Touching stories in contact. Touching stories from the lives of different people

1.
One day, a blind man was sitting on the steps of a building with a hat near his feet and a sign that said, “I am blind, please help!” One man walked by and stopped. He saw a disabled man who only had a few coins in his hat. He threw him a couple of coins and wrote new words on the sign without his permission. He left it to the blind man and left.
In the afternoon he returned and saw that the hat was full of coins and money. The blind man recognized him by his steps and asked if he was the man who copied the tablet. He also wanted to know what exactly he had written.
He replied: “Nothing that would be untrue. I just wrote it a little differently." He smiled and left.
The new sign read: “It’s spring, but I can’t see it.”

2.
One day, one man returned home late from work, tired and nervous as always, and saw that his five-year-old son was waiting for him at the door.

Dad, can I ask you something?

Of course, what happened?

Dad, how much do you get?

It's none of your business! - the father was indignant. - And then, why do you need this?

I just want to know. Please, tell me, how much do you get per hour?

Well, actually, 500. So what?

Dad... - the son looked up at him with very serious eyes. Dad, can you borrow me 300?

Did you ask just so that I could give you money for some stupid toy? - he shouted. - Immediately go to your room and go to bed!.. You can’t be so selfish! I work all day, I’m terribly tired, and you’re acting so stupid.

The kid quietly went to his room and closed the door behind him. And his father continued to stand in the doorway and get angry at his son’s requests. “How dare he ask me about my salary and then ask for money?”

But after some time, he calmed down and began to think sensibly: “Maybe he really needs to buy something very important. To hell with them, with three hundred, he’s never even once asked me for money.” When he entered the nursery, his son was already in bed.

Are you awake, son? - he asked.

No, dad. “I’m just lying,” the boy answered.

“I think I answered you too rudely,” said the father. - I had a hard day and I just lost it. I'm sorry. Here, have the money you asked for.

The boy sat up in bed and smiled.

Oh daddy, thanks! - he exclaimed joyfully.

He then reached under the pillow and pulled out several more crumpled bills. His father, seeing that the child already had money, became angry again. And the baby put all the money together, and carefully counted the bills, and then looked at his father again.

Why did you ask for money if you already have it? - he grumbled.

Because I didn't have enough. But now that’s just enough for me,” the child answered. - Dad, there are exactly five hundred here. Can I buy one hour of your time? Please come home early from work tomorrow, I want you to have dinner with us.

3.
My friend opened his wife's dresser drawer and took out a bag wrapped in silk paper. It was not just any bag, but a bag of laundry. He threw the bag away and looked at the silk and lace.

I bought this for her when we were in New York for the first time. This was 8 or 9 years ago. She never wore it. She wanted to save it for a special occasion. And now, I think, that moment has come.

He walked over to the bed and placed the linen with the other things he had taken from the funeral home. His wife died.

When he turned to me he said:

Don't save anything for special things; Every day you live is a special occasion.

I still think about those words... they changed my life.

Today I read more and clean things up less.

I sit on the veranda and enjoy the view, not paying attention to the weeds in the garden.

I spend more time with my family and friends and less time at work.

I realized that life is a collection of experiences that are worth appreciating...

And now I don't save anything anymore.

I use my crystal glasses every day.

If necessary, I put on my new jacket to go to the supermarket.

I also wear my favorite perfume whenever I want, instead of only wearing it on holidays.

Words like “one day” or “someday” are banished from my vocabulary.

If it's worth it, I want to see, hear and do things now and here.

I'm not entirely sure what my friend's wife would do if she knew she wouldn't be there tomorrow (tomorrow is often so easily perceived).

I think she would have called family and close friends. Maybe she would call a couple of old friends to make up or apologize for old fights. I really like the idea that she would go to a Chinese restaurant (her favorite food).

These are the little imperfections that would bother me if I knew my days were numbered.

I would be annoyed if I didn't see the friends I was supposed to "somehow" connect with.

It would be annoying if I didn’t write the letters I wanted to write “someday.”

It would be annoying if I didn't tell my loved ones so often how much I love them.

Now I don’t miss, I don’t put off, I don’t save anything that could bring joy and a smile to our lives. I tell myself that every day, like every minute, is something special.

