Kind, generous acts. Have you done/made one?

[cjt110]

I was wondering about what acts, gestures or otherwise have people done, at little or no cost/benefit to themselves to make others smile or feel happy. This came off the back of a thread where a complete stranger complimented someone on a dress they were trying on in a shop.

I know I often comment to colleagues if they are wearing something nice - a nice top or otherwise.

I've given someone my trolley token at the supermarket - they needed one and had no change.

I donate blood.

And having gestures done to/for me?

Someone paid for my shopping when I had forgotten my card and my toddler son was hysterical that we were leaving "our" stuff behind. At the weekend, I had gotten DS into a trolley at the supermarket then realised I'd left my bag in the car. The layout of the carpark would have made taking him in the trolley back to the car would have been a pain in the arse. I was trying to lift him out of the seat of the trolley and a lady offered to help. I said "Actually, I need to nip to the car for my bag (you could see it from where we were) would I be able to grab it and you watch him?" She very kindly did. Made it far easier for me.

So... over to you... What have you had done to you, or have you done to others?

Cath2907 Someone anonymously donated bone marrow which saved my mum's life.

Wow wow wow! ... what an unbelievable selfless act of incomprehensible kindness

Paid for the fuel of a blood bikes volunteer.

Given an ambulance crew a tray of dough nuts.

Another....

A couple of years ago we had a really tough Christmas financially due to DHs work vehicle requiring some very costly repairs at the worst possible time. We couldn't put it off as DH is self-employed and needed it back on the road asap to continue working.

DS desperately wanted a Christmas wreath for our front door, like all our neighbours. But we couldn't afford one, so I picked up some cheapo bits and bobs from Poundland and we made our own together. DS was so thrilled with it and was in his element hanging it on the door.

But it had been up all of 2 days when some arsehole ripped it off our door, pulled it apart and destroyed it, then they kindly left all the debris strewn across our street for us to see. I had to clean it all up before DS saw and then told him that Santa's elves loved it so much they took it back to Lapland. He was still upset though and it broke my heart.

I was furious and vented my anger on a local Facebook group thanking the coward who destroyed my sons handmade wreath for destroying his creation when we couldn't afford a 'proper' one.

A lovely lady who makes wreaths and sells them for charity saw my post and pm'd me asking if she could donate one of her wreaths to my son. She kept up with my story about how the elves had taken his wreath to Lapland, so they'd asked her to make him another to replace it. She said to him "yours was so special It needs to be with Santa in Lapland"

It was a stunning wreath and DS was over the moon. It made his little day. She refused to take any money for it and simply wished us a happy Christmas and left.

Amonk3ysbutler your son is a wonderful person

I guess I've done few unselfish things but I don't want to talk about them because it feels fake and like I've done it to talk about it. Takes away the good feeling from someone's life improved due to my actions.

What a heart warming thread.
I don’t understand the miserable people on this thread, IT’S ANONYMOUS.
I’m not going to write on Facebook what an amazing person you are.
Geez some people.

These are actually making me a bit teary! I'm a big fan of paying it forward.

Please don’t pull this thread. There’s so many terrible things going on in the world at the moment. This thread makes me realise that there are some kind people around.
I don’t see the acts as bragging as we are on an anonymous forum.

@MyRelationshipIsWeird thank you usually he drives me mad but little moments like this morning redeem him

When I was working abroad making a bit of money giving English lessons I mentioned in passing to my student (now friend) that all my toiletries had run out at the same time and I couldn't really replace them. The next time we had a class she presented me with a huge bag stuffed with toiletries of all kinds. She also fed me twice a week because she said that my timetable didn't give me time to have a proper lunch before the next class but on reflection she probably wanted to make sure I had a proper meal. She's one of my best friends now .

