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 our egg donor, without whom we wouldn’t have our daughter. I really hope she got the family she was hoping for too.

The lovely lady who say with me in a cafe when I was bf in public alone for the first time, she was amazing.
Dave, he was an occasional resident in a hotel I worked in, such an interesting man, we were chatting one evening and I said I'd never been sent a bunch of flowers before. Came to work the next day to the hugest bunch of flowers, never saw him again.
My midwife, who didn't realise she was pregnant until 20 weeks! She kept me sane and I loved her, I know she had a boy after 3 girls would love to know how she's doing.

I ran away from a job in about 1991 and a lady gave me £8 to get home. I really wish I'd got her address to pay her back. I've never forgotten her and have always paid her kindness forward in my actions.

Moral of the story, always have travel insurance. I’m glad they got back ok

The hospital midwife who came out to me so I could have my home birth - always so grateful x

Haven’t read through yet, so apologies if already answered! I would guess, depending on when it was, Robin Williams, Tom Hanks or Keanu Reeves 😁

I don’t know what rail company you work for, mine it is totally acceptable (and praised) to grab someone to stop them getting onto the tracks!

I remember visiting a friend and I arrived too early and she wasn’t in (I was staying with her) and the next door neighbour was outside and doing gardening. She invited me for a tea and we swapped a few life stories. She told me how lonely she was since her husband had died (no children) and she had only worked part time and just retired 65 and never went out and she had found it so hard for the last 5 years.

I can remember telling her ‘go to the local dog shelter there is probably a dog there, whose owner has died and you will be a good fit’ - I don’t know what made me say it. She argued she couldn’t look after a dog and so on and wouldn’t know how to choose a dog and I was 20 years old or so and said - look just don’t moan about it and just go and do it and you will just know when you see the right dog. She’d never owned a dog.

I had no right to say it and no idea why I did!

I thought no more about it.

6 months later I returned to visit my friend and the neighbour popped her head out - a totally different woman with a lovely lovely Jack Russell type dog -she looked totally different. Younger and fitter but her eyes sparkled. She said ‘I went the day after you told me, and I found Lucky whose owner had died and it was love at first sight. I go out every day for a walk and it saved my life.’

1 year after that I went back and two Jack Russell popped up at the gate and were barking and she came out and laughed and I said -did you rescue another? and she said ‘Oh no. That’s my husband’s Jack Russell’ I met him the day after I saw you last year and we are married now! Both dogs were called Lucky 👍

That woman (Helen) had a lovely husband and he had 3 adult children and 6 grandchildren and she now has a huge family - all from one dog.

My friend moved away and she’s be around 95 now and I hope she had a long and happy life.

Ah, I know the one!

It was about 1999 and I was on a train on my way to Amsterdam to meet my then boyfriend who lived there (but we met in England). I was sat next to a lovely bloke who was chatty (and I am quiet, so it balanced out) in his mid to late 20s. We talked all the way from Brussels to Amsterdam and time flew by. I got off the train, had my reunion and told bf about my new friend but when I looked back he was gone.

Also the Australian midwife who yelled at me to come out of a GA and forced me out of bed the day after. I had a very difficult birth and was feeling like a bit of a failure (as if I hadn't done it right) and her tough love snapped me out of my funk.

South western railway

I was trying to think of one and then I thought…. Years ago I went to Bray outside Dublin with my best friend and her 2 young sons for a holiday one summer in my early 20s. It wasn’t the best weather and we didn’t have the best time but it was ok. One night I went with her to a bar but she had to get back to the house where we were staying and I stayed on having a chat with some people including a good looking man who invited me to a party at a big house in the Wicklow mountains. He disappeared once I got there but I stayed the night and woke the next morning and wanted to leave. No taxis were coming there. No lift was forthcoming either. I was stranded. I decided I’d better walk (at least an hour or 2 away) and it was a Sunday morning. I got down a country lane and suddenly thought sod it, I’ll knock on the door of one of the big houses and see if I can use their phone. A young man with a beard and dark curly hair answered the door, got me a cup of tea and toast and then offered me a lift to the house where I was staying which was approx an hour away. He was very friendly and unmarried and had no girlfriend either, and drove an expensive car. He didn’t come onto me but did ask me out for a drink. I declined. I felt awkward and embarrassed at what I’d got myself into. He said the people I’d been with were awful for just leaving me to my own devices and not helping me. Sometimes there are just nice people who come into your life when you need them.

