There were no clips on the Internet that had all of these things together, so I decided to put together a few different clips to make this video myself. Sorry if it bothers anyone.

This was just adorable haha.

I am currently living in a hotel away from home, and there is this housekeeping guy who cleans my room almost every day.

He barely speaks English, so we can barely communicate, but man, he is genuinely one of the sweetest people I have ever met.

Every time he cleans my room, I can tell he puts his heart into it. He always tries his absolute best to make me comfortable, and I genuinely love coming back to my room after he has cleaned it.

About two weeks ago, he put this little air freshener in my room that made it smell absolutely AMAZING.

The next day when I saw him, I told him how much I loved it and how happy it made me. He was really happy seeing me appreciate it.

I even told him about my friend, and he went and put one in his room too.

And today I asked if I could get another one, he told me that the hotel does not provide them and he doesn't have one and was sorry about it, I was really confused and asked where it was from, he said it was from the supermarket right next to the hotel.

And I went and bought one and it was actually not cheap, then I realized something that genuinely made me want to cry.

This man had been buying these air fresheners with his own hard earned money, just to make sure he could make me as comfortable as he could.

And what really saddens is that he probably does not earn much to begin with. Yet he is spending his own money on something he absolutely does not have to, just to make someone else happy.

He never told me he bought them himself. Never mentioned the money. Never asked for anything in return.

He just saw how happy it made me, and that seemed to make him happy too.

I usually leave him tips whenever I see him, and I swear every single time, he reacts like I have just bought him a car.

He is genuinely the most appreciative person I have ever met. His reaction always makes me want to give him even more.

I even tell my mom about him and how happy he gets whenever I tip him.

But today, finding out that he had been spending his own money on these little things for me genuinely brought tears to my eyes.

it is not really about the air freshener, it is about someone who works hard every single day, probably earning far less than he deserves, and still finding it in his heart to spend some of that money just to make a stranger feel comfortable.

I am living away from my family, and coming back to a clean, comfortable room after a long day means more to me than he probably realizes.

We barely speak the same language, but somehow this man has made me feel more at home than he could ever imagine.

I have been thinking about him all morning. I genuinely wish I could do more for him. I am definitely going to give him a little extra next time I see him, and I want to make sure his management knows just how wonderful he is.

I just wanted to share this because sometimes the smallest gestures can touch your heart in ways you would never expect.

I do not think I will ever forget this man.

And I really, really hope life treats him with the same kindness he has shown me.

Let me start this off by saying I have the best mom out there. She's been my best friend forever, she showed up to my dance competition a few days after surgery, and she even payed for me to do college during the summer semesters of high school. I aspire to be like her. It makes me so happy to hear that I look like my mom, because in my eyes, there is no higher compliment.

Now, these last few weeks, I have been under a lot of stress. I havent had time to really look at myself and have been jumping from place to place for work. Today I got to look in the mirror and noticed my normally very brown hair has red in it. I was literally so happy, because it reminds me so much of my mom. I thought I lost my chance of having red hair after the age of 13, but i guess not. I just needed to share this. Can't tell my mom yet because shes sleeping and I dont want to wake her.​

Saw it in his room along with two other drawings also of another dish and a bird

He’s fished all of his life and can’t really do it anymore due to his inabilities from aging

He never was an artist and nobody knew he had talent like this and he was so chill about, I’m so amazed and impressed, it’s not even because of his age or the dementia it’s just so unexpected from him and it’s so wholesome to see him showing his hidden talents to pass the time!

I just absolutely love how much character is in this drawing and if he’ll let me I’d love to keep it after he’s gone, it’s fantastic.

Just wanted to share with you all

My best friend and I have been best friends for eight years. Last year, we finally realized that maybe we were meant for each other, so we decided to give our relationship a chance and live together.

For those eight years, he was simply my best friend. Someone I trusted and cherished so much because he had always been there since college. To the point that our friends started calling him my “watermark” because wherever I was, chances were he was there, too. 😭 Despite being super close, we always maintained healthy boundaries and respected each other’s relationships. We never did anything that crossed the boundaries of our friendship. I was with my ex for 3.5 years before we broke up in late 2024, while his last relationship ended in 2022 after 11 months.

