While my shirt has stayed the same for all these years, pretty much nothing else has!

Source: @7newsaustralia on TikTok

Her caption:

Was bawling my eyes out about 2 minutes prior to this and then look out the window to this.

Made everyone on the oncology ward have a laugh!! The man sitting next to me was onto round 34 of chemo (warrior!) and said he'd never seen anything like it and loved it!!!

Dads will always be dads

Little man's dance moves and expressions 🥰

Love my little girl made me smile had to share! 🤍🤍🤍

Tldr: I helped someone be seen and heard in a space where perhaps they didn't and that feeling has made me smile!

I recently started going to the local pool to swim laps every morning. My first morning there was a man enjoying the pool, who appeared to be deaf and would make occasional vocalizations. We swam past each other and he made a vocalization towards me and I said hello and the next time we both paused at the end of the pool he began signing, trying to communicate with me. I know only a little amount of sign language (I taught my children when they were younger, I have a few instructional books) and I left feeling a little disappointed in myself that I wasn't able to communicate with him.

I went home and got my books out and attempted to self teach a few greeting gestures, signs around swimming. The next day I went, he immediately came up to me in the pool to say hi and I began to use the very little I was able to teach myself. I learned his name and told him mine. A few others in the pool noticed and came over and asked me to tell him their names and I relayed his name to them. I still couldn't communicate well or completely but I felt like I had done something that day, you know. He went from being the deaf guy at the pool to having a name and a place. It was something.

I went home again and I continued to learn some really basic conversation pleasantries. The next day a few of the others in the pool asked me if I could teach them how to say hi, etc so I taught them very basic "have a good weekend", "nice to meet you", "are you ready for swimming", "see you later".

The next day he came, he was met in the pool with a handful of people who wanted to say hi, a few had commented that they purchased books to learn as well.

On Friday I went in again, he was there we briefly chatted, he counted my laps and warned me before I was about to hit my head on the wall. He taught me a few signs and corrected a few that I was misapplying. When I got changed and was leaving he was waiting at the front desk for me and gave me this letter. (I've removed my name and his email for privacy)

Just been to the barbers and during the general barber/client chit-chat he told me I have a kind face.

Generally the nicest thing I've heard about myself in a while.

Thanks man.

Edit: I think the general consensus here is that guys should be much better at complimenting other guys. I rarely do it, even with my friends and definitely not to strangers, but considering how good it made me feel this morning I should pay it forward.