4.
Early morning...March 8th. The alarm clock rang, and without even having time to properly
start your song, fell silent under the pressure of my finger. Almost in the dark
I got dressed, quietly closed the front door, and headed towards the market. It became a little
dawn.
I wouldn't say the weather was like spring. The icy wind kept blowing
get under your jacket. Raising the collar and lowering it as low as possible
head, I was approaching the bazaar. I decided a week before that no
roses, only spring flowers... it’s a spring holiday.
I approached the bazaar. In front of the entrance, there was a huge basket with very
beautiful spring flowers. These were Mimosas. I came up and there were flowers
really beautiful.
“Who is the seller?” I asked, hiding my hands in my pockets. Just now, I
I felt how icy the wind was.
“And you, son, wait, she didn’t go away for long, she’ll be back right now,” she said
an aunt who sold pickled cucumbers in the neighborhood.
I stood aside, lit a cigarette and even began to smile a little when
I imagined how happy my women, daughter and wife would be.
An old man stood opposite me.
Now I can’t say what exactly, but there’s something in his appearance that
attracted.
An old type raincoat, 1965 style, there was no space on it that was
would not be sewn up. But this mended and mended cloak was clean.
Trousers, just as old, but insanely ironed. Boots, polished to
mirror shine, but this could not hide their age. One shoe
was tied with wire. I understand that the sole on it is simply
fell off. From under the cloak, an old, almost shabby shirt was visible, but also
she was clean and ironed. Face, his face was the ordinary face of an old man
man, but in his gaze there was something adamant and proud, not
no matter what.
Today was a holiday, and I already realized that my grandfather could not have been shaved in
such a day. There were about a dozen paresis on his face, some of them were
covered with pieces of newspaper.
Grandfather was cowardly from the cold, his hands were blue... he was very cowardly,
but she stood in the wind and waited.
Some bad lump came to my throat.
I started to freeze, but the saleswoman was still not there.
I continued to look at my grandfather. From many little things I guessed that grandfather
He’s not a drunk, he’s just an old man, exhausted by poverty and old age. AND
I also just clearly felt that my grandfather was embarrassed by his current
conditions below the poverty line.
The saleswoman approached the basket.
Grandfather moved towards her with a timid step.
I approached her the same way.
Grandfather approached the saleswoman, I stayed a little behind him.
- Hostess... dear, how much does one sprig of Mimosa cost? - trembling with
Grandfather asked with cold lips.
- So, well, get out of here, you're a drunk, you've decided to beg, let's get out of here, eh
then... the saleswoman growled at her grandfather.
- Hostess, I’m not a drunk, and I don’t drink at all, I’d like one twig...
“How much does it cost?” the grandfather asked quietly.
I stood behind him and slightly to the side. I saw the look in my grandfather's eyes
tears…
- Alone, I’ll mess with you, you drunk, let’s get out of here, -
the saleswoman growled.
- Mistress, just tell me how much it costs, and don’t yell at me, just like that
Grandfather said quietly.
“Okay, for you, drunk, 5 rubles a branch,” she said with a kind of grin
saleswoman A malicious smile appeared on her face.
The grandfather pulled his trembling hand out of his pocket; on his palm lay three pieces of paper.
per ruble.
- Mistress, I have three rubles, maybe you can find me a twig for three
ruble,” the grandfather once asked very quietly.
I saw his eyes. Until now, I have never seen so much sadness and pain
in the eyes of a man.
Grandfather was afraid from the cold, like a sheet of paper in the wind.
“I’ll find you enough for three, drunk, ha ha ha, right now I’ll find it for you,” already
the saleswoman gushed.
She bent over to the basket and rummaged through it for a long time...
- Here you go, drunk, run to your drunk, give ha ha ha ha, - wildly
this fool laughed.
In my grandfather’s hand, blue from the cold, I saw a branch of Mimosa, it was broken
middle.
Grandfather tried to give this branch a divine appearance with his second hand, but she didn’t
wanting to listen to him, she broke down on the floors and the flowers looked at the ground... On her hand
a tear fell from my grandfather... Grandfather stood and held a broken flower in his hand and cried.
- Do you hear, bitch, what the fuck are you doing? - I started, trying
keep the remaining calm and not hit the saleswoman in the head with your fist.

Apparently, there was something in my eyes that the saleswoman somehow
turned pale and even decreased in stature. She just looked at me like
the mouse was on the boa constrictor and was silent.
“Grandfather, just wait,” I said, taking my grandfather’s hand.
- You chicken, stupid, how much does your bucket cost, answer quickly and clearly,
“So that I don’t strain my ears,” I hissed, barely audible, but very clear.
“Uh... ah... well... I don’t know,” the saleswoman mumbled.
- I’m asking you for the last time, how much does a bucket cost!?
“Probably 50 hryvnia,” said the saleswoman.
All this time, my grandfather looked at me and then at the saleswoman in disbelief.
I threw a bill at the saleswoman’s feet, pulled out flowers and handed them to my grandfather.
“Father, take it and go congratulate your wife,” I said.
Tears, one after another, rolled down the grandfather’s wrinkled cheeks. He shook
head and cried, just cried silently...
I myself had tears in my eyes.
The grandfather shook his head as a sign of refusal, and covered his
broken branch.
“Okay, father, let’s go together,” I said and took my grandfather’s arm.
I carried flowers, grandfather carried his broken branch, we walked in silence.
On the way, I took my grandfather to the grocery store.
I bought a cake and a bottle of red wine.
And then I remembered that I didn’t buy myself flowers.
- Father, listen to me carefully. I have money, it's not for me
these 50 hryvnia will play a role, and you can’t go to your wife with a broken branch
well, today is the eighth of March, take flowers, wine and cake and go to her,
congratulations.
Grandfather's tears began to flow... they flowed down his cheeks and fell onto his cloak, he
lips trembled.
I couldn’t look at it anymore; I had tears in my eyes.

I literally forced flowers, cake and wine into my grandfather’s hands, turned around, and
Wiping his eyes, he took a step towards the exit.
- We... we... have been together for 45 years... she got sick... I couldn’t leave her without today
gift, - the grandfather said quietly, thank you...
I ran, not even understanding where I was running. Tears flowed from my eyes...

Touching stories rarely appear on the first pages, which is probably why it seems that nothing good and kind is happening in the world. But as these little love stories show, beautiful things happen every day.

They're all from a site called Makesmethink, a place where people share their thought-provoking stories, and we're sure you'll agree that these little funny stories are thought-provoking. Be careful though: some of them may lift your spirits, while others may move you to tears...

"Today I realized that my dad is the best dad I could ever dream of! He is my mom's loving husband (always makes her laugh), he comes to all my football matches since I was 5 years old (I'm 17 now) ) and is a real stronghold for our family.

This morning, while looking for pliers in my dad's toolbox, I found a dirty folded piece of paper at the bottom. It was an old diary entry in my father's handwriting, dated exactly one month before my birthday. It read: “I'm 18 years old, an alcoholic, a college dropout, a victim of child abuse, a man with a criminal record for car theft. And next month I'll be adding 'teen dad' to the list. But I swear that "From now on, I will do everything right for my little girl. I will be the father I never had." And I don't know how he did it, but he did it."

"Today I told my 18-year-old grandson that when I was in high school, no one asked me to his prom. That same evening, he showed up at my house in a tuxedo and took me to his prom as his date."

