pink canvas... I haven't seen this attempted since winter 1932 and I gotta say, jeff, it's absolutely & splendid."

The little girl would giggle and laugh with pleasure at her babysitter's performance and at the end of every night, ask her again if she really liked the art. The babysitter would assure the child that she did, mentioning something she noticed in her art before putting the child to bed. It was only years later that she came to know how the kindness she'd shown that child had come to shape the little girl's future. The girl grew up and was accepted into three major art schools. Wanting to share the news with the woman who always appreciated her art, she wrote a letter thanking her former babysitter. She wrote: "thank you to somebody who always saw the best in me." She also included a picture from she was young, the monochrome pink artwork. 

This heartwarming story moved members of the r/MadeMeSmile community to tears as many commented how this story is a great example of how believing in somebody can go a really long way. A Reddit user commented, "This is the kind of impact I hope I have on my future students years down the line. I want to be the teacher I never had." Another added, "Love the impact on the kid. Monochrome pink onions cutting on over here." 

A third user said, "Every time I see this, it makes me tear up a little. You just never know when your act of kindness might make all the difference."

"True or not, this is the potential of what it means to support each other. We will encourage each other to shine and strive for what we love...or maybe I'm just a dreamer," said another.

Words of affirmation and kindness can make or break the confidence of a person and this beautiful story relays that. In another example of this, a woman recently shared a rejection letter she received from an employer which turned out to be more affirming than even an acceptance letter at most times. The letter stated that she had not been accepted for the position but added: "We encourage you to keep trying, keep applying to positions that interest you; it only takes one 'yes' to change everything and the decline emails will be long forgotten." Moreover, the employer even went ahead to give an inspirational example. They wrote, "Remember: Tom Brady wasn't selected until the 6th round of the NFL draft (199th pick) due to slow foot speed, too small, lack of arm strength, couldn't throw a tight spiral, and said he couldn't improvise if a play broke down."