Steve Gatena

“A Chicago teen kept breaking into a fitness center and using the equipment. Management warned him they were going to call the police. He kept finding ways to get into the place. Police were finally called.

Officer Mario Valenti learned the 15-year-old previously had a membership, but his mother could no longer afford to pay it. Instead of charging him, the officer reportedly handed over $150 of his own money to buy the boy a membership good for roughly the next 4 months.

When the owner of the fitness center contacted his corporate office about what was happening, officials were so touched by the officer’s kindness, they extended the membership for two years.

Officer Valenti said, At the end of the day, it’s not about gratitude. Most of us took this job to help people, not to hurt them. The job can be negative. For the most part, the job is dealing with good people having a very bad day, so you’re not seeing the best side of people…. I’d rather have him playing ball than being on the street and possibly getting into trouble.”

Source: Credit: Mike Isaacs / Pioneer Press

Jim Carrey once said: “Imagine struggling with being homeless and someone comes with a camera in your face to give you a meal and you have to take it… Imagine that feeling. Please, stop doing that. If you go to help someone, do it with kindness and not your ego.”

In 1987 — a guy bought a lifetime unlimited first class American Airlines ticket for $250,000.

He flew over 10,000 flights costing the company $21,000,000.

They terminated his ticket in 2008.

It was 1981… American Airlines was in financial trouble… they needed quick cash flow and were unable to borrow from a bank because interest rates were too high.

A new executive at the company thought of a brilliant idea…

Selling lifetime unlimited first class seat tickets for $250,000, they called it “AAirpass.”

The company would get all the money up front and it would solve their cash crunch.

One pass even came with a companion ticket for whomever you wanted to bring with you. It was an extra $150,000 bringing the total price to $400,000.

With inflation, in today’s money, that would’ve been about $1.2m, paid in full up front.

The financial planners at the airline assumed that the buyers would use the ticket pass excessively but they failed to consider the super-travelers, people who would be overly excessive.

Steven Rothstein was one on the buyers of the ticket and boy did he use it. As a super-traveler, he would fly around the world on whim, heading to Paris for breakfast, flying to London for lunch, and doing dinner in New York.

While the AAirpass might have seemed smart in the moment, the program is now known as “a huge disaster“ for the company.

For the super-travelers, it was a dream come true.

“Ruby and I were on the Southern State Parkway when it became obvious we had a flat tire.

There's no shoulder on the side of that highway, so I pulled off onto the grass, and, almost immediately, a black Jeep pulled off the highway in front of us, just as I was looking for the phone number for AAA.

A young man wearing a yarmulke stepped out of the Jeep into the 96 degree heat and walked over to the passenger side window of my car.

He said he had lots of tools in his car and could change my tire for me.

Really?

'Yes,' he said.

'I see you have a child in the back, and, if this happened to my mother, I'd like to think someone would do the same for her.'

So, as he's changing the tire, we started chatting and he told me there's a group of people in his Orthodox Jewish community who do volunteer roadside assistance - for anyone and everyone.

There's also a volunteer ambulance.

I said I've never heard of such a thing before.

And he said, 'Yeah, you only hear the bad stuff about us.'

He quickly and adeptly finished changing my tire, and, as I was thanking him profusely, I asked if there was anything I could do to thank him.

He responded with a smile, 'Zero.'

I got back in the car, crying.

Ruby asked me why I was crying, and I said they were happy tears and tears of relief.

So super scary to think about how much worse the day could have been for us, and such an amazingly kind person who came to our rescue.

That kid has his ticket to heaven written in stone.

If you've gotten this far in reading, please consider doing something kind for a stranger today - I know I will.“

Credit: Isobel Stone

“This is my dad, mowing my mom’s lawn.

They’ve been divorced 28 years.

My mom has bad knees, and my step dad works out of town.

When my younger siblings questioned “Why is your dad mowing mom’s lawn?”

I told them “Because, She needed help, and he knew she couldn’t get out here to do it, so he did.”

This is co parenting.

This is how lucky I am to have 4 parents who respect each other, and know that at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is showing your children (Even ones that are 32 years old) how to treat people, and how to love your family, no matter how it came together.

Edit: My dad is humored at how many people have seen this.

He wants everyone to know “I’m no saint.”

He just wants to show others that you don’t need to act like an angelic pastor on lent, but that we should all choose kindness whenever we can.”

Credit: Codie LaChelle Upp-McPhate

Todd Beamer…. 911 Hero.

These are his words on the phone with the operator before Flight 93 crashed. It’s all about faith, family, and responsibility. He could say, “To live is Christ, to die is gain.” This is a day to ponder the words of a hero, concluding with, “LET’S ROLL.”

Todd: Hello… Operator… listen to me… I can’t speak very loud. – This is an emergency. I’m a passenger on a United flight to San Francisco. We have a situation here... Our plane has been hijacked… can you understand me?

Lisa: (exhaling a deep breath to herself) I understand… Can the hijackers see you talking on the phone?

Todd: No

Lisa: Can you tell me how many hijackers are on the plane?

…(The operator and Todd exchange information and she gets the FBI on the call and detailed information goes back and forth)…

Todd: Lisa, will you do something for me?

Lisa: I’ll try… if I can… Yes.

