The nicest gift you ever received

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When I was 21, I was alone, no family, nothing happening, so I decided to go out and celebrate quietly by myself; late afternoon and was I sitting in a nice bar quietly drinking a glass of champagne.

A man asked me if I was celebrating something, and I told him yes, it was my 21st birthday. He smiled and disappeared then came back ten minutes late, put a package in front of me, said "Happy Birthday sweetie, you enjoy this". And then he left the bar (for good).

I opened the package. It was a large bottle of Chanel Number 5 parfum - the most expensive one - and they cost a lot of money. It was the nicest gift I ever received. The old Chanel was particularly beautiful. (These days they use synthetics more than they did then, and the scent is very different and not the unforgettable fragrance it once was - divine).

I wore Chanel number 5 for 50 years after that, and it always reminded me of the kindness of that stranger that transformed that day into a very special experience. Later I found out who he was - not a rich man - but an extremely kind one. He had grown up very poor and worked hard for his money. I never met him again though I have never forgotten that, and have paid it forward in my own way sometimes in the years since.

My diagnosis. Unlike so many I will die knowing who I am.

Yes, "Know thyself" is a profound maxim, and truth does set people free, I think I can understand.

A tossup, between a Omega Planet Ocean and another being a spontaneous trip, including first class flight with a very nice hotel suite. Both from different exes, ended on mutual good terms and I enjoy the memories, plus the watch... Oddly I stopped dating years ago, even though I always managed to have wonderful (and very interesting) boyfriends and girlfriends for the most part. We always ended on good terms and still communicate with all but one. Common theme that ended them, was usually issues related with ASD

Thank you for the lovely story B19, it certainly inspires me to be a better person. I am so happy that you had that special experience to share with us.

Thank you for your replies. Random acts of kindness can stay with us, and warm our hearts, for life

My grandpa sent me a quilt made by his wife.

I've always wanted a quilt and I'm going to treasure it forever.

Two cartons of soy-milk.
It was the first birthday gift I had received in years. I got them from a coworker, who I had told many weeks earlier that I really like soy milk, but don't drink it because I can't afford it. I don't know how, but she found out that it was my birthday, bought those on her way to work, and was very surprised to see me in tears over it.
She had only made a quick stop at the store across the street and bought a cheap and stupid gift, and could not understand why I would get so worked up about two cartons of milk.
For me, it was actually more about her remembering something that I had said weeks before, and making an effort for my sake, no matter how small.
But I was really happy about the milk too.

The most nicest gift I've ever received is the gift of life. Both life and the little Sweet Pea and his closest relative, Om Nom. Cacnea is another Sweet Pea who rolled into my life. To me, the 2010s is the Decade of The Pea.

My soulbonds being in my life~

The nicest gift I have ever gotten was an engagement ring from my husband. We picked it out together, and he bought it with his own money. I am still wearing this ring and my wedding ring to this day.

I was young and fairly certain that I had no real value to anyone, that I largely went unnoticed, and that I was relatively unattractive. I was an overweight young teenager, I dressed mostly in baggy black clothing, carried myself awkwardly. I spent most of my time being obnoxious or silly, making life around me my own comedy, as to distract myself from it all. I felt ignored, unloved, valueless.

I was doing my usual goofing off in the aisle of a mostly empty store, assured that no one spared me much thought as at this point in my life I was largely invisible (despite being physically prominent and pretty loud). I had just finished some ridiculous dance, making my Mother and myself laugh at how stupid it must've looked (which was the point) when a very attractive boy my age came running up the aisle.
I froze. I wasn't sure what to expect, really. He stopped in front of me, a little red in the face, managed to catch my eyes (I'm not sure why I continued to stand there so still that I couldn't even look away) and told me with incredible conviction and sincerity "You're beautiful.". We stared at one another for a moment in a ridiculous movie-like fashion, he gazing and me just gaping like an idiot. His Mother called for him, "Tyler!", and he ran off and I never saw him again.

He was the first person to tell me I was beautiful. He was the first boy to express any interest in me at all. He was the first person my age to say something kind to me that didn't end in a derisive joke at my expense. Because of that moment, I was able to cultivate a sense of confidence. How could I not? He ran across the store just to tell me I was beautiful. And he'd said it like I was the first beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

To this day I wish I could somehow meet him again, recognize him, and thank him for giving me that gift. For ignoring how embarrassing it could've been had I reacted badly, for saying I was beautiful and not hot or cute or any of that other crap.

Warmed my heart reading that. Gifts like that stay with us forever.

Looking into the eyes of a rescue kitten, and seeing the very moment that he became tame. Seeing his gaze change in an instant from the apprehensive sidelong look of a wary animal into the warm, full-on gaze of a loving, trusting pet.

What made this even more wonderful is that it happened while I was stroking his littermate, a little girl kitten, who was allowing me to touch her, at that precise moment, for the very first time. He was watching us, perched on the back of the sofa, and I looked up at him just as It Happened - I saw his gaze soften, saw him lean forward, and I swear I heard him thinking: she loves us. She LOVES us! SHE LOVES US!! !!

Well, that was that. The three of us were a family for the next seventeen years, for all the days of their lives (with additions and emendations of both the feline and human variety .)

They really, really do B19. I hope he at least suspects how big of a deal it was, and feels good any time he thinks of it. Because it's one of my favorite memories.