Random Act of Kindness - to balance all the ranty threads, tell me of a random act of kindness that you have never forgotten.

I remember back when I was a student I was stuck in the group project from hell when the only thing that happened was meetings and any attempts to do practical work and get feedback were shot down. This period was when I happened to get together with DP ( now DH) when things were particuarly bad when one person was not speaking to me over a trivial mistake and the other had disappeared for 3 weeks. I went to one of their interminable meetings and the one who was speaking to me must have noticed how much happier I was with this change in circumstances. He said with a grin 'I've seen you swanning around with your new man' and that made me blush a little. I said to him 'that's so sweet that you've noticed and care just a little about me'. It was his turn to blush then!
That made my day and help put things into perspective that no matter how grim a project might be it is only transient and that the rest of life is much more important.

Oh, and the very kind ward cleaner from The Rosie Hospital, Cambridge,who, when she realised I was on my own after the premature birth of my twins and were in SCBU, (DH had had to reluctantly go back to work as in the middle of some important negotiations, and as we had been transferred to a hospital 80mile from home, couldn't visit each day) sat down and held my hand while I cried, and bought both boys their 1st teddy, which they still both have 11yrs on. She made time for me when all the nurses were too busy. She even stayed regularly at the end of her shift to find out how they were managing. We kept in touch for a year or so, then lost contact, but I will never forget her kindness. Oh, and also the nurses at same unit who moved me into a side ward and provided a camp bed for my husband to sleep on when he did manage to get back to us, utterly exhausted, 48hrs later!

Oh and the several different lovely handsome German young men who helped me on and off 3 trains with several big suitcases, 2 skibags, bootbags, and 2 lots of hand luggage on the way to Munich airport one Christmas. They were probably wondering why my apparently completely lazy-arsed DH was stood there not lifting anything, but he did in fact have a delicate spinal fracture and had only been let out of hospital on the proviso that he didn't attempt to lift so much as his own fork.

D

Aw Delia now that has set me off again how lovely!

The whole way through my 2nd & 3rd trimester, it was late 2010 and early 2011, and was snowmageddon where we live, and even when it wasn't snowy, it was blinkin freeeeeeezing cold. I worked right the way up to 39 weeks and with SPD it was really hard going.

But it was made a bit easier because my car was scraped of ice & snow every morning, before I went out to it. I had assumed it was DH as he goes out half an hour earlier than me, but only learned months later (when DD was already 5 mo), that it was my retired neighbour opposite who was always out at 7am with his dog, and had seen me once trying to scrape ice off my car with my cold belly poking out of my ill-fitting maternity coat. He felt sorry for me, and did it every day for the rest of my pregnancy! A real sweety.

I had no idea and feel terrible that I didn't thank him nearer the time.

D

Oh I remembered another one.

I did the common riding ins Scotland one year. It's when the people cross the breadth of the common land in order to maintain there right of way or something like that. Anyway as you can imagine it's quite a trek and so it is done on horseback. I love horse riding and considered myself a fairly competent rider and so off I went. All was going well until my horse decided to jump a large puddle I wasn't ready and promptly fell off. I landed on soft mud and apart from being filthy had no hurt anything but my pride. I had also lost my bottle and started walking my horse, too scared to get back on (I had never fallen off before). A few people commented on it being "a long way home" as they went past me but I kept walking my horse at my side.

Then appeared a very nice man who encouraged and helped me to get back on. I eventually agreed but refused to do anything but walk, no trotting, no cantering I would plod home and so I did and he stayed with me all the way. I said he could go on but he stayed with me. We're talking about a 3-4 hour ride!

When I got back I told my Grandad what had happened and this man's name. He knew him and told me he was a fine horseman who would have been in the running for first past the line - he scuppered his chances by walking with me but if he hadn't done it I might still be walking home now!

I'm letting the kids watch extra tele just so I can get through this thread (and so they don't see I'm crying!) Here's my tuppence worth:

When DD was about 2 months old I was in that dreadful new mum, sleep-deprived, no grip on life, emotional meltdown that is new motherhood. DH was being an arse so I took her out for a walk hoping I'd feel better. She screamed, screamed, screamed and screamed some more. I just sat down on a bench and started to cry. Two women walking with toddlers came up to me, one took her from me, the other put her arm round me and was so gentle - 'are you on your own today?' and just sat with me for a bit. When DD stopped crying the other woman handed her back and put a little hat on her head. I tried to give it back but she said 'No, keep it', and I have, to this day (DD is almost 6 now).

They truly saved me from going insane that day, and if they are reading and remember it was by the canal on Hackney Marshes.

