Woman shares how a stranger's positive affirmations in a vulnerable moment left a mark on her

Kindness never goes to waste. Its impact is so powerful that it can heal unaddressed emotional trauma and act as a source of warmth for years. This is exactly what happened with Hope, who for 6 years has held close to her heart the kind words spoken to her by a woman in times of distress. During that moment, Hope felt that she was at her lowest, being criticized by someone who should have protected and loved her, and this woman arrived at her side as a savior. She did not let Hope's self-confidence fall in that moment and even to this date, she uses that woman's words to pick herself up. Hope - who goes on TikTok by @hopiedopie8 - showcased her gratitude to that woman in a video posted on the platform.

The short video features Hope staring at the camera lovingly. Through the text overlay, she addresses the woman who saved her when she desperately needed it. The text reads: "To the woman who was in the lazy river near me at the age of 12 at a waterpark..." The woman came across Hope when she was getting chewed out by her father through verbal abuse. Hope's father was calling her stupid and ignorant, breaking every shred of confidence within her. At that time, Hope's eyes fell on the woman who began mouthing, "You are not dumb. You are smart and beautiful. I'm sorry." These words quite literally saved Hope.

In the caption, Hope revealed how the woman did not leave their interaction there and instead came to check on her later. "I'll never forget her. She came up to me after that when my dad was in the restroom and said even more healing things," she wrote. The woman was not obliged to help Hope and had no responsibility towards her or her father. But she still stepped up, wanting to care for a young girl in such a predicament. Perhaps she realized that if she didn't speak to Hope at that point, there was a huge chance that the sentiment Hope's father wanted to inculcate within her would stay. But the woman's words changed the game, and even after 6 years, they gave that little girl comfort.

The supportive affirmations given by that woman to Hope led her to have faith in humanity and also herself. The incident left such an impact that even after so much time, Hope feels gratitude for the woman and wants to express it through the video. The woman might not have even realized how impactful her words would end up being in Hope's life.

According to McLean Hospital, abuse—no matter of which nature—directed towards children can result in mental health concerns, such as depression, anxiety and PTSD. Therefore, children must be brought up in a positive environment. They need to know that they are safe and protected. In the case of Hope, even though it was just for a few moments, that woman saved her from the sea of negative emotions that her father wanted to drown her in. The video has garnered 2.1 million views and 176.6K likes on the platform.