Random Act of Kindness - to balance all the ranty threads, tell me of a random act of kindness that you have never forgotten.

[MmeLindor.]

There is a lovely thread in Classics about Random Acts of Kindness so I thought we could do with a lovely fluffy thread to distract us from the shooting and disembowelment going on at the moment.

I will start.

When DD was going through the "terrible twos", she had a tantrum at the supermarket. She lay on the floor and wept bitterly because I would not give her what she wanted it. I tried reasoning with her, I tried being stern, and finally I walked away.

The sound of her screams echoed in the supermarket, people were looking at us. I thought that they were judging me, thinking that I was a bad mother.

A man walked by with his two daughters - about 9 and 11yo they were. He stopped, patted my arm and said, "It is a phase. It passes. You are doing the right thing".

It meant so much to me, that I was not alone and that other people were not judging me but feeling sorry for me. And probably being thankful that their DC were past that stage.


Has a stranger ever done or said something nice to you that you still remember years later?

[AFingerofFudge]

I've got a lovely one --
Myself and DS2 were at a train station somewhere in near Berwick (can't remember which one now!) last summer. We had been dropped off there and had around half an hour to wait. I asked someone where the nearest shop was as we had no food/drink/magazines for our long journey and they said there was a little shop in a village about 10 minutes walk away.
We hurried up to the shop and DS2 chose a magazine and a bar of chocolate. I picked up a drink and a bar of chocolate and we went to pay. The shop couldn't take my debit card and I had no cash! Realizing we didn't have long before our train left, I started to put the things back, and then this young guy behind me said "don't worry, I'll pay for them" and he did so with many thank you-'s from us!!
It was so kind of him and brought tears to my eyes!!

I have other stories too but have got to do the school run!!

[PortBlacksandSpringingBack]

"2tired2bewitty Thu 26-Jan-12 13:58:29
The lady who appeared beside me on my walk home one night when it had been snowing hard and said "I see you walk passed my house everyday and I know you are pregnant (was about 36wks) and I want to walk with you tonight to make sure you are ok""

OK - that's it .... i've gone already .....more to read now....

[Ghoulwithadragontattoo]

On the day I had my DS I returned to hospital having been discharged earlier in the day because I knew my son had jaundice. At the discharge talk the midwives had stressed any sign of jaundice in first 24 hours we had to go straight back in. But when I arrived at the hospital the midwives were very angry with me for coming to hospital and were telling me off and saying they wouldn't do blood tests for my son because I should have gone through my GP to get referred back (turns out this is wrong). Bearing in mind it was early evening so surgery was closed, there was no way I was waiting until the next morning. I was on my own as DH was parking the car and I hadn't slept for about 36 hours and I just burst into tears cuddling my son.

A very lovely lady in her fifties came out and put her arm around saying how shocked she'd been about the way I'd been spoken to and how lovely my son was and generally being kind and motherly. It transpired that she'd travelled several hours with her DD that day who had gone into premature labour at 6 months. I was so moved by her kindness to me when she was facing such a worrying ordeal herself. I really hope that her DD and GC had a happy ending - she would be a wonderful grandma.

[redwhitestar]

Am welling up...

On my way to a chemo appointment last year I fainted in the lift at the tube station. And then by the ticket barriers. And then outside (yes I probably should have been in a cab but I wanted to try to hang on to some vestige of normal life...). A lovely lovely nurse and doctor happened to be in the same lift and came with my dad and I, arranged me on the floor outside the tube station, called an ambulance, checked my pulse etc etc. The nurse even gave me (v expensive and new) handbag for a pillow - it was a wet and horrid day so I'm sure I ruined it.

They left as soon as the ambulance arrived and I was too out of it to thank them, but I'll always be grateful.

[fuzzypicklehead]

When DD1 was about 6 months old, our car developed an electrical fault and spontaneously burst into flame as we were driving through a very rural area. So many people stopped and offered to help and waited with us for the fire brigade to arrive. It took about 25 minutes for them to arrive and in the meantime, a lovely couple had helped us carry all of our things to safety from the car and let me sit in the van to feed DD, before driving us 15 miles to our house and then taking DH back to meet the recovery vehicle.

[redexpat]

I've been rescued so many times in the states by nice americans. I asked someone how to get from the bus station to the airport and he took me there himself and paid for my ticket. DH and I were following directions that took us to the wrong part of town, asked for directions in a gas station when another customer looked up, called the hostel, bollocked them for giving crap directions and led us straight there. On 9/11 I was on the Boston underground on my way back from the airport (obviously flights were cancelled that day) and someone offered to put me up. Everytime we took out our camera in Prague an american voice would say 'would you like me to take a picture of the two of you?)

