Strangers who's lives have touched yours, do you wonder where they are now?

[BloodyAdultDC]

I witnessed a proposal late on Valentine's Day a few years back, in Paternoster Square near St Paul's - hardly anyone around, I often think of them and how their lives have panned out. I was a mumsnet wedding witness a few years back, never heard from the bride or groom since, wonder how telling their family went. Also the midwife who supported me overnight when I finally sussed bf, I wonder if she really knew what an impact she had on us both. Many many others too.

Does anyone ever think about those kinds sliding door moments, and wonder how they're doing now?

I often think about girls / ladies I worked with over the years. At the time of working together we were ‘best friends’ going out after work or at the weekend, but changing jobs meant a whole new set of friends. There are several I wish I had kept in touch with. I have searched for a few on FB without luck as they either have common names or perhaps have changed their second names.

A lady I rescued who was being beaten up by her boyfriend. I helped get her to safety and to the police and we had a really long chat. She wasn't in a good way. I hope things improved for her, but I will never know.

A German tourist when we were in New Zealand.
We were Black Water rafting in waitimo caves. I’ve been seriously claustrophobic since a small child but my BF,now DH, convinced me I would be fine under there. There was a moment I had a bit of a wobble and I reached out and grabbed, what I thought was, my BF hand. It turned out to be the German chap. I was young and a bit mortified but I was really touched this guy just saw no issue and kept hold of my hand to reassure me. I kind of dropped him like a hot potato tbh, but I hope he realised how much his reassurance calmed me in my moment of panic.

We were in a restaurant in Glasgow a few years ago and witnessed a young man proposing to his partner. She said yes at the time and the staff brought them Champagne, but the girl didn’t look very happy, and as we left we passed them having a huge row outside the building. I do wonder sometimes if they did get married or not.

August 1988 - I was on a train to Cardiff, incredibly anxious, on my way to a university interview organised through clearing as I hadn't got my expected A Level results.
A lovely young man called Jamie sat opposite me and talked me through interview techniques and practiced questions with me.
As he got off the train he wished me luck and very casually said that all the things he'd told me had helped him secure a place at Oxford and he knew I was going to be brilliant.

I met a woman in a parent’s kitchen at the hospital and she told me her teenage daughter was receiving palliative care for cancer. I’ve thought about her probably once a week since, this was about 5 years ago.

There are several midwives and NICU nurses I think about really regularly too. They helped me so much and I wish they knew how grateful I still am.

What's so lovely about this thread is how people can make a huge impact on the lives of others by doing what are seemingly small things.

A couple of decades ago I worked in a high street betting shop. There was an old gent, probably early 80s who would come in almost every day. He was such a lovely polite man, always well dressed and smiling. He lived in a complex of over 60's apartments with an on site warden, and was clearly lonely after losing his wife several years before.
Most days I used to make him a cup of tea and have a chat to him, I don't think he actually cared about horse racing at all, but I think he enjoyed the company and the chat, and it was just part of his every day routine.
He loved his oap bus pass and he used to go absolutely all over in it, almost every day he would be catching the bus to somewhere different to go see their local market or go for a wander.
One day he came in late afternoon with a bloodied nose and blood all over his shirt. I sat him down with a sugary cup of tea and did my best to clean him up, tried to call someone for him but he wouldn't hear of it. He'd got off the bus in the centre of town and three teenagers had blocked his path, barged into him and shouted 'watch it old man' and pushed him over.

After that day he became a shadow. It shook him up so badly, no more bus trips, some days he didn't leave his flat, no more joy in his eyes. He felt old, and scared and vulnerable. When he did come in, he wasn't immaculately dressed any more, he looked like a man who had given up. About 6 weeks later, he broke his hip and passed away in hospital.

Those teenagers that barged him will have never spent more than 3 seconds laughing at that old man they pushed, they will never ever know the impact that tiny action had on that man, but they absolutely destroyed him. They stole his joy and his independence and because of them he just gave up. I regularly think about those kids, who won't even know they should feel guilty for what they did.
Rest in peace George.

I resuscitated a toddler who'd become unwell in Safeways .. many years ago , his mum was beside herself obviously and I just slinked off when the paramedic crew arrived

He'd be in his early 30's now , I hope he's had a happy life and his poor mum recovered from her terrible fright

I'm a nurse so it was second nature , all I kept thinking was .. hope I don't miss the bus 🤭🤭🤭

Years and years ago I was 15 and my first boyfriend had dumped me. I was walking home in floods of tears through a park and a middle aged woman walking a dog was coming the other way. She stopped on the path in front of me and just said "he's not worth it, love" so she just knew it was because of a boy. She gave me a huge hug and told me I'd be ok.

The whole encounter was probably 15 seconds and more than 20 years ago but I still think of how kind she was to me and will pass on her kindness myself if I ever see someone else in distress.

As an ex Holiday Rep - I had many people who I vividly remember.

The lady whose husband died in his sleep in their hotel room, she phoned me at 3am saying ‘Douglas won’t wake up’. I still think of her often.

The 8 year old child who walked into a patio door suffering horrible injuries within 5 mins of getting into their room.

The couple who asked me to witness their wedding in Lapland.

