CHAT Heartwarming Memes and Stories

Dec 31
In Auckland, New Zealand, Blake Ockleston and Daniel Coyle-
Smith were outside playing Pokemon.

Photo courtesy: Lyqueeshah Brooks

The 13-year-olds were having a good time playing the game. And then, they spotted an elderly man struggling to cross the street. He was shaking as he stood with his walker, and it was obvious he was unsure of himself.

So Blake and Daniel put away the Pokemon stuff and walked over to the man. As they helped him out into the road, the light changed again. So one of them completely stopped all the traffic so they could get the man safely across the street. They then walked him across another street. But then they did something else.

Once they safely got him to the other side, they walked with him to his destination… the train station. And when they arrived there, one of the boys asked a security guard to stay with the man and help him.

A woman named Lyqueeshah Brooks spotted the boys act of kindness and posted it on Facebook. Says Lyqueeshah: “My heart is so full [right now]. These boys helped this man cross 2 pedestrians in new lynn right now .. shout out to these boys parents. If it wasn’t for them no cars would have waited for this man to cross.”

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Two kind and caring young teenagers that were taught kindness and respect. So many are not.
Texican....

"My son, Dylan, has autism and intellectual disabilities. He has had a beloved speech therapist for the last 8 years who has taken him from not saying a word to non-stop talking. He had the privilege last night of being her BEST MAN, walking her down the aisle and giving her away to the man of her dreams."

Credit: Marnie Lane Mast



What a wonderful and compassionate teacher. To many are not.
Texican....

A worthy undertaking.

We try to help where we can especially with food. Years ago my DW was at a grocery store after New Years and the store had put frozen turkeys on sale and my DW bought all of the turkeys and she went to local churches and food banks and gave them turkeys. Those receiving the turkeys thanked her for her kindness. Money well spent.

Texican....

“I got Asked to Prom my Junior Year by this Guy named James who has Down Syndrome”

“Nobody wanted to go with him. When he asked me I said of course, not thinking to much into it. I remember when his mom called me on the phone crying and thanking me for going with him. She offered to pay for my dress, hair, and makeup because she said she knew nobody would’ve wanted to go with him. I told her it was okay and that i was happy to go with him.

I remember hanging up the phone crying to my mom about how honored I was to actually to go with him. Prom night was kind of hard to actually enjoy at first because James was kind of all over the Place, but then I remembered that this was HIS Senior Prom; Not Mine. So after that, I went a long with whatever he wanted to do and I ended up having so much fun! Out of the 4 proms I attended during high school, this one was actually my favorite.”

Credit: Alexandria Salazar‎

"The hardest thing about being a single dad, is going to the restaurant with my beautiful daughter, and she tells me she wants to go to the bathroom and I go with her to the bathroom and people stare at me strangely, she is my daughter and I have to do it because I will always take care of her, I will not send her alone. How hard it is to leave her every time I go to work far away and she stays crying screaming at me, she makes video calls and tells me where I am to go with her. I love my daughter and everything I do I do so that she has a good future and does not lack what I lacked at her age. I love this little girl, may God bless her a thousand years and lives more."





Not all men are the same, some know how to love, respect and even be fathers alone ♥

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When my mother was still with us, I would take my mother out without my DW, I would go with her into the women's restroom for she would need additional help. Not once did any of the females in the women's restroom have any objections and they told me I was a great son.

I still miss and love my mom that passed over this January 29th at the age of 90. When our parents become elderly, we then become their care givers as it should be.

Texican....

Mar 20
‘Super mom’ spotted on a Minnesota lake — with 56 ducklings in tow’


Wildlife photographer Brent Cizek decided to visit north Minnesota lakes for some photos. He was hoping to capture some intimate scenes of animals in their natural habitat. But in the end, Brent had no idea how intimate he would get.

“Well, it wasn’t the greatest idea as it was quite windy that day and the waves were tossing my boat around in any direction that it wanted to,” Cizek told MNN. “I decided to carry on, knowing that it wasn’t likely that I would see anything, much less be able to take a photograph with the choppy water.”

