The world seems a little dreary sometimes. Stranger danger is pushed into our brains from age two, and we're taught to avoid anyone who may cause potential threat. However, I've been incredibly lucky sometimes to have strangers cross my path, even briefly. People can be wonderful, and sometimes those wonderful people are the ones you don't know. So, I've decided to collect my favorite stories of strangers I've been lucky enough to meet and the random acts of kindness that have made them stand out in my memory.
To start, I'll introduce you to the people who inspired me to write this. I was walking home a few nights ago, tired after a long and hectic day. Crossing the street in front of college green, I noticed a group of friends sitting around the bricks. They seemed friendly, fun, and altogether ordinary, happily in their own routine. However, in what would lead to the best moment of my day, I locked eyes with the boy facing me.
I continued to cross when he waved me over.
"Do you want a s'more?"
I wasn't sure I'd heard him correctly, but he repeated himself - offering a sweet, freshly made s'more to me off of a plate.
Maybe you shouldn't take candy from strangers, but this was a s'more and I'm so glad that I took it. We barely spoke, but I left with a warm s'more in my hand and a warm feeling in my heart. Cheesy? Yes. But it honestly made my night that a brief smile at a stranger would lead them to offer that to me.
I love s'mores, and it really did leave me so happy. Strangers have the unique power to do that, turn a random day into a memory, just from an act of kindness. It means so much more coming from someone who has no ulterior motive, no need to do it, but simply wants to make someone else happy -that is a beautiful thing. So, I am starting this series to celebrate those beautiful moments in life. Where stranger meets stranger, and everyone is better off for it.