The strangers who changed my life in 5 mins or less

 There was an old man on a train once who told me, “People only remember how you made them feel. Not what you did. Not what you said. Just how they felt around you.” He got off at the next stop. I never saw him again, but I’ve carried that sentence for years.


There was a woman in line at the grocery store who saw me fumbling to count change. She smiled, tapped her card, and paid for my groceries without a word. When I looked at her, stunned, she just said, “Pass it on.”


One night in a city I didn’t know, I was crying on a bench. A young guy with a skateboard sat next to me and said, “You don’t have to explain. Just breathe with me.” He took deep, slow breaths. I followed. Five minutes later, he left. I don’t remember his name, only that I wasn’t alone when I needed someone.


Sometimes, the shortest encounters leave the deepest marks. Not all heroes wear capes. Some just show up for five minutes and disappear forever.


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