After a ride with his tiny boat on the lake, he then steer it at the shoreline. In the next moment he spotted what seemed to be a bevy. When he edged nearer he could see there was a mother duck and few ducklings. Only that the few turned into few dozen.“

The closer that I got, the more my heart started racing as I had never witnessed something like this before,” the photographer explained. “As I got closer, the group decided to start swimming back out into the lake, and ‘Mama Merganser’ got out front and all of the chick got in tow. I knew that this was going to be a once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunity, so I immediately tried to fire off as many shots as I could, just hoping that one of the photos would turn out.”

However, at a closer look it turned out there were even more. “I was able to then count 76 babies with her, so she had picked up more babies along the way,” he said. “It’s been remarkable. It’s going to be a sad day when they continue their migration.”

Most likely that wasn’t just a single brood, but a mixed family. But despite that, this duck is certainly the mom of the year!

“On my way home from a 12 hour day of cutting lawns, I seen this gentleman, I have no clue who he is to this day. But I said no way was I gonna let this guy tackle this on his own. So I turned around and went back and unloaded my mower and drove across the street and ask the gentleman if I could help. His eyes lit up and I took that as a yes. I ran down, jumped on my mower and went to work. As I’m cutting the lawn I look over and see the gentleman hunched over his wife, resting his head on her shoulder. So I get it knocked out in no time. I give them a thumbs up and proceeded to load my mower up. The wife makes her way over before I could leave. She was so thankful!

Their riding mower broke down and her husband has been mowing their big lawn with a push mower. It only took 15 mins of my time. I changed their life, for a small moment. I hope someone reads this and feels like doing something good for someone tomorrow. I’m grateful to be where I’m at and I’m thankful for the people that help me get here.”

Credit: J&J Lawn Service



There are good people on God's earth.
Texican....

God felt the love of this mom for her newborn.

A young man on the train held a woman's walker which kept rolling away as she slept. A small moment of human kindness ❤

Right now it’s snowing, 27 mph winds and feels like 16 degrees outside. At noon I got off work and was heading home on 85th street. I noticed this boy walking on the sidewalk with only sweats and a hoodie on.

I pulled over and asked him if I could give him a ride somewhere. He said sure and got in. He said he was walking to the North Middle School (which is about 2 miles from where he lives) to get his bike that he had to ride yesterday because he missed the bus.

He was then planning on riding it back home. So we went and got his bike loaded it up and drove him back home. Not once did I hesitate to pull over and offer this boy a ride. It made my day just as much as it probably made his.

Nice knowing he’s home safe and warm.

Not asking for “pats on the back” or “way to go”. I just love hearing about these kind of stories and wanted to share.

EVERYONE. This man came into my yard a couple hours ago and offered to cut my grass for a certain price.

I didn’t have enough money today to afford that on top of everything else, and I told him to come back in a week.

A few minutes ago, I hear a loud noise outside of my house. I opened the door and noticed that he was cutting my grass. I went running out to him and yelled for him to stop... he shook his head no. He told me that he saw my kids playing in the yard and was worried about snakes being in the grass and biting them because the grass was too tall.

I again told him to stop because I couldn’t pay him. He said that he didn’t need to be paid, he had grandchildren and that he hoped someone would look after them in the same way.

I was brought to tears. I hugged him. We talked about different struggles we’ve had in life and he told me that this is what the news doesn’t report. He told me the news doesn’t report the black neighbor helping out the white neighbor because it isn’t good for the network to make money. I told him that he has a good heart. I told him I wish more people on earth were like him.

We hugged again. He is still outside cutting my grass and it’s dark now. I am so grateful to have him as a new friend.

His name is Johnny and he lives in Taylors, South Carolina. He cut my grass for free tonight because he was worried about my children playing outside in the tall grass. I hope he gets the recognition he deserves

Credit: Helen Bell

Texican said:

View attachment 332554

What a dad.
Texican....

Click to expand...

