All of us can occasionally run into uncomfortable situations in public. Often, you have to deal with the situation on your own. If you're lucky, a kind stranger may offer a helping hand. But sometimes, you'll come across someone who shows such selfless kindness it catches you by surprise...

A Good Samaritan

One day, Twitter user しらゆきちゃん Shirayuki-chan (@lovenomaho) got on the train and was startled when she noticed a red stain on the skirt of a young woman who got on the train with her at the same station.

It must have been her period, Shirayuki thought. When the woman got off the train, Shirayuki-san decided to get off with her and quickly informed her of the problem in a hushed voice so as not to be heard by others. When the young woman looked down at her skirt, she began to cry, saying she did not have a change of clothes with her.

Without a second thought for her time, money, or inconvenience, Shirayuki-chan immediately accompanied her to the closest clothing store in the train station building and bought a skirt for her!

Although it may not literally have been an extra mile, Shirayuki-chan really went out of her way to help the young woman and bring to an early resolution what could have been a much more prolonged and uncomfortable episode.

The gift that waited three months

Three months after the incident, Shirayuki-chan was on the train as usual when she was approached by the same woman from that day.

She handed her a thank-you gift. Shirayuki-chan was surprised to learn that the woman had been carrying the thank-you gift with her for the entire three months.

As it turns out, the young woman and Shirayuki-chan shared the same station, and she had seen Shirayuki-chan several times before. That's probably why she thought she would eventually see her again and kept the thank-you gift with her the whole time.

Shirayuki-chan's Tweet was widely shared and liked, eliciting comments such as: "What an act of kindness" and "How wonderful!"

Seeing that her post was being shared, Shirayuki-chan used her platform to make the following appeal:

Helping a stranger may seem easy, but it takes courage.

However, if even one more person takes action as Shirayuki-chan did, it may help to lower the mental and emotional barriers some people have to offer a helping hand.

Also, as word of these episodes spread, more and more people may think, "I want to be a person who can help others in need!"

Especially in these difficult pandemic times, we need acts of kindness more than ever...