Proof The World Has Real Angels in It

I grew up very poor. When I was 13, I was at a classmate’s house and ended up staying for dinner.

My mouth watered at the sight of the golden roast on the table. As everyone began to eat, I took a bite, but her mom’s sharp gaze made me freeze.

In front of everyone, she declared, “Did you seriously take that little? That’s not nearly enough!”

Before I could react, she grabbed my plate and heaped it with food. I was stunned but touched—I think she understood just how much that meal meant to me. The food was delicious, and I savored every bite. As I ate, everyone at the table kept staring at me

The next day, I came home from school and was surprised to find my friend’s mom at our house. It was the first time she and my mom had met. My mom’s face was flushed red.

She turned to me and said, “Mrs. Cooper brought us a Sunday roast because she knew how much you liked it.” I walked into the kitchen and saw our fridge stocked with fresh produce and food. My mom, though shy and clearly a bit embarrassed, couldn’t hide her happiness.

Over time, my mom and Mrs. Cooper became friends. She started visiting us regularly with her family, and what began with a simple meal turned into a beautiful connection that I’ll never forget.

• Flying home after Basic Training to spend Christmas with my family, I found out the flight was overbooked and there was only one seat left. The couple in front of me were debating which of them should take it.
  The guy said, “You should take it, it’s your family. I’ll catch a later flight.” Then the woman looked back, saw me, and asked where I was headed. I mentioned I was going home to see my pregnant wife and my family. She then told the woman at the counter that I should get the last seat.
  It ended up being the last Christmas with my dad, and my whole family wasn’t devastated. © jackfaire / Reddit

• My dad is an oncologist. One day a week, he would go to a rural hospital to help out. His patients would complain of upset stomachs, and he would advise them to take a specific medicine. Several of them told him it wasn’t in their budget.
  He knew, from past experience, that they were too proud to accept charity. So he had a nurse stock up on that medicine and started handing it out to his patients, claiming he had received it as “free samples.” © _h***yowlscissors/ Reddit

• I had wanted an alto flute for a while, and a regular customer of mine was upgrading his, so I offered to buy his old one from him. He let me take it over the weekend to decide if I really wanted it and how much I would be willing to pay for it.
  Long story short, he ended up gifting it to me. Then he passed away unexpectedly three weeks later. RIP, Tom. You were one of the best people I’ve ever known. © Hoodwink_Iris / Reddit