Are you kidding us right now? That's a promotional still from the film "Logan".

TheSearcher said:

Are you kidding us right now? That's a promotional still from the film "Logan".

Click to expand...

S,
Didn't show on the posting.
Texican....

During a prank, a student stuck a piece of paper on his classmate's back that read "I'm Stupid". The student asked the rest of the class not to tell the boy.

Intermittently, the students began to laugh on and off at the boy.

That afternoon in maths class their teacher wrote a difficult question on the board in which no one was able to answer it except the boy with sticker.

Amid the unexplained giggles, he walked toward the board and solved the problem.

The teacher asked the class to clap for him and removed the paper on his back.

She told him “It seems that you didn’t know about the paper your classmate had placed on your back."

Then teacher looked at the rest of the class and said: “Before I give you a punishment, let me tell you 2 things”.

“Firstly, throughout your life, people will always put labels on you. If your classmate knew about the paper, he wouldn't have stood up to answer the question”.

"Secondly, it's clear that he doesn't have a loyal friend among any of you to tell him about sticker”.

It doesn't matter how many friends you have it is the loyalty you share with your friends that matters.

If you don't have friends who you can depend on when your back is turned, friends who watch over you, protect you and who genuinely care about you, you are better off being alone.

Credit: Life Journal

So true.

What has your child done that is technically “wrong” but you were proud of them for doing it?
A few years ago I got a call from my son’s principal in grade 6. I was told there was an important issue that had to be dealt with in person. As I was an hour away seeing a client my son would have to wait until I got there in “The Quiet Room”.

When I arrived at the office the principal summoned my son and proceed to inform me that my son had pushed another kid. I am not one to condone violence however something didn't seem right so I asked for more details about the incident. The principal told me the details were unimportant as the school had a zero tolerance policy when it came to violence. I explained to him that without knowing the facts I would not be able to give my son the proper punishment. The principal again objected so I finally asked my son for his side of the story.

It turns out the child my son had pushed was beating up a classmate who was confined to a wheelchair. My son pushed the bully to stop him from hurting the kid in a wheelchair.

I asked the principal if this was true and he corroborated my son’s story. I was stunned. The principal then informed me that my son will have to serve a one day suspension.

I was getting a little upset at this point but I managed to keep calm. I thought for a few seconds and looked at my son and said “"tomorrow you and I are going to get up early and we are going for breakfast. After that I am taking you to the video game store as soon as it opens and you can buy any game you want. You can spend the rest of the day playing video games.”

The principal looked shocked at my response and said "I am trying to teach your son a lesson here and you are undermining my authority! We have a zero tolerance policy for physical violence and you are sending the wrong message!”

I looked at the principal and explained it was him who was sending the wrong message and that my son’s only alternative to allowing the bully to beat up a wheelchair bound child was to push him away. I explained that had my son escalated the situation I would be more upset however he didn't.

Ironically, I was able to use this principal’s overreaction as a valuable lesson. I explained to my son that sometimes even when you do the right thing there will be consequences.
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What a mom.

Jan 17

"I wanted to take a few minutes to share something incredible that happened today. This afternoon I picked up Andrew from school/ABA and we got on the metro headed home. We ride the metro everyday to and from school, so Andrew is used to it. It is usually about 45min to an hour depending on delays and what not, but as long I keep him occupied with his iPad or my phone he will sit patiently in our seat. Of course I do always have fruit snacks or candy handy, in case he starts trying to get up or move. I’m all about doing anything to keep him happy and sitting.

For those of you that don’t know, when you have a child with autism, your child will have some good days and then they will have some bad ones. Today was one of those bad days. Andrews biggest behavior problem (that he has been working on by learning calming strategies) is that sometimes when he gets upset, it will go two steps too far, and escalate into a full on meltdown/breakdown.

Today, Andrew was persistent on wanting to get out of the seat to stand in the middle of train while moving and running back and forth through it (which of course if he did he would fall). I kept trying everything to get him to sit, but he just wouldn’t (this fight went on for 20 min), that is when he his regular toddler tantrum turned into a meltdown, or what I call, the point of no return for him.

