From Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, the holiday season is a time of appreciation. A celebration of all of the family and friends in our lives as we surround ourselves with loved ones and take part in unique holiday traditions.
However, I believe that even among all those we typically express our gratitude towards, there are some key people who are often left out: the unsung heroes. For me, these include the people who have seen me at my worst and helped me through some of my hardest moments, and yet, I do not know any of their names.
These individuals include the student who knocked on the bathroom stall I was hiding in after I broke down over not finishing a math test, and she warmly checked to make sure I was okay. This small gesture was grounding and reminded me that someone was looking out for me, even when it felt like I couldn’t do that for myself.
A similar thing happened a few years back at a CrossFit class. I was doing a difficult workout, and before I knew it, my lungs gave way and I collapsed. The weight of feeling like a failure hit me like a truck. At that moment, a gym member immediately came over. She guided me through each breath and even shared her own struggles with exercising and not giving up. After speaking with her, my chest felt lighter and I returned to finish the session.
And, how could I forget the volunteer who supported me backstage after I fell flat on my face in front of hundreds during a production of “The Nutcracker” when I was in first grade. She helped me wipe off the makeup streaks on my face and emphasized that everyone makes mistakes, even revealing to me that the sugar plum fairy herself fell on stage once.
I would not be where I am without these individuals. In my most vulnerable moments, they didn’t hesitate to support me. And, I see what they did as little reminders of the joys of humanity. There is humanity in all of us that binds us together and drives a person to help someone else that they don’t even know just out of the kindness in their hearts. And it really just does make such an impact; I know it did for me. Even after many, many years, I still remember all of those individuals.
Beyond just helping you get through difficult moments, these strangers in our lives help us feel more connected to our communities. In fact, in NPR Health Correspondent Rhitu Chatterjee’s 2023 online article, Chatterjee references a 2022 study led by Harvard Business School graduate student Hanne Collins observed that those who interact daily with a variety of people, from strangers to family, tend to feel happier than those who only interact with a select few people like coworkers and friends. My interactions with these strangers were so important in that they also allowed me to feel a sense of belonging and connection that everyday interactions with the people I know doesn’t always provide.
I may not ever see any of these people ever again, but they live on forever in my most significant and life-changing memories. We all owe it to the strangers who have impacted our lives to pay it forward.
Life is terrifying and chaotic but now that it is a New Year, we should all remember that if we live our lives as the kind of people who are always willing to offer support and a helping hand to anyone, then the world might just be a little bit better.
