Single dad explains how a kind act by a custodian at railway station made him feel seen and heard

One never knows how much they need a kind gesture until they actually receive it and are overwhelmed with thoughtfulness. Single dad Kier Gaines (@kiergaines) shared a heartwarming incident he faced when he was with his daughter and it has touched the hearts of many people. Sharing the event, the dad mentioned that he was out traveling with his daughter and she had to use the bathroom. Since it was just the dad and daughter, it was awkward for him to get into a women’s bathroom for his daughter. “I don’t take her to the women’s bathroom, I don't feel comfortable,” the dad revealed. 

He also added that other women may not be comfortable at the thought of a man in a women’s bathroom irrespective of the reason. “We go into the men’s bathroom and this homeless guy comes out of the stall and it smells terrible,” the dad shared. “He was doing what he had to do, not his fault,” the dad acknowledged. However, the dad was feeling uneasy about letting his daughter use the bathroom when a custodian approached him. “One of the porters who cleans here saw me and went, ‘Hey bro, you want me to hit the bathroom and clean that up for you?’” The dad immediately agreed and appreciated the man for his impromptu help. 

The dad then mentioned that the man had revealed he had a 5-year-old daughter and understood the dad’s discomfort. “I understand how hard it is to be a dad and get your daughter in a clean bathroom and make them feel comfortable and safe.” The dad instantly connected with the man and feeling heard and understood made him run through mixed emotions. “Hey man, you know that chest-tingly feeling like you could cry? I felt that man, I felt that,” he said. “It validated so many things I felt frustrated with,” he added.

The dad further mentioned how it is hard and rare for a man to vent about how he’s feeling and having someone who understood his struggle filled his heart. “Nobody wants to hear a dad complaining but for that man to understand that I was struggling and clean that stall for my baby, man, it meant the world to me,” he said.

“I appreciate the brother, his name is Geroge. He works here at the Pennsylvania Amtrak Station,” the dad revealed. The dad also urged his viewers to thank and appreciate George if they happened to see him. “Dark-skinned brother with two braids, if you see him, tell him he’s doing an amazing job,” he said. In his caption, the dad wrote, “There is no such thing as a small gesture. Put some light in the world, we could use more of that.” His clip garnered praise from people around the world. @mcole_23 said, “Small gestures hold so much weight.” @snufabelis pointed out the problem of gendered bathrooms and the need to have family stalls. They said, “There’s no winning as a parent. Props to you for taking care of your kid. I see you.” @here4thedads sadded, “Ain’t nothing like feeling seen bro. Well, I think we as fathers and men, we should go out of our way more for other men.”