He started rolling on the floor, screaming, his shoe fell off and he flung it across the train, all while I’m on the floor trying to calm him down (in a dress) with all the candy I had. Then he starts the kicking, hitting, pulling my hair while everyone in rush hour stares on the train, most thinking I was a bad parent who had an out of control child, even though really he can’t help it. Sometimes Andrews emotions just become too much for him to mentally work through, but when people start staring and Andrew notices, he takes this as opportunity to put on a show. I blurt outloud, “I’m so sorry he has autism!!!” in an attempt to stop the stares. He was getting worse and I knew we had to get off. We got off at Gallery Place, one stop up from Metro Center where we change lines, still he doesn’t let up and it gets worse. He refuses to get back on the train and insists on leaving the station- even though we couldn’t. Now we’re rolling around on the dirty station floor. He is covered in black dirt. I try picking him up but he continues to kick which now gets dirt on me. This goes on for about 15 minutes. Trust me this isn’t my first rodeo as a single parent, but sometimes it just gets the best of me. At this point I am crying out of pure frustration and feeling so sad that Andrew is being judged right now.

I panic as I see someone walking towards us, but it turns out to be a Metro Police Officer. As soon as he comes over Andrew freezes and stares while holding my hands, body mid air, feet stretched out on me, while I was standing. The officer asks me if I needed any help or if he could help by walking us out of station (since he saw how Andrew stopped when he came over) I explained the situation to him and how this wasn’t even our stop. He asked where I was going and I told him Ballston station (a solid 30 minutes from where we were). Without hesitation he said, “Okay I’ll come on the train”.

At this point I’m thinking he means like down the escalator to the train. He starts talking with Andrew and showing him all his gadgets. He then takes off his Velcro police badge from his vest and asks Andrew, “Can you be a police man with me and help me do police work on the train?” Of course Andrew says yes.

The officer ends up riding the metro THE ENTIRE train home with us!!! Whenever he got off he would hold Andrews hand and walk with him. He sat next to Andrew as he requested on the train, acted interested as he showed him silly videos, and he even made funny faces in the Instagram face filters when Andrew asked.

This officer COMPLETELY went out of his way to help Andrew. He honestly restored my faith that there are good people still left in the world.

To that officer, I truly can not say thank you enough for your inmesurable amount of kindness and for making Andrews day (probably his whole year). Throughout the whole ordeal I didn’t get his name, I think his vest said Officer D. Case. Washington Metropolitan Police Dept. Metro Forward MPD DC Police Recruiting Division WUSA 9 Washington Post Express Fox 5 DC NBC Washington ABC 7 News - WJLA WTOP News, please find him and give him a raise! He deserves to be recognized for his incredible kind gesture, and especially for letting Andrew keep the police badge. Thank you thank you!!‍♂

7/22 UPDATE: Thank you everyone from the bottom of my heart for recognizing this amazing officer and all of the kind comments! I have received such an incredible outpouring of support and it truly means the world to me!! I wanted to let everyone know that the Officer D. Case has been found!!! I have spoke to him on the phone and it looks like we might be reuniting soon."

Credit: Taylor Pomilla
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What a kind LEO.

When police go out on a call, there’s really no telling what they’re going to be dealing with, and here’s a story about one officer who not only helps people, but animals, as well.

Police officer Cody Garrett is 28 and lives in South Carolina. He works the late-night shift, and during one of those shifts, he got a call to check on an animal crying from underneath a dumpster.

Now, Cody is an animal lover but he also knows to treat a call like this with caution because you never know what kind of animal is going to potentially jump out at you.

When he got to the area, he could also hear that animal crying. And under the dumpster, he spotted it. It was a cat. Actually, it was a kitten. A very TINY kitten. It was all alone… and scared. So Cody pulled the kitty away from the dumpster and took it back to the police station.