You have the same name as my wife… Lisa… We’ve been married for 10 years. She’s pregnant with our 3rd child. Tell her that I love her… (choking up)... I’ll always love her... (clearing throat) We have two boys... David, he’s 3 and Andrew, he’s 1… Tell them… (choking) tell them that their daddy loves them and that he is so proud of them. (clearing throat again) Our baby is due January 12th… I saw an ultrasound… it was great… we still don’t know if it’s a girl or a boy… Lisa?

Lisa: (barely able to speak) I’ll tell them, I promise Todd.

Todd: I’m going back to the group—if I can get back I will…

Lisa: Todd, leave this line open…are you still there?…

Todd: (breathing a little heavier)I have talked with the others….we have decided we would not be pawns in these hijackers' suicidal plot.

Lisa: Todd, what are you going to do?

Todd: We’ve hatched a plan. Four of us are going to rush the hijacker with the bomb. After we take him out, we’ll break into the cockpit. A stewardess is getting some boiling water to throw on the hijackers at the controls. We’ll get them….and we’ll take them out. Lisa, …..will you do one last thing for me?

Lisa: Yes… What is it?

Todd: Would you pray with me?

Todd & Lisa pray: Our Father which art in Heaven

Hallowed be thy name,

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our trespasses

As we forgive our trespassers,

And lead us not into temptation

But deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory

Forever…..Amen

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…

He makes me to lie down in green pastures

He leads me beside the still waters

He restores my soul

He leads me in paths of righteousness

for His name’s sake

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

I will fear no evil, for thou art with me…..

Todd: (softer) God help me…Jesus help me….(clears throat and louder)

Are you guys ready?

Let’s Roll.

Moments later, Flight 93 went down in Pennsylvania. Todd & the others died as heroes, saving many lives in D.C.

Credit: Michael Sprague

“So I thought it was a good idea to fly by myself with a 2 yr old and a 5 year old 😐 we were standing in line in security, on the verge of tears because Wyatt was screaming and James was exhausted.

Out of the blue, one mom stops the line for security and says “here, jump in front of me! I know how it is!” Wyatt fell asleep and I was trying to carry everyone’s carry-on when another mom jumps out of her place in line and says “hand me everything, I’ve got it”.

When I said thank you to both of them they said “don’t you worry, we’re going to make sure you get on that flight.” The second woman takes everything and helps me get it through security and, on top of all that, she grabs all of it and walks us to the gate to make sure we get on the flight. To top it all off, Wyatt starts to scream at take-off before he finally falls back to sleep.

After about 45 min, this angel 👇🏼 comes to the back and says “you look like you need a break” and holds Wyatt for the rest of the flight AND walks him all the way to baggage claim, hands him to blake, hugs me and says “merry Christmas!!”

Credit: Becca Kinsey

Jack was about to fly home from New York to London when he met Violet at the gate and became her friend.

Violet, an 88-year-old former nurse, was flying home after visiting her daughter, and she had never been able to afford an expensive first-class ticket.

It was a dream of hers to do that someday.

When it was time to board, Jack walked with Violet onto the plane, insisted that she take his first-class seat, and then went to the very back of the plane next to the restrooms, and sat in hers.

Stewardess Leah Amy found out about the switch and reported the story (these photos are hers), saying,

“Jack never said a word or asked for anything. Of all the people I’ve met on hundreds of flights, including soccer players, supermodels, and movie stars, these two have been my favorite passengers.”

Credit: Daniel D.Lay

“I was walking into Aldi in Moberly just now to pick up some essentials.

An older gentleman approached me.

He had a gentle smile and was wearing a US Marine Corps hat that said ‘United We Stand’ on it.

He had a stack of 100-dollar bills in his hand and was handing one to every person who entered the store.

He said he was paying for our groceries today.

When I refused to take it, he said he was a retired Marine with no one to care for except himself.

He said Americans are hurting, and he is helping the only way he knows how.

The ladies at the checkout said he had been out there all morning long.

This is what America is all about you guys.

There are truly angels among us.

I’m at a total loss for words right now.

Leaving here to go pay this forward.”

Credit: Melinda Elliott Sander/ Moberly, MO

“I have no words right now!!!

Today shaq blessed us like never before.

Like literally no words.

Last night we had a surprise visit from Shaq.

He took us to dinner as a family at babes chicken.

It was so much fun to just hang out and eat dinner with him.

And then today!!

He started the day off by taking us to the Mercedes dealership to get us a new family 15 passenger van.

We were outgrowing our 12 passenger van and the air conditioning wasn't always working the greatest and so this is such an outrageous blessing.

They didn't have any in stock and so we got to customize and order a van that should be here in July.

He then took us to dinner at rainforest café where he paid for another tables entire meal not knowing that they were from out of state and here on missions.

And then he tipped our waitress $1000 after her car broke down today.

And then when he saw my husband's truck that has been without air-conditioning and heat for a while he took us to a Ford dealership and blessed us with another truck.

He also spent time encouraging us and loving on our children and speaking life into our family.

I am completely lost for words.

Somebody wake me up because I must be dreaming.

Thank you shaq times a million times!!!

You have been such a blessing to us in so many ways.”

Credit: Tiana Sullivan