Calling upon the kindest of strangers

[LauraAshleySofa]

Today, not for the first time, I benefited from the kindness of a complete stranger. After a long walk DS(9) admitted he hadn't taken his antihistamine. By the time we stopped at a pub for lunch he was crying. A total stranger overheard him complaining and offered him an antihistamine. Problem solved in an instant with much gratitude on my side.

I am one of life's takers as this type of thing happens to me lots. But I can never seem to find the moment to 'pay it forward'.

If you are a kind person who seems to be one of life's givers how are you doing this?

Do you carry medical supplies/ tissues/ food/drinks everywhere just in case? How do you know when someone needs something and how do you stop people refusing your kind deeds?

Please let me know your acts of kindness and how you made them happen so I can spread some kindness too.

Btw I have obviously learned my own lesson today about keeping a stash of antihistamine available at all times!

@tigerdroveagain this has happened to me too, I got in a tizz when I missed a train stop once in another country but a kind lady did all she could to set me on the right way. Speaking English as she did so even though she wasn't English! She really was a star. Some people are so helpful.

@TooTrueToBeGood I do smile a lot so maybe I am doing something right.

@vampirethriller you sound lucky and lovely by equal measure. This is my goal to give as much kindness as I take.

I paid for someone's parking when they didn't have any change, always offering tissues/ baby wipes and also have given someone some calpol lol always help when you can as I've always believed you should treat others as you would like to be treated! 😁

OP, you're doing fine! If we all give a little, appreciate when we are given a little, it's all good. . .

@anitagreen wow you probably saved that man's life and you have closure of a kind seeing him 'recovered' to look at.

@WinkyisbackontheButterBeer you are right there are some fabulous people about.

I've been both helper and helped.

Not long after my dad died his favourite song came on the radio. I pulled over into a layby and broke down in floods of tears. A lady knocked on the window and asked me if I was ok. When I explained gave me the biggest hug and stayed with me until I could drive on.

My husband was offloaded from a train at a station miles from home due to an incident on the line. He rang me to say he'd found a cab that would take him across to the other line for £50. I said he should see if he could help anyone else out. He ended up taking a young mum, her partner and baby to the other station which was near their home. They were almost out of supplies for their baby due to the delays.

Another train related one. I ended up on an earlier train as did the guy opposite me. During the journey he told me he'd just been made redundant. I ditched my book and helped him overhaul his CV and work on interview questions on the journey.

@notthisnotthat I am so glad that lady was there for you when you needed her. I am sure she knew what it meant to you.

@ohyesiam you are right. Maybe one day I will be in the right place at the right time to really pay back all the goodness and kindness I have received, or maybe tomorrow and on lots of other days I will start to see small non intrusive ways to pay forward the kindness.

@bigkingdom you really were in the right place at the right time. I'll be the mum really was grateful.

@sideorder I think I might become the lady with extra ice lollies as it seems like an easy way to be kind and actually is cheaper than buying individual lollies.

After the quakes in Christchurch, a rather beautiful side-effect was a sudden outbreak of kindness. A woman got overwhelmed with stress and sadness, and pulled her car up suddenly, stopping traffic, no longer able to function. She just broke down and sobbed. There was no honking. The woman in the car behind her saw what was happening, and went and gave her a hug, and comforted her until she could pull her car over and allow traffic to continue. And when she pulled over, she continued to stay and comfort her until she could safely proceed. And all through this. No honking. No anger.

@hecateh you are truly lucky. I once helped a friend move flats, we were carrying furniture up to her new second floor flat when two passers by just offered to help and took in all the furniture. Some people just go to amazing lengths to be helpful it blows my mind.

@greendragon I bet that girl thinks of you every time she drives along that road.

@angelaj18 there is most definitely hope!

@LauraAshleySofa I think putting food in the food bank definitely counts! It's probably better than what I did because I'm fairly certain the reason the card was declined was the boys tried getting sweets on top of whatever their mum had told them to 😂

I always have painkillers, tissues and plasters in my bag and have handed them out on various occasions. I like helping. I've also been helped. I was buying a load of reduced price bread and was talking to my bf about not taking them all so someone else could benefit and how many days until pay day. Got to the till and a lovely lady shoved £20 in my hand and asked me to pay it forward when I could.