He asked his fellow officers if they wanted to adopt the little kitten, but no one seemed to show any interest in that. So Cody himself adopted the feline and took it home with him. And that’s just purrrrfect, because the little kitty, which has been named “Squirt,” fits right in with the other animals Cody has rescued from the streets over the past few years during his patrols.

There’s a cat he named Toothless. Toothless recently gave birth and has taken in Squirt as one of her own.

Cody also took in an aging and blind dachshund. He also came across and helped a group of puppies that had been abused.

Photo courtesy: Instagram/@donutoperator


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And another kind LEO.

What innocent-seeming picture is actually heartbreaking?

These are the Parkin twins, Winter and Fox, of Plymouth Devon, England. They have never spent a moment apart.

Last year, Fox got tonsillitis. He was taken to the doctor and given some antibiotics.

But the medication didn’t help. On Christmas Day, dad noticed a rash on his son’s legs. Back to the doctor went Fox, and then off to the hospital for some tests.

The results were devastating. A rare form of cancerous melanoma had begun eating away at Fox’s tiny body. Fox had to go to the hospital immediately in order to receive chemo and radiation treatments.

Bombarded with constant infections, the little boy’s immune system became virtually non-existent. Faced with this dilemma, almost no one can visit Fox in the hospital, including his twin sister, Winter. For the first times in their lives, they will be apart as Fox faces months of painful chemo and radiation. This picture was their last taken together as they parted with a kiss at the hospital.

Quorans all over the world are sending their best wishes to you, Fox, on your journey to a quick and complete recovery. May your health be nothing but upvotes, little buddy!

UPDATE: Thank you everyone for the overwhelming support given to Fox and his family on this thread. I was looking for an update on the internet and found this great picture.

What was the best piece of relationship advice you were given by your parents or another adult?
One afternoon a long time ago (we must have been around fourteen years old) a friend of mine was talking to his dad.

“I am in love with a girl” he said, “and I’d like to know how to keep her by my side.”

“You can’t” his dad said. “You can’t keep her. The best you can do is give her whatever she lacks.”

“Like, gifts? Like what?”

“No, no” said his dad. “I am not talking about stuff. I am talking about how she feels about her place in her life. Does she go through a lot of uncertainty? Give her stability. Does she feel in any way trapped? Give her freedom. Does she feel she does not matter? Give her the best quality of your attention. Does she feel things are always turbulent? Give her peace.”

I have thought about this advice for decades, and the distinction between “completing” someone and providing a counterpoint in their life.

The most fortunate relationships are a natural match between what a person lacks and what the other cannot wait to give.

I taught 8-year olds for a while. One morning a very sweet, sensitive-type, little boy proudly presented me with a small gift box that he had obviously taken great care to wrap and decorate. He insisted that I open it right away. I was shocked to open the box and find a very large pair of diamond earrings that appeared to be set in platinum. I’m an April birthday, and my birthstone is a diamond. I also have a very spoiling husband who has gifted me with lots of nice jewelry over the years. I could tell that these were definitely the real deal. I knew there was no way that he had purchased these for me with his allowance, yet he really wasn’t the type of kid who would maliciously steal from his mother. I didn’t want to embarrass him.

I thanked him and placed them in my desk drawer that had a lock. On my lunch break, I called his mom and explained the situation. She was a realtor and worked near the school. She dropped by and confirmed that those were her diamond earrings, and I, of course, returned them to her. She told me she would handle it gently at home.

The next day, the same little boy came in with another gift for me. He insisted that I open it right away. It was a little angel figurine (from the Dollar Store). He told me that his mom let him know that I was married and couldn’t accept jewelry from him and that he shouldn’t have taken his mom’s jewelry. She took him to the Dollar Store and let him pick out one item that he thought I’d like. He picked the angel “to protect me from the bad kids.” (I had a few kids that year that really acted out in class!) I kept that angel on my desk for the rest of my career!

Thanks to everyone for the upvotes and the sweet comments! This story happened back in the early ’90s! This “little boy” is now an adult with two sons of his own! I actually ran into him a few years ago, at a restaurant in the town that I used to teach in. He’s still sweet and shy. He told me that his mom still tells this story, too!

