We all need a helping hand in this world. Without it many of us would fall behind or lose hope. We usually expect family to be there for us in most cases and good close friends fall in second place. But when someone does something to help just out of the kindness of their heart, that's when it becomes a really special act. Theses acts of kindness are done without any thought of how it will benefit the person doing the act. It can be done when a struggle is witnessed or when someone is in trouble or just simply to make someone feel better or brighten their day.

The video below is a good example of this happening. First a mother squirrel is trying to show her baby how to cross the street and then scamper up the wall to the other side. The baby squirrel has no problem following his mother but the wall continues to be an obstacle in getting up and over as he is too small to jump that high. The mother patiently shows him several times but he just can't quite make the leap. It is at this point that some people nearby who have been watching the squirrels then step in to help the baby. There is no reward for them to do that, only the good feeling that they have helped another creature in this world who needed some assistance. It did not matter that it was "just an animal" either. The kindness and help that was shown that day just helped to make the world a little bit brighter place to be.

Altruism ~

Altruism play /ˈæltruːɪzəm/ is a concern for the welfare of others. It is a traditional virtue in many cultures, and a core aspect of various religious traditions, though the concept of 'others' toward whom concern should be directed can vary among cultures and religions. Altruism is the opposite of selfishness.

Altruism can be distinguished from feelings of duty and loyalty. Altruism is a motivation to provide something of value to a party who must be anyone but the self, while duty focuses on a moral obligation towards a specific individual (for example, a god, a king), or collective (for example, a government). Pure altruism consists of sacrificing something for someone other than the self (e.g. sacrificing time, energy or possessions) with no expectation of any compensation or benefits, either direct, or indirect (for instance from recognition of the giving).

The term altruism may also refer to an ethical doctrine that claims that individuals are morally obliged to benefit others. Used in this sense, it is the opposite of egoism. Source ~ Wikipedia