What "random act of kindness" have you given/received?

Long story.. here goes: I went to a Catholic School, and dealt with a lot of bullying as a kid, from classmates and a teacher. Crushed hard on this one girl who always treated me nice. We became close friends. I was pulled out of school due to poor grades. I vented on everyone for the way they treated me, said girl was furious with me for it.

I ran into her after I began homeschooling at a hardware store. She walked up to me, and said: 'I hate your guts.' I know I fucked up and made a fool of myself, but she of all people should've known why I acted that way. She knew how much everyone bullied me. Excuse me for letting off a little steam after taking everyone's crap for 3 years. It was heartbreaking to hear her speak to me this way. All I could muster out in response was: 'please don't say that..' She got close to me, and said in the nicest voice: 'But I do. I dooo..' and walked away.

Then one day.. 4th of July. Worst day of my life. Me, my mother and sister went to watch the fireworks. 'Hey loser!' I hear. There is the girl I had been crushing on for 3 years, the girl who was always so sweet to me, who I had managed to become close to, now in the arms of a boyfriend. 'Go kick this guy's ass!' She says. Her boyfriend gets up, and kicks me into the mud. She giggles and jumps onto her boyfriend's back, as couples do. 'Get lost, nobody likes you!' She says with a smile on her face. All of my old classmates taunt me. As I lie in the mud, I wanted lightning to come out of the sky and strike me dead right then and there. My Mother and sister help me up, and say something in my defense, but nothing they could say would help. We got into the car. I sat in the backseat and cried like a baby. There was no point in living anymore. All my enemies got the last laugh. The girl I love hates me, and loves another.

I decided at that point I didn't need anyone. Everyone was against me, all my so-called friends who lived nearby ridiculed me, cracked eggs down the back of my pants and ditched me to play with others, complaining about how they would be 'stuck with' me sometimes.. But that girl turning on me like that.. that was it. I was done with people after that. I'll live alone, safe in my room, away from everyone's insults. Free of taking everyone's garbage..

At this point in time, my mother slumped into a deep depression. She slept all the time. I would get up at around 8am to start my day, while my Mom just slept. If I made a sound, she'd go into a rage. Dad spent the day at work, and I was left to do nothing except watch tv, sometimes do schoolwork, but nothing ever got graded, so it was a waste of time. She would get up at around midnight or 3am, then go back to bed a few hours later. It was so fucked up for a kid to have bedtime at 9am. This continued for years. CPS tried to take me away from my parents the year before, and I was relieved they didn't, but in hindsight, they should have. While my friends were having fun at school, graduating, starting High School, there I remained. Guess I got what I wanted. I gained a lot of weight, didn't recognize te kid in the mirror. I felt so alone and cut off from the world, had no self esteem.

I recall one day I sat on a bench while at a grocery store. This one girl, I don't know who she was, just came up to me, smiled, and gave me a flower, then waved at me and went on her way.

That meant so much to me in that moment. It warmed my heart, and put a smile on my face.

tldr: the smallest act of kindness can have the biggest impact on a person.

/r/AskReddit Thread