What's the best thing you've seen a dog do for its owner?

That's my pal, Nyima Dorje (Tibetan for Sun Bolt, named by a Buddhist monk at a Monastery that gifted him to me).

When I lived in a three-story row home a few years ago, there was a thunderous bang on the first floor one night around midnight. Nyima instantly charged down the stairs, bellowing loudly like only a Tibetan Mastiff can. Going downstairs revealed the front door was kicked in. Worse still, a loaded handgun was left on the floor, probably dropped by the intruder(s) when surprised by 130 pounds of raging canid.

Nyima passed away earlier this year. He may have saved my life and is missed to this day.

Walter Kiefer
How did child support affect you as a father?

How does it affect me?

Let’s see.

I really want a new Denali pickup truck. A nice 4 door luxury truck. I make enough money for it and could totally afford it if I got to keep my entire check. Sadly I don’t get to though so no Denali for me. I’ll have to keep my older truck.

I wanted to take a vacation a few months ago. A few of my friends headed out to Vegas but I didn’t have the money to go so I stayed home.

I wanted to get my kids more presents, and nicer ones, for Christmas but I am on a tight budget and can only do so much. I didn’t even get anything for myself at all.

Before all of this I used to eat out all the time. Now it’s a luxury and one I can seldom afford.

I used to waste money at the casino and spend money just about anywhere I wanted. Now I have to manage it and be frugal.

So how has child support affected me? It has caused my standard of living to deteriorate. It has made my children’s standard of living deteriorate as well because I could use that extra money on them but sadly I don’t even get to see it and have no say in how it’s spent.

That might sound selfish but it’s true. That money is already spoken for. Hell, a good portion of my work hours go directly to support. It gets taken out before my mortgage payment, before my internet payment, phone bill, or anything else.

The reason? Child support. I pay an outrageous amount for it. I pay it every time my son gets new clothes or my daughter gets a new haircut. I pay it every time they get to eat, every bottle of medicine, every pair of jeans, every diaper and wipe, every toy, all comes from my child support.

Only I don’t call it child support. I call it being a dad. And I don’t pay a dime of it. I also don’t receive any. Never have, despite an order for her to pay it. I probably never will either as she vanished awhile ago.

That’s right. I have sole custody of my kids. It’s been just the three of us since my son was 15 months old and my daughter was 3 days old. I have never received any child support from my ex, their mother. She also hasn’t seen them in over a year. My daughter is 3.5 now and my son will be 5 in two weeks. He doesn’t remember her.

So how does it affect me? I try not to let it, but it would give my children a slightly better life. Fortunately I make enough money that they don’t do without, even if I sometimes have to.

***EDIT***

Thank you all so much for the positive words. That being said, my kids and I have a great life and I try very hard for them but I am hardly a great man or perfect parent. I question my parenting skills at least once a day, and usually before breakfast. I’ll be the first to admit that I DON’T KNOW WHAT I AM DOING AND AM LITERALLY MAKING IT UP AS I GO. There are days my kids are mindful and respectful and perfect little angels and I think it’s going to be ok and then there are days that they are so awful I want to call the Ghostbusters because they are clearly possessed. So while I appreciate the kind words be aware that I am just a regular guy in an irregular situation trying to make the best of it.

*****NEW UPDATE****

In the year and a half since I wrote this there have been some massive changes to our lives (besides COVID). To start I FINALLY GOT MY TRUCK. It’s not a Denali. It’s a Silverado High Country (Chevy’s answer to the Denali, same truck, different name), so I finally got my nice 4 door luxury truck. I also started a business (retail store, a smoke shop to be exact) and it is doing GREAT and I have 2 locations now. I am taking on a partner and between his buy-in and store funds we are opening 4 more locations by the end of this year (hopefully). Also both of my kids will be in school full time next week. Huge milestone. Thank you all.

