I Babysat My Coworker’s Kids for Free Every Friday—What She Gave Me Back Changed How I See Kindness Forever

I started babysitting my coworker Mara’s kids every Friday for free, so she could work overtime. It was exhausting at times, and my boyfriend worried I was being used, but I kept doing it because I cared.

A year later, Mara got promoted and moved to a new city. I thought all my efforts had disappeared without a trace—until an envelope arrived. Inside were plane tickets to visit her and her kids, and at the airport, she handed me the keys to a $15,000 car.

“This car cost fifteen thousand dollars. It doesn’t cover what you gave me. But your kindness wasn’t wasted. It was invested in my family. You’re family now,” she said.

The lesson: genuine kindness may not be repaid immediately, but it always finds its way back—sometimes in ways bigger than you ever imagined.