'I gave my seat to an elderly man on the bus - what he said next floored me'

A man told of the insightful conversation he ended up having with an old man when he gave up his seat for him. The young man was feeling "exhausted" and "not in the mood for anything" after a gruelling day at work, "got on a very crowded bus" and "sat down", ready for his home. He shared: "After a while, an elderly man got on, and he looked tired and was standing. Without thinking, I got up and gave him my seat". Little did he know, this act of kindness would lead to a life lesson.

The elderly man expressed his gratitude with a "with a simple smile," but didn't stop there. He struck up a conversation with the young man, asking about his "and how life was going," and they engaged in a casual chat during the ride.

The younger man described his fellow passenger as a "kind and calm person" and found their conversation enjoyable, despite his earlier foul mood.

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However, the older man's next words took the young man by surprise. "Suddenly, he said, 'I haven't spoken to anyone for four days, I just needed someone to listen to me'."

He wrote: "That really affected me. I couldn't respond, but I just listened until he got off. I realised how small gestures can make a big difference in someone's day."

He then asked: "Have you ever had a small moment like this that made your day different, or made you change your perspective on something you thought was ordinary?"

The response was overwhelming, as many people took to sharing their own experiences of spreading joy. One commenter revealed: "I work in healthcare. Geriatric patients always get a little extra care from me since I know that I may be one of the few people they may talk to that day. My goal is to try and make them laugh at least once."

Another individual relayed a touching story: "I was in college, college town, lots of young people. I was walking to grab lunch off campus with my headphones on, singing along. Stopped at a crosswalk, I feel a tug on my arm. A petite (maybe 5'1") lady with a red and white cane compliments my singing voice. She's blind. She asks if I know where such and such clinic is, and I do. It's maybe four blocks away.

"She's a bit disheartened, as she was somewhat lost, so I offer her my arm and ask if she'd like me to escort her there. She perks up, 'What a gentleman!' As we amble over the few blocks, she's effusively praising how they don't make men like they used to, how her husband used to treat her like royalty, and how she missed her knight in shining armour. He'd always accompanied her to the clinic, so she wasn't familiar with the route.

"We reach the clinic and the nurse at the reception desk exclaims something along the lines of 'Mrs So and So, your appointment was forty five minutes ago!' We bid each other farewell, she pats me on the hand and says 'Thank you young gentleman'.

"As I head back to my lunch spot I realised a blind woman had been roaming downtown in a university town for nearly an hour and nobody had offered assistance. And she only felt comfortable asking me because she enjoyed my singing".

One woman revealed her commitment to her former nursing home residents, stating: "I recently retired from working in a nursing home. I've already planned on regular visits. Too many residents who are still precious friends, and I just can't walk away from them".

Another shared an inspiring story: "My ex-husband used to fill vending machines and had just gotten a new route. On his first day on the new route, he was filling machines at a bus station downtown and found a homeless man sleeping beside a pop machine he needed to fill up. He said to the homeless man, 'Excuse me, Sir. Do you mind to scoot over so I can get in here to fill this machine?'

"The man looked up at him and said, 'Thank you for treating me like a human'. From there on out, my ex started keeping back 'expired' snacks and water bottles to hand out to homeless people he encountered throughout the day. He would make a point to speak to them too".

A Redditor chimed in with a simple request: "Do me a favour, call your parents or your grandparents if you can. They'd love to just hear your voice".

The shares that older people are especially vulnerable to loneliness and social isolation, and it can have a serious effect on health. According to Age UK, more than 2 million people in England over the age of 75 live alone, and more than a million older people say they go over a month without speaking to a friend, neighbour or family member.

If you're feeling lonely, the NHS recommends:

• Smile, even if it feels hard

• Invite someone over for tea

• Keep in touch by phone

• Learn to love computers

• Get involved in local community activities

• Fill your diary

• Get out and about

• Help others

• Join the University of the Third Age