One of the ways we helped someone was my DHs friend from another country called to say a friend of his was an au pair living about 2 hours away from us and was having a terrible time, she had to leave asap but had nowhere to go. So we took her in for a few nights, fed her, and she went home. It wasn't much for us but it meant a lot to her to have a safe (free) place to stay while she waited for the flight home she had booked at short notice to escape the au pair family

What a load of miseries have piped up on this thread. I think it’s lovely to hear what others have done and it’s made me smile.

Mine are the usual ones - food bank donations, giving the local homeless man my loose change (please no-one lecture me on why I shouldn’t do this ) but I also donate all my old baby stuff rather than sell it as I know how expensive it can be.

Please do share your stories - not for bragging rights but because it may give others ideas of how they might be able to help somebody else sometime

fleshmarketclose You absolute star.
It's astonishing how many of these relate to food poverty. We're such a rich country, how can things be so bad for so many families. (Rhetorical question.)

I once gave a three-piece suite to some friends - I told them it was because we needed to be rid of it but we didn't really. I just knew that they were sitting on cushions at home and every spare penny was going towards bringing up their baby. I hope they don't read this.....

I advertised an old tv cheap on Facebook.
A lady came to pick it up and said itnwas for her daughter who had just left a DV relationship and had nothing to her name and a bare shabby flat.
I gave her all the spare furniture and rugs that I'd been intending to list for sale and some tins of paint. She was so grateful and said it would make a huge difference to our daughter.

HER daughter!

prune as a Mum I couldn't bear to think about how anxious she must have been not knowing if she could feed her children day to day. It took very little effort on my part and I hoped that it made her life easier for a short while at least. I wouldn't hesitate to do the same again tbh.

Heartwarming and inspirational thread. Like others, food to homeless ppl, hot drinks or just small things like helping mothers move /carry prams upstairs etc. And now I gave a small baby, others do that for me!

polish

Right that made me actually cry. Such evil and such goodness in one post

Every year I donate 100 pounds and 100 pounds worth of my time, one year I walked on hot coals for charity which tbh I loved! Last year when I moved country I gave most of my DD who was 4mnths at the time belongings which wouldn’t fit in a suitcase cot etc away to a lovely girl who was only 16 with her first Ds and the rest of my belongings to a man who was moving into accommodation for the first time. And most of my clothes DP winter Coats and DD snow suits cot bedding to refugees.

This year I’ve made a few memorial images for people who’ve pets who have passed and donated the clothes my DD clothes that she’s grown out of to a lovely woman who emigrated here because her daughter was born with a hole in her heart and would have died in her country.

I don’t feel like I’m gloating but if it’s weird my own actions make me feel a bit better I’ve got 3 quid to my name until Monday so was feeling a little blue. Thank you for making this thread.

For my Birthday last year I spent my cake money on buying food for homeless people outside a shop, when I came home cakeless my mum very sweetly bought me a slice from a cafe.

I've just been to the shops and the local foodbank people were there collecting! I got one of their lists and handed the bag over....this thread definitely made me want to help/do more

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Gandhi
This thread warms my heart x

So many wonderful examples of generosity and human kindness on this thread. So lovely to read and frankly, I'm glad people have shared their stories and the grumps have buggered off. I must say, I envy how much some of you have done.

Given: I try to do wee things here and there which help, but the biggest was a wee girl locally had her wheelchair stolen and DP and I anonymously donated the full amount for a new one (we had had a legacy so weren’t short). Nobody knows my username in RL and nobody ever knew who donated it.

Received: too many to count. But in particular the random acts of kindness from the local community when my Mum died humbled me beyond belief. Whether it was a casserole left on the doorstep, or a donation to the kids nursery in Mum’s name, or the tree they all clubbed together and bought to be planted on a meadow named after her in the local nature reserve.

All just seemingly small things that meant so very much to us as a devastated family.

Oh and the Marie Curie nurse who stayed past her shift to make breakfast and make sure we were all coping ok before she left.

Norma, if you’re reading (by some random chance) June 16th 2017, you changed everything.

I wish I could do more. That's what saddens me I suppose.