The funny thing is, back then being with him felt completely normal. I loved having him around, but I never felt any romantic feelings for him. He was genuinely just my best friend. But now, everything feels so different. Whenever we play games together, when he cooks while I clean, exercise or even when we’re simply together doing our own thing, I get this indescribable feeling in my chest. It’s like something in my heart is making me have difficulty in breathing but is a good feeling. I can’t quite explain, sorry 😭 Whenever I hug him now, I feel so complete and I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

The other day, he went grocery shopping for us and bought me a guyabano (soursop) which is my favorite. When he got home, I was still working because I was trying to meet my deadline before Monday. He put away the groceries and made me a cup of coffee. It’s something we used to do for our other friends too before, so it wasn’t even anything I can consider extraordinary before. But damn, I wanted to cry because I genuinely feel I found my person:(( He just stayed beside me, playing something on his phone while I worked. Then, when he noticed I was getting ready for bed, he put his phone away, too.

And I just sat there thinking, how did I get so lucky to be loved by someone who has been part of my life for so long? Ever since we got together, I’ve also found myself wanting to become a better person. I want to grow in my career, take better care of myself, improve my lifestyle, and make wiser financial decisions. But here’s the frustrating part. I keep finding myself looking for more ways to show him how much I love him.

We spent eight years being best friends. I know him and I can say I’ve seen so many different versions of him throughout the years. But now that he’s my boyfriend, it feels like I’m discovering an entirely new way of loving him.

I got my partner a Japanese omamori! It’s a traditional good-luck charm, and there are different ones for different purposes. The one I got him is specifically for exams and academic success.

For context, he’s moving to Japan next year for a master’s program. The admission process for the specific university he applied to is a little lengthy, and right now he’s working through a lot of complex math for an entrance exam. He told me they care more about understanding the concepts than getting the actual numbers right.

It’s definitely been stressing him out. He’s been waking up early (around 6:30 a.m.) to work out and study math before work, and then he comes home and does more math from around 4–5 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. His exam is sometime between October 27–29, but he doesn’t know the exact date yet.
Traditionally, the charm is meant to provide its protection for about a year, but I figured it could become a little memento after that. Neither of us is religious, so it’s not really about that. I just liked the idea of giving him something meaningful that he can keep with him.

The fact that we’ll eventually have to end our relationship has honestly been hard for both of us. I’m not going with him, and I don’t have any plans to move to Japan anytime soon. He’s also determined to make this program his absolute number one priority, which I completely understand, even though it hurts sometimes.

We both love each other and enjoy each other’s company so much that we decided we want to keep seeing each other until he leaves. Some days, my ADHD brain decides to spiral a little, and I get sad thinking about things eventually ending. I’ve definitely been more open about how much I wish things could be different.

But I’ve also seen how much this dream means to him. When we first met, he told me that studying in Japan had been a dream of his for a long time. I’ve seen how hard he works toward it, how much effort he puts into preparing, and how he still makes time for me whenever he can, even with everything else going on.

Seeing all of that has made me want to do something to show him that I support him and that I’m proud of him. I want him to know that even though the situation is bittersweet for me, I genuinely want to see him succeed at something he’s worked so hard for.

I just can’t wait to give it to him! I’m planning to give it to him before his exam in a couple of weeks, and I have a feeling he’ll really appreciate it. We’re both the kind of people who love gifts that have a lot of thought and sentimental meaning behind them, rather than just receiving something random.

Anyway, I just needed to tell someone because I can’t tell him yet lol

I just learned that my grandfather, Kenneth R. Lemon, was recognized for helping after a plane crash in Grand Island, Nebraska. I’m sharing the family clippings because I’d like everyone who helped that night to be remembered.

On December 21, 1962, Frontier Airlines Flight 363, a Convair 340, was approaching Grand Island on its way from Kansas City to Denver. The Civil Aeronautics Board’s investigation says the plane struck the ground about 4,061 feet short of runway 17, skidded, overturned, and caught fire after a wing separated. All 43 people aboard survived. Five were injured.

The investigation concluded that the probable cause was “failure of the crew to monitor altitude properly during a landing approach.” It found no mechanical failure that caused the crash. That finding explains the accident; it doesn’t describe the rescue efforts, and the report doesn’t name my grandfather.

