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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To need a break from all the Corona hype? Tell me about your experiences of random acts of kindness

51 replies

littlejalapeno · 15/03/2020 23:58

AIBU? It’s all got a bit much at this point and we need to remember all the good non-corona things that also exist.
Between the bloody birdie badge, make-your-own-hand gel and self isolation I’m just about ready to turn off the Internet.

Please share your experiences of random acts of kindness, things that make you happy, even if that is just a CF getting their just desserts (also tell me about your dessertsGrin):

I’ll start: my toddler has got to the age where he will hug any cuddly toy you give him and it is frigging adorable.

Thanks

OP posts:
MelAndShoe · 16/03/2020 00:50

Flowers place marking for tomo when I'm less asleep

EmeraldShamrock · 16/03/2020 00:52

Me oo

EmeraldShamrock · 16/03/2020 00:52

Me too, place marking, yawn, need a feel good thread.

SachaStark · 16/03/2020 00:58

Not exactly an act of kindness, but one of the schools I work in just got an eight-week-old VERY FLUFFY puppy as a therapy and companion dog, and I can’t even contain myself anymore.

Every time I turn a corner at work, there’s just this tiny little ball of fluff being taken for a walk by one of the students, and I just melt.

Makes me smile every day!

Lalala205 · 16/03/2020 01:16

Also not a random act of kindness... but Dcat has a new boyf. He sits in all his huge majestic fluffiness outside the house waiting for her to come out. They then spend some of the day mooching together, going on 'cat dates', and curled up in a ball together on the seat outside. They also like to swagger down the street 'checking the other is still there'.... I think it's love ☺️. She's much, much smaller, but 'tells him off', when he's not friendly towards us if we offer them both treats.

Hileni · 16/03/2020 01:27

OMFG lalala, that's like a Disney movie! Thanks for sharing! Please try to get a pic if there love birds for us?

My 'fate' story: about 10 years ago at a music festival, £20 note literally blew into my hands. No one looking for it, thought it was the best day ever. A little while later they had one of those people gathering money in a bucket for our local hospice and so put the note in the bucket. It was ment to.be. the world blew that note into my hands for that purpose. I'm an agent of fate Grin

Bouncingbelle · 16/03/2020 02:04

I was having a really really shit time of it a few years ago. Years of fertility treatment had came to an end who nothing but heartache to show for it, was living in a shithole, being bullied by mu boss etc. Posted on here a few times and someone nominated me for 9ne of the secret santa things they used to do. I got an M&S voucher and for some reason I bought a decent pot.
And every time I take that pot out now, in my gorgeous forever home, to make my miracle baby his dinner, I think about the kindness of strangers and how of a boost the fact that so.eone was thinking of me at a really bad time, gave me.

norbert23 · 16/03/2020 02:25

My mum died when I was little and my dad worked in a big office with lots of fab women. In the run up to Christmas we'd always go out and watch a film as a treat, it was only a few years ago that I found out that this was so that a group of the women he worked with could come round our house while we were at the cinema and wrap all the presents for us (4 kids) which is just the kindest thing. My dad is always kind to others and I think part of the reason is all the lovely acts of kindness we were shown from so many lovely people. Great thread xx

Lalala205 · 16/03/2020 02:30

@Helini Yes, I shall try to take a pic of the 'love cats', if he doesn't scarper first 😂 Also loving everyone else's stories. I'll also add - about 17yrs ago I dropped my purse on the bus and realised when I got off. I rang the depot who stated 'yes a passanger has handed it in, and the driver has called it in and will swing back on route 40mins later if you wait to collect it 😁' so, so lovely! I also took someone's purse back to their nearest branch after finding it on a wall and checking for ID many years ago. They were all' we shall get it back to them' ☺️.... Its always nice to be nice!

TheRoqueforteFiles · 16/03/2020 03:20

On the hard shoulder blown tyre, waiting for AA as could not shift the lug nuts, even standing/bouncing on the wrench. A lovely guy pulled over changed wheel quick as a flash, allowing me to cancel AA and get on my merry way to collect a car full of children. Even he had to jump on the wrench to loosen the nuts though!
In the good old days when you took stuff to the Police station we have dropped off phones we found, and bar one, phones my children lost.
A taxi driver returned my son's wallet that he found at the end of his shift on his way home.

Thepigeonsarecoming · 16/03/2020 03:32

About six months ago I paid in Aldi for someone randoms kids birthday cake who was in front of me after his card was declined. It wasn’t expensive and to be honest it was partly out of me being impatient (I’m not claiming be be a saint here). Last week I was putting my shopping into my car when a random bloke ran at me shouting ‘hey’. After the initial panic! He handed me a bottle of wine and thanked me as he’d been looking out for me for months

TheLongDarkBreakfastTime · 16/03/2020 06:25

I was at a very crowded station, trying to get home in time to collect my dd from an afterschool activity. Was late as the tube had been suspended so I (and the rest of London) were taking alternative routes. Train came in - too packed to get on. I was really worried by this time about what would happen to my dd, and I asked if they could squeeze up as I was late to pick up my child. A lovely lady got off the train to give me her space, saying she’d get the next one.

NotARealAvery · 16/03/2020 07:09

This was about 10 years ago. I was on a short holiday with my mum and 3 brothers. The car broke down on our way home, we were just outside of London and live in the North West so quite far from home. Only had one car at the time so no chance of anyone being able to come and pick us up.