Travelling around Belize in 2000, a group of us arrived in a port with a bit of a wait for the onward connection. We were wandering the streets trying to find somewhere that might serve food but it was Sunday morning and no one was around. A man was reading a newspaper in his yard and we asked him for help finding somewhere. He popped inside for a minute and then invited us all in to his home for breakfast - there was at least 5 of us, possibly more but I can’t remember now! They made us a proper breakfast of bacon, scrambled eggs, toast, coffee and of course wouldn’t take any money. I helped his wife and daughter set up the table, and we all chatted in his yard for a while after. Just such a lovely and welcoming act of kindness that I often remember fondly.

I was invited to the garden party at Buckingham palace. My invite was more so because I applied for a ticket due to my commonwealth background. I spent the time walking around with a district nurse who had been invited due to all her years of service (so actually deserving of her invite). Sometimes I remember her and think how much she deserved to be there unlike me.

I often think of the midwives from both my births.

About 5 years ago, I was driving to meet a friend for lunch, my DH & DS were away so I couldn’t call them for help. My car broke down on a slight bend on a dual carriageway so my car was left rather precariously, there was no hard shoulder. A young couple saw me stop & get out, they were travelling in the opposite direction but turned around to come and help me. They put their car further back so other cars approaching would know to slow down as mine was out of side round the bend, and they called the traffic police. They were so calming and lovely, I hope they’ve had good karma since.

I honestly cannot think, there are SO SO many!
The old lady who gave me 60p when I was 14, had bunked off school and got on a bus and didn't haev enough money to get home. She'll be long gone now but I hoped she knew what that meant to me. I didn't have a happy life then.

All the fellas who used to come in the pub I worked in as a student. Some of them were really lovely people and I hope they're doing okay, again, the ones who are still with us. I will come back to this thread as I am sure there are more!

Recent one, went with my Mum to a wolf sanctuary and stayed at a lovely Inn the night before. My Mum isn't a drinker or 'pub' person, two drinks is her absolute limit so after we had dinner at the Inn I assumed we'd just go back to the hotel room and I'd read a book rather than anything else. As we went to go back to the room we walked past a group of men in their late thirties/early forties one of them said to my Mum 'That crumble you just had looked EPIC! I was going to come and ask you to share!'

My Mum thought this was hilarious, we sat with them and had a few more drinks and just had the best time, they were all so lovely, good people, funny and interesting and because of my Mum not really being a 'nightlife' person, I've not had many experiences like that with her. Simple, but one of the nicest evenings I've ever had.

The next morning I was sitting on the windowsill of our room in my pjamas and I saw the group of them getting ready for a ride on their bicycles. I shouted ' have fun!' to them all and waved goodbye.

Life can be so weird. I'll never see them again! I bet if we lived close we'd have become friends.

Oh this is so moving, sad to read about your loss... but what a wonderful woman who sat with you. This really touched me. I hope all is well with you now

@Thebookdragon i got goose-pimples in my legs reading your story. ☺️

Oh that's so lovely @BeyondImagining 💗💗I love this thread so much, it's restoring my faith in human nature.

oh wow @Thebookdragon I'm bawling my eyes out at your incredible story! Move over Marley & Me - I'd watch this film in a heartbeat👏👏 Animals can truly change our whole lives 💗 I'm so happy that lady took your excellent advice

Twenty four years ago sitting outside the intensive care unit I met a very young man who's wife had just given birth but something had gone wrong. She was in the high dependency unit and the baby was downstairs in the neonatal unit. He spent his days going between the two. I often wonder how they all got on, I so hope all turned out well in the end.

A few years ago mu Dad was dying in ICU miles anway from my home, and we were taking it in turns to sit with him. I was driving back to his flat at about 1am (had to go back at 7am) and came across a man in the road. He had come off his bike and had a very nasty cut to his head. I got him and his bike out of the road and called an ambulance. He was pretty drunk and a bit grumpy! The wound was bleeding heavily and after waiting for ages, 999 said it would be hours, so I locked his bike to a railing, put him in my car and drive back to the same hospital! He was a solicitor and supposed to be flying to a conference the next day. He was very cross and embarrassed and didn’t ask my name. It was a long night! I often think of it and hope he recovered.

Oh my goodness, crying my eyes out at this story!!!

It was interesting, I'm still in TV news but behind the scenes these days! I do get to talk to a lot of amazing people but it's mostly over the phone now unfortunately.