The contemporary newspaper stories and a Northwestern Bell company newsletter fill in some of that human story. My grandfather was a North Platte telephone lineman and a passenger on the flight. The newsletter says that after the plane stopped, he and other passengers got out and helped people from the wreckage. It says they “remained near the plane to help the pilot and an injured stewardess to safety.” Northwestern Bell later awarded him an NWB Citation for his part in the emergency.

The Grand Island Independent clipping also describes people who had been waiting at the airport to meet friends and relatives. They drove their own cars out to the crash site and helped transport passengers. It’s a small detail that has stayed with me: the rescue included people aboard the aircraft and ordinary people who came from the airport and offered a ride.

The newspaper accounts credit flight attendant Pat Reed, off-duty stewardess Connie Werner, and cadets Ron Henderson and Frank Flicker among those who helped passengers escape. My grandfather’s newsletter says three students assisted, but I’ve found two students named in the coverage so far. I’d be grateful for any leads on the third student or anyone else who helped.

I’m proud of my grandfather, and I hope these pictures help bring the whole group of rescuers into view.

Sauce / sources
Civil Aeronautics Board accident report, Frontier Flight 363 (PDF)⁠ — official investigation and probable cause.
Report catalog record at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s ROSA P archive⁠
Contemporary ⁠Eugene Register-Guard⁠ report, Dec. 22, 1962⁠ — reports the crash and names Pat Reed, Ron Henderson, and Frank Flicker among those who helped.
Contemporary ⁠Oregon Statesman⁠, Dec. 22, 1962⁠ — additional wire-service coverage.
Grand Island Independent, Dec. 22, 1962, Ernest Hines, “Passengers Are Lucky / Plane Crashes Here” — family clipping attached; this is the source for the account of airport visitors driving to the scene in their cars.
Northwestern Bell TELENEWS, Dec. 1963, “Assists in Rescue” — family clipping attached; this is the source for Kenneth Lemon’s account and the NWB Citation.

I (17F) am an only child, but ever since kindergarden, I've always treated the kids younger than me as If they were my own siblings, making sure they wouldn't get hurt playing with harder toys. In 4th grade, the 1st grade girls would follow me around and I'd play with them and hug them.

This year, I've come across this freshman year student, but she looks much younger than 14, and I absolutely adore her already. This Friday, I went to the sculpting lab because I wanted to greet the vice principal, who was with the other teachers and freshman year students, until the girl from earlier (whom we'll call Lola for privacy) had jokingly put some clay on her face, but didn't know where she could wash it off, so I simply told the teacher I'd be bringing Lola to the bathroom, and then I started wiping the clay off her face with some water and tissues. She then said very innocently "you're so delicate" and it's had me smiling all day. The same day, I asked her if she'd like to wear matching shirts next Monday, since I have the same shirt as hers, and she happily said yes.

There's an old saying that "to be loved is to be known," and today that just really hit me. I mean I complain about and argue with my family as much as anybody else, but it's days like today that really make me feel loved because of how well my family knows me, specifically my mom.

For some background, I'm a huge anime fan. Been watching anime since I was a child, and it was actually my parents who introduced it to me. Everyone in my family (aside from my younger sister) loves anime in one way or another, we all have different favourites, but we love anime. A couple of my all time favourites are ones I watched with my parents or older ones they introduced me to.

Anyways, today there was an event going on in my city. It was a local anime themed event that was going to have a ton of local artists and other vendors, as well as a cosplay showcase, and other stage events. But I mostly wanted to go shop for stuff to add to my collection; keychains, pins, prints, figures, etc.

I asked my younger brother on Friday if he wanted to go with me, but he had plans to go out of town and couldn't go. I didn't ask my sister because I know these kinds of events aren't really her thing and she already had plans. Later Friday night while watching a show with my mom, I mentioned that I would be going to this event Saturday alone because no one else could make it. I said I'd go to bed earlier and go to the event first thing to check it out and come home. Without thinking my mom said she could go with me.

I asked if she was sure she wanted to go, not because I doubted she wanted to go, but because she has health issues, so walking around for several hours surrounded by people could be a challenge. But she insisted she would go with me and I said alright. I was worried she might cancel last minute because her health can be unpredictable, she could wake up feeling sick and not be able to go. But thankfully when I woke up she was feeling pretty good and ready to go.

