Banish The Daily Doldrums With These Heartwarming Pics

Updated September 8, 2021

Some days you just need to shrug yourself into a warm, fuzzy hoodie and hunker down from the outside world, don't you? It's all too easy to catch a case of the doldrums when you find yourself in a gloomy rut.

You know what I prescribe myself on those days? Warmth. Not just favorite-blanket-on-the-couch-watching-Netflix warmth, either. Spiritual warmth. The warmth that comes from within, from knowing that the world isn't as cold and indifferent as it seems, because of all the goodness out there. The kind that's brought on by these folks.

1. We all know parents are fiercely protective of their kids, but sometimes you have to wonder if kids are just as protective of their folks.

Twitter | @LibyaLiberty

Well, this kid certainly made her feelings clear in a birthday note to her mom.

2. "My son's iPad battery died mid flight, he started watching kid's in front," a Reddit user posted. "When the kid noticed he angled it towards my son so he could see easier."

Reddit | [deleted]

Always nice to see kids ready and willing to share!

3. "My amazing wife (left) put together a donation drive for animals displaced from Florence," wrote Reddit user ashfidel. "We raised 1000 bucks in under a day and are headed to drop off our donations!"

Reddit | ashfidel

And it wasn't random stuff they bought — they worked off a list of needs from the charity in question.

4. When a Reddit user posted looking for place to buy a specific Austrian film, another Reddit user suggested emailing the director.

Reddit | gradebee

The original poster did, and the director wrote back! "Her response was very friendly and today I received her two film DVDs, which she sent me free of cost from Austria to India."

5. Someone set up a small tent for a stray cat in the back woods near some railroad tracks.

Reddit | DreadChupacabra

Seen in North Carolina just before Hurricane Florence was expected, we have to hope it helped with the rain, and managed to stay put despite the winds.

6. "This old man and his wife walk around the neighborhood and mow people’s lawns/pull up weeds for free," wrote Reddit user IThinkItllBeOkay.

Reddit | IThinkItllBeOkay

"They’re both incredibly sweet." Hard to disagree with that!

7. When this boy hurt his foot playing soccer, his cleats were ruined as well.

Reddit | rodrigoriosx

So the doctor who treated him at the hospital went ahead and bought the boy some new cleats.

8. "Never shared this before, but after my dad passed away, I texted him periodically," wrote Reddit user hollywoodpizzapirate. "One day someone responded."

Reddit | hollywoodpizzapirate

You can't ask for a better response from a stranger than that!

9. Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary gave a shout-out to one of their dedicated volunteers, Terry, who showed up one day and offered to brush their cats.

Facebook | Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary Inc.

Soon enough, he became a regular there, known as much for napping with the cats as for brushing them, both of which the cats seem to love.

10. "So my great, great, great granddad died in the First World War in India and none of us has ever been able to visit his grave and all we had to remember him by was a death penny," wrote Reddit user Tomsew22.

Reddit | Tomsew22

"My brother found his plot and posted on Reddit about it. Some guy got in touch and sent us this! We can’t thank him enough."

11. Is there anything more pure and more quintessentially "Grandma" than watching her fix her grandson's teddy bear?

Reddit | thinkingking

Maybe if there were some milk and cookies on hand, but still, totally heart melting.

12. This Irish gas station wanted to let parents know that their shop would be a safe space for kids who needed help.

Reddit | Dan-RR

Offering to let kids hang around dry and warm, use the phone to call home, or possibly even get something to eat is a wonderfully classy move and great for the community.

13. This college's long-time pizza chef was honored for all of his years of slinging pies for hungry students with his own sign on the wall.

Reddit | Houndstooth_Tie

And you just know this guy has made tons of pizzas in his life, and just as many students happy.

14. Aunt Jemima has nothing on this syrupy sweetness — an artist who used his girlfriend as inspiration after she fell asleep while they were FaceTiming.

Twitter | @klept0

For those worrying, no, that's not a tattoo. It's just pure cuteness.

15. You can't ask for a more meaningful match than these two: Madden and Moon each have a cleft lip and different colored eyes, and they're best friends.

Instagram | @maddenandmoon

They make you want to believe in fate.

16. "When I was a kid I lost my tooth at school so I wrote a letter to the tooth fairy and got my dad to verify it and sign it to say that I was trustworthy," wrote Reddit user ZhenHen.

Reddit | ZhenHen

Precocious, enterprising, and thorough on the details!

17. "After my grandmother passed away, I and my parents went to visit her apartment to take some of her things," wrote Reddit user memet_czajkowski. "We removed a picture of her only daughter (my mom) from the wall. Behind it, some kind of discoloration formed a heart."

Reddit | memet_czajkowski

This would be spooky if it wasn't so heartwarming.

18. There's a wonderful display of friendship — holding an umbrella for your buddy, who's on crutches, as you walk to class in the rain.

Reddit | Littledpb99

This guy already has an A in kindness.

19. Love this scene, as a grandfather teaches his father how to play the dino game on Chrome.

Reddit | captenchaos

Not only adorable, but fun you don't even need an internet connection for.

20. "So one of our homeless regulars took us completely by surprise with his artistic skills by painting a superman shirt for a coworker's son," wrote another Reddit user. "Said payment wasn't necessary, as long as it made the kids happy."

Reddit | Reddit

Wonderful gesture showing off some incredible talent, and I hope he does get paid for his work.

21. "When I was two I gave my Dad a stuffed beluga whale to keep in his work bag so that if he ever missed me he could hold it and think of me," wrote Reddit user yung_holmie. "Eighteen years later, my Dad has just informed me he still brings my beluga whale to work with him every day."

Reddit | yung_holmie

I think I've got something in my eye...

22. "One week ago my brother encountered the nicest Chick-Fil-A worker: he had saved about $3 of change that my brother forgot at the window and brought it to work each day for the next three weeks for 'the next time he saw him,'" wrote Reddit user kiki-cakes.

Reddit | kiki-cakes

Give that guy a raise!

23. Pet stores don't have the greatest reputation, but this one was looking out for a kitten they found in a storm.

Twitter | @crysomemore

For the record, that's not a real sweater — it's a sock they turned into a sweater. Although, either way, that kitten is weapons-grade cute.

24. Don't you just feel excited for these kids, on that magical day when the janitor goes up on the roof to toss down all the stuff that's been lost up there?

Reddit | nthensome

Begin the rain of tennis balls!

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