I think if I could be the kind stranger in someone’s memory, that’d be enough.

The morning my mom died, we left the hospital and didn't know what else to do but go get breakfast at a McDonald's. We shuffled in like zombies. We were pretty shell shocked after everything we'd been through. And because of that, I guess the three of us were kind of struggling with getting our drinks and napkins and carrying our trays of food. I couldn't even tell you how we struggled with such a simple thing. We were just lost in thought, I guess. All I really remember is this little old man, a complete stranger, helping us bring our trays to the table. We didn't even ask for help. He just did. It was so weird because it was like he knew what had happened. I never got his name. The whole interaction couldn't have lasted more than 5 minutes. But I can still see his face.

I dont care if you think people are fundementally selfish. I choose to believe people are good and even if i get taken advantage of im going to do my part to make the world fair and kind

Maybe this is the wrong post to put this on but I've been going through this book lately and if you need your faith in humanity restored, try this: https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-paradise-built-in-hell-the-extraordinary-communities-that-arise-in-disaster-rebecca-solnit/11725474?ean=9780143118077&next=t

(My local library has it in both hardcopy and audiobook format, hot tip!)

Basically, time after time after time, when we study crises and disasters, here's what happens:

It doesn't matter what decade, city, or type of disaster: ordinary people step up. They carry things for each other. They loan resources. They share food and water. The idea that people would rather hoard and be individualist is, by and large, just an illusion; people start to help each other, and then when folks see people helping, they help the helpers.

Seconding the book recommendation! This book is fantastic.