I carry plasters in my wallet- for the playground when with my kids, you never know when someone else might need it. I use my costa points to buy a lady in the charity shop a coffee when they add up- she won't go herself as she can't afford it. If I buy a paper I leave it for someone who looks lonely in a cafe or bus stop to read. Always carry 2p and 1p's for my kids to put in charity collection boxes. It teaches them about others and usually strikes up a conversation with the elderly person collecting.

I think it is being aware of what is happening round about you. I was in a supermarket and this kid was begging his mum for some yoghurt, she was saying very quietly to him - no I don't have the money for it. I picked some up, paid for it, and gave it to her. Just small things like that.

Lots of kindness on this thread ❤️. We were at a National trust property today and in the ladies loo there was a basket full of different types sanitary protection with a little sign on an easel saying please take whatever you need which was really nice to see.

I've been helper and helped too. I had a nasty fall a few weeks back and so many kind people stopped to offer help.

@yabbers lol a very well prepared mum.

@kyriesmum1 I always seem to be the beneficiary of the long car parking ticket, where people who are leaving just hand over a ticket with a couple of hours left on it. I try to do the same too or I stick the ticket to the pay machine if there is nobody around.

@sideorderofchips I work as a D&T teacher, the technicians and I sew blasers, mend shoes, sew on buttons, mend watch straps and fix bags. We often joke that we are the 'Cobbler Department'.

I too am someone who always carries Panadol, san pro, tissues etc. I’ve helped a few friends by redoing their c.v s to escape from horrid jobs. I one bought a lady a bunch of flowers - we were both waiting for bank appointments and she was telling me how much she missed her husband - she was still waiting after I had been dealt with and I rushed out and bought flowers for her.
I also sent some flowers anonymously to a struggling work colleague.
Helped up a very drunken gentlemen from the pavement one dark night and make sure he was at least ambulant before I left him.

@sportycustard so sorry for your loss, memories are entwined within music, happy, sad and bittersweet.

@mbosnz isn't it intriguing how people come together in adversity and remove the social barriers that are only there because we sustain them.

I’ve definitely benefited from help from strangers, I’ll never forget one lady commenting that if I was only queuing for a stamp she had one, just gave it to me! Monetary wise it was a small thing but I’d been at work, I was tired and it was just a nice thing to do!

I do tend to pack the kitchen sink, I’ve come to people’s aid with plasters, painkillers, sun cream in the past. I remember being at my college ball and a girl came into the loos with a cut foot (strappy sandal vs dropped glass), it was bleeding loads. My friend and I helped to stem the bleeding enough to get her to the first aid station. I think we were all pretty wasted but we managed between us!

Food bank totally counts - that’s literally people relying on the kindness of strangers. It’s looking for opportunities and also being proactive.

@mabelface I like helping too but I struugle to find the opportunity. I think it was kind of you to accept the £20 because it would have made the giver feel happy.

@kanga83 the coffee points idea is a great one. It costs you little as you get the points anyway but makes charity shop lady feel appreciated. I like that one.

@jenny I probably would worry about interfering in that situation but maybe my worries are stopping me from being able to be as kind as the rest of the mumsnetters.

@LauraAshleySofa

Well, kind of, but not really. I’m not generally an organised person. I guess after the first couple of years it became habit.

DD is always itchy, side effect of some drugs she takes for her disability so I always have antihistamines. Her disability also means she can’t just drink out of a bottle so we always have a drink. She dribbles so we have hankies. But the food is because of me. I’m a snacker so always have a bar of something or other!

I remember before I was a mum, when my nephew was little, I used se my sister that she never had hankies, surely every mum has them 😄

My friends call me "mum"
As in "Mum? You got any tissues/paracetamol/floss?" And I always have
I will do anything for anyone (once only, take the piss and never again) which has included CPR/defib, driving a stranger to hospital, driving a stranger home, collecting cats involved in RTCs and taking to vets for scanning (I do this regularly), buying cakes for neighbours, giving money to strangers, paying for the car behind me at Starbucks, buying chocolate for emergency services etc etc etc
I guess I hope one day it will come round full circle but... no

@fraxion it really is heartwarming to see what people will do for others and I love that people who give kindness are also receiving it.

@geraniumpink I think it is so sweet to buy flowers for people. I hope it made them smile.

@faithinfinity it is the small things that make the difference, although I now have a vision in my mind of wasted teenagers covered in blood dressed up to the nines dancing the remainder of the night away, I hope it wasn't messy!