The Kindness of Strangers

[BasiliskStare]

Having had a less than restful weekend - today I have had a little parcel from a lovely person in response to something I did months ago and did not want any recompense for. But just lovely & has put a spring in my step. Not particularly engaging as a post but just to say - sometimes little nice kind things make you ( me , one) very happy. I am happier today than I would have been. Am old enough to remember Ian Dury Reasons to be cheerful

What a nice surprise, Basilisk

Thanks you Missingsea Just a very rubbish post to say sometimes things are nice , in amongst more horrid things. An anecdote, DS wanted to go to an event and he didn't get a place , but he emailed the person doing the admin to say " Thank you any way " - well when she had a space ( because someone had dropped out ) she said you have first refusal because you were the only person to say thank you to me. I know it's a bit rubbish but sometimes being polite and kind is a good thing. Well , obviously in that being polite and kind is good but just today I have a lovely little thing which has made me happy . (It's not a quid pro quo - just if you are nice to other people , in general they will be nice to you , and if they are not - just move on )

i wish this forum had a Thanks button. Happy Christmas

How lovely. It really makes my day when someone is unexpectedly kind. I have an 11 week old DD and I'm a first time mum. I went to the dentist when she was about 7 weeks old and had to bring her with me as although I booked a day DP is usually off work, he got called in.
In the waiting room DD has already started to cry in her pram but I had a humungous form to fill in so couldn't rock her. A lovely patient rocked the pram for me and one dentist came out of her room to let me know she was 'there if baby needs a cuddle'. I took DD in with me and the dental nurse asked to hold her, she held her the whole time which stopped her from crying, and made for a much more relaxing check up! I was so grateful for those ladies as it was probably obvious I was getting in a bit of a flap.

@SlimGin and@ Missingthesea - you see, call me naive , and I may be , but I believe by and large people are better rather than worse and it is lovely when that is proven.

I had a lovely elderly Chinese couple help me take my shopping to my car on Saturday! I could carry it, but it was heavy - they offered the use of their trolley while we went down in the lift, then insisted on walking the small people and I to the car! When I thanked them they said they weren't in a hurry and maybe I'd help them one day.

It was a small thing in the scheme of things, but made me quite teary with gratitude for how sweet and lovely they were.

@leeloo1 - You see that is the thing isn't it - sometimes people are just nice without expecting something back - Oh maybe because it is Christmas but I have thought about this owing to a nice thing someone did for me this week.

Being nice should be encouraged

Did anyone see the news item about the elderly man who knew he was dying and left a bag with 14 wrapped gifts for the 2 year old girl whose family he lived next door to? One gift per year till she was 16. He had loved watching her grow up from when she was a baby and loved to spend time with her. One of his relatives who was clearing his house found the bag of gifts and brought it to the family who were incredibly moved by such thought and kindness. I do believe people are basically kind and good.

I love hearing these types of stories. I like to go out of my way to help others if I can. Obviously sometimes that’s not possible but if I can’t I’ll point them to someone who can instead. I hate the individualistic nature of our society.

I think it's lovely that a good deed from one person can overshadow the crappiness of countless others for a while.

Oh @Frozenteatowel - that makes me well up a bit ( well probably more I have done sub par dusting of skirting boards and so dust in my eye ;)

I just love the way that so many people can be kind and lovely & it sort of weighs against so much we read about / experience which is where people have not been so much so.

I do ( possibly naively ) believe that many many if not most people are intrinsically good

Enough of my little ( probably slightly soppy ) post - possibly encouraged by Christmas but I think it holds good whenever.

I think I need to retire but I do think it is lovely to think of the nice things people do & not just the ones people want to complain about. Lovely to hear @ Namechangetoavoidbeingfound and @Rabbitfoodadvocate

- I think I have made my point
Happy Christmas one and all

I had norovirus or some such come on VERY suddenly at the checkouts in Tesco on December 30th 1999. (Date relevant!) DH was packing frantically, I collapsed on the floor and then staggered over to seat facing the tills where I promptly spewed in full view of everyone in the checkout queues.

