Has a random act of kindness stayed in your memory forever?

dizzy - I'm not pregnant, not recently post-natal and not PMTish and I'm still snivelling!!!

OMG, there should be a warning on this thread so as not to read when Pg - am a complete snivelling mess, at least am not at my work

what a great thread and how humbling to read, I can't think of an example right now but am sure something will come to me when I stop sobbing!

when i was having ds2 last year a hca on the ward never left my side ,she got my contractions stronger and rubbed my back and walked me up and down the corridors endless times ,showing my dh the best way to comfort me,because they were getting close she stayed with me through her break,when i came back to the ward she was the first person there to greet me and could not do enough for me my whole time there,i am thinking about this even more now as ds2 is 1 tommorow ,
did anybody feel really emotional when there dc turned 1 or is it just me being soft
there are some lovely stories on this thread

When heavily pregnant and suffering from really sore back, I hobbled out to nearest chemist to ask if I could use deep heat or similar while pregnant - when young girl behind counter told me I couldn't I just burst into tears, really kind old lady chemist brought me round back of counter and into wee room, sat me down, gave me drink of water and tissues, her kindness just made me cry more. She then went off did some research and advised me what I could do for my back. She was just so concerned and motherly. Once I'd had DS I brought him in to show her and nearly starting crying again because early new born days so awful!!

On our way home from a skiing holiday we stopped for tea at a hamburger place. When we got back to the car it had been broken into and several bags stolen. It was nighttime and freezing cold and we still had a 4 hour drive home to finish. A random man in the carpark noticed our plight, and told us to stay put. He came back with a sheet of mdf and some duck tape and proceeded to patch up our broken window just so we could get home without freezing to death. A really lovely thing to do for complete strangers.

when dd1 was in having her 1st open heart operation - another mother whose child was in ICU recovering from open heart surgery was kind enough to let us look at her little one whilst the nurse explained that this is how dd1 would be when she got back from surgery.

The mother then went to great lengths to assure me that all would be well with dd1 and that she would be fine etc.

We learnt later that the woman's baby had what dd1 had originally been tentatively diagnosed with - a heart defect that had not such a good outcome - lots of surgery and a heart transplant as teenager if they survived that long.

I felt so blessed that a mother who would face a much tougher time than me could find it in her heart to reassure me that all would be well when she had her own little one to worry about.

I now try to repay that kindness by assisting others when and where I can.

and they bought us presents to go home with - a little pottery figure saying "don't forget Ust Kamenogorsk" (as if I could!), a little crocheted mat one of them had made and a little bib for DS. I cried

Mine was really nothing much compared to some of these.

When I was adopting DS, I saw his carers every day on our endless twice daily visits. It was difficult trying to keep a 1yr old occupied for 2 hours at a stretch in a small ante-room off the main sick bay he was in at the time.

One day two of the carers led me into the main sickbay and sat me down on a tiny childrens chair in front of a tiny table laid with food of various sorts. They made me a cup of very weak very sugary coffee and gestured at the food and told me to eat and sat and watched beaming all the time as I struggled to swallow the raw bacon fat, pickled tomatoes and potato pastries they had brought.

They were so pleased to share what they had which was really very little and so very much less really than I had. My lovely lovely ladies

My whole trip was littered with random acts of kindness.

I've got two; the first I was about 8 months pregnant with DS1 and travelling home from Liverpool Street, the trains were all up the spout and I had to be crammed like a sardine with everyone else. Well I started to feel very, very faint and knew I was going to faint, so I asked this guy in a suit if I could please take his seat because I thought I was going to faint. He told me if I felt that bad I should sit on the floor, and I was going to as well, until the guy with the piercings, dreadlocks, tattoos etc sat opposite him gave me his seat and gave the suit a mouthful. I was so grateful.

