Someone was just very kind to me

Bovney that is so lovely

My brother died a few months before my GCSEs. A girl I was slightly friends with didn't just let me have her notes for the week I had missed, she had hand copied pages and pages of them out for me (the days before everyone had scanners and printers at home!). She was such a quiet girl, and it just seemed such a lovely practical gesture from a 15 year old.

A few: DD (after drinking) fell asleep on the night bus home. Woke up a long way past her stop about 3am. Crossed the road to opposite stop to go back. Some railway workers down the embankment were being cheeky but their boss came along and asked her what's up. He then stood with her until her bus came saying he wouldn't want his DD out there alone in the dark.
Just this week different DD went out for drinks after work. Was late so got a chatty black cab. She'd kept back £40 for it but in their chat he'd found out she's a nurse at GOSH and he would only accept £20!
Finally, years ago, I was travelling with 3 small children when my plane was diverted to an airport several hours from destination and put on a coach. Older 2 were bouncing in the aisle and I was clinging to lap baby. Older couple came over and took the bigger 2 to sit with them and entertained them the rest of the journey.
You never forget these kindnesses.

@rivertamfan i know it's an asinine comment but those of us not in similar situations have no idea. I'm glad someone was there to be kind to you

In the noughties we were having serious issues with DD's Special School. DH and I turn up with DD (strapped into her wheelchair buggy) and toddler DD2. DH went on ahead as I'm decanting everything. Taxi driver asks me what's going on and there's the Headmaster clearly getting highly aggressive with DH in the glass fronted foyer. Not only did the Taxi Driver refuse to leave us, when DH came out (having had DD's possessions thrown into his arms) he helped us get back into the taxi and took us where we wanted to go. Then he refused to be paid a penny for any of it.

On a day when everything was going to pot it meant a great deal to us. An act of kindness when those who are supposed to support your child turn on you.

Many years ago, I had to get into Central London from North London for a final accountancy exam at 9am but tubes weren't running on my line. There were hordes of people waiting for buses and taxis so no hope there. In a panic I crazily decided to cycle into London so went home and got my bike! After a reasonably short way I realised I had no hope of making it in time by bike, so I gave up and chained my bike to a lamppost! By some miracle, a cab was passing and I flagged it down. He wasn't even working but was taking his son to school. Despite this, he drove me to a tube station on another line and refused any payment. He said he wanted to help me as he'd like someone to help his daughter 🙂. I made it to the exam, a bit late, but still passed, thanks to that cab driver.

Spinspin - thank you. I remember hearing all the other mothers with their babies and thinking (I was in pain and emotional): You bloody bitches with your healthy babies. How dare you sound so happy when I don't even know if my babies are going to live through the night, and I can't even hold them?"

I had bad PND whixh ended up being chronic depression. Convinced myself to take DD (aged 2) to the local Tesco as we needed shopping and it wouldn't take long. Cue massive terrie two's tantrum on being strapped into the trolley. Weepy me frantically trying to distract her long enough to grab the essentials says something along the lines of 'did you just see that elephant? shall we see if we can find it?'. Screams stop and we manage, with me still weepy, to shop. At the till a little old ladt leans over and says 'the elephant trick was good. You have got this, you know' and gives me a hug. It really helped me and still makes me smile 13 years later

fedupslummymummy exactly! A hug or hand holding goes so far, words aren't always needed.
ChrisYoungFuckingRocks I'm so sorry to hear you were alone through that. It's gut wrenching when you're not with your babies, your body is calling for them.
I remember trying to get through the night without them and hearing all of the other babies, I just cried. But I was lucky to have that woman at that time for me. Meant the absolute world that a stranger would hold my hand when I needed it so much.

