Life doesn’t come with an instruction manual or a blueprint. We just have to learn as we go and do the best we can. Though a lot of negative things happen in life, we want to bring you a few positive and/or funny stories about people who got a pleasant surprise by life.

“To expect the unexpected shows a thoroughly modern intellect.” – Oscar Wilde

The quote above doesn’t mean that people should always be on guard in case something happens; however, in general, it’s best to expect the unexpected so that you’re not taken by surprise. Nonetheless, we know that things happen all the time that people aren’t prepared for, because life doesn’t exactly come with a crystal ball that accurately predicts the future.

Fortunately, this sometimes means we can be surprised by joy when the unexpected takes our breath away. And other times, we can simply be shocked by the reactions or interactions between people.

10 Stories About Unexpected Things Happening to People

It Could Have Been Worse

“I was hitchhiking to a neighboring town because there were no buses. A car stops, the driver says that he doesn’t need money from me as there is always a different way to pay. I calmly agree, take my purse and say, ‘Just let me get the protection.’ I take an Avar dagger that I was carrying as a present for my friend. The man goes pale and says, ‘I mean that sometimes it’s nice to do something free of charge…’ I totally agree with him. It’s great that there are so many good people around!”

This could’ve been a bad experience, and the woman was right to be prepared in case things went south. However, there are good people still out there who are willing to help you.

Kiss from a Stranger

“When I was learning the driving rules, there was this rule: if the turn signals are broken, the driver should put their arm through the window and show the direction of movement to other drivers. I had a chance to use this rule [as] I was going to turn left on a busy road. I put my left arm through the window, as the rule says, and then a motorcyclist caught up with me (I didn’t notice him at first), kissed my hand and left...”

True Love Stories

“Early on a Sunday morning, my husband rushed into the room, yelling that we had to pack and leave urgently. I panicked [but] I didn’t ask any questions, I put my clothes on and we got on a train. I didn’t know what was going on. But I saw that my husband was happy, so I was sure that nothing bad had happened.

Two hours later, we got off the train at a small station near the sea and my husband took me straight to an incredibly beautiful beach. He opened a bottle of wine and a pack of cheese. And then he said that it was time to go. He took me to a small local movie theater. We were the only ones in the movie theater so we spent the whole time kissing as if we’d just met … We went to a restaurant after that, ate dinner, and in the evening, we took a train back home. It was so unusual that I think it was the best day of my life.”

This story comes from a Quora user named Bhavneet Kaur:

“This is a sweet unexpected experience.

I was all dolled-up. Ready to attend my cousin’s wedding, I got a new dress stitched for the occasion. I liked the dress but was a bit nervous about how I would look in it. I conquered all my insecurities and wore the dress.

All ready, we left in an auto rickshaw. Close to our destination, there was a traffic jam. Our auto was stuck. A small girl passed by the rickshaw. She must be around 10-11 years old. She peeped into the rickshaw and said, “Didi, tu iss dress mein bahut achi lagri hai.” (You look pretty in this dress).

And went away.

I couldn’t stop smiling. I was flattered.

Such an unexpected event. Made me feel special :)”

You hear stories about people receiving random compliments all the time, and they just prove that good, kind people do indeed exist in the world!

Seeing is Believing

“When I was in 3rd grade, one of my classmates called me and said that he couldn’t come to school because snow had fallen from the roof and broken the awning, which fell down to the front door, and the latter got locked. His parents left for work through a window, but he had to stay at home because the window couldn’t be locked from the outside.

Our teacher gave him bad marks in each subject that day for such a dumb pretext for not coming to school. The next day his parents came to school and presented photos of the 3-m-wide ice lump and a completely broken awning.”

We found another of these heartwarming stories from a Quora user named DT McCarthy:

“I was depressed from yet another disastrous relationship & hadn’t smiled in two weeks. While waiting for other people to meet up before we left for a concert, he walked in with another girl. She was cute, tiny, and petite. I am not. I was sitting on an ottoman in a yellow rubber raincoat (it was in New Jersey). The guy who was with her smiled at me and I thought, “He has the most innocent smile I’ve ever seen in a man.” There was nothing but complete joy in that smile. He said he looked at me and thought, “No one has the right to be that pretty.”

By the time we got to the concert, I was back to being a sourpuss. There was some sort of bazaar going on outside so we were all checking it out. This one vendor had the most bizarre figurines of animals. There was a toucan that had a beak larger than its body, and I heard whispered in my ear, “they could at least ask me before they use my image.” I started giggling. There was an owl with gigantic eyes and he again whispered, “There they go again.” I have a very strong intuition and bought both animals. We were married one year later.”

Now that is one of those love stories that you can’t help but smile at!

It’s in the Bag

“Once, I overslept. I was running around my apartment worrying because there is nothing scarier for me than being late for work. I called a taxi, put on a dress, put all the necessary stuff into my bag, closed it without even looking into it, took my wallet, and ran out.

It didn’t take much time to get to work because I was hurrying the driver along at every traffic light. At last, I was in the office. Hurray! When I opened my bag, I saw the 2 yellow and scared eyes of my cat looking at me. She seemed to be just as shocked as I was.”

There was no way to really be prepared for that, but hopefully the woman’s boss let her keep her cat at work for the day!

A Dream Job

“My mom’s friend has a son who is currently studying in China, and, just like many other students, he has a part-time job. Can you guess what kind of job it is? Drum roll, please! The requirements are the following: come to some new café or bar in the evening, eat the food (that’s the owner’s treat), and drink — all for free.

But the main requirement is to have fun, dance, and show everyone nearby that you really like this place. The payment is about $25 per evening … and he’s a foreigner. A FOREIGNER! The thing is that in China, the status of a place highly increases if it is visited by foreigners. That’s why the owners of newly opened restaurants use this trick, and foreigners enjoy themselves by eating, drinking, having fun, and getting money for it!”

How would you like to have this kind of job?

Another Cat Story

“While falling asleep, my arm was hanging down on the sofa. I felt my cat touch it with his paw and start to lick me with his tongue (he does it sometimes). Turning to the other side, I saw my real cat peacefully sleeping near my feet! I suddenly woke up and looked under the sofa…where another cat was sitting. He had probably climbed the vines and entered the apartment. My childhood fear of having a monster under the bed was realized.”

Some cat stories aren’t so bad, right?

The Winning Ticket

“There’s always one homeless guy hanging around near my house. He once came up to me and asked me for money for a lottery ticket. I didn’t believe that’s what he wanted it for, but I gave him some money. The next day he came back to me, gave me back my money, and said, “I’m indebted to you until I die! I bought a lottery ticket and won $250,000! Thank you!”

I actually almost started crying. It was so nice that by giving him such a small sum, I had in some way helped him get back on his feet.”

Final thoughts

We hope you enjoyed these heartwarming, sometimes funny stories about people who weren’t prepared for what was about to happen. Many times, unexpected things happen that aren’t so pleasant. Sometimes, however, life throws us a curveball and gives us something positive.

Whether you had a bad day or just want something to make you smile, we hope this article will help you remember that positive thinking can pay off, and miracles happen every day when you least expect them.