I've always tried to go the extra mile for Americans here when they need help. THey're such nice people.

[BikeRunSki]

The lady who picked up DD's bootee that fell off her foot yesterday. (she is 14 weeks). She handed back and said "That has been knitted with so much love". (It hadn't it came from Next, but it was bought by my friend's 7 year old who had saved up her pocked money all summer when I was pg to buy my baby a present). In fact, to my friend's seven year old who saved up her pocket money all summer too.

[butterflyexperience]

Lovely thread
A recent one for me - last week at play group another mum gave me a spare nappy to change my toddler into as I'd left mine in the car.

Also all the lovely smiles I get from people on the street.

[Kellamity]

I remember being a very young officer in the RAF and being asked by a Senior Officer to sit next to an elderly guest at a dining in night.

It seemed he came to almost every dining in night reliving his days in the Navy and just wanted to talk and talk and talk about his adventures. He was renowned as being so tedious no one wanted to sit next to him more than once and as the new girl in the mess it was my turn.

So I sat down next to him and had the most delightful evening with him. Yes he went on a bit but he had some amazing stories to tell and we had a wonderful evening together. OK so I didn't get trollied with my mates but hey another time.

A couple of weeks later I received a letter from him saying what a great night he had had in my company and would I accept some cruise tickets to say thank you His wife had died earlier that year quite suddenly. They had booked this holiday together but he couldn't face going alone and wanted me to take a friend. The tickets were non transferable so I couldn't go but what a thank you present for what was a great evening. Made me cry. I kept in touch with him for some time but over the years we lost touch.

[nomorefrizz]

An homeless rough and ill looking man pushed my car for me when I ran out of petrol. When the car was moved off the road he just waved and walked off. It makes me cry just thinking about him.

[MischeviousMum]

When I started going out clubbing at '18' my best friend had started experimenting with drugs. We always stayed at her nanas and we'd ended up getting a taxi to some of her friends house and I knew they'd all be doing drugs in there (I was about 20 miles from home) I said I wasn't going in when there was just the two of us in the taxi she smugly replied I'd have to cause I didn't have enough money to get home. The taxi man intervened, kicked her out and said to me he would take me home for free as his daughter had just started going out and he hoped she had friends as sensible as me.

[TheHumancatapult]

hmm not sure if you call it random but unexpected group of friends on hearing what happened to me all donated some money which enabled me to buy a second hand powerchair which is much battered but much loved which helped give me my lifeback and

these friends ar eby no means rich but they are all big hearted and i can never ever thank them enough

[ValarMorghulis]

We had just left my ex. DS was 4 (he has asd) and DD was 3mnths
I was living in a refuge and having arguments meetings with various "official" people. I had just been shouted at by my boss as i told him i would have to leave immediately as i couldn't return.

Anyway, walking around Tesco trying to get some shopping and DS was being awful. A full on meltdown. I had to carry DD as he was trying to hit her and so was pushing the trolley single handed and trying to stop him hitting people as we walked past. HE was shouting and screaming and if he got close to the shelves would swipe them to know things off.

He was a nightmare all the way around the shop.

We finally got to the checkout and just as i was putting the lst bag in the trolley about to walk out of the store a little old lady came up to me and said "I have seen you around the store and think you are doing an amazing job. Well done for being so patient with him"

I cried

I have had many little old ladies tut or make comments like "he needs a smack" but they all melt into one. I rarely remember them the next day, but that little ladies comments meant the world to me. they still do now some 7 years later.

[Ample]

Something I witnessed first-hand.
I was sitting in the car next to my dad parked on a side street, waiting for my mum. It had started to rain heavily just as an elderly woman returned to the car which was parallel parked in front of us.
My dad grabbed an umbrella, got out of the car and put it over her head to shield her from the rain while he helped the lady with her shopping bags and trolley.