Some years ago, I was visiting DS who lived just outside London. One Saturday evening, he had a ticket for a gig (booked months before) and was staying overnight at a friend's flat, so I booked to see a show in town - I had to catch the last train back from Waterloo to the little station near his flat.
Unfortunately, when I got to Waterloo Station, it was shut..! There had been a fire in one of the signal boxes and all trains had been cancelled. It was near midnight.
I decided to catch the Tube to Heathrow Airport, on the principle that there would be people around, it would be warm and dry, and if necessary, I could stay there overnight in safety. When I got there, all the buses had stopped, so I approached a taxi, explained what had happened, and asked how much it would be to get to DCs flat - £50..!
I thanked the driver but said that I couldn't afford that much and would stay in the airport until the buses started again in the morning. He looked at me, opened the door, said, 'Hop in love, I'm not leaving you here!' and took me all the way - including walking up to the flat door with me because, 'You never know who might be hanging about round here'. I offered him all the money I had - £20 - and he accepted a tenner to cover his petrol. I was SO grateful - and so was DS when he got back next morning...!

DS was about 12 weeks old and DH had to go away for work so my parents suggested I took DS up on the train to stay with them for a few days. They live near Inverness and there's one direct train we could get so I booked my ticket. Unfortunately there was a mechanical problem with the train & it terminated at Perth with dire warnings we were to get the rail replacement buses only, our tickets wouldn't be valid on any other trains.

By the time I'd wrangled DS, our bag, the pushchair and car seat off the train everyone was well on the way to the buses and I was starting to get stressed when one the station supervisor stopped me on the concourse and asked if I was headed for the bus. When I said yes he said 'you can't take a baby that wee on the bus. Just stop here and we'll put you on the next train'. I explained I'd been told the ticket wouldn't be valid and he told me he'd fix that. He then asked if I needed to fix a bottle for DS and when I said I was BF said 'come on through to the staff room and get a cuppa and a biscuit then, you'll need the fuel'. When the train came he bundled us on in 1st class and told the train staff to make sure we had a hand getting off the other end.

A totally lovely man.

Years ago I was on the train going into uni to sit a biochemistry exam. Was getting myself in a state about it, looking over my notes and panicking feeling I couldn't understand or remember it all.

Gave a big sigh and the gentleman beside me put down his book and asked what was wrong. He got the story of my pre exam panic, looked at me and said not to worry, I'd be fine.

Just as the train got to the station he said, "And that's speaking as a biochemist".

I passed the exam.

Sorry...the driver didn't have change for the £20

I was in adifferent part of the country getting on a bus the other day and asked for a return which was £7.50. I only had a £20 note. If I'd gone off for change I'd have to wait 30mins for the next bus. I asked the couple behind me if they had 2x £10. They didn't....but did pay my fare for me.

Also I don't know why London commuters have such a poor reputation.Not only have I been helped with luggage on the tube, but when I had surgery on my knee last year and was using a crutch on my return to work, I always had the offer of a seat on the tunbe.

Hardly ever on mn but this thread has me in tears.

On holiday in Spain at Christmas and had bag stolen on beach. All cards and money gone. I hardly speak any Spanish but managed to ask downstairs neighbour (who barely spoke English) where police station was. She offered to drive DH to police station and spent an hour there with him sorting things out. Meanwhile her partner took my 3 DCs in and gave them pens and paper to keep them entertained while I rang round to cancel cards. They called the locksmith and had all our apartment keys replaced and wouldn't let us pay. The next day we took a bottle of wine round to say thank you and they asked us to come in and share it with them.

Fedup
Oh hell that made me year up no end. I would be so grateful if someone did that for one of my boys when they are old enough to drive. [Flowers]

This thread is such a tonic after reading the one about how vile people can be to perfect strangers.

When I was about 20 a man jus stepped off the pavement right in front of my car - up onto the bonnet, smashed windscreen and I stopped just short of running over the top of him. It was just awful, I was so shocked and scared. A witness stopped to help and to speak to the police to say that there was nothing I could have done. I was breathalysed & questioned but even the poor man I hit was telling them that it was not my fault. He had a broken leg and a broken arm but later sent his dad round to our house to ask whether my sister & I were alright. So honest & kind.

No need to track him down, just pay it forward.