"My 88-year-old grandmother and her 17-year-old cat are both blind. Usually my grandmother is led around the house by her guide dog. But lately the dog has also been leading her cat around the house. When the cat meows, the dog comes up to her and rubs her about her, after which she follows him to her food, to her “toilet,” to the other end of the house to sleep, and so on.”

“Today, approaching the door of my office at 7 am (I’m a florist), I saw a soldier in uniform standing waiting. He stopped by on the way to the airport - he was leaving for one year in Afghanistan. He said: “Usually every Friday I I'm bringing home a bouquet of flowers for my wife and I don't want to disappoint her while I'm gone." He then placed an order for 52 bouquets of flowers, each to be delivered to his wife's office every Friday afternoon. I gave him a 50% cut "discount".

"Today I walked my daughter down the aisle. Ten years ago, I carried a 14-year-old boy from his mother's fire-engulfed SUV after a serious accident. Doctors initially said he would never walk. My daughter visited him in the hospital with me several times ". Then I began to come to him myself. Today I watch how, contrary to all the doctors’ predictions, he stands at the altar on his own two legs and smiles, putting a ring on my daughter’s finger."

"Today, by mistake, I accidentally sent my father a message saying 'I love you' that I wanted to send to my husband. A few minutes later I received a response: 'I love you too.' Dad." It was like that! We so rarely say words of love to each other."

"Today, when she came out of an 11-month coma, she kissed me and said, 'Thank you for being here and telling me these beautiful stories without losing faith in me... And yes, I will come out marry you".

“Today is our 10th wedding anniversary, but since my husband and I have recently been unemployed, we agreed not to give each other any gifts this time. When I woke up in the morning, my husband was already up. I went downstairs and saw the beautiful fields "There were flowers all over the house. There were about 400 flowers in total, and he didn't spend a single coin on them."

“Today my blind friend explained to me in vivid colors how wonderful his new girlfriend is.”

"My daughter came home from school and asked where she could learn sign language. I asked why she needed it, and she replied that they had a new girl at school, that she was deaf, only understood sign language, and she couldn’t someone to talk to."

“Today, two days after my husband’s funeral, I received a bouquet of flowers that he ordered for me a week ago. The note said: “Even if cancer wins, I want you to know that you are the girl of my dreams.”

“Today I re-read the suicide letter that I wrote on September 2, 1996 - 2 minutes before my girlfriend appeared at the door and said: “I’m pregnant.” I suddenly felt that I had a reason to live. Now she is my wife "We have been happily married for 14 years. And my daughter, who is almost 15, has two little brothers. I re-read my suicide letter from time to time to feel gratitude again - gratitude for having a second chance at life and love." .

"Today, my 12-year-old son, Sean, and I visited a nursing home together for the first time in months. I usually come alone to visit my mother, who has Alzheimer's disease. As we walked into the lobby, the nurse saw my son and said, " Hi, Sean!" "How does she know your name?" I asked him. "Oh, I just popped in here on the way home from school to say hi to my grandma," Sean replied. I didn't even know that."

“Today, a woman who is having to have her larynx removed due to cancer signed up for my sign language class. Her husband, four children, two sisters, brother, mother, father and twelve close friends also signed up with her for the same class. to be able to talk to her after she loses the ability to speak out loud."

“I recently went into a second-hand bookstore and bought a copy of a book that was stolen from me when I was a child. I was so surprised when I opened it and realized that it was the same stolen book! My name was on the first page and the words written by my grandfather: “I really hope that many years later this book will be in your hands again and you will read it again.”

“Today I was sitting on a park bench eating my sandwich when I saw an elderly couple stop their car at a nearby oak tree. They rolled down the windows and turned on jazz music. Then the man got out of the car, walked around it, opened the front door where the woman was sitting ", extended his hand and helped her get out. After that, they walked a few meters away from the car, and the next half slowly danced under the oak tree."

“Today I was horrified to see through the kitchen window as my 2-year-old daughter slipped and fell headfirst into the pool. But before I could reach her, our Labrador Retriever Rex jumped after her, grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and pulled her towards the steps. shallow water where she could stand on her feet."

“Today on the plane I met the most beautiful woman. Assuming that I was unlikely to see her again after the flight, I complimented her on this occasion. She smiled at me with the most sincere smile and said: “No one has said such words to me in the last 10 years.” It turned out "We were both born in the mid-1930s, both single and childless and living almost 5 miles apart. We agreed to go out on a date next Saturday after we got home."

“Today, after learning that my mother was home from work early because she had the flu, I stopped at Wal-Mart on the way home from school to buy her a can of soup. There I ran into my father, who was already at the checkout. "He paid for 5 cans of soup, a box of cold medicine, disposable wipes, tampons, 4 DVDs of romantic comedies and a bouquet of flowers. My dad made me smile."

“Today I was waiting on a table for an elderly couple. The way they looked at each other... it was clear that they loved each other. When the man mentioned that they were celebrating their anniversary, I smiled and said, “Let me guess.” You two have been together for a very, very long time." They laughed and the lady said, "Actually, no. Today is our 5th anniversary. We both outlived our spouses, but fate gave us another chance to experience love."

“Today my grandparents, who were just over 90 years old and who had been married for 72 years, died within an hour of each other.”

"I'm 17 years old, I've been dating my boyfriend Jake for 3 years, and last night was our first time together. We've never done 'this' before, and there wasn't 'this' last night either. Instead, we baked cookies, watched two comedy, laughed, played Xbox and fell asleep in each other's arms. Despite my parents' warnings, he acted like nothing less than a gentleman and a best friend!"

“Today is exactly 20 years since I risked my life to save a woman who was drowning in the fast flow of the Colorado River. And that’s how I met my wife, the love of my life.”