DH had by this time gone with the bags to colllect the car so I was on my own, hand full of sick (why oh why did I think I could catch it in my hand), pool of vomit at my feet and feeling like death. With no-one.

An ANGEL appeared at my side, sat with me. Gave me her bag of frozen peas to put on my wrists to cool me down. And say with me till my rather shocked DH came back to collect me.

The bag of peas must have had my vomit on but I was too ill to reimburse her. But all these years later I am so so grateful for that little bit of kindness shown when I was at my lowest ebb in full view of a LOT of people. I have never forgotten her. I bet she was a nurse. A fab one.

Incidentally, I went home and was so ill in bed for the next few days with terrible stomach ache and sickness that I missed Millenium night completely. DH toasted the new millennium with champagne all on his own as we were living 200 miles away from any family or friends.

As the all-night parties went on within earshot I lay in bed feeling a bit sorry for myself but wishing my angel nurse the best new millennium possible.

@Curlyhairedassassin - how lovely ( well more the nice woman rather than the being sick part ) Let us hope that woman is having a lovely evening today

She really was lovely. 18 years on and it is as clear as If it had happened yesterday. Who would choose to go and sit next to a stranger who had just vomited and sit with them? And contaminate their peas?! I often wonder whether she threw them out, I hope she did and didn’t get sick herself.

So if by the smallest chance, you are the angel of Colney Hatch Lane Tesco’s in London in December 1999, and are reading this now, I would like to say a heartfelt Thankyou (and I hope you didn’t catch what I had!)

I love these stories! I've had some lovely kind acts over the years - people not judging when I've forgotten my debit card at the petrol station and being really patient (am a bit dyspraxic.. memory awful!), people who have soothed my babies in meltdowns or offered me a seat on the bus / train when I had really young kids.
I paid it back at the weekend - I hope! - I had a lady break down in front of our house so she knocked on our door as she didnt have the car to call the AA. Bless her she had a lot of problems in addition to her car so I did what anyone would do when the AA say its going to be 2 hours.. I made salt dough and we made christmas decorations (my son was poorly and looking for something to do also). She came back and left a lovely xmas candle as a thank you in our porch.. but the thing is I am the one who felt like I benefitted - it was really nice to help out.

I took my 2yo to the park in the winter, and fell and broke my leg. People in the park called me an ambulance, fetched a duvet to keep me warm, and watched my child until my DH was able to come and get her. Don't know what I would have done without them.

Even in ‘unfriendly’ London, I have faith that there are more nice people around than horrible.

I never worried about taking a buggy on the tube as I always knew someone would help out if need be, and someone always did, without any waiting required.
I remember once when two men just told me to take a rest while they picked up the buggy between them and carried ds all the way to the top of the steps while chatting and joking with me.

Ds was feeling sick on the tube once and a teenager took his stuff out of his carrier bag, carried it in his arms and gave us the carrier bag for ds to use.

My arsehole controlling abusive ex failed to put our last £2 onto my oyster card so i could travel into work.

I managed to get on the first bus with no issue however when trying to get onto the 2nd bus the driver refused to let me on.
I broke down in front of the whole bus, cried & pleaded with the driver who continued to refuse to let me on.
A pensioner walked to the front, paid for me to get on, took my hand & sat me next to her.
She told me that my tears were not over a bus & that if it was really about a man then i should leave him.
I didnt leave him there & then however that was the moment i knew i needed a plan to get out & 1 year later i did exactly that.

I will always be so very grateful & infact i owe her my life

Aaah, #overitalready, what a lovely story (although sorry you had to put up with your knobhead ex!)

When my late mum had just been wheeled off for her very first breast cancer op, a lady sitting with her friend in the bed opposite could see I was just about holding myself together and came over to give me the biggest hug. Never forgotten her.

Oh all such nice stories. I do intrinsically believe most people are nice unless I see evidence to the contrary.
@Iliveinsalemslot - yes I agree - I use the tube rarely but whenever I have, there is usually someone who will help with buggy / big bags etc with someone who is struggling. I am not sure London is inherently unfriendly - just busy. But then I do not travel there all the time.