upworthy

encouragement

Joy

A dad was camping with his kids when a fellow camper slipped him this handwritten note

"From one dad to another."

Photo credit: Canva, Note image via RCampR6/Reddit

A dad got a sweet note from a fellow father after camping with his kids.

There are a lot of challenging things about being a parent; take your pick. The sleep deprivation, the overwhelming responsibility, the lack of free time. But truly, one of the hardest parts of being a parent is never being sure whether you're doing a good job or totally bombing it. If you're conscientious enough to even wonder if you're a good parent, you probably are, but parenting entails a million little choices and interactions, and there's always a lingering voice in your head saying, "What if you're really screwing this whole thing up?"

Reassurance and encouragement are always appreciated by parents, but not always received, which is why a note from one camping dad to another has people celebrating the kindness of anonymous strangers.

"You are killing it as a dad."

Someone on Yosemite Reddit thread shared a photo of a handwritten note with the caption, "To the man who left this thoughtful note on my windshield at Lower Pines Campground this weekend, I extend my heartfelt gratitude; your acknowledgment of my efforts to be a good father means a great deal to me."

The note reads:

Windshield Note.
byu/RCampR6 inYosemite

"Bro,

I camped in the spot behind you last night. Let me just say, you are killing it as a dad. First off, I watched your wife guide you in as you backed up your trailer and nailed it on the first try without any yelling. Then your kids unloaded from the truck and were mild-mannered and well behaved. You told stories around the campfire and I had the pleasure of listening to the sounds of giggles and laughter.

From one dad to another, you are killing it. Keep it up.

P.S. Whatever you cooked for dinner smelled delicious!"

How often do we share these thoughts with strangers, even if we have them? And who wouldn't love to get a surprise bit of praise with specific examples of things we did right?

Everyone needs to hear a compliment once in a while.

dads, giving men compliments, fatherhood, camping, camping with kids A handwritten note with the words "good job!" on itPhoto credit: Canva

So many people found the note to be a breath of fresh air and a good reminder to compliment people when we feel the urge:

"That would make any daddy's eyes water."

"It’s always nice, as a guy, to get a compliment."

"I complimented a guy's glasses at work (I'm also a guy, and btw they were really cool glasses, I wasn't just being nice) and now he keeps trying to tell me where he got his glasses and how I should get some. But I'm just having to be polite because I already have glasses and I'm not in the market. I finally had to tell him I'm not going to buy them lmao I just like them on him.

Made me feel like that's the first compliment he's had in years because he can't stop talking about it. Also I mainly liked the glasses because I think he's cute but he really thinks it's just the glasses haha jokes on him that cute bastard.""I was in the store with my wife and one of our 'adopted nephews' yesterday (we’re close friends with his parents and we’ve known him and his brother since they were newborns and 2yo, respectively). A woman came up to me at checkout while my wife was running out to the car and said 'I’m not sure what your family relationship is here, but I just have to tell you how nice and refreshing it is to hear all the laughter and joy from the 3 of you. You both seem like such a good influence on him and it warms my heart.' It’s such a small thing but as a dude, I can’t remember the last time someone gave me a compliment in public and it made my freaking day."

"10/10 letter. The and not yelling part gave me a good chuckle lol."

"We need so much more of men getting such heartfelt and sincere compliments. Thanks for sharing. ❤️"

dads, giving men compliments, fatherhood, camping, camping with kids A man smilingPhoto credit: Canva

"I’ve never considered leaving a note, but when I see a harmonious family with good parenting, it’s healing for me. My childhood was awful."

"Such an awesome compliment! Even though I don't have children myself, I like to remind my friends too that they're doing great & it brings them happy tears."

"This made me cry. I love that you are getting your 'flowers.' My dad sucked, I’m so glad you are one of the good ones."

"This made me cry too. It’s so hard to be a human. Let alone a parent. Getting a good job sticker every now and then really means a lot these days."

"I'm a big bearded guy and I would cry if I got this note. More people like this, please."

The best part of this story is that no one knows who the dad who wrote the note is, not even the dad who shared it. It wasn't written for clout or notoriety, it wasn't to get attention or make himself look good. No name or signature, just an anonymous act of kindness to uplift a stranger whether he needed it or not.

dads, giving men compliments, fatherhood, camping, camping with kids A dad with his kid on his shouldersPhoto credit: Canva

We all need to hear or read kind things said about us, and sometimes it means even more coming from an anonymous stranger who has nothing to gain by sharing. A good reminder to share it when you feel it—you never know how many people you may move and inspire.

This article originally appeared last year.

From Your Site Articles
community
JoyFriendship
Parenting

Dad refuses to quit as son with spina bifida bravely walks down step, moving people to tears

"With dad, and God's help, he'll get there."