When we got there we walked around together for an hour or so and chatted with vendors, checking things out. I told her about my strategy and said I'd look at everything first and then decide if I wanted to buy anything. She asked me what series I was looking for things for and she said she'd keep an eye out for me. But eventually she wanted to split up and look at other stuff. I didn't want to be left alone but I said alright. We agreed to meet back up in a bit.

While looking around by myself I spotted a print of my favourite character of all time, and it was the only print of that character I had seen today. I made a mental note to come back and then kept looking for a bit. But I was a little anxious to meet back up with my mom. After a little more looking around, I called her and we met up.

When we met up I noticed she had a print, and it looked familiar. It was art from the same artist I was going to go buy from. So I commented on it, telling her "oh, I was going to go back to buy a different print from that guy." She laughed, pulling a second print out from behind the first one.

It was the print I was going to buy. She laughed and told me it was going to be a Christmas gift but that the surprise was spoiled since she didn't want me to go buy another one.

It just made me incredibly happy knowing that my mom knows me so well. Even for the rest of the time we were there she would point out things she knew I liked. She even pointed out characters that she didn't know (because she hadn't watched the anime) but she knew I liked them.

She even knew about how I preferred art of an older version of an anime to the newer one and called me over when she found an artist selling prints of the older version. She also remembered that I was going to buy a keychain and I almost forgot about it.

The whole day just made me feel loved and understood. My mom even listened to me ramble about anime she's never watched while we were driving home after the event.

I just feel so lucky to have my mom. As frustrating as she can be sometimes, she makes me feel so loved and understood, and above all else, when she doesn't understand she does her best to ask questions in order to understand.

If any parents, or future parents read this, ask your kids questions and get involved in their hobbies. It really does make children feel understood. And to be loved is to be known.

TW
Trigger warning : depression & childloss

Today the weather has finally cooled down and it felt nice, cool and cozy inside. After dinner , My children & I got our blankets and laid down in the loft to watch the cartoon version of the grinch. My 3 year old thought it was hilarious and my older daughter enjoyed it just as much. They’re snuggling with me and their new stuffies. We’ve got our mini tree up for the ambience. I’m sitting with my kids thinking, this year Christmas will be different. I won’t be crying tears of despair coming from the pain of delivering a full term stillbirth child. I’ll be celebrating her life & how loved and cherished she & being thankful I got to hold her for 9 months. My antidepressants have seemed to help me as I am in a better place than last year.
My husband came back from the grocery store and bought us lots of treats and joined us in our cozy loft. As my youngest is dangling off her daddy’s shoulders and my oldest is resting her head on my shoulders , we’re watching the grinch together and loving the festive colors and warm cozy feeling of togetherness. Thank you God, for I have so much. I know our angel is looking down at us. I have a feeling this Christmas will bring me joy and peace . Next year we might even add another little baby to our family , if God wants. Christmas movies give me feelings of joy and hope. I am happy to say it has definitely helped my soul tonight 🩷 🎄

​

Today, something happened that I honestly never expected. It was one of those moments that makes you feel like you've travelled back in time.

The last time I met this guy was in 2008. I was in Class 1, and he was in Class 4. He was my senior in primary school, and I have some really fond memories of him.

I was a very small and physically weak kid back then, and other children used to bully me. He was one of the people who stood up for me and protected me.

I was also the eldest in my family, so I didn't have an older brother or older relatives around me at school. In a way, I found that big-brother figure in him. Maybe he never realised how much those little acts of protection meant to me, but I remembered him as someone who made me feel safer when I was a kid.

My primary school only went up to Class 5. After completing Class 5, he got admission to a different school, and we eventually lost touch completely. We never met again.

Life went on. We grew up, followed different paths, and almost 18 years passed.

Fast-forward to 2026.

I usually don't travel by metro because my office provides a cab and shuttle service. But today, I happened to travel by metro, and eventually, I shared an auto with a guy who looked strangely familiar.

Something about him made me wonder if he was someone from my school days. I mistakenly asked him whether he had studied at my secondary school.

He corrected me and said he was from my primary school.

And suddenly, we both realised who we were.

We recognised each other after 18 years!

Think about it. We hadn't seen each other since 2008. We weren't in contact, hadn't been following each other's lives, and had no recent pictures of each other to remind us what we looked like now. We had both grown up, our faces had changed, and we had become adults with completely different lives.