Very touching life mini-stories. I sat and tears just rolled down from many stories.

Before he died, our dog became completely blind. The cat he grew up with became his guide. He rubbed himself at the dog's feet and ran in front of him, meowing loudly, so that he could follow him to the bowl of food.

Several years ago, my grandfather was admitted to the intensive care unit. I visited him, but I was not allowed into the ward. All she could do was watch from behind the glass as he lay there barely alive, with his eyes closed, and cry.
The nurse told him about me. Grandfather, I will never forget how you opened your eyes and smiled from ear to ear on the last evening of your life.

In 2001, I was in second grade. On September 11th, under the “Bring your child to work” program, my mother took me with her.

My dad left us before I was born. My mother and I were in the South Tower when a plane crashed into it. We were trapped and couldn't get out. I lost my mother in the stampede.
I woke up in the arms of a fireman.
Now he is raising me like a father.

My dad is an alcoholic and drug addict.
Saturday night I sat and cried. Tomorrow is Father's Day, but dad doesn't care. And then a text message comes from my friend's dad: “You don't deserve to live like you don't have a dad. Come visit us on Father's Day"

My parents kicked me out of the house last week after they found out I was gay. Today my sister found me. She also left home.
Why? Because my parents couldn't accept me for who I am.
And you did it, sister. Thank you, my love

Yesterday my boyfriend brought me a horror movie to watch.
He already knows that in scary places I almost jump to the ceiling. And he looked after me the whole movie and stroked my head. When I asked why he didn’t watch it himself, he said that he had already watched this movie last night. Why? So that you can warn me when it gets scary.

About a month ago I moved to Italy to study.
I was very lonely at school and it was difficult to make friends. Then I called a friend, cried and told him how much I missed him. And the next day he was already standing under my house.

He is terribly afraid of flying on airplanes.

When I got to the point where I was already dreaming of not living to see the morning, no one even noticed how depressed I was. In the evening, a cat came into the room and saw me crying. And all night she rubbed her muzzle against me, meowed and purred. She succeeded - I looked at the world more cheerfully.
It's good that sometimes animals understand more than people.

One man and two daughters were boating.
Then he saw a large boat sailing straight towards them. Then he jumped into the water with his daughters and threw them away. He saved their lives, but he himself lost his legs.
Now he has dentures. But every day I see him training in the gym.

One day I got tired of hanging around with a handful of change, and I gave it to a friend’s older brother. He beamed, as if I had given him a lot of money. “I have a jar, I’ve been saving it for a long time for a ring for my future wife. You never know when the time will come,” he explained. He doesn’t even know this girl yet, but he already loves her so much.

I saw a duck with three ducklings trying to cross a fairly heavy traffic road. I held my breath, thinking they would get hit by a car. But every car stopped specially to let them through.

It was just another day. There's a thunderstorm outside, everyone in the house is sleeping. And I'm roaring in my room. Then someone knocked lightly. I open the door, ready to tell my sister to go to hell, but it’s empty behind the door. I lower my eyes and it’s my dog ​​hitting the floor with his tail. I leaned over and she started licking my face. When there were no people around, the dog wiped my tears.
I am now a certified veterinarian.

About six years ago, my best friend's brother died in a drunken accident. Last night I spent the night at my friend's house. We were about to go to bed. My friend got out of bed, and I heard her open the door to her brother’s bedroom and say: “Good night, Steve. I love you..."
What endless love, Lauren...

My boyfriend is a very quiet boy, he never shows his feelings. Today we did our homework at his house. I grabbed his notebook to check something. After flipping through a few pages, I came to a list of reasons why he loves me. Twelve sheets, on both sides.
Quiet love doesn't mean small

I had a leg injury that required surgery. So, when I was still limping and walking with a cane, I once went to the school where my daughter studied. Classes were going on, the corridors were quiet. While waiting for the call, I studied the stand with the wall newspaper, advertisements, etc. A paper “daisy” attracted attention - on its petals the students wrote their desires, what they wanted most. It was different: “I want a computer... I want a new bicycle... I want to go to my grandmother... I want the global financial crisis to end...” Suddenly I saw my daughter’s familiar handwriting: “I want dad’s leg to stop hurting as soon as possible.” “.

Recently, I saw such a picture - a domestic cat fell from a window on the 8th floor, hurt herself, and immediately couldn’t even get up. Seeing this picture, stray dogs began to gather, with clearly bad intentions... and then a stray cat jumped out of the basement, shielded the cat and, arching its back menacingly, hissed at the dogs, driving them away, until the owner came down and took her pet..

In 2009, I served in Iraq. During the explosion, I was seriously wounded by shrapnel. An Iraqi soldier rushed to me and carried me to a safe place. He looked at me and said: “Nothing, you will return home to your people, everything will be fine.” He noticed the ring on my finger.
That man saved my life.

Three years ago I was raped. I never told anyone. Finally I confessed to my boyfriend (we’ve been dating for two years), although I was afraid that he would change his attitude towards me. At first he was silent. Then he went to the chest of drawers and took a ring from the drawer. “I thought I’d wait,” he began. - But you are so beautiful today...

2 years ago he was sitting at the desk behind me.
18 months ago we kissed for the first time.
12 months ago my leukemia returned.
Yesterday he gave me his kidney.
We are still in school. His love gives me hope.

My mother wanted to have an abortion. In the hospital, she was talking with the doctor when a 3-year-old girl ran up to her and said: “Auntie, there is no need to have an abortion. After all, we could be friends with her.”
15 years have passed and this girl is my very, very best friend. She gives me hope.