My second was just a few weeks ago. The local river burst its banks and the children and I had to be rescued in the night by boat and we were shown on local telly. The next day when I went to drop the kids off at school, the acts of kindness that were shown to me by the staff and parents were unbeleivable. Clothes and toys for children, a shoulder to cry on for me, loads of offers of help and assistance. The thing is we live in France and my French although passable isn't great and I do struggle to communicate with everyone at school. They were amazing, the offers of help were unbelievable, they were even going to set up a cleaning rota with all the parents to come and clean my house when the water went. I even went into a local shop to buy some pants and socks for me and the kids as we couldn't get back to the house and all the clothes had obviously been in a basket waiting to be ironed on the floor of the utility room, the shop had seen me on the telly and gave me all my stuff for free. I spent a lot of time in tears that week, but mostly it was because of the kindness of the people around me. I am so grateful to everyone in those weeks after the flood and somehow merci bien and merci beaucoup just doesn't cut the mustard, I've found myself giving hugs to virtual strangers trying to express my thanks, I think they just think I'm the weirdo English woman now. I will never forget their kindness though and hope one day that I can be as selfless to others if they're in a similar situation.

Yes - my camper caught fire on 30th January on the A46 between M69 and Coventry on our way to Newquay for the party on fistral beach via Leamington, it was pouring with rain and I had both children with me.

We were huddled together in a lay-by waiting for the RAC, freezing, miserable and wet (although the fire had gone out I was too nervous to get back in).

A big silver car pulled up and I was petrified that we were about to be attacked but a man got out and tentatively told me not to be scared that he wasn't going to come any closer, asked if I was ok and whether I needed to use his phone; I explained that I was ok and the rescue mission was in hand but thank you - he then explained that he'd been driving the other way and saw me so went all the way up to the next roundabout to come back and check we were ok , he then gave me the biggest golfing umbrella you'd ever seen but refused to give me his address so that I could send it back.
I think it was a Lexus and it was millennium NY.

A life-changing moment for me. I had just started Uni and fell in with a crowd of Hoorays, and I couldn't possibly keep up with them because my parents hadn't been able to pay their bit of the grant (dad off ill in hospital). I was flat broke and thought that I would never make any friends because I didn't have any money left. I spent the Friday night alone because they all went out partying, and I cried myself to sleep.

Next day the post arrived and in it was a cheque sent by an old friend who I hadn't seen for months. But it wasn't money though. He had written "Pay X, Twenty Thousand happy days". I learnt a big lesson and sobbed my heart out.

When I was about 7 I used to carry a comfort blanket everywhere (it was really just a handkerchief of a certain texture), we were on a family day out to a Koikarp fair when I found a handkerchief with a beautiful embroidered fish on it for £1 (I might be sounding a little strange now ) I begged my mum who finally consented to buy one and with beams of joy was presented with my prize!

We traipsed around all day looking at fish but when it was time to go... my handkerchief was gone. Nowhere to be found. My mum was angry because I was holding us all up as we went all the way round again looking for it (me in floods of tears). We finally got all the way back to the stall and there was no sign. Mum wouldn't let me have another as I couldn't be trusted with one.

Kindly, the lovely lady behind the stall reached over and handed me a brand new handkerchief. She said she'd never had a customer so happy to buy a handkerchief before

I still remember it like it was yesterday.

I had never been scared of heights until I took DS1 and DD (then about 5 & 3) to the "Battlements Tour" of the local castle - and had a very scary panic attack. I just couldn't move, but a lovely elderly man spent ages coaxing me along so I could get back inside while his wife looked after the kids. I would still be up on the battlements now, still paralysed with fear, if he hadn't been on the tour . And now I have a real problem with heights.

A week after I had a mc I was on the tube on my way home from the doctor's. I was exhausted and miserable and standing with my head leaning against one of the poles you can hold on to.

A man stood up and took me by the arm and led me to the seat he had just vacated, without a word. I was so grateful I wanted to cry. I also wanted to tell him what had just happened so he would know that he had really helped someone in need. I didn't. But thank you.

What a scumbag! (Your uncle, Sheik, not the lovely man!)

Last paragrapg shouls have read

He took me to the pub across the road, and bought me a drink.