Yet somehow, we recognised each other almost instantly.

What made it even funnier was that he was genuinely surprised that I recognised him. According to him, people don't recognise him anymore because he has grown a moustache and his face has changed quite a bit over the years.

So I asked him, "Then how did you recognise me?"

His answer absolutely got me. 😂

He said he remembered a little boy whose cheeks he used to touch, and that I looked exactly like that boy.

Apparently, I had some very memorable cheeks as a kid. 😭😂

And here's another funny thing: neither of us even asked the other's name!

We were so busy talking about our childhood, school, jobs, and everything that had happened over the last 18 years that asking each other's names never even crossed our minds.

We recognised each other, started talking like old friends, and just went with the flow. 😂

We talked about our childhood and everything that had happened since we last met. He told me how he had moved to Uttar Pradesh and eventually became a police constable. He was back home on leave to visit his family.

I told him about my life too, how I had grown up and become an engineer.

We talked for at least an hour. We even took a longer route just so we could continue talking. Neither of us seemed to be in a hurry to end the conversation. There was so much to catch up on after all those years.

He paid my auto fare as well. Later, we went to a restaurant together, where he insisted on paying again. When I asked him how I could let him pay, his response was basically, "You call me bhaiya. How can I let you pay?"

That small moment genuinely made me smile.

The strangest part is that we live barely a kilometre apart, yet somehow we hadn't met in almost two decades.

For a while, I genuinely felt like I was back in primary school. I kept thinking about that little boy from 2008 who was physically weak, got bullied, and had a senior who would protect him.

And now, in 2026, that same senior was sitting beside me, telling me about his life, listening to mine, and remembering little details about me that I had completely forgotten.

Before we parted ways, he told me to stay in contact.

And then I realised something I genuinely regret.

I hadn't even taken a single picture with him.

After 18 years, we had finally met again, talked for an hour, taken a longer route to keep chatting, shared a meal, and caught up on our lives. But I didn't have a single photograph to remember this particular day.

I really wish I had taken one. Maybe we'll meet again, and next time, I'll make sure we take a picture together.

I don't know whether he remembers how much he helped me as a child, but I do.

Back then, he was the senior who stood up for a small, weak kid who didn't have an older brother beside him at school. Today, I got to sit with that same person as an adult and call him bhaiya again.

It's strange how life works. Sometimes, people who were important to us during one small chapter of our lives disappear for years. We assume those days are gone forever, and then, completely unexpectedly, life brings them back.

We spend so much time growing up, changing our appearances, building careers, and becoming different people. But sometimes, someone remembers you not for the person you've become, but for the little kid you once were.

And the funniest part? We still don't know whether we would have remembered each other's names without the school connection, because we never actually asked. 😂

I didn't just meet an old school senior today. I met someone who, in his own small way, had been a big brother to me when I was growing up.

I don't know if I'll ever be able to explain why this encounter felt so special, but it was genuinely one of the most wholesome moments I've experienced in a long time.

I had just gotten in my hot car after my shift, that’s why the cases look foggy lol

Here's a true story. I'm glad it happened! I love serving in my community!

This story is repeated once more for purposes of context and delivery.

(Story)

Well. Just got back to my apartment about 45 minutes ago. Sarah is a very sweet lady.

She had no viruses and everything about her computer was running as it should.

I updated her system, removed pesky antivirus software and optimized the security software that's shipped out with windows... Removed some bloatware and cleaned up her browser software and installed a plugin to keep her safe on the webs.

We had some really great talks. And shared her version of chexmex. It was really good.

I found out that this woman is a baker and she makes all kinds of treats from scratch.

Helped her figure out how to see pictures from her family. She has several thumb drives and is a photographer.

She was very happy to share all the pictures with me on one of gazillions of thumb drives lol

She's a good cook too. Said she'd be happy to make me food and said I could come back anytime. She's a gamer too and has a Nintendo Wii.

Imma help her figure out how to get it working on her TV. Told her Imma kick her butt playing bowling lol

Nice lady though. We had fun talking and I taught her a little about how to do stuff on her computer.

She kept saying that she used to know how to do everything but in her 70's she can't anymore.

Some of our conversations, I pretended not to know anything about because she was delighted to share her stories.