I had a sore throat. Very difficult and with a high temperature. I was alone at home. I was having a hard time with the fever, and couldn’t even get out of bed, and was crying from helplessness. My dog ​​Chiara was sitting next to the bed and looked at me with concern. Then she went somewhere and came back with a huge stinking, dirty bone, apparently she had it was hidden away for a rainy day. Chiara put a bone on my pillow and pushed it with her nose towards my face - “Gnaw!”

My father died a few years ago. My mom's new man listens to all our stories about my dad, still lets my mom wear her wedding ring, doesn't demand that she hide his photos away. He even celebrates his father's birthday with us. We tell him stories related to our dad, once he even cried with us.

One of the last evenings I was chatting on the phone with my boyfriend. And I accidentally fell asleep in the middle of a conversation.
When I woke up, I heard him listing on the phone why he loved me. When I asked why he didn’t just hang up, he embarrassedly replied: “I wanted to protect you from a bad dream.”
I slept for two and a half hours.

Today I saw a teenage girl come out of a cafe with two cups of coffee and sandwiches in her hands. She approached the homeless man, gave him one cup and a sandwich and sat down next to him. They drank coffee, chatted and laughed. Compassion and sensitivity do not depend on age.

Once my beloved and I were talking about New Year's kisses (according to legend, if you don't kiss someone on New Year's midnight, you will be lonely all year - approx. transl.). I have never kissed anyone on New Year's Day. For the Christmas holidays, I returned to my hometown, a three-hour drive from where I now live. And she fell down with a sore throat.
He came on New Year's Eve to kiss me at midnight, no matter how sick I was.
Thank you, Chris.

This selection of good stories, each of which touches to the core, makes us once again convinced that in our world there is still room for goodness that makes it a little better.

John Unger bathed his 19-year-old dog in the lake every day so that the buoyant force of the water would relieve the animal's arthritis pain. This touching photo prompted so many donations from all over the world that the dog was able to spend the rest of his life in maximum comfort, and his owner opened a fund to help other dogs in need.

In 2011, after the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster, a group of more than two hundred Japanese retirees offered to help clean up the disaster. They stated that in order to save young lives they would like to take on work associated with the danger of radiation exposure.

American virologist Jonas Salk was the first to develop a successful polio vaccine. He could have patented it and become very rich, but he did not want personal gain. When asked who owned the patent, Salk replied, “There is no such thing as a patent. Is it possible to patent the Sun?

Student Caesar Larios is stuck in an elevator with an elderly woman. After some time, it became difficult for the woman to stand, and then he got down on all fours and invited her to sit on his back.

In May 2013, Tom Chris from the Canadian city of Calgary won $40 million in the lottery. Without spending a single dollar of this huge sum on himself, he donated all the money to cancer treatment in memory of his wife, who died of lung cancer the year before this event.

During World War II, British philanthropist Nicholas Winton organized the rescue of 669 children, mostly of Jewish origin, from German-occupied Czechoslovakia. He found a shelter for the children and took them to the UK. Despite the nobility of this act, the world learned about it only 50 years later.

Ten-year-old Travis Selinka from California lost all his hair after a course of radiotherapy and was very embarrassed to return to school without hair. However, his classmates decided to support him and all shaved their heads in solidarity. Their action touched Travis to the core.

Shortly after the death of 23 Egyptian Christians by a suicide bomber in Cairo in December 2010, fellow Christians joined hands to form a protective circle as hundreds of Muslims knelt in prayer to prevent a possible retaliatory attack.

In 2013, at Minami-Urawa Station in northern Tokyo, dozens of Japanese worked together to move a 32-ton carriage away from the platform to free a woman who had managed to fall through the gap between the carriage and the platform. After this collective act of rescue, the woman was retrieved unharmed to the applause of onlookers.

Dry cleaners in Portland, Oregon, offered free suit cleaning for unemployed people. They helped more than two thousand people.

During riots in Brazil, a police officer asked protesters to remain calm on his birthday. Soon they presented him with a birthday cake.

Israeli driver Ethan Eliyahu found a bag containing $25,000 in his car. He took the money to the police, and it turned out that it belonged to an Ethiopian janitor who had been saving for his family for a long time.

During World War II, in the Auschwitz concentration camp, Polish Catholic Franciscan priest Maximilian Kolbe volunteered to accept death in place of an unknown prisoner named Frantiszek Gajowniczek. His sacrifice was not in vain; Gajovnicek survived and was reunited with his wife after the war. In 1982, Kolbe was canonized by the Pope and proclaimed a holy martyr.

Eighty-year-old Texas retiree Eugene Bostic spends all his free time helping stray dogs. An experienced welder, he even built a train for the dogs to take on fun rides around the area.

In 2012, seventeen-year-old Megan Vogel performed a very noble act at the 3200-meter final in Columbus, Ohio. Instead of making the final push, she helped her rival Ardenne McMath, who had sprained her leg, and the girls crossed the finish line together.

Every day, leaving the subway, this young Egyptian woman teaches literacy to the child of a street vendor.

A brave Beijing police officer handcuffed himself to a woman who was about to commit suicide. The woman realized that by jumping off, she would take the policeman with her, and this stopped her. Then the law enforcement officer helped the failed suicide climb inside the building.

When homeless Billy Ray Harris returned a diamond engagement ring to Sarah Darling, who accidentally dropped it in his begging jar, he didn't expect the event to turn his life upside down. His act touched the hearts of many people so much that they donated 180 thousand dollars for Billy. The honest guy was able to buy a house and even found a job.

When police officers take an oath to serve and protect, few people know how far they are willing to go to fulfill their oath. For example, two Portland police officers helped deliver an order to a pizza delivery man who had been involved in an accident.

