When I'm browsing through my various social media feeds, I have a tendency of ignoring most of the ones that give out some kind of life advice. I'm sure they mean well, but most of them tell me something I already know. “You have to go through the storm before you can see the sunshine”. Yes, that's good to know and worth reminding people of.

One thing I feel people do need to be reminded of is gratitude and kindness, whatever that means to you. The older I've become, the more I feel it's vital to let the people know when they've made a difference, even if it's just through putting good vibes into the universe.

During my freshman year of high school, I was still reeling from some of the major changes my life had taken. As a highly reserved and incredibly shy teenager, making friends was no easy task.

I took a journalism class with the hopes of fine-tuning my writing skills. I spoke to no one and only one person, a senior named Nadine made an effort to talk to me. I remember Nadine fondly because she was nice to me and was instrumental in getting an article I wrote published in the school newspaper.

One class assignment involved having to construct a tower of sorts using newspaper and some tools. While everyone else talked to each other, I did my own thing and struggled. A classmate I had never spoken to named Stephen saw me struggling and came over to help me build that tower to just the right length to successfully complete the assignment. I still failed the class, but to this day I have never forgotten Stephen's incredible act of kindness. He didn't know me yet he had--and still has--no idea that simple act of kindness would leave a lasting impression.

In seventh grade I had a great English/language arts teacher, we'll call her Ms. M. Unlike my advanced language arts teacher in sixth grade who had little faith in my skills, Ms. M. encouraged me and helped me develop a genuine love for writing. I was able to find her through the magic of social media nearly two decades later and I sent her a message. I thanked her for being supportive and allowing me to fan the flames of passion for something that I now use every day to pay the bills and have been told I'm very good at.

These are only two examples, but I could go on and on with more. I've yet to run into Stephen, but I hope the day comes where I can tell him that his selfless act of innocent kindness did not go unnoticed. As for Nadine, the fact that she reached out to a loner with strong social anxiety and went as far as writing a nice note in my yearbook despite barely knowing me meant the world.

And so ladies and gentlemen, the moral of the story here is to not only show some gratitude but also be kind. As life has shown countless times before, you never know how profoundly your actions will affect someone's life. Thank you sincerely, Ms. M., Nadine, and Stephen.