Texican said:

S,
Didn't show on the posting.
Texican....

Click to expand...

LOL. I thought you were making a joke. I thought it was funny anyhoo!

Adewunmi Okunola
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Knows YorubaUpdated Jan 31
What is something good that arose from bad circumstances?
This is my first story on Quora. :>)

I attended a polytechnic after my high school, and two years in, my parents sat me down and told me they could not sponsor my education further.

This came as a shock to me because I felt I really had a bright future. I graduated as the best in 6 out of 9 subjects in my high school.

So I joined a radio station as an administrative intern. I was determined to work hard, and probably grow in that line.

One day at work, I had left my computer on and dashed out for a snack. A co-worker got into my office and used my computer to search for a scholarship, because his personal computer was acting up. When he was done, he left the tab open.

I returned from snacking, and saw an open tab on 'Federal Scholarship Board, Nigeria'.

I applied, not hoping for anything... Just trying my luck.

All applicants were required to write a national exam, after which 2 students would be picked from each of the 36 states in Nigeria.

When I told my parents about the scholarship exam, they were very skeptical, because, well.. It's Nigeria we're talking about.

I saved up my salary and travelled to write this exam. At the exam centre, I was asked to choose a country, most of the choices were Asian and North American countries, with the exception of USA and Canada. I chose Mexico, because I found the language to be quite interesting, the interviewer looked at me and said;

'I will write Russia.'

'Err, no sir, Russian Language is really hard, and cold, and vodka, and Mafias...'

'Hahaha, funny girl, I will write Russia.'

My fate was sealed with that, and that (in another story hopefully), was the best way God has used a person to push me to my right path.

3 weeks later I was called from Abuja:

'Hello, is this Adewunmi Olujimi?'

‘Yes.’

'This is to inform you that you've been nominated for the Bilateral Educational Agreement between Nigeria, and Russia, Congratulations!'

I was beyond shocked. It is impossible to be favoured in Nigeria… I mean, this is Nigeria.

To cut the story short, two months from then, I was in Russia, and guess who I met on my first day in Kazan (a city in Russia) - My future husband. All these happened in 2013, I graduated with a first class in 2018,and I and my husband have been married for 5 years now, with 2 very beautiful children.

So, in every way, if my parents hadn't told me they couldn't sponsor my education, I wouldn't have left Nigeria, or have met the man than was made specially for me.

Foot Note:

A lot of people are having the notion that I know a lot about scholarships because of this answer. Like earlier stated it was all ‘time and chance’.

I would say this generally though… If a school is going to pay you to study at their institution, that means you have to be top-tier.

• You have to have excellent results.
• You have to write a compelling motivational letter that highlights why and how you'd add value to their university.
• If it's a research degree, you have to have had your work published, preferably in a good journal.
• Others…

Those are the major areas.
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Her hard work and efforts have paid off.

As a teacher, what is the saddest experience you've had while on the job?
I had a 22 year old student with a high school diploma struggling in my class. I stayed after every day to offer tutoring for my students. He walks in and notices he is the only one there, asks me if he can close the door to talk to me privately.

He closed the door walked to my desk with his head down, looked up at me with tears in his eyes and told me he couldn’t read.

I’m dumbfounded, he graduated from high school and can’t read?

He was a gifted football player, was passed in his classes so he could play. No worries for his future just a winning ball team.

I decided we would start with the very basics, he struggled to sound words out and I was at a loss. We worked for a month. Finally I figured out he had dyslexia when I had him copy a paragraph from the book we were working on.

I got us an appointment with the campus director, we went in and he sat there next to me mortified with tears running down his face. I told the campus director what was going on, that I think he is dyslexic and that is why he is having trouble learning to read.

We got him in for the specialized testing and he was diagnosed with dyslexia. We had to put him on a leave so he could go to special classes to learn how to read.

I had him the next year in my class again. He was a changed man, held his head up, and was at the top of the class. He pulled me aside to thank me for being the first teacher to care that he actually learned.

This was the saddest and turned into the happiest situations I had.