Sad stories

Page 1

Returning home in the evening, I found my wife in the dining room, where she was setting the table for dinner. Taking her hand, he asked her to stop and sit with me for a minute, since I needed to tell her something important: “I want to file for divorce!” She was silent for a while, and then only asked about the reason. I couldn’t give an answer and it was my silence that drove her into a frenzy: they didn’t start dinner, there was no time for that, she screamed something incoherently, fell silent and started screaming again... And then she cried all night... I understood her, but I couldn’t say nothing comforting - I stopped loving my wife and fell in love with another woman.

With a feeling of guilt, he handed her an agreement to sign, according to which he left her an apartment and a car, but she tore the agreement into shreds and threw them out the window. And she started crying again. I felt nothing but remorse - the woman with whom I shared 10 years of my life became a complete stranger to me...

I felt sorry for the years spent living with her and wanted to quickly throw off these shackles and fly to a new, true love... The next morning on the nightstand there was a letter with the conditions for divorce: my wife asked me to delay filing the application for one month and for this month continue to play the role of a prosperous family. The reason was the exams that our son had to take. And one more thing... On our wedding day, I carried her into the apartment in my arms. And now she asked that during this month I carry her out of our bedroom in my arms every morning.

Since I had another woman, my wife and I have had practically no physical contact - we have a common breakfast in the morning, a common dinner in the evening, and sleep on opposite ends of the bed. Therefore, taking her in my arms for the first time after a long break, I felt some kind of mental turmoil... My son’s applause brought me back to reality - a happy smile was shining on my wife’s face, and for some reason I felt pain. From the bedroom to the dining room - 10 meters, and while I was carrying her in my arms, my wife closed her eyes and barely audibly whispered in her ear a request - not to talk about the divorce to our son before the appointed time.

On the second day, the role of a happy and loving husband was a little easier for me. My wife put her head on my shoulder. And then I realized how long I had not looked closely at these once beloved features and how they were no longer similar to those 10 years ago... On the 4th day, taking my wife in my arms, I involuntarily thought that this woman gave me 10 years of her life... On the 5th day, my chest ached from the insecurity of my small body and the trust with which my wife pressed herself against my chest. Every day it became easier and easier for me to take her out of the bedroom.

One morning I found her choosing clothes - it turned out that over the past time her entire wardrobe had become incredibly large for her. Only now I noticed how thin and haggard my wife had become. It turns out that’s why my burden became lighter with each subsequent day...

My epiphany was sudden, like a blow to the solar plexus. With an unconscious movement, I stroked her hair. My wife called her son and hugged both of us tightly. Tears came to my throat, but I turned away because I couldn’t and didn’t want to change my decision. He picked his wife up again and carried her out of the bedroom. She hugged my neck, and I hugged her tightly to my chest, like on the first day of our wedding...

In the last days of the agreed period, confusion reigned in my soul. Something changed in me, turned upside down, which I could not define... I went to that other woman and told her that I would not divorce my wife.

On the way home, I thought that the routine and monotony of family life does not arise from the fact that love has left or passed, but from the fact that people forget about the significance of each in the life of the other. Turning off the path, I went to pick up a bouquet and attached a beautiful card to it with the inscription: “I will carry you in my arms until the last day of your life!” Choking with excitement, I entered the door with a bouquet. I walked throughout the apartment, but found my wife in the bedroom. She was dead... For many months, while I, blinded by love for another woman, was in the clouds, my wife silently struggled with a serious illness.

Knowing that she did not have long to live, she tried with her last effort of will to save our son from stress and preserve my image in his eyes as a good father and loving husband.

I work as an operator in the technical support of a well-known cellular company. Different people call, everyone has their own problems. For some, the “beep” service does not work, for some, their money has been debited, some just call and remain silent... On average, about 300 subscribers call me a day, that’s about 7,500 people per month. But there was one single call that I will probably never forget.

It was already late evening, the end of my shift was approaching, I was in a good mood. And then another call, a man, about fifty years old, calls:
- Girl, hello! Please look at the last time calls were made from such and such a number.

I check my passport details, check the number, and see that the SIM card has not been used for several months. I decided to warn that if the subscriber does not use the SIM card for 180 days, it will be blocked.
He interrupted me:
- Yes, yes, I know. This is my wife's number...
Silence.
- Can you hear me?
- Yes, sorry... This is my wife’s number. The fact is that she died four months ago... At the funeral, I put the phone next to her. And every evening, at nine o’clock, I call her, listen to this stupid melody from the movie “The Diamond Arm,” which, for some reason, she liked so much... And today I heard that the subscriber’s phone was turned off. The battery is probably dead... I wanted to ask you not to block the SIM card. I don’t want to call and hear a different melody or someone else’s voice on the phone... I want this phone to always be next to her...

He started crying, and I got goosebumps all over my body. I had to explain what was needed to use this SIM card, to call or send an SMS at least once, but how crazy it sounded... Not knowing what to say, I understand that I can’t help him with anything, damn it. . She began to calm him down:
- I understand... I'm very sorry...
- Girl, don’t think that everything is wrong with my head, I just love her very much...
And hung up.

Tears welled up in my eyes, I was in a stupor. There are about 30 people on the line, and I’m sitting and crying...

Just think about how strong love can be, that even realizing that nothing can be returned, nothing can be corrected, you call the number for the hundredth time and keep hoping... You hope that on the other end you will again hear your beloved and painfully dear voice...

I have a general producer on one television project - a gorgeous woman of about fifty, but looking much younger than her age. Everyone calls her Gorgon behind her back, probably because of her stern disposition. She is a very wealthy woman, but she has one oddity - her outdated mobile phone. This is indecent even for an old pensioner. And this despite the fact that her laptops are from Apple and she changes them as soon as a new model appears.

At first we told her: “Throw away this antediluvian junk, it even has a black and white display.” To which Madame turned to stone, turned purple and hissed in response: “And what else doesn’t suit you about me?! I’m not paying you to give me advice about cellular communications!”

