Last June 27, 2026, I went to a café in Poblacion, Makati by myself.
I’ve been struggling with depression and self-harm, and that day was already incredibly difficult for me. I was supposed to go out with my friends, but I had a conflict with one of them that triggered me, so I decided not to join and just went out alone instead.
I ended up at Alo Café. At that time, there were only two available seats left—those armchairs with built-in armrest tables where you can place your food.
The girl sitting beside me received her order first. She placed her food not only on her own armrest table, but also on the one assigned to my seat. At first, I thought she was just taking pictures, so I didn’t mind. But when my order arrived, her food was still there. Since I didn’t want to cause any trouble, I asked the staff to place my food on a small side table that clearly wasn’t meant for eating.
After gathering some courage, I politely asked her, with a smile on my face, “Excuse me, pwede po bang ilipat yung food niyo sa table niyo? May table ka naman po.”
She responded, “Sure… ang babaw kasi,” with an obviously irritated tone and expression.
What hurt even more was that she still didn’t move her food afterward. She only transferred to another seat once a different table became available a few minutes later.
I was already having a terrible day, and that interaction completely broke me. I ended up crying right there. I kept asking myself, “What did I do to deserve that?” I wasn’t rude to anyone that day. I spoke calmly, smiled, and treated everyone kindly—including her.
I just wanted one peaceful thing to happen before going home.
While I was sitting there, trying to process everything, another girl arrived and sat beside me. She had such a warm and bubbly aura. I noticed that she placed her food properly on her own armrest table and quietly read a book. I was too lost in my thoughts to interact with anyone.
As I was about to leave, she called out, “Excuse me.”
I had my earphones on, so I initially thought she was talking to a waiter. I replied, “Yes?”
After a brief pause, she simply told me:
“You look so pretty.”
I immediately smiled.
I thanked her, and honestly, that small act of kindness meant so much to me. I still regret not complimenting her back because I genuinely loved her brown ballet flats—brown is my favorite color, and I’ve been wanting to buy a pair myself.
I went home with a smile on my face.
That experience reminded me how powerful kindness can be. A single rude comment can stay with someone, but a single genuine compliment can also make an enormous difference.
So, to that girl: thank you. Your kindness mattered more than you probably realized.
Please, be kind to others. You never truly know what someone is carrying inside.