What's the kindest thing you've ever experienced?

[flopsytheflatcat]

an act of kindness to you or one you've witnessed or heard about?

I had to be induced when I was having my daughter and the contractions really started to kick in at about midnight, after my husband had gone home. I called him to come in and then went to the day room as I was conscious of disturbing the other women on the bay because I was really in a lot of pain.

I had been there about 5 minutes when the lady from the bed next to me came in to sit with me and held my hand while I waited for my husband. I was so distracted I didn’t even ask her name but I will never forget how kind she was.

@ParkheadParadise , I'm
another who won't forget your story of the worst and the best of people.

Not me, or anyone I know but I read something that in last Saturday's Telegraph.
I think you need to register to see it.
www.telegraph.co.uk/money/katie-investigates/husband-died-now-lose-home-56k-life-insurance-wont-pay/
I have no connection with the newspaper.

parkhead.

@parkheadparadise

I'm so so sorry for your loss, I can't even begin to imagine how terrible that is. I'm glad you found comfort in the fact that someone so lovely and kind looked after her.

When my son was about 16 he went to play golf with some friends. Half way round he found a very expensive club that had been left in longish grass, and took it with him to return it to reception. When he handed it in, the receptionist told him that the owner had left his number and said if anyone handed it in to pass their details on as it was worth so much, he was offering a reward.
DS told the receptionist it didn't matter about the reward, and just to return it and tell the owner he was glad he'd got his golf club back.
Just such a decent thing for anyone to do, let along a boy that age. I was very proud.

Another one from that's very minor compared to some amazing stuff here, but a few years ago I had a terrible week. We were trying to sell our flat and buy a house, but my husband's job was at risk and we were very stressed. Then our buyer pulled out, we lost the house, DH wrote off our car and I just about held it together until I got the solicitors' bill for the failed transaction and it felt like if we had another fall through we weren't going to have enough money to move and if DH lost his job and maybe had to go freelance we might not be able to get a mortgage and we'd be stuck in a two bed flat with two kids who really needed their own bedroom (first world problem, I know).

I was sitting under some scaffolding near work crying when a plummy voiced older lady stopped to chat and I told her my woes. She sighed and said 'Life's shit sometimes' and we had a chat and I felt so much better afterwards.

When I left my first H and was moving into an unfurnished flat with 2 small DCs. Someone at work had an old fridge they didn't need, then someone else miraculously had some sets of curtains. Then weirdly my boss had a load of carpet he was getting rid off. Someone else was just about to send some beds to a charity shop and I was doing him a favour by taking them. This was years and years ago but I still think of it often.

I was travelling by train to visit a friend and had to change trains. It was cold and late, the connecting train was cancelled so I had to wait over an hour. Nipped for a cigarette and noticed a group of late teen lads, hood up etc. they looked a bit intimidating so I sort of drew back a bit only to be grabbed by a bloke I hadn’t seen there, he started shouting at me to give him a smoke and calling me names.....the lads I had seen rushed over, saw him off, picked up my bags and escorted me inside. One bought me a coffee and they waited with me until the train came because ‘there are all sorts round here miss, we will make sure you are alright innit’. Taught me a bit of a lesson, the scary guy was older and reasonably well presented.

Bless them

When my husband had a heart attack I got home from hospital on the second day to a bag of shopping on my doorstep. Bread, milk, tins of soup and some yoghurts.
It had been left by another mum in the village. I didn't know her well at that point but we have become very good friends in the years after.
I really needed that shopping!

I was once behind an elderly lady in the shop and she didn't have enough money for her shopping so started putting back the jam tarts and biscuits. I put them back with her other stuff and gave her the extra money. I told her that I had no Grandparents left to treat and so I didn't want her going without the nice things in her basket. I did offer to pay for all her shopping but she wouldn't allow me.

I'll never forget the gentlest nurse ever who cared for my grandma in her last hours. She called us in to the hospital as she felt there wasn't long left and then left us to be alone. She popped in and out just checking on us, and I'll never forget when she said that grandma would pass very soon. She gently closed her eyes, stroked her cheek and made sure she was at peace to breathe her last. My grandma died just 3 breaths later.
Her sensitivity, knowledge and timing were just incredible, she was so gentle and respectful. Lovely lady.

Trivial compared to some of the stories on here but on my first trip out on my own with baby DS, I was queuing in a cafe to buy something so I could sit and feed him. He was screaming the place down and the queue was SO slow. The lady in front of me was making small talk and I admitted he was hungry bit that I didn't want to feed him without buying something. She suggested I bought something after the feed and pointed me towards a table with comfy chairs.

Ten minutes later, she appeared with a flat white and packet of chocolate biscuits, refusing my attempts to pay her back. I was feeling quite lonely and overwhelmed that day and she helped more than she could ever know.