My 8 year old DS seems to be turning out to be one of these lovely people. He was playing football this morning (quite a crucial match) and one of the other team had a nasty fall, ds pegged it up the pitch whilst shouting for me to get his drink for the other boy, he was over there before all of us really clocked what had happened. DS was comforting the poor little lad and wiping up a cut lip with his top and sat patting his back while the coach checked the other boy.

Hes devestated he didnt score a goal today but doesn't quite get that he showed such kindness and care and that's why everyones proud.

Spinspin - your story has made me cry. I remember lying in the isolation room (had been transferred from another hospital) after the birth of my twins at 28 weeks. DTDs were in NICU fighting for their lives, I was in pain from my C-section and very emotional. I had to lie there listening to the other babies on the maternity ward crying, and the mothers chatting. The ache to hold my babies was overwhelming, and my ex was over an hour's drive away at home. It would've been so comforting if someone had held my hand, I've never felt so alone in my life. I'm so glad someone was there for you .

Work colleague eats his sandwiches at his desk while working at 11:30am then goes out for half an hour at lunch. Always assumed he was just going for some fresh air and a break but he pops by an elderly woman's flat nearby for a cup of tea and reads her the newspaper!

He's been doing it for a few years now since he gave her a hand home from the co-op with her shopping one day.

Think it might be the only regular contact she gets. Makes my eyes fizz just thinking about it.

Thank you to everyone who has commented on my kind son (the one who stood at bus stop every day with my two DGDs outside an old lady's house and they became her little surrogate family) Anyone has ever asked me what I would want most for my DCs I have always said 'that they grow up to be kind' Any success, money and so on are all nice but simply bonuses. I would rather be able tell people that my son helped that lonely old lady out or my DD once got two buses leaving her with her last pound and bought me a bar of chocolate with it rather than miss my birthday than tell someone that my son is MD of this company or that , or that big house over there is my DD's (both made up examples) any day.
Kindness is infectious, lets all keep it up and cause a plague of it !!

Rose millionaires you should definitely write more. Mine is about 13 years ago, I used to get terrible periods, over heat, throw up, incredible pain. I was driving home one day when I had to pull over, jump out and throw up. I was in such a state and u knew I wouldn't be able to drive myself back. Lots of cars driving past me whilst im being ill, one lady stops her car asks me whats wrong, then drives me the rest of the way home. I think she may have given me water to. She helped me so much because although my house wasn't that far away i couldnt have walked or driven myself.

Ooof. thanks for nice words about 'rose millionaires'. it just poured out when I read the other post about the lovely lad waving to the old lady and it reminded me of how special a friendship between a child and old person can be.
However... without boring you, the rest of my life has not been easy and I'm in an especially tricky bit right now with no income to boot.
Maybe I should try writing a bit more!
MN for giving me a bit of confidence to give it a shot
to FM (my surrogate Granny's initials) for giving me something to write about. She was hugely special.
Glad this has gone to Classics.
The World is a scary place right now and we could all do with remembering its the stuff like this that matters (and stays with us).

Thank you so much for this thread. I haven't posted here in years but just loved reading this yesterday.
On New Years Eve 1999, I was a skint 21 year old with a four year old child, living on my own. All my friends were out partying, bringing in the new millennium and I had stayed in, watching it on the TV. At about 9pm, a neighbour I didn't know very well knocked on. He had realised I was on my own and invited me over to their party. My daughter was in bed, but he said I could wake her up and bring her across to play with his children who were up. I can honestly say, it was the best new year I have ever had and I will never forget my neighbour's kindness. They shared their food & drinks with us all night and just made us feel very welcome.

The reason this thread has helped is that last week, my beautiful sister died suddenly and we have all been devastated. Her son is 5. The kindness people show each other has brought a smile to my face. We have been shown lots of kindness ourselves. Little gestures like a colleague leaving a bar of chocolate on my desk and someone (no idea who) brought our bins back down the drive this week. It's lovely to see how many acts of kindness happen all the time