Once-popular high school kid ran into an old friend — what followed proves that kindness is never forgotten

Many people, especially in school, try to create a public persona based on an image they have in their mind while ignoring their inner self. Due to peer pressure, fear of being taken for granted, or being exploited, they stop showing their kinder and humbler side. A young high schooler had similar experiences after going through a rough time during his formative years. His childhood friend, John Ryzman, now an artist named “J-RYZ”—who goes by @j_ryz on X—stood by his side as a beacon of hope without expecting much in return. Decades later, the kid from school grew into a fully mature adult, met his former football buddy, and what followed had the internet taking notes.

The wholesome post reaffirmed the value of staying true to one’s friends and delivered a lifelong lesson for those who don’t treat others nicely.

It all began when the artist and content creator stumbled upon a random man who happened to be his friend from high school. The chance encounter, after many years, led to them greeting each other, exchanging pleasantries, and doing what people typically do when they reconnect after so long. Accompanied by his girlfriend, the man introduced her to his old buddy, John. During their heartfelt conversation, they shared details about their lives until, at one point, John heard some extremely kind remarks about himself coming straight from his former pal. Before this meeting, they had last seen each other in high school.

“Ran into a guy I played football with in high school today,” the artist-turned-content creator wrote in his 2020 post, reminding the online community of the value of kindness. While introducing him to his girlfriend, the man did something unexpected—he recalled the rare, cherished memories of his school years, thanks to John.

“As he’s introducing me to his girlfriend, he says, ‘This is John. He was the only popular kid in high school who didn’t bully me,’” the artist shared, adding that the compliments kept coming because of his past good deeds.

“He was actually my friend,” John further revealed what his former football mate told his girlfriend during the introduction. The heartwarming reunion left John emotional as he concluded his post with a powerful message: “Just a reminder that people never forget how you make them feel.”

His post gained widespread attention on social media, garnering over 417K likes and countless reactions. Sharing a similar story, @berrybearhi commented, “Went to a bar with old high school friends and saw a girl I hadn’t seen since graduation. She thanked me for waiting to walk with her to homeroom—little things matter.”

“There was a girl who picked on me in high school. Now she’s constantly posting on social media about her kid being bullied and how she hates bullies,” @Robyn_Tierney added. “People forget what you did for them. However, never forget how you made them feel,” @LuthuliNomthi asserted. “A popular football player at school was always nice to me. I was often ignored by everyone because I wasn't 'cool.' But he would tell his buddies that I was super cool. He really made my senior year tolerable. I will never forget how kind Vincent was to me, no questions asked,” shared @ThatDandyAndy.