In 2015, Dr. Mark Petersen shared difficult news about the treatment plan for Jamil Zaki's fragile newborn daughter. But instead of delivering the news and getting back to work, he pulled up a chair.

Julie's husband was always her navigator on road trips. After he died, Julie got lost on her first trip without him. She started to panic, until a kind stranger helped her get back on track.

Nancy and her husband, Tom, were terrified after Tom had fainting incidents and doctors couldn't give them answers. That was until one doctor gave them some advice that continues to help them today.

Ritch Addison thought everyone loved his sarcastic sense of humor in high school. But then a friend let him know that not everyone was laughing. It changed how he treats people in life.

Bob Cialdini was ready to sign a contract to play baseball professional in the minor leagues, but he walked away from that chance after the agent gave him some advice that changed his life.

Nicole George-O'Brien was driving over a bridge when she experienced a seizure. She woke up in the hospital, worried that she'd hurt someone, but found out a stranger helped her and others that day.

Linda Reddish was nervous about breastfeeding her newborn baby while on a flight, but she was put to ease by a pediatric nurse who looked out for Reddish on both her outgoing and returning trips.

Cynthia Page was alone in a train station trying to get home from New York City when men surrounded her. She was frightened until another man came and helped her get away from those circling her.

Nearly 20 years ago, Jeff Fister was in a car accident with one of his kids. They were shaken but not injured. Fister still remembers how one woman emerged from the crowd and helped soothe the child.

When Jessica Israelsen left the Air Force, it was not an easy decision. She was going through a difficult time, and even though she wasn't part of the unit, her team kept looking out for her.

Jackie Briggs had a rose-shaped birthmark on her upper arm. One day a stranger noticed it and asked a question about the mark that ended up saving Briggs' life.

Joe Arrigoni is the full-time caretaker for his wife Joani who has early onset Alzheimer's disease. A shopping trip on a particularly difficult day led to a moment of grace that Joe remembers.

Therapist Lori Gottlieb found out one of her patients died. She knew it was coming but was still struck by grief. As she was mourning her patient, she met a stranger who was also touched by the story.

Poet Joy Ladin still thinks of an act of generosity by audio producer Debbie Blicher, who went out of her way to help Joy when she herself was suffering.

Walter Delgado was 11 when he and his grandpa began the dangerous journey from El Salvador to the U.S. Along the way, Delgado started to falter, but another traveler carried him across the border.

As she was walking home from her favorite bookstore, NPR's Mary Louise Kelly realized she lost her wallet. Just as she was about to cancel her credit cards a man reached out saying he had found it.

Lila Hoffa used to struggle to express herself in writing. But her third-grade teacher realized it wasn't a "typical" writing problem and helped Hoffa find a way to make her stories come to life.

John Moe found himself working full-time in customer service at a software company. But a conversation with an HR representative helped reshape his future.

Why are we so often pulled into memories of the past? This week, we bring you a 2018 episode about our ruminations on what we could have done differently, and what we wish we could do again.

We live in a world of stories. They're in movies, books, and plays. They're even in the things that we buy.