This is John. He was my Uber driver on the way to the airport yesterday.
He asked why I was traveling, and I told him it was for work. Then he asked how old I was. I said twenty-seven. He got quiet for a moment and said, “My daughter passed away at twenty-nine.”
John told me he had tried to save her. He tried to breathe life back into his daughter’s body, but it was too late. His voice cracked when he said, “I wish I could’ve done more. Why couldn’t I bring her back?”
He told me about the moment he held his grandson while grieving his own child. My heart ached for this man I had only just met.
Before I got out of the car, John reached over, patted my forearm, and said softly, “Thank you. I haven’t met anyone so kind-hearted and non-judgmental in a long time. Please never let the world make you hard. Keep smiling that smile. Keep being kind to strangers. You reminded me today what compassion feels like.”
I sat there for a second after he drove off, holding back tears.
You never really know what people are carrying behind their smiles. A simple conversation, a warm smile, or a kind word can mean everything to someone who’s hurting.
Be kind. Always.
Smile at strangers. Ask people about their day.
You might just be the light someone desperately needs. ❤️