The Night I Chose Kindness (And Met Someone Who Needed It)

Have you ever had that little nudge in your gut — the one that says, “Go over there. Say something. Do something.”

I had one of those moments recently.

At dinner, I noticed a woman sitting alone just a few tables away. She wasn’t sad because she was alone — but something about the way she played with her wristband and glanced at others told me she was carrying something heavy.

My mind went into overdrive. What if she wants to eat alone? What if she thinks I’m strange? What if she says no?

Five minutes passed, and the question that changed everything popped into my head:👉 “Nika, what have you got to lose?”

So, I got up, walked over, and asked her if she’d like to join us.

Her whole face softened. She smiled and said, “Actually, I would love that.”

As we pushed the tables together, I realised something powerful: our fears nearly always over-exaggerate what’s at stake.

Her story made sense of the feeling I had. She was from South Africa, and after months of visa applications, extra expenses, and plans to visit her daughter on the cruise, she learned (on the day of her flight) that her daughter had been transferred to another ship. Still, she came. But she was having a tough day.

What if I’d stayed quiet?

That evening reminded me: kindness doesn’t have to be grand. Sometimes it’s just asking a stranger to join you at the table. And sometimes, that’s all they need.

💬 When was the last time you acted on that little nudge of kindness?