Actually had forgotten this one. Was on holiday and visiting an ancient site strewn with ruins and rocks, so very uneasy and tricky to walk on. There was one old man in our tour group who had problems keeping up due to the terrain but the guide was just breezing through without much consideration. Turned round and a man from the group had just quietly gone over and took the old man's hand and helped him through the rocks and ruins for the rest of the tour, staying by his side.

It was my husband, and we were on our honeymoon. was so proud of him and realised I had made a great choice.

This thread has made me teary! I remembered the time I had DD 1 and DD2 at the small local train station and we had got on the wrong platform.... began to try to run up the steps with one dd in the buggy and the other pulling behind me...to cross the bridge to get to the right side and a lovely French man of about 30 or so jumped up

(he was on the right side) and began shouting "No! No! You stay still!" and I did and he came over and carried DD in her buggy all the way up the steps. Bless him. My older DD was looking at him like this He was very handsome!

My brother used to drive the school bus. As you do he got to know the kids with one of them being a little boy with Down's Syndrome. One day he got to the bus stop but the little boy's mum wasn't there. DB was not happy to let him get off so kept him on the bus dropped off the last few children and drove the bus to his house. His mum was there and I can't remember the reason why she hadn't been able to get to the bus stop but there had been some misunderstanding with a friend/DH.

She was so grateful and asked DB how he had pacified the little boy when he didn't get off at the right stop as she knew he would have been very unhappy about it. DB had given him the microphone used for coach trips and he'd sang karaoke until he got to his house.

This is a really nice thread, the kind I read from start to finish :)

Mine and my boyfriend's parents are always doing very kind things for us because they know we are broke.

I had an accident at a very busy crossroad and my car was spun out 270 degrees with a huge dent in the back. I was so stunned but the first thing I thought was... I have to get off this crossroad people are going to be pissed at me. I started the car again and revved the engine, pulled up slowly on the clutch but it wouldn't move. Suddenly the car door opened, a woman told me to get out and in my daze I simply did as she said. She managed to get the car moving despite a flat tyre and broken axle and she drove it off down one of the roads. She disappeared before I could thank her.

Also, a colleague of my father's drove a long way to the same car which had been towed to a pound or whatever and he managed to retrieve the rather expensive radio I'd left in there.

My ex's parents paid off the gas and electric bills from the house I shared with my ex after he died, total of over £600 which there was no way I could afford. They pretended they'd 'sorted out a mistake' with the companies but I figured out the truth.

My Dad hired a van and helped me pack up everything and move it back into my parents' home after my ex died and my Mum helped me clean up the house before it was handed back to the landlord who had just stuck a 'for sale' sign in the garden a few days before without telling me of his intentions.

I've been a very, very lucky person all my life and I try to give what I get.

Not a stranger but my neighbour, but worth recording:

I was working away and dh had an important meeting and his car refused to start. My neighbour drove him to work, dropped the children off at nursery for us and THEN came home and called the garage out to come and look at our car! She is lovely.

Aw blimey this country is FULL of amazing people! What a lovely thread

The dds go on the school bus.One day when they were only 4 and 6,I was waiting in the village for the bus to drop them off,and saw them walking to wards me with a strange man.It turned out that a tree had fallen,blocking off the road into the village,and instead of dropping them off and letting them walk the last 1/4 mile home,the bus driver had escorted them so he could be sure they were safe.He said that he had kids and he hoped that if they were in the same situation,someone would do the same.I rang his boss to compliment him and gave him a bottle of whiskey the next time I saw him.

Another day,DH was at home and was meant to meet the bus.I was at the farm in the next village at work.I was pretty shocked to see the dds walking down the farmyard to me.It turned out that the bus driver [not the same one as before] had got to our village,but wouldn't let the dds off as there was no one to meet them,he had seen my car outside the farm and knew I worked there sometimes,so drove back,knocked on the door and handed the dds over to my aunt.I rang the company and told them how thoughful he'd been.[Turned out DH was oblivious to all this,he thought it was 2.30pm not 3.30pm,the dolt].

I was in Israel alone and my DM died. I was in such a state by the time I managed to get through security at the airport. This took over an hour with them asking was I sure she was dead as I fitted the profile of a suicide bomber allegedlly. ( I know they were doing their job!)
I finally got on to the plane and just broke down when I reached my seat. The lovely gentleman beside me was an Israeli doctor flying to take up a post in London. He spoke with me and offered me great sympathy and was so nice.
I then arrived in Gatwick and the flight home the next morning was from Heathrow, so I had to catch a transfer bus. When we arrived at the terminus in Heathrow I burst out crying again as I didn't realise that I would have to get another bus to my hotel for the night. The bus driver was so kind and took me directly to the hotel.
I could cry just thinking about how kind these people were to me !
I always try to pay it forward !

