Today, I witnessed something that reminded me of the true potential of human kindness—the kind of selfless compassion that restores your faith in humanity. It’s a moment that will stay with me forever.

I was traveling through the airport with a coworker, walking through the bustling crowds and weaving between hurried travelers, when we noticed a young mother standing near the taxi pick-up area. She looked completely overwhelmed. Her brow was furrowed, her hands nervously clutching her phone, and her small child held tightly to her side. It quickly became clear that she didn’t speak English, and that every second was adding to her stress.

As we approached, we discovered what had happened. She had tried to pay a taxi driver for a $69 ride to the airport, but she was $20 short. Her luggage—five enormous duffel bags—was being held by the driver, and the clock was ticking. Her flight was leaving in less than an hour, and without the taxi, she would likely miss it. Every moment that passed made the panic on her face grow.

In that instant, my coworker stepped forward. There was no hesitation, no second thought. He handed the driver the $20 she was missing and offered to help her get checked in. But when he looked at her massive pile of luggage, he realized the problem didn’t stop there. The airline required payment for the five bags, totaling another $200, and she had no way to cover it. Without blinking, he paid it himself, ensuring her belongings would travel with her.

But even that wasn’t enough. With the flight gate looming and the minutes slipping away, she still had no guarantee she would make it. Without thinking twice, my coworker lifted one of her babies into his arms and sprinted through the airport with her, dodging crowds, weaving past travelers, and moving with a singular focus: making sure this mother and her children made it to their flight. Her other child clung to her hand, eyes wide, as if sensing the urgency in every step.

By the time we reached the gate, she was relieved beyond words. Tears welled in her eyes as she realized she wouldn’t miss her flight. She hugged my coworker tightly, though words couldn’t fully capture her gratitude. He simply smiled, waved, and walked away as if it were nothing, yet I knew the enormity of what had just happened.

In that chaotic, busy airport, surrounded by strangers who might have kept walking, my coworker became a hero. Not a hero in a cape or a headline, but a hero through action, through empathy, through the decision to go out of his way for someone who had no one else to turn to. His courage and selflessness were quiet but profound, and witnessing it reminded me that the capacity for good is alive in ordinary people every day.

Today, I realized that not all heroes wear capes. Sometimes, they carry a baby, hand over a credit card, and run through the airport to make someone else’s life just a little easier. And sometimes, those heroes walk right beside you, unnoticed by the world, but leaving a lasting impact that can never be measured.

Good people still exist. And today, I saw proof.