Cold_Pin8708/Reddit

Dad encourages son with spina bifida during tough physical therapy work.

A little encouragement can go a long way. For father Chase Harris (@chase_chasman), he is his son Bubba's #1 hype man as he battles through grueling physical therapy sessions for spina bifida.

In an inspiring video shared in an online community celebrating people with a hopeful outlook on life, Harris challenges Bubba, who is 7 years old and also has scoliosis, with the utmost patience and gentleness as he attempts to step off a curb—an exercise that is part of his physical therapy work. Community member Cold_Pin8708 wrote, "With dad, and God's help, he'll get there," when he shared the video.

On TikTok, Harris captioned the video himself with, "Bravest boy I know!" In it, Harris stands alongside Bubba as he slowly inches his way to step off the curb. Harris offers guidance on how to position his body and use his strength to maneuver his walker.

@chase_cashman

Bravest boy I know! #fyp #bubbastrong #spinabifidawarrior #fatherson

"Bubba had to overcome his fear with this one," Harris added in the video's caption. He tells Bubba that this move requires "a lot of control." "This can be dangerous for Bubba if he's alone and can't control himself on an incline," he adds.

Bubba slowly steps his way to the curb as his dad tells him to take quick steps. Bubba is afraid, and pauses before stepping off the curb. "It helps if he hears me affirm to him that I won't let him fall," Harris adds in the caption. He tells Bubba, "I've got you. You're not going to fall." And Bubba replies, "Okay. Love you."

@chase_cashman

Moments that are tough #fyp #fatherson #physicaltherapy #spinabifidawarrior #fatherhood

With his dad's encouragement, Bubba steps off the curb and does not fall. "Sometimes you gotta get over your fear like that," he tells Bubba. Bubba is emotional and hugs his dad. "If you won't have tried it, something like that would have had you stuck. But you made it though! That's it. It's over. It's defeated. So move to the next."

People in the online community are singing Harris' praises:

"I love this family! The dad gives the perfect balance between pushing and encouraging but knowing when the kiddo is frustrated and giving him a break. The little boy is such a fighter and works SO hard. I love them."

"Real fathers will be there no matter how tough it gets."

"C’mon! Let’s go little man! 💪🏽💪🏽 move over world here he comes! I hope to one day have half of the fight you have inside myself. Thank you for the motivation! You are loved! Great job dad, the world needs more fathers like you!🫶🏽💪🏽❤️."

Finally, viewer Porfessional_Bake209 shared, "Baby boy did so good - every video I see with them he’s doing so frigging good and I’m always tearing up while sitting on the edge of the couch, cheering and jumping 🥹🥹❤️❤️ and dad is doing such a great job supporting, hyping, catching, helping and describing the tasks to good 🙌🏼 sending them tons of love ❤️."

@chase_cashman

God is good #fyp #spinabifida #bubbastrong

Harris and Bubba have continued to document the ins-and-outs of their daily life with their followers on social media. The family has been sharing Bubba's journey online since he was four years old. "He has always been a fighter. He has come so far," they shared in another video.

From Your Site Articles
spinal bifida
ParentingFamily
Community

Boy writes emotional letter to soccer coach who encouraged him after years of being put down

"This letter says more than any trophy ever could."

Images via Canva

Boy writes soccer coach emotional letter.

Coaches can have a big impact on kids. Their role is meant to inspire hard work and work ethic, and to help develop skills to be a better athlete. Good coaches can influence immense transformation and growth, while bad coaches can cause destruction.

For one coach, his positive treatment and encouragement towards one of his young soccer players changed the little player forever. To show his appreciation, the young boy wrote a tear-jerking letter to Coach Scott, sharing how much he meant to him after previous coaches constantly put him down.

Coach Scott shared the emotional letter on social media, where he explained that he found the letter "amongst my old coaching gear." Hand-written on a sheet of lined paper, the short 11-sentence note sparked an overwhelming response among readers.

note, letter, handwritten, coach, kidsYoung player writes soccer coach emotional letter thanking him for his support.Dramatic_Living_8737/Reddit

The letter reads:

"Dear Coach Scott,
A coach once told me I was too little, but you didn't think so. A coach once told me I was too timid, but you didn't think so. A coach once told me I was too slow, but you didn't think so. A coach once told me I was too emotional, but you didn't think so. A coach once told me watching from the bench would make me better, but you didn't think so. A coach once told me I wasn't made for soccer, but you didn't think so. Another coach showed me I was good enough and all that mattered was that I loved to play. All the rest would come. Thank you Coach Scott!! You made me love soccer and gave me a chance when another coach wouldn't. I'll miss you very much."

crying, gif, tears, sweet, kind, cuteCry Crying GIF by NBCGiphy

In the post's comments, Coach Scott added, "He is a highly intelligent young man who was wise way beyond his years. I was blown away by his writing skills the first time I read this."