(Plot Twist)

I texted Jenny (Sarah's Neighbor) and told her how lovely her neighbor was.

- Here's the story I shared with Jenny:

Well. Just got back to my apartment about 45 minutes ago. Sarah is a very sweet lady.

She had no viruses and everything about her computer was running as it should.

I updated her system, removed pesky antivirus software and optimized the security software that's shipped out with windows... Removed some bloatware and cleaned up her browser software and installed a plugin to keep her safe on the webs.

We had some really great talks. And shared her version of chexmex. It was really good.

I found out that this woman is a baker and she makes all kinds of treats from scratch.

Helped her figure out how to see pictures from her family. She has several thumb drives and is a photographer.

She was very happy to share all the pictures with me on one of gazillions of thumb drives lol

She's a good cook too. Said she'd be happy to make me food and said I could come back anytime. She's a gamer too and has a Nintendo Wii.

Imma help her figure out how to get it working on her TV. Told her Imma kick her butt playing bowling lol

Nice lady though. We had fun talking and I taught her a little about how to do stuff on her computer.

She kept saying that she used to know how to do everything but in her 70's she can't anymore.

Some of our conversations, I pretended not to know anything about because she was delighted to share her stories.

I texted Jenny telling her all of this and found out more. Here's the details.

(Plot twist...)

That poor lady asked for a different David's phone number. She's like 70. I know her because of Jenny (Next door neighbor).

Sarah came downstairs looking for David and I guess I beat him down there lol

Told Jenny she still needs to give that gal the other David's number because I changed it while completely convinced that it was a typo.

Jenny said: She gave her David's phone number this morning. Not mine though.

Sarah couldn't figure out why I didn't get her call. So I looked in her phone and changed the number for David. He called back and I answered and told him that we're sorry.. I have the wrong number.

WHAT A WHOLESOM MOMENT! This really made my day 😇

I haven't laughed so hard in a very long time. it was just as funny as it was touching. I've been serving my community for 7 months. This is a very dangerous place and I teach people about God and if we say we love him, how we're supposed to be towards one-another.

Thanks for reading 😇

A Florida restaurant regular who ordered the same cup of gumbo every day ended up having a meal named after him after a chef noticed he'd suddenly stopped showing up.

For more than a decade, 78-year-old Charlie Hicks was such a regular at Shrimp Basket in Pensacola that staff expected to see him every day for lunch and dinner, usually ordering gumbo with light rice.

But in 2025, Charlie unexpectedly stopped coming in.

After several days passed, chef Donnell Stallworth became worried enough to drive to Charlie's apartment and check on him. After knocking on the door, he heard a faint cry for help and found Charlie lying on the floor.

Charlie had reportedly suffered broken ribs and severe dehydration and is believed to have been trapped there for days.

Nearly a year later, Charlie is doing well and has become something of a local celebrity. The restaurant has since renamed its gumbo "Charlie's Gumbo," and even installed a lighted walking path between his apartment and the restaurant.

The story also led to an unlikely friendship, with Donnell and Charlie becoming extremely close.

Charlie's niece has credited the chef and restaurant staff with saving his life, while Donnell described Charlie as being like "that uncle," "that grandfather," and "that best friend" all at once.

I guess that’s pretty much it. I am obsessed with this man, so much so that I want to shout it out everywhere I can.

We met in high school, he was in my freshman biology class. At the semester break, our teacher let us choose our own seats, and my mom still loves to talk about how I came home that day so stoked because “the CUTEST boy in the whole school asked to sit next to me. ME?!” We got paired together for a lab, and here we are.

This man has been kind, gentle, and so protective over me our whole relationship. I still remember being 18, and he stood up for me against my parents (things were rough before I could move out). Just in my room crying while he’s out there in the kitchen firmly explaining that while he loves them and they love me, he cannot and will not tolerate anyone speaking to me with disrespect. Even my parents. He taught me how to handle conflict in a healthy and stable way.

He ran away with me 6 hours from home to the city so I could follow my passion at my dream school. Worked like a dog to help pay rent while I was enrolled. He moved back with me in the pandemic to help take care of mine and his family.

His proposal was beautiful. He gave me the perfect day, in one of my favorite cities, and popped the question on the beach at sunset. Cliche? Sure. Who gives AF, its a cliche for a reason. He had his brother (a photographer, and someone I’m really close to as well) hidden to capture the moment - something I had mentioned to him offhand YEARS prior. He had taken notes of everything I’d ever said over the years about a perfect proposal. And he did it.