On her birthdays, the whole company chipped in on expensive smartphones several times. Madame thanked her dryly... and continued to walk around with her old phone. And so on for about ten years! And two months ago, during a meeting, everyone noticed with horror that the back cover of her phone was coming off and taped right in the center of the screen. Since then, no one has even hinted to Gorgone about new products in the field of mobile communications.

On the sidelines there were often jokes like “she has an egg in her phone, and there is death in the egg” and the like. But what can you say if a person is taken everywhere by a personal driver - it’s stupid to teach him about life and discuss his phone tied with tape.

But I still took a risk... I went to the Savelovsky market, tormented the surprised traders for two hours, but found what I was looking for. The next day, while no one was there, I looked into our madam’s office and said:
– Even though the Eighth of March has already passed, I still want to “bend over” and give you a gorgeous thing.
With these words, I placed the new back cover from her old phone model on the lacquered table. She unexpectedly quickly grabbed her, kissed her and... burst into tears. Her hands wouldn’t obey her, so I myself replaced the cracked cover of her phone with a new one.

When I was already at the door, the iron lady said:
- Thank you, you have no idea what you did for me. My baby will still live! Look, he's just like new! You see, this phone contains two minutes of voice recording of my conversation with my husband. He called, congratulated me on my birthday and said how much he loved me, even sang a piece of a song about a baby mammoth... Almost nine years have passed. He never returned from that business trip; he died in an accident...

So she turned out to be no Gorgon...

The spring sun and fresh air tired me and I decided to sit down on a bench. Squinting slightly into the sun, I enjoyed the warm weather. A rustle behind the bench brought me out of the sweet spring languor. I turned around and saw a kid about six years old, who was peering intently under the bench. The boy slowly walked around the bench, still continuing to look for something under it. After the birth of my son, I began to relate to children completely differently.

I look at the baby. The clothes are terribly poor, but they seem to be clean. There is a dirty spot on the nose. The look, his look, struck me. There was something too mature and independent about him. I thought that it seemed that a six-year-old couldn’t have such a look. But the kid looked under the bench exactly like that. I took out the gum and put the stick in my mouth. The baby looked at my hands for a moment, and then lowered his eyes to the ground.
“Uncle, raise your legs, please,” the boy said looking at me.
I raised my feet above the ground more out of surprise than consciously. The kid sat down and looked carefully at the ground under my feet.
“And here it’s not,” the boy sighed.
- Will you have some chewing gum? – I asked, looking at this little man.
- What is yours? “I like fruity ones,” he replied.
“I have mint,” I took out the gum and handed it to him in the palm of my hand.
He hesitated a little, took the pad and put it in his mouth. I smiled when I saw his hands, ordinary hands of a little boy, terribly dirty. We looked at each other and chewed gum.
“It’s good today, it’s warm,” I said.
“There’s no snow, that’s very good,” he said thoughtfully.
- Why did the snow bother you?
“Here you go, you can’t see anything under the snow,” the boy remarked.
The kid put his hands in his pockets, looked at me and said:
“I’ll go, it’s going to get dark soon, and I found almost nothing, thanks for the chewing gum.”

He turned around and, looking at the ground, walked down the alley. I can’t say exactly what exactly made me call out to him, probably some kind of adult respect for a sensible kid.
- What are you looking for? – I asked.
The kid stopped, thought a little, and asked:
– You won’t tell anyone?
- Hmm, no, no one, but what is this secret? – I raised my eyebrows in surprise.
“This is my secret,” said the boy.
“Okay, I persuaded you, honestly, I won’t tell,” I said, smiling.
– I’m looking for coins, here in the alley you can sometimes find a lot of them if you know where to look. There are a lot of them under the benches; I found a lot here last year.
- Coins? – I asked again.
- Yes, coins.
– And last summer, were you looking for them here too?
“Yes, I was looking for it,” the baby’s face became very serious.
– Did you find much today? – I asked out of curiosity.
“Right now,” he said, and reached into his trouser pocket.
A small hand took out a piece of paper from his pocket. The kid squatted down, unfolded the newspaper and laid it on the asphalt. Several coins glittered in the newspaper. Frowning, the kid took coins from the newspaper and put them in his small, dirty hand. At the same time, his lips moved, apparently he was very diligently counting his finds. Several minutes passed, I looked at him, smiling.
“48 kopecks,” he said, poured the coins into the newspaper, wrapped them and put them in his trouser pocket.
“Wow, so you’re rich,” I said, smiling even more.
– Nope, not enough, not enough yet, but over the summer I’ll find a lot here.
I remembered my son and myself, and who doesn’t collect money for candy or toys in childhood?
- Are you collecting candy?
The kid, frowning, was silent.
- And, probably, for a pistol? – I asked again.
The kid frowned even more and continued to remain silent. I realized that with my question I had crossed some permissible line, I realized that I had touched upon something very important, and perhaps personal, in the soul of this little man.
- Okay, don’t be angry, good luck and more coins. Will you be here tomorrow? – I asked.
The kid looked at me very sadly and said quietly:
– I will, I’m here every day. Unless, of course, it rains.

This is how my acquaintance began, and, subsequently, my friendship with Ilyusha (he called himself that). Every day, I came to the alley and sat on a bench. Ilya came, almost always at the same time, I asked him how was the catch? He squatted down, unfolded the newspaper and counted his coins with great diligence. There has never been more than a ruble there. After a couple of days of our acquaintance, I suggested to him:
– Ilyusha, I have a couple of coins lying around here, maybe you can take them to your collection?
The kid thought for a while and said:
- Nope, it’s just not possible, my mother tells me that you always have to give something for money, how many coins do you have?
I counted the coppers on my palm.
“Exactly 45 kopecks,” I said with a smile.
“I’ll be there right now,” and the guy disappeared into the nearby bushes.
A couple of minutes later he returned.
“Here, I’ll give this to you for coins,” the boy said and extended his palm to me.
On the child's palm lay a stub of a red pencil, a candy wrapper and a piece of green glass from a bottle. This is how we made our first deal. Every day I brought him change, and left with pockets full of his treasures, in the form of beer caps, paper clips, broken lighters, pencils, small cars and toy soldiers. Yesterday I actually left “fabulously rich” - for 50 kopecks in change I got a plastic soldier without an arm. I tried to refuse such an unfair exchange, but the baby was firm in his decision.

