People reveal the most selfless thing someone unwittingly did for them

Editor's note: This article was originally published on March 31, 2021. It has since been updated.

Sometimes a small act of kindness can mean the world to another person. The year 2020, has been incredibly tough on people from across the world because of the pandemic. A selfless act can go a long way in helping each one of us navigate the personal crises we're all dealing with. Some Reddit users opened up about some of the most selfless acts that others did for them and it's so wholesome. U/astridius asked Reddit, "What is the most selfless thing someone is unaware they did for you?"

Here are some of the replies that moved us:

"Cars can be fixed, are you ok?"
I was driving and hit another car. He was stopped to turn and I simply wasn't paying attention. I rear-ended his car at about 30 miles per hour. Set off my car's airbags. I managed to pull over to the side, he completed his turn. I was in shock and blundered right into the highway. He ran out, pulled me to safety and as I'm sobbing and apologizing, he just gave me a big hug and kept telling me it's ok, we're ok, cars can be fixed. He was so sweet and calm when I was a complete mess. Found out from my co-worker a week later, the gentleman I hit had lost his wife to cancer the week before. Just....wow. — u/Verticalparachute

Compassion goes a long way
My daughter has a progressive neurological issue that is slowly taking away her right side. A few years ago, when she was 12 and could still ride a bike, we were riding to a place to watch fireworks on the 4th of July. She was struggling to ride and was somewhat unsteady and couldn’t make quick moves. We weren’t riding far. As she was riding by a new Mini Cooper, she was struggling to keep her bike straight and her handlebar hit the side view mirror of the guys Mini. He was in the car and just smiled and waved us on saying everything was fine. I think he had a sense that my daughter had to work extra hard to ride her bike. After we moved out of the way, I went to thank the guy but he drove off. I know she broke the glass on his mirror, I heard it. I’ll never forget the guys face and how compassionate and understanding he was. - u/macva99 

"It felt like the most normal thing in the world"

I have a genetic condition that makes me look rather awful. People are often uncomfortable around me. I get it, totally - but still, it hurts. One night, I was at a church activity, and they told everyone that they could go target shooting (I know... weird). That's not my thing, and so I just stayed by the campfire. After everyone left, a girl stayed there with me and just talked. As we were talking, a few bugs came and landed on my face, and she brushed them away — like it was the most normal thing in the world. People never touch me at all, or at least not without fear. I know that is not really doing much, but I think that she must have gone through a lot in her life, in order to be around someone like me, and not be afraid. It's been years since that happened, and I still get that ache in the throat just thinking about it. — u/beyondwhatis

Sometimes all it takes is a hug

I was severely depressed at that time and I was sitting outside on the veranda on a bench when my 4-year-old cousin came and stood on the bench and just hugged me. I asked her what are you doing and she replied, "maya korchi" which means "showing you love." I still think about it when I am feeling down. — u/nerdywiz009

A place to call home

My friend’s parents feeding me and letting me stay the night at their homes, even on school nights when shit was getting crazy at my house. Maybe they were aware, but they never let me know. — Reddit

She saved my life and has no idea

After I was rescued from human trafficking, I was in a safe house, one of the social workers, when I moved out, sent me a letter thanking me for being the reason she decided to pursue her career working with trafficking victims. The day I got the letter I was prepared to kill myself. She saved my life and has no idea. — u/Realistic-Forever252

"I will never know who helped me but I'm forever grateful"

An organ donor saved the sight in my left eye when I was 20. The law in Australia prevents me from ever knowing who the donor was but I hope their family knows how grateful I am and are proud of them. When I talk to people about organ donation, a significant proportion of people tell me that they leave corneas unticked so they won't be donated. I will always tell the story of my donor and how much it meant to me. No, it didn't save my life, but as an artist in a visual medium, I owe my career and success to someone I never knew. — u/braxmar22

"Dogs always somehow know"
I was having a really bad depressive episode and this man and their dog were walking down the street. I was waiting for my food and considering just walking saying f*ck it and walking down to one of the bridges on the river. The man's dog was walking with her leash dragging on the floor, and she came up to me and sat down on my feet and looked up at me and refused to move for about 5 minutes. I don’t know if the man realized I needed this or what, but he didn’t say or do anything as I stood there crying and petting his dog. When the dog decided she was done, she got up and they walked off and I never saw them again. — u/rizcriz

"I still think about what they did for me"

While I was in college, I couldn’t afford groceries most of the time so a few of my friends would buy me lunch with their dorm meal cards. I’m not close with any of them anymore but I still think about what they did for me a lot. — u/poobrainmace

She believed in me

I was on welfare in my early 20s and one worker would take time out of her day to listen to me and do everything she could to help me out. She was only supposed to have about 15 minutes with me but she'd regularly stay with me for like 45 minutes. She helped me so much just by believing me and treating me like a person who was trying their best. — mad_fishmonger

Teacher reaches out

When I was in grade 3 my teacher invited me to have dinner with her and her family. My family life was not good. I never had a dad. My mom is an alcoholic (She has been sober now for 30 years). I did not know what a normal family was like until that dinner and night at her house. It was just so calm and stable. I remembered that day like it was yesterday. It was almost 40 years ago. It made me realize that there was another way to exist. - Reddit