Sadly, I also recall like it was yesterday the young woman who had her 4th miscarriage when on holiday, she was just so utterly broken. I do hope she got her happy ending. She’d be nearly 60 now.

This is a lovely thread.

The other mums and babies I shared the postnatal ward with after each of my babies. I still remember most of their names.

I hope their lives have all been okay.

Gorgeous thread.

Some years ago, I was flying back to Ireland to see my dying granny, to whom
i was very close. It was terrible weather, and the flight was delayed, then cancelled while I was in the departure gate. I was a mess, I knew it might be the last time I saw my granny alive and I was distraught. Crying typing this, remembering.

Met a man in the queue for the next flight - he’d been in Manchester for a work thing and he talked to me for an hour while we waited, distracting me by talking about his job, letting me tell him all about my amazing granny. He was amazing.

I managed to get the next flight and saw my granny for 20 mins. She had a massive stroke the next day and she was unresponsive for about four weeks then died. It was my last chance to see her and I was so grateful to that man for helping me keep my head and sort the flight.

A few months later, I tracked down his work email address and told him how much his intervention meant to me. He was thrilled, told his wife and his daughters who also got in touch to say that my email was nice.

But I had emailed him from a work account, then lost his email when I moved jobs. He’s since retired and I don’t know where is is now.

I hope he’s ok. I will always remember his kindness

Me and my husband went to our local drive thru for food and when we got to pay the cashier said the lady in front of us had paid. The cashier said the lady's Son died but before he did they went to this place every Thursday for food and since he passed she went every week and paid for the car behind her. We ended up passing it on by paying for the car behind us.

I hope she is doing well and I wish her all the very, very best.

Things like this always touch your heart.but you got her to safety and away from a violent bf who could have potentially killed her.

I'm sure she will be very grateful and will always think about how thankful she is that you potentially saved her life.

I would like to hope she got all the support she needed but just remember how much you made a difference to her.she probably felt she had no one to turn to and you saved her.

Some truly beautiful memories everyone has shared. Trust in the kindness of strangers

A Turkish lady who worked at a surestart centre. I turned up one day in tears when my 8month old baby had refused to be put down for about 2 weeks. I hadn’t slept and was on my knees because I was having to hold him for 24 hours a day. She took me into a room, let me cry, gave me a sandwich and held my baby for me. She told me to start coming to the baby groups there, which I did and she honestly saved me and that point in time.

A Spanish lady at Liverpool street station. She had her son with her who was severely disabled. She was trying to hurt somewhere in a rush and her card was want working, she only had cash. The station master was being completely unhelpful and she was in a panic. I bought her ticket on my card and helped her get to the platform. I still think about her and how helpless she seemed. I hope she felt some kindness in that moment, and I also hope I got her on the right train! 😂

Flying into Cork airport during bad weather. It was (and remains) the worst landing I’ve ever experienced, the plane was shuddering and bouncing around all over the place. I’m generally an ok passenger and was trying to stay calm, but the man sitting next to me could tell I was obviously bricking it. He talked to me the whole way down, telling me he did this journey regularly and had seen it worse, keeping me chatting and even laughing. It was a small thing but it made such a difference and I really appreciate his kindness. I was still trembly when I got of the flight though!

I went on my first holiday to Spain when I was about 18 and played cards every night with a husband and wife at the hotel. They were old enough to be my mum and dad but I loved it. Think they were from Ireland.

On a flight with my 9 month old ds , he wouldn’t stop screaming . I had bad pnd and ended up in tears . A lovely woman took him from me and walked up and down the aisle with him .
This was 26 years ago and I still remember it well .

@maddiemookins16mum was that patio door boy in Greece somewhere? Blonde haired family?

The healthcare assistant who came and sat with me and my twins in the dark hours in hospital after birth. She must have been on the night rota as she came in three nights in a row about 10pm I have no idea who she was but she absolutely was an angel. She helped and gave me the babies - I was in pain and l blacked out if I got off the bed. She was amazing. I wish I had been able to thank her properly.

The man I stopped from jumping off Blackfriars Bridge. I hope you're feeling better, Tim.

The woman I chatted to flying from Kenya to Blackburn for an arranged marriage. What a big life-changing journey. I hope you're thriving.

The cab driver who did a u turn in the street at 5am to pick me up as I ran from a wannabe rapist in Southwark. He saved me from being assaulted. He just drove me home to my flat.

Mine was about a year ago I was at work on the late shift it was around 9pm in the evening a girl around 15/16 jumped the barriers she was trying to get onto the track i radioed for assistance to had to block her to the track.

She was shouting and screaming hysterically saying she wants to die.when she couldn't get access to the track she started punching and hitting herself.i spoke to the police,camhs and the ambulance service and my manager kept reminding me of the no touch policy.

After a while she went into the corner and started crying I kept talking to her until the police and ambulance arrived eventually they detained her under the mental health act,I often wonder how she is now and what was going on in her life.

Some people might think this is wrong here but it she had go past me and tried to jump on the track I think I would have grabbed her to stop her I would rather lose my job knowing I've saved a life than having it in head for head the rest of my life, that I could have done more.