But one day the kid refused the deal. No matter how I tried to persuade him, he was adamant. And the next day he refused. For several days I tried to understand why he no longer wanted to take coins from me. I soon realized that he had sold me all his simple wealth and he had nothing more to give me in return for my coins. Then I used a trick - I arrived a little earlier and quietly threw a few coins under the benches. The boy came to the alley and found my coins. He collected them, squatted at my feet, and counted them with a serious look. I got used to him, I fell in love with this little guy. I fell in love with his prudence, independence and perseverance in searching for coins. But every day, I was more and more tormented by the question - why has he been collecting coins for the second year? I didn't have an answer to this question.

Almost every day I brought him candy and gum. Ilyusha happily gobbled them up. And yet, I noticed that he very rarely smiled. Exactly a week ago, the baby did not come to the alley, did not come the next day, and did not come all week. I never thought that I would worry and wait for him so much. One day I again came to that same alley in the hope of seeing Ilyusha. And when I saw him, my heart almost flew out of my chest. He sat on a bench and looked at the asphalt.
“Hello, Ilyusha,” I said, smiling with all my teeth, “why didn’t you come?” Look, there’s a coin lying under the benches, visibly or invisibly, and you’re philandering.
“I didn’t have time, I don’t need the coins anymore,” he said very quietly.
I sat down on the bench next to him.
- Why are you sad, brother, what do you mean “didn’t have time”, what do you mean “not needed”? Give it up, let’s lay out what you have, I brought it for you,” and extended his palm with coins to him.
The kid looked at the hand and said quietly:
- I don't need any more coins.
I could never have imagined that a six-year-old child could speak with such bitterness and such hopelessness in his voice.
- Ilyusha, what happened? - I asked, and hugged him by the shoulders, - why did you even need these coins?
“For the folder, I collected coins for the folder,” tears flowed from the baby’s eyes, childish tears.
My mouth was completely dry, I sat there and couldn’t utter a word.
- Why do they need them for the folder? – my voice broke treacherously.
The baby sat with his head bowed, and I saw tears falling on his knees.
- Aunt Vera says that our dad drinks a lot of vodka, and my mother said that dad can be cured, he is sick, but it costs a lot, you need a lot of money, so I collected for him. I already had a lot of coins, but I didn’t have time,” tears flowed down his cheeks in a stream.
I hugged him and pressed him to me. Ilya roared loudly. I hugged him to me, stroked his head and didn’t even know what to say.
“The folder is gone, he died, he is very good, he is the best folder in the world, but I didn’t have time,” the baby sobbed.
I have never experienced such shock in my life; tears flowed from my eyes. The kid pulled away sharply, looked at me with tear-stained eyes and said:
“Thank you for the coins, you are my friend,” he turned around and, wiping his tears as he ran, ran down the alley.

I cried and looked after this little man, to whom life handed such a test at the very beginning of his journey, and I understood that I would never be able to help him. I didn't see him on the alley again. Every day for a month I came to our place, but he was not there. Now I come much less often, but I have never seen him again - a real man, Ilyusha, six years old. I still throw coins under the bench, because I’m his friend - let him know that I’m nearby.

I did an internship in pediatric neurology in a large hospital, in the department of pediatric neuropathology. The doctors there were very experienced, with 20-30 years of experience. I was immediately warned - “don’t pet the children”! At first I even got angry - I think the mallards are old, hardened to the point of unconsciousness! Then I looked closer - dear mother! Children were brought to this department from all over the region. Naturally, without parents. And they could visit them, at best, once a month. I have never seen such “hungry for affection” eyes in my life until this moment...

In one ward, I read some kind of fairy tale to the boys who were having fun during a quiet hour. Everyone honestly lay down and dozed off. But what started next... I walked around the department like a goose on a pond - my brood accompanied me everywhere! Silently.

They followed like shadows. They were sitting outside the other wards when I was making my rounds there. They sat in the resident's room while I wrote medical histories. They sat near the toilet, at the treatment room, at the doors of the department... I tried to frown and swear at them, they disappeared for 20 minutes and again, under any pretext, appeared next to me. They caught every word and glance. It was scary…

They did not quarrel among themselves, but they did not allow “outsiders” into their group. They were 6-7 years old then. I’ve already scolded myself a hundred times for that fairy tale... Other doctors sighed knowingly and consoled me: “We’ll discharge you soon...”. And I didn’t know where to go. They froze happily during inspections and boasted to each other about who I stayed with longer today...

One day, one of them, on my night duty, knocked on the staff room and called me into the corridor: “There’s Vaska... that... roaring...”. Vaska was a “stranger,” but a hospital gurney probably wouldn’t have been able to withstand his crying. He sat on the bed, hugging an empty liter milk bottle, and howled: “Mother! Where are you, mother?! Take me away from here, mother!” I sat down next to him and tried to talk to him. Tears and snot rolled down his face in a continuous layer: “My mother was here... a long time ago... she brought milk... I drank... and I only have one bottle left from my mother....”

What was he supposed to say? How to console? How to caress, knowing that tomorrow you will leave, and he will howl again, but because he was “abandoned” again...

So you come, sincerely caress, play and leave. And their hearts are breaking...