A man pulled over to help and offered to take my mum to a garage. It was a Sunday evening so no where was open and no hope of the car being able to be fixed that day for us to be able to get back home.

The man took us all back to his house and gave us a drink and something to eat (lived with his wife and children). Booked train tickets for all us to get home as my mum only had enough money for the holiday and couldn’t have afforded to get us all home. It cost him £100s for a group of people he’d known about 10 mins. He then drove us to the station in his car and helped my mum get all our luggage on.

My mum sent him a cheque back for the money when we got back but obviously he had no idea if he’d ever see that money again and thought nothing of helping us. They still exchange Christmas cards to this day.

I think if that often still and try to help others when I can.

Original poster
littlejalapeno · 16/03/2020 07:16

Oh thank you! These are wonderful to read.

And you reminded me of the time as a broke 18 year old I got a rare taxi home after a night out. I used to ask them to stop at the top of the cul de sac loop and I would nip across a bit of green rather than pay the extra few quid to get to my door. I think a lot of people must’ve done it that way because one taxi driver said I’ll stop the meter at the top and take You to your door because he’s never forgive himself if something happened. That always stayed with me so when I can afford a taxi these days and they seem a good sort I always tip now, especially in my home town.

OP posts:
SparklesAllOver · 16/03/2020 07:20

I am an agent of fate too! I was in a busy town centre just before Christmas when a fifty pound note appeared on the ground before me. I looked around and asked a few people around me if they had lost it, then saw an elderly lady shuffling along, I stopped her and gave her the note, her face was a picture! Agent of fate!

Hopingtobeamum · 16/03/2020 07:41

Helped a man cross a section of road as his guide dog wouldn't lead him across. Talked him through the steps and his surroundings and ensured he and his dog were safe.

Welshmaenad · 16/03/2020 07:50

I went to a wedding on the weekend and there was this really adorable black cat outside every time I went for a vape, coming up for fusses and chirping away at me. I liked it.

So I took it a chicken and mushroom pie.

Mammyofasuperbaby · 16/03/2020 07:56

I was trying to buy one bottle of hand sanitiser on Thursday as I was taking my toddler on the bus and he touches everything. I'm not a panic buyer at all but my son gets chest infections all the time so I didn't want to risk it.
In the shop they only had two bottles left at 9am and the lady in front was also buying sanitiser. Thankfully she asked if I wanted one and left one for me to buy.
Nothing major but in these days of massive selfishness it was a little kindness that means a lot to me

Useryokyesno · 16/03/2020 08:00

Aww these are lovely! I'm going to try to think of something...

FrangipaniBlue · 16/03/2020 08:26

This thread is amazing Smile

I was once at a drive through coffee house, placed my order and when I got to the collection point they said the car in front had paid for it for me. I didn't know this was even a thing until I googled it, so a few weeks later I did the same for the person behind me.

I live in quite rural in a place where you don't really see a lot of homeless, so whenever I am visiting a city if I pass a homeless person I buy them breakfast or lunch and a hot drink.

I also said to DH last night that I hope I do catch CV now despite having asthma and wished there was away of confirming it was it (we think DS has it) because then when we get in a lock down situation I will have recovered and can help those who are much more vulnerable and can't or are too scared to go out. It was an off the cuff remark really but he told me he that I never cease to amaze him with how selfless I can be - made me cry!

Theresnobslikeshowb · 16/03/2020 08:55

Left for the school run and work, one morning, half a mile from my house, and the car ran out of petrol on a bend (in my defence coming up the hill the night before it did say I had 52 miles left, and I was going to the garage 2 miles from home to fill up on the way to school). No lying, 10 seconds of being there, and a car stopped behind and four men got out. I explained what happened, so they hooked my car up theirs, one got in my car to drive as I’d never driven being towed before, and they towed me to the garage. Angels!!

Another time I got stuck in snow on the middle of a hill. A 4x4 with two men came down, hooked me up, and pulled me into a safe position to leave my car. Angles!!

Modestandatinybitsexy · 16/03/2020 09:15

Last last z xx minute flight cancellation meant me and my friends were stranded and being broke uni students we had spent the last of our money while the flight had been delayed. The airline put us up in a hotel but we had to pay for dinner. We were all sitting at the table pooling our pennies and talking about what we could afford to order when a muddle aged couple turned around and offered to pay. They said they had girls our age and hoped someone would do the same for them. They gave us enough to tide us over until we got home. The first thing we did when we got home was send the money back with a thank you card.

Also my 9mo has just started giving big, slobbering, beautiful baby kisses and it's completely adorable!

annabell22 · 16/03/2020 09:34

A few years ago now, but on my way to court-ordered course for separated parents (fun way to spend a Saturday, but exH was an arse and they order you both to do it) and I bought a cup of tea in a cafe nearby. I was the only customer, had never been there before and it didn't seem out of the ordinary, but the guy behind the counter handed it to me and said, 'on the house, have a great day'

It was a small gesture but I was anxious about the course and it meant a lot.

annabell22 · 16/03/2020 09:40

Also, I was at Ealing Broadway station in the days of Oyster cards rather than contactless bank cards and a teen couple were there, I could hear that he wasn't travelling but between them they didn't have enough money to top up her Oyster card to pay for her fare home. I gave her £5, which they didn't want to accept at first, but I said I hoped someone would do the same for my daughter if she was stuck like that.

MelAndShoe · 16/03/2020 10:18

Popping up on fb is lots and lots of local area groups supporting and helping and people all joining in to help