What is the best thing that you read today?
I'm a teen dad. My daughters name is Adaleigh. I've been in Florida for a week and she stayed with my mom for a few nights. We are inseparable when we're together. Here is a picture from the first time I held her:

My mom texted me saying "Adaleigh has cried and cried wanting to see you. I knew you couldn't call so I went to your Facebook and showed her a picture of you. She smiled really big and said "That's daddy" and kissed your picture."

Even when we're not with each other we still want the other ones attention.

Sad, for this still holds true for too many. Brave young lady for taking a stand.
Texican....
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What is a family secret you didn't know as a kid, but now as an adult you do and when you look back it explains a lot of things?
My dad is a firefighter. A hard working firefighter who works at one of the busiest stations in the nation. I always knew he saw bad things, but I guess I always thought those “bad things” were a “cat got stuck in a tree” type of bad.

On mornings when I’d be getting ready for school, he’d get off shift and come home with fresh donuts, sometimes even flowers for my mom. It didn’t happen all the time, but my brother and I loved it. He’d give us a donut, and give us a small kiss on the forehead. Some mornings he’d give us an especially long hug.

We dismissed it then, but as we grew older we realized those donut mornings and long hugs were the shifts where they couldn’t save a young teen, a grandfather is in the hospital after a bad accident, or a baby didn’t make it to their first birthday. I wish I knew back then how much he needed those hugs. I give him plenty now, though.

Here’s my dad!

The bravest fireman for 17 years.

Nov 2021:

Wow! Can’t believe this is still getting so much attention and love. Just to clear up some confusion- my dad is happy and healthy, and still saving lives today! He never stops driving me crazy! Here’s the fam, missing my brother and his kids.


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What a great dad and fireman.

We are so fortunate that there are individuals that are willing to save others and to see the tragedies that can not be described and still provide.

Texican....

What is the saddest thing you experienced working in a daycare?
I had a three-year-old boy start in my class -- his mom was always there at 5 p.m. on the dot. He was beautiful, rather quiet, but happy and playful. Small children may not know what time the clock says, but they know their mom comes after outside time, or snack, etc. Five p.m. came and no mom. By 5:15 he was anxiously watching the door, and 5:30 brought tears. At 5:45 p.m. I was rocking him and trying to soothe him when mom burst in. She made a beeline for him and he lunged for her. They sat in the window seat awhile, then mom approached me while he got his coat. She told me, through tears, that he had only been hers about six months. His birth mother had abandoned him the year before, by taking him to a child care center and NOT picking him up.

Too many of these whacking me right upside the feelz...

I can’t say it strongly enough how much I LOVE these stories. I hope Texican never stops posting them.

Dennis Olson said:

I can’t say it strongly enough how much I LOVE these stories. I hope Texican never stops posting them.

Click to expand...

Thank you Dennis, I will.

With all of the woo and sadness and problems in the world, we all need to know that there is still good in the world even though the good is being threatened across the globe.

God bless us and keep us safe and free.

Pray.

Texican....

How true.

What was said at a funeral that you will never forget?
When I was a teacher I had a really unique bond with one of my students. I absolutely adored this bright, bubbly, and serious little boy. His mom was a parent who always remembered teachers on holidays and would send in thoughtful cards which I saved to this day.

A year after I taught him, my favorite student and his mother were in a horrific car accident, and my student passed away. He was only 6.

When I went to the front to pay my respects to his mother at his funeral, she looked directly at me and said “you were his mother too, and he loved you.” I will never forget that moment.

I loved all of my students very deeply. I think about them all the time, and check in on them. The loss of a student, and hearing that from his mother will never leave me as long as I live.

Holly Ruth
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Former Writer/Editor at McGraw-Hill Education (1981–1999)

Mar 31
What picture would you use to describe your childhood?
Reading was my escape and my salvation throughout childhood. I spent most of my free time buried in books—transported from the confines of my room into a world of other possibilities.

This picture captures a moment from that time.


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How many of us are still avivd readers?