Anyway, I returened the favour, as I ended up going out with him for 2 years

DS2 is "helping"

Just after my beloved Grandma died, (who I lived with) I was at the solicitors wioth my Mum and my aunt and uncle. My A&U were desperate to get their hands on my grandma's house, and me and my mum were fuming about it. Anyway, they made the appointment with the probate solicitor the day after my Gran's funeral My uncle (who is a cunt) said that I used my Gran's house as a "dosshouse" and that I was alwayus off gallivanting (I was living away at the time - I used to go home every other weekend to help my mum, as my Gran was gravely ill) This was while he sat in the solicitors reading a holiday brocure x8736283746

Anyway, I pushed the brouchure in his face and stormed out and sat outside this solicitors in the centre of Birmingham and sobbed. This lovely man came and sat next to me and had a chat, and put his arm round me. He really was lovely. He listened to me whiule I looked a state with a red tear stained face and snot gushing from my nose, and was really reassuring

He took me to the pub across the road, and bought me a drink. I ended up going out with him for 2 years

Anyway, I returned the favour

when i was very heavily pregnant and at bus stop all the old people kicked all my shopping all over the place to get on bus pushing me out the way also

every one got on and my shopping was every where i was in tears as couldnt bend down to pick it up i was huge no one offered to come and help me

disabled lady coming along struggling herself helped me pick it all up it really touched my heart

driver in meantime had got off bus carried all my shopping on had stern word with them all about there actions and dropped me at my front door even carrying shopping bags up for me

never seen a bunch of frail looking people sprint so fast onto a bus knocking over heavily pregnant woman and shopping then have the cheek to moan about the youngsters these days

thank you very much to the kind disabled lady and bus driver

That's lovely hazygirl

OK a daft one, but I was moving back to the UK after living in Japan and I lugged a huge picture to the PO to send back home. It was far to heavy to carry, in the middle of a hot Japanese summer. I arrived and they said I couldn't send it because it wasn't packaged well enough. So my bottom lip started quivering - I was hot and bothered- and the guy took one look at me, walked me across to the local supermarket, got some boxes, took them back to the PO, then wrapped the parcel up for me! I've never forgotten that.

I also tend to remember people who are kind when things are kicking off with ds1 in public. The latest one over Xmas was mentioned in a thread. We had to queue in tesco. DS1 was screaming and hitting himself and the woman behind me held my stuff for me "I think you need 2 hands", and then just let me know that she knew what was happening and why. I'm not sure whether she was another parent or had worked with children with learning difficulties but she just said 'It's OK I know what it's like'.

I had just found out I was pregnant and was ridiculously emotional; I worked in an inner city public library, when one particularly nasty piece of work decided that his fine was somehow my fault (he had a bit of a screw loose). He screamed and screamed at me, leaning right over the counter and threatened me. It was really busy and I could see everyone in the library looking at me as I struggled to stay calm and asked him to leave. One of the regulars came and stood by the counter. I was so embarrassed, finally he left throwing a final, "Watch your back" over his shoulder as he left.

I'd never known the place so quiet when he left! Then one by one everyone came up to me and told me they were so impressed with how I'd dealt with him and that they were all ready to step in to protect me if got violent. From tiny little old ladies to huge hulking men, they each offered me a little bit of human kindness. It really was a little community in itself that place.

A very bad day that made me realise just how much my job was appreciated by those around me

ill never forget when jayden died my parents in there seventies, my mum is unsteady on her feet,went to say goodbye its a long walk to a and e to chapel of rest , so sister went and made cup of tea then carried jayden from chapel of rest to them just snuggled in a blanket,and she ws so good to my dad who was sat sobbing hi heart out, i will never forget her kindness,and the way she treat jayden as long as i live

Now lets see if I can type through all these tears . . . Was travelling on the tube with DH dd1 (2.5) and dd2 (1.5) DD2 was fine happy on daddy's hip looking at all the people (she's a nosy one) but dd1 freaked out (she's shy anyway I think the madness just tipped her over the edge) A big old guy who was sat over in the corner seat basically moved everybody out of our faces (as much as he could) helped me pop her down on his seat and stood behind us the entire rest of the journey keeping everybody from crowding her. He didn't speak much English but just smiled at us on the way out and gave us a little wink. Never forget him.
I think we should all do a random act of kindness for someone who looks like they need it today and keep that karma going round. Its really not such a bad world we live in - lets keep it that way (sorry gone all poetic and soppy now)

The one I always think of wasn't for me at all.

We were on holiday in the UK, and driving through a town, can't remember which one. On this one way-system a cat had been knocked down. I didn't see it happen, but the cat was just lying in the road. But a woman was crouched next to it, amongst all the traffic, stroking it while it died. For some reaoon I will never forget that. Just writing it has made me cry.