People in winter clothes at a vigil for Alex Pretti. One person in a medical mask and gloves holds a poster that says JUSTICE FOR ALEX PRETTI. A headline reads: "Alex Pretti, the Man Killed by Agents, Was a Nurse and U.S. Citizen" Photo by David Guttenfelder/The New York Times

Alex Pretti, who was fatally shot by Border Patrol agents on Saturday, was a registered nurse who worked in the ICU at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Minneapolis. “He wanted to be helpful, to help humanity and have a career that was a force of good in the world,” a colleague said. trib.al/0Yb3jXF

Went to my local library this morning to do a bit of research for my current book project and my goodness such a life-affirming space! There was an adult being taught to read on the next table, children enjoying story time, countless people taking out books. So grateful for our libraries ❤️

"A woman came and asked how she could help. I had no way to articulate anything, ...She took a paper towel, wet it in the sink, and wiped blood off of my face. She touched my shoulder and left. It still makes me cry.” –Madeline P., Centerville, UT

“When my daughter was 4, she fell and split open the back of her head while we were checking out at the store. I rushed her to the bathroom with my hand full of bloody hair clasped on the back of her head. I was very frazzled, trying to figure out how bad the cut was. ..."

"I burst into tears when they walked in the room. They turned right back around and flew home that night. They were coming to Utah for Thanksgiving in two weeks, but she did all that for me just to give me a hug on the worst day of my life.” –Marisa M., Ogden, UT

From the archive: "I lost my mom after a short battle with cancer and her funeral was just two weeks before Thanksgiving. One of my very dearest friends used all her sky miles to fly her and her husband from Atlanta to Utah to be at my mom’s viewing for just 20 minutes..."

"She knew I was struggling and over the next few weeks she sent me texts every single day with uplifting, inspirational, and humorous thoughts. Her messages helped get me through the hardest weeks of my life and I will be forever grateful.” –Jessica K., Topeka, KS

From the archive: "A few months ago my husband suddenly and unexpectedly told me he wanted a divorce and moved out, leaving me and our four young children. I was shocked and heartbroken. He told some friends of ours, and the wife immediately reached out to me..."

"I counted the coins and realized that, at just over $5, she’d given me every last penny she had to her name.” –Maddison D., Augusta, GA

"When I was preparing to leave for college I was understandably stressed about money. One night, right before I left, I found a ziplock bag of coins on my bed with a note from my 9-yr-old sister that said 'now you can buy food.' ..."

"...especially right before a break when the fatigue is real. After she left, I opened my fridge and discovered three Panera soups and French bread she had gotten me for lunch the last three days of school.” –Synneve L., San Antonio, TX

"My mom came to watch my daughter for two days this week when our babysitter was out of town (kindness #1!). This was the last week before our winter break began, and I remarked to my mom how I get sick of packing lunch to go to work, ..."

"...so my husband could go home and get things done before returning. I will never forget it.” –Jennifer D., Las Vegas, NV

"In 2017, at 40 years old, I had a double mastectomy. I ended up needing to stay in the hospital for 5 days. I was scared to be alone, so friends watched my children, and one friend even came very early every morning to the hospital to sit with me (usually as I slept)..."

"Hope is not naive optimism. It is the commitment to struggle for a different world." –Gustavo Gutiérrez

"...to remove some of the meal-planning burden during an overwhelming exams season.” –Sarah, New York, NY

"For a variety of reasons (including finals) I ended up sloppy crying in church, and a friend gave me a shoulder to cry on and let me vent. Later that day, she and another friend showed up at my apartment with ice cream, challah, and pizza ..."

Check @tinykindnesses.bsky.social for more stories like these

Thank you!!

"When I was in junior high school, I fell down on the way to school on my bike, & my leg was broken. At this time, a middle-aged man helped me & took me to the hospital quickly. He accompanied me during my treatment. When my parents came, he left without a word." –Lin, Shanghai, China

What's one small thing you do to make your community better?

What's the best compliment you've ever been given?

"We took our kids out to eat. At the table behind us a boy popped his balloon. Not even a minute later, a girl sitting at the table across from them reached over and handed the boy her balloon. Such a tiny action representing such a beautiful heart.” –Ashley A., Flower Mound, TX

"I couldn’t move the truck to the side of the road; and I didn’t have anyone nearby to call. Soon a father-son duo pulled up with a big can of gas. They were so kind, and made a stressful situation a joyful one." –Leslie D., Scottsdale, AZ

"Once I was out of town for work and was driving with my toddler. Our gas tank was nearly empty and I thought we could make it to the gas station near our apartment. (Face-palm.) We ran out of gas on the off-ramp. It wasn’t safe to walk anywhere with a toddler; ..."

"Then he drove off. It seemed unlikely these two people knew each other. It warmed my heart seeing such an impromptu kindness." –Drinda R., Taylor, TX

"I was driving in my neighborhood when I noticed a man trying to put a dryer in his truck bed by himself. The car in front of me stopped suddenly, a guy hopped out & helped the man heave it into the truck, then jumped back in his own car. Barely a word was spoken between them..."

"..ask him kind questions as she gently led him to my car and helped him get in...".all toasty and dry under her umbrella. That day I found the epitome of a beautiful soul — actually, she found me." –Elizabeth M., Salt Lake City, UT

"...and my dad’s hand to get them both safely across the parking lot, no umbrella and no way to hold one anyway. She simply looked at me, then abandoned her group to gently put her arm around my dad, hold out her umbrella, and..."

"On the day after we decided to move my dad into memory care, I took him out to lunch and I had my 7-month-old son with me. As we were leaving the restaurant, there was an unexpected, cold spring rain. Things were pretty confusing for my dad and a woman saw me trying to hold my baby’s car seat..."