The young man from the local supermarket where my Mum (who has altzheimers) used to shop, who, when driving home one rainy evening last January, spotted my mum walking up the very dark road out of the town pushing her sholly, recognised her as she had been at his till almost 2 hrs earlier, so stopped his car, asked if she was ok, and she was soaked through and so muddled she couldnt remember her address. He got her in his car, found her address in her handbag, took her home, found my telephone number where it was taped to the wall, rang me, and got mum a cup of tea and towels to dry herself whilst he waited the 20minutes it took me to get there. Then just said "goodbye" and left. Mum may have died that night if it wasn't for him! Took him a bottle of JB and thankyou card to the supermarket next day, but he refused all gifts, just said he was glad he could help!

Ah these stories are all so, so lovely - am also blubbering away now (soppy git I am)

After a particularly frazzling day with my DS and DD shopping in town, I needed to get the bus home, and was not impressed when I saw it was one with stairs and that I would have to fold the pram down and remove all my shopping etc. When the bus stopped, the driver got out of his cab, told me to get on with the kids, and then folded the pram and carried it on with all my shopping....then took it all off for me when I got off. Thought that was really nice of him and that he was a bit of a genius for figuring out how to fold down my Stokke without the instruction manual!

As bus drivers are renowned for being a bit horrible, that always stuck in my head!

I was sat here thinking I had no experiences and then i thought of one.

A few years ago DH and I were doing the shopping, and when we were putting the bags into the car he happened to lock us out of the car, a lady pulled up alongside us and seeing what had happened offered us a lift home to get the spare keys and back, we took her up on the offer of a lift home and I got my car and drove us back up there. She was a huge help and didn't see she was going out of her way at all.

Today at the supermarket a woman put my shopping on the conveyor belt for me because 11mo DD2 was crying and wanted to be held. I thought it was really kind of her to help and I think she may have been a MNer because she was buying Pom Bears and wearing Fly boots, so thank you if you are reading this

My favourite was when I was just finished chemo. I was staying in a hotel and had taken my wig off for the evening (I was totally bald). There was a knock at the door-it was the chambermaid. I remembered I didn't have the wig on and burst into tears. No one but my dh had seen me bald and I was alone in the hotel (work related). The lady put an arm round me and sat on the bed beside me and just talked for about 15 minutes.Then she left a little heap of chocs on the bed and went. I put a note on the hotel website but as I left next day I didn't see her again. If Bonnie who worked at the renaissance Hotel in Manchester in 2007 is reading this-thank you from the bottom of my heart. I was never afraid to leave the wig off again.

Can I add myself to the sobbing readers of this thread?
So so lovelly!

Not really an act of kindness but it made me feel really good so I think it counts.

DD was 10 days old and I was desperate for a M&S coffee so lovelly DH packed us up in the car and took me to the local shopping centre for said caffeine fix. I had a CS and was still tender and walking very slowly. Sat in cafe and lady on table next to us enquires how old DD is. We reply "10 days" and she comments " My goodness 10 days! It's amazing you are dressed let alone out for coffee". I had really been worrying about how I was coping and it made me feel so much better.

Just after I'd passed my driving test I got into a complete mess parking, just about touched the car next to me and had no idea what to do. Was completely shaken and a lovely man offered to park my car for me. He even reversed it in so I could just drive out. He and his family were so kind to me.

Was having a really bad day on my first day of a new placement while I was a medical student, had been shouted at by the infection control lady for not knowing where anything was as I had just started. Had been shouted at for attending a cardiac arrest call (after having been told off for not attending the last one) had a few things going on at home too and then missed several veins in a row for blood samples. One of the patients called me over so I went to check he was okay. He said "I'm fine love. I was just the same as you at your stage. It gets easier. You're doing really well. I should know, I've been a GP for 50 years" and gave me a hug.

when I go to fetch a trolley at the supermarket I always give the first trolley i pick out to the person behind me and they are often really shocked! People are not kind enough to one another.

nomorefrizz, that's just lovely. The last time I was out in town with my daughter (who has severe SN) she stopped to speak to a man begging in the street. Her speech is severely compromised due to her disability, but everyone was rushing about and she stopped and said 'Hello, how are you?' and they had a short exchange and he said 'god bless you' to her and then said to me, 'she's just beautiful' We went and bought him a sausage roll from Greggs, which isn't really keeping in mumsnet tradition

Something I witnessed first-hand.
I was sitting in the car next to my dad parked on a side street, waiting for my mum. It had started to rain heavily just as an elderly woman returned to the car which was parallel parked in front of us.
My dad grabbed an umbrella, got out of the car and put it over her head to shield her from the rain while he helped the lady with her shopping bags and trolley.

[proud daughter emoticon]