I’ve had some health struggles through the years, and he has been my rock. He cancelled all of his 30th birthday plans the second he found out I needed surgery, and never once complained or even commented about it. It was a no-brainer for him. He stayed up around the clock to give me my meds, managed the house the cat his work my appointments blah blah blah for nearly two months while I recovered.

We are coming up on 15 years together. On my birthday next month, that will be half of my life. I just recently found out he is conspiring with my friends and family to plan a birthday trip to a city a few states over I’ve always wanted to visit, and I am just struck by how significant he is in my life and how much better it is because of him. There are so many ways he shows his love for me. He is my best friend, my biggest supporter, and my number one ally.

These are just a few of the bigger moments that pop into mind. Let alone the 15 years of daily consideration and affection he shows me. And the best part of all of this, is that I know 100% for a fact that if I showed him this post he would say that none of this is anything in comparison to how he feels with me. Which, just, like…. Aghg! How can one man be so perfect??

Anyways. If you read all that, thanks for listening to me shout into the void. I am just feeling very full of love for this man.

We live miles apart now, my “Gan Gan” and I. Since I moved down from the city to the coast 8 years ago. Recently, I’ve found myself in a spur of depression. I told her I was feeling depressed, and what does she do?

I get a phone call, yesterday evening, our normal check in I thought. But instead, it’s her saying “surprise, I am downstairs!”

I wasn’t too impressed at first, as I didn’t have time to clean for her arrival, make it tidy like it should be.

But anyway, of course I let her in. She came In holding bags, a plant bought for my home supposedly to remember her “crazy visit” and other things she had bought for me, like food, hairbands because i asked her for a hairband when I was staying round her house, and alcohol 😂 my granny never usually drinks, and neither do I. But lately we’ve both been drinking together.

As she munched down on crisps with a spicy nacho cheese dip, she said I was exaggerating about the mess, and the flat is beautiful… she said I am a weird creature sitting at home with my hood up.

I think I’ll treasure this memory, in years to come. She’s getting old, and it’s nice to have someone that cares enough about you to just turn up at your doorstep.

God love her xx

I am not OK driving a car and I had this old bicycle for a long time, but I was afraid to get it fixed or ask anybody for help. my neighbor is a handy old retired guy and he said he would get it going for me and it as good as new and he said I might own $10 for all he had to do. This seems really nice and I thought maybe you would enjoy hearing that somebody was just really nice to somebody who was afraid to ask for help.

When I was 14, back in my home country, I was one of the few kids in my area who went to a private school because I had a scholarship, and I spoke English pretty well, so neighbors would often ask me to translate things for them. There was an 11-year-old boy who lived a few houses away from me whose parents had died and who was being raised by his aunt. Around 2016, an American man came to meet him because he was going to adopt him, and I ended up doing most of the translating because the official translator needed someone to translate for him. During the conversation, the man mentioned his “partner” and later referred to that person as “he,” and I realized he was talking about another man. I grew up in a very homophobic environment where even mentioning something like that could have jeopardized the adoption, so I deliberately didn’t translate that part. I was taught growing up to see LGBTQ people negatively, but I didn’t let that interfere with what I was doing, and the adoption went through. Years later, I moved to the U.S. myself, and I knew the man’s name, so I searched for him online and eventually found his Instagram. I saw pictures of the kid, and he’s living his best life with his family in Chicago. Looking back, I’m glad I kept that information to myself, because I could have easily ruined something that ended up giving a kid a much better life.

To make a long story short, a while ago, I bought a beautiful handbag and a beautiful purse. They are no longer produced by the company who made them. I still have the authentic labels attached.

I am in dire straits financially. I told my father that I’d be selling the bag and purse (which I love so much), because they’re in pristine condition, have the authentic labels attached, and because I needed the money. He shouted at me, and we hung up on each other.

Just as I was about to publish my advertisement for the bag and purse, I got a phone call from my dad. He offered to buy the handbag and purse from me, so I could keep them. He said he remembered how excited I was to get them, how I ranted about how much I loved them, etc. He wanted me to keep them, so he offered to buy them from me.

Thank you, papa