Noteworthy

“I am a 20 year old student who recently moved to the city to attend university. Since September, my two roommates and I have spent the majority of our day-to-day lives huddled over our laptops in our little dingy basement apartment.

While, of course, we acknowledge that such a life is much better than many have fared during the pandemic, and we're grateful for what we have, these past few months have been more challenging than we expected. Temporary layoffs, grandparents passing away, emergency surgery for a family pet, all of us getting covid...it sort of felt like there was no getting relief from all the doom and gloom.

However, last night changed that,” a user named u/Chemical_Will_8321 posted.

On Random Acts of Kindness Day, we highlight an incredible story that all started with a Reddit post about three free tickets for a TSO concert.

"As many of you likely saw, there was a post about tickets to the Toronto Symphony. I, by chance, commented early on this post and received said tickets. I was absolutely in awe as I read only one request...to send some photos prior to the show. When I told my roommates, they literally freaked out. 

Like, imagine kids on Christmas morning, except said kids are oversized and all unshowered and a little crazed (endless zoom classes will do that).

Anyways...it was absolutely incredible! Two out of three of us had never been to see the symphony and the other hadn't been in a literal decade. The feeling is hard to describe, but it was wonderful to sit down and simply enjoy something without getting distracted by concerns about school, money, or the protests just a few blocks down the street.

Between songs, I couldn't resist gazing up at the ornate ceiling...it just felt so magical, and I think my friends would agree that it was the first time in almost a year that we felt truly happy.

Even after we left the building, I noticed that we all couldn't help but smile, both in appreciation for the music, as well as in gratitude for the opportunity offered to us by a complete stranger.

It was a wonderful night that I will hold onto through these bitter winter months and I hope by sharing this, that I can remind everyone of the goodness in the world.

The biggest shoutout to u/kiz5 for doing this and making some broke college kids very happy and restoring our faith in humanity just a little bit among all the craziness that has occurred in these past two years."

Make a loved ones’ day with a ticket to the symphony at TSO.CA/Concerts