If you think only Hollywood can spin tales that tug at the heartstrings, think again. The following true stories are enough to bring a tear to anyone’s eye.
1. Filling the Gap
My dad passed away when I was just 8. Every week, a few of the dads on my hockey team would quietly offer to tie my skates. They didn’t make a big show of it, just a kind, silent gesture. They helped fill the void. Finding a way to fill the gap for someone else can make you both better people.
2. Music and Love
My girlfriend doesn’t know this, but whenever we are apart, I listen to the music she usually plays. It helps me feel like she’s still around.
3. Grandma’s Memory
I was conversing with my grandmother who has Alzheimer’s:
Me: “It was nice seeing you.”
Grandma: “It was nice remembering you.”
Me: “You remember me??”
Grandma: “I don’t remember your name, but I remember that I love you.”
4. Cake and Tears
My neighbor dropped a cake while carrying it from her car to her house. She sat down and cried until her husband carried her inside. I’ve never felt a stronger connection to another human being. I’m baking her a new cake now.
5. Love Before Dawn
After 20 years, my mom wakes up at 4 AM every morning to cook my dad a hearty breakfast. She sends him off to work with a fresh cup of coffee and a packed lunch. That’s the kind of wife I aspire to be.
6. Social Media Love
I created a Facebook profile for my dad using his new smartphone and explained how it worked. Today, his status read “my wife,” and when I asked him about it, he said, “Facebook asked, ‘What’s on your mind?’ So I wrote about your mom.”
7. We Are Stronger Together
My boyfriend always uses “we” statements whenever I’m stressed or scared. He says, “We will figure this out” or “We will get through this.” It makes me feel like I’m never alone, and I always have him by my side. I think that’s really important.
8. A Mother’s Love
My mom brought me a plate of cut-up fruit to my room with a slight smile, without saying a word. That simple act touches me deeply. Nobody will ever love me as much as she does.
9. Online Friends
My husband plays video games with people he’s never met. One of them died last week. Today, they’re playing in his honor, reminiscing and laughing. Don’t ever tell me online friends aren’t real friends. Sending virtual hugs to all of them.
10. A Dedicated Teacher
I had a teacher who put her heart and soul into her job. One day, she burst into tears in class and said, “Sometimes, I don’t know if I can make it through the day, but I come in, sit in my car, and hype myself up… all for you guys.” That moment touched my heart forever.
11. Lifelong Friends
I serve an elderly man and woman every day. One day, I asked how long they’ve been married. He smiled and said, “Honey, we aren’t married. She’s my best friend. Ever since my wife and her husband passed away, we take care of each other. She’s all I have.”
12. Cooking Lessons
My mom left when I was 12. The refined lady down the block would send her kids away on Friday afternoons so I wouldn’t feel embarrassed during our weekly cooking lessons. She taught me basic sauces and sent me home with meals for my siblings and me.
13. Secret Savings
My boyfriend saved up $5,000 for a new car over many months. He doesn’t know that I matched his savings. He thinks he has $5,000, but he actually has $10,000. He truly deserves it.
14. The Lemonade Stand
I drove past a boy with a lemonade stand. He mimed lassoing my car and pulling me in. I didn’t have a choice; it’s a lawless land out here in the West. Now I have lemonade, too.
15. Grandpa’s Chess
One of my clearest memories of my grandfather is when he played chess with me. I cried after losing, so he told me he’d play left-handed, and I won. It wasn’t until recently that I realized he was just being a funny, kind man.
16. A Fix-It Son
My dryer stopped working, and I was frustrated. My son asked what was wrong, and two days later, he used Amazon parts and YouTube videos to fix it. Who is this boy? I took him my stereo speakers from 1992 this morning to see what else he could fix.
17. Learning Sign Language
My sister came home one day and asked to go to the library for books on sign language. She wanted to be friends with a new deaf kid at school. Today, I stood beside her at their wedding, watching her sign “I do.”
18. Surprise Announcement
While waitressing at a party of 12, they asked me to take their picture. The man said, “1, 2, 3… Emily is pregnant!” The expressions were priceless, and I might have shed a tear.
19. Fireworks Celebration
A woman bought $300 worth of fireworks, and I asked her if she was planning a big BBQ. She said, “No, my son has muscular dystrophy and was supposed to die by 18. We’re celebrating his 40th birthday, and he loves fireworks.” Wow.