Many people commended Coach Scott for his kindness to his player. "These are the real paychecks. That letter is priceless," one wrote, and Coach Scott replied, "Everyone needs someone to believe in themselves." Another wrote, "Coach Scott is a good, good man. Show the others the good, good always," and Coach Scott responded, "Thank you. Mr. Rogers said 'look for the helpers'. I became the helper for them to look for." Another touched reader wrote, "This letter says more than any trophy ever could," and Coach Scott replied, "Words are forever."

soccer coach, coach, coaches, gif, postiive impact, ted lassoBelieve Jason Sudeikis GIF by Apple TVGiphy

It also spurred a discussion about the heavy and lasting impact coaches can have.

"Well done. And being that kid myself who had coaches who would pick me last in the name of min/maxing the game (or assign the varsity athletes team leaders so that they would pick last) it took a lifetime for me to reorient myself to the positive attributes of sports. So it’s refreshing when I hear stories like this from an educator who gets what’s actually important," one reader shared.

Another wrote, "I had a teacher like this. I would have dropped out of school if not for him. Incidentally, he was also a coach. Thank you for being a real one, Coach Scott!" Coach Scott replied, "Glad you never gave up. Keep fighting the good fight and thank you for your kind words."

From Your Site Articles
coach
CommunityJoy
Community

Bodega manager hands kid $100 bill and free groceries after seeing his honors roll report card

"Investment in the community. No finer hero could be asked for."

GMA/Youtube

Wail Alselwi (@islandock1), the manager of Zack’s Finest Deli & Grocery in Port Richmond, Staten Island, created a new incentive for local students called Grades for Grabs

Acknowledging good grades can do so much to uplift kids' academic performance. And Staten Island bodega manager Wail Alselwi is making sure that the students in his local community are recognized for their scholastic efforts by offering them rewards for their hard work.

Alselwi (@islandock1), the manager of Zack’s Finest Deli & Grocery in Port Richmond, Staten Island, created a new incentive for local students called Grades for Grabs—described as "a movement dedicated to rewarding students for their hard work with snacks and cash prizes for good grades." He began sharing heartfelt videos on his TikTok account of local kids coming into his store to show him their high marks in school, which began to catch on.

In an interview with Good Morning America, Alselwi shared that one student began it all in 2024: 12-year-old Zameir Davis. "I started it with him and then I started doing it with other kids too," he said about Davis. "Some kids have bad grades. You just need to encourage them to do better so they don't give up. You give them hope, and that someone really cares, and that there is a prize after for [their] hard work."

@islandock1

Zack’s finest #islandock #foryoupage #fypシ #ocky #deli #fypシ゚viral

In Davis' now-viral video, he excitedly burst into Alselwi's shop to share the good news that he had finally made the honor roll. "I told you I'd get honor roll!" he said in the video, to which Alselwi replied, "No way! You did it?! He did it! You're the man, Zameir!" For his reward, Zameir chose multiple bags of Doritos, a cookies & cream milkshake, and a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich. "Keep going, ya heard! That's what I'm talking about," Alselwi says at the end of the video.

And TikTok viewers commended their sweet interaction. "He probably told you before his parents 🥺🥰🥰🥰🥰," one wrote. Another added, "The excitement he has to share his achievement 🥰. And another viewer shared, "definition of 'it takes a village'😭."

@islandock1

#Islandock #Zacksfinest #fypシ #foryoupag #ocky #deli #foodtiktok #gradesforgrabs #GFG #islandockmerch #nyc #statenisland #school #reportcards #fypシ゚viral

Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella also recognized Alselwi with a Certificate of Appreciation for his selfless act with Zamier, sharing, "[Alselwi] had no obligation, he had no reason, he had no point to help this young man, but he chose to and that’s the beauty of this story.”

@islandock1

#Islandock #Zacksfinest #fypシ #foryoupag #ocky #deli #gradesforgrabs #GFG #islandockmerch #nyc #statenisland #school #reportcards #library

Students have continued to visit Alselwi to receive encouragement and share their good grade news to receive an even sweeter reward: $100 and the chance to grab anything in the store they want thanks to Alselwi's generosity and crowdfunding.

"Many kids lack encouragement, and sometimes, all it takes is a small incentive to boost their confidence and push them toward greatness," he shared on the movement's GoFundMe page. "Imagine a student working extra hard to improve their grades, knowing their effort will be recognized and celebrated. That’s the impact we’re making!" He also adds that the mission statement of Grades for Grabs is to be "a community-driven initiative that makes learning fun and rewarding. Together, we can create a generation that values hard work, determination, and success!"

From Your Site Articles
bodega
CommunityJoy
Trending Stories