Just the other day, we were at the farm and DS ran to feed some horses and fell flat on his face in the mud, spilling his entire bucket of animal feed. He was heartbroken. Almost instantly a girl aged about 4 and her family started scooping out food from their buckets and re-filled his whole bucket. They smiled and walked away and i said Thanks, but i don't think they realised just how kind that was- to do it without thinking. Especially the little girl, who was the first one to do it!!

I started a course in another city and was very stressed on my first day. The bus from the car park into the city did not take cards and I had forgotten to bring cash. I had no way to get to the course as there were no cash dispensers anywhere around. A very kind person paid my fare. I was so embarrassed I didn't ask her name . I wish I had taken her name and address and returned the money.

This is what we need more of in this world. Tales of decent human kindness and compassion. Our politicians could learn a thing or two from this.

So many touching stories. Parkside
I can't post mine , but suffice to say, palliative care staff deserve all the money in the world for what they do.

Eek, sorry, Parkhead

@Candle1000
Oh wow yours made MY bottom lip quiver!
How lovely of the bank lady but also bless you it must have been a hard time.
Hope all is well now :)

A kind MNer on another thread who bought something I had said my ds wanted for Christmas and sent it to me so he could have it and be the same as his pals. I insisted on paying her back over a few months which I did, but his face on opening his gift was entirely down to her. So kind

Oh dementedma, that's lovely.
A MNer on another thread has been a friend to me when I was at rock bottom.

This is a lovely thread.

I was once in Lidl, back in the days when we had to make £20 last a week. I did the shopping, went to pay in my card but then realised that my bank account was empty and I'd left cash at home. The lady behind me in the queue gave me the money to pay for it. I took her address and DH popped round later that day with the money and a bar of chocolate.

More recently I was shopping in town and was upset as my DD cried when I left her at nursery. A total stranger asked me if I was okay and gave me a hug.

People can be so lovely. It really is a reminder to slow down, look around and pay attention to others.

The old, homeless chap who came to sit by me on a bench as I was experiencing some horrible pregnancy symptoms. It was the middle of winter and I was roasting hot. He came to tell me to put my coat back on otherwise I would freeze. He was so lovely and told me about his family and how he had lost contact with them. I tried to tell him to get back in touch but he said it wasn't an option.

He was so very kind. I hope he managed to get back in touch with his loved ones but it's over 30 years ago now. I think that he's maybe long gone now sadly. I tried to give him some money to pay for a safe place for him to stay but he refused to accept it. 32 years on and I have never forgotten his kindness to me that day.

I've told this one before, but shall tell it again here.

DF was dying, at home, with carers coming in. The whole family had gathered around his bedside for several days, it was clear it was imminent. The doorbell went, and it was the chiropodist come to cut his toenails. My DM was distraught that she had forgotten to cancel it. We explained the situation at the front door, and the woman asked if we'd be offended if she came in and did her job. My DM said okay, but we all felt weird. That lady came in and spent about an hour working on his feet. She massaged his feet and legs, cut his toenails, the full works. When she was done she walked up to the head of his bed, bent over and said "That's it. You can dance your way into heaven now." Then left. We thanked her for her kindness, and she said it was an honor to make his last day just a little bit better. He died about 4 hours later.

I'm crying remembering that moment. That woman had a heart of gold.

to all who received kindness in their worst moments. So many terrible times, with lovely incidents.

Parkhead - your post will stay with me forever.

The family who stopped on the country road after my windscreen had shattered (pre cell phones and I was miles from anywhere). It was 5 o clock on a Friday. They had me follow them home, organised for someone they knew to fix it, the guy fixing it had his friend (nothing to do with his business) who was just visiting for the weekend drop me into the nearest town so I could have my dinner then drive to another town to pick up a windscreen, then drop the car back to me. 2 strangers completely changed their friday night plans just to help me.

The nurses who did everything they could to get my son to latch on in the days following his birth - including taping a tube with formula to my boob to trick him into latching. I would not have been able to breastfeed only for them - they were indefatigable.

Having a c-section for my second child, the anaesthethist listened to me when I described my horrific near-death first delivery (hence the c-section) and who made me feel like he was there purely to make sure I was safe - he put his hand on the back of my head in the most comforting gesture (reminded me of my dad). He was wonderful.

So many lovely stories. There is a segment on our local radio (NPR) called Kind World www.wbur.org/kindworld that focuses on just these kind of lovely stories.

@Diversion
as the anaesthetist monitored me as they started the procedure he started to sing, I laughed and asked if he was serenading me, he said no and that he sang to keep the evil spirits away. I don't know why, but this is one of the best things I have ever read.

I'm so glad your DD made it.