[proud daughter emoticon]

[Agincourt]

when I go to fetch a trolley at the supermarket I always give the first trolley i pick out to the person behind me and they are often really shocked! People are not kind enough to one another.

nomorefrizz, that's just lovely. The last time I was out in town with my daughter (who has severe SN) she stopped to speak to a man begging in the street. Her speech is severely compromised due to her disability, but everyone was rushing about and she stopped and said 'Hello, how are you?' and they had a short exchange and he said 'god bless you' to her and then said to me, 'she's just beautiful' We went and bought him a sausage roll from Greggs, which isn't really keeping in mumsnet tradition

[CousinCairngormMcWomble]

Just after I'd passed my driving test I got into a complete mess parking, just about touched the car next to me and had no idea what to do. Was completely shaken and a lovely man offered to park my car for me. He even reversed it in so I could just drive out. He and his family were so kind to me.

Was having a really bad day on my first day of a new placement while I was a medical student, had been shouted at by the infection control lady for not knowing where anything was as I had just started. Had been shouted at for attending a cardiac arrest call (after having been told off for not attending the last one) had a few things going on at home too and then missed several veins in a row for blood samples. One of the patients called me over so I went to check he was okay. He said "I'm fine love. I was just the same as you at your stage. It gets easier. You're doing really well. I should know, I've been a GP for 50 years" and gave me a hug.

[MrsWhitaker]

Can I add myself to the sobbing readers of this thread?
So so lovelly!

Not really an act of kindness but it made me feel really good so I think it counts.

DD was 10 days old and I was desperate for a M&S coffee so lovelly DH packed us up in the car and took me to the local shopping centre for said caffeine fix. I had a CS and was still tender and walking very slowly. Sat in cafe and lady on table next to us enquires how old DD is. We reply "10 days" and she comments " My goodness 10 days! It's amazing you are dressed let alone out for coffee". I had really been worrying about how I was coping and it made me feel so much better.

[pranma]

My favourite was when I was just finished chemo. I was staying in a hotel and had taken my wig off for the evening (I was totally bald). There was a knock at the door-it was the chambermaid. I remembered I didn't have the wig on and burst into tears. No one but my dh had seen me bald and I was alone in the hotel (work related). The lady put an arm round me and sat on the bed beside me and just talked for about 15 minutes.Then she left a little heap of chocs on the bed and went. I put a note on the hotel website but as I left next day I didn't see her again. If Bonnie who worked at the renaissance Hotel in Manchester in 2007 is reading this-thank you from the bottom of my heart. I was never afraid to leave the wig off again.

[EauRouge]

Today at the supermarket a woman put my shopping on the conveyor belt for me because 11mo DD2 was crying and wanted to be held. I thought it was really kind of her to help and I think she may have been a MNer because she was buying Pom Bears and wearing Fly boots, so thank you if you are reading this

[sparkle101]

I was sat here thinking I had no experiences and then i thought of one.

A few years ago DH and I were doing the shopping, and when we were putting the bags into the car he happened to lock us out of the car, a lady pulled up alongside us and seeing what had happened offered us a lift home to get the spare keys and back, we took her up on the offer of a lift home and I got my car and drove us back up there. She was a huge help and didn't see she was going out of her way at all.

[BumFunHun]

Ah these stories are all so, so lovely - am also blubbering away now (soppy git I am)

After a particularly frazzling day with my DS and DD shopping in town, I needed to get the bus home, and was not impressed when I saw it was one with stairs and that I would have to fold the pram down and remove all my shopping etc. When the bus stopped, the driver got out of his cab, told me to get on with the kids, and then folded the pram and carried it on with all my shopping....then took it all off for me when I got off. Thought that was really nice of him and that he was a bit of a genius for figuring out how to fold down my Stokke without the instruction manual!

As bus drivers are renowned for being a bit horrible, that always stuck in my head!

[bubby64]

The young man from the local supermarket where my Mum (who has altzheimers) used to shop, who, when driving home one rainy evening last January, spotted my mum walking up the very dark road out of the town pushing her sholly, recognised her as she had been at his till almost 2 hrs earlier, so stopped his car, asked if she was ok, and she was soaked through and so muddled she couldnt remember her address. He got her in his car, found her address in her handbag, took her home, found my telephone number where it was taped to the wall, rang me, and got mum a cup of tea and towels to dry herself whilst he waited the 20minutes it took me to get there. Then just said "goodbye" and left. Mum may have died that night if it wasn't for him! Took him a bottle of JB and thankyou card to the supermarket next day, but he refused all gifts, just said he was glad he could help!

[jen127]

I was in Israel alone and my DM died. I was in such a state by the time I managed to get through security at the airport. This took over an hour with them asking was I sure she was dead as I fitted the profile of a suicide bomber allegedlly. ( I know they were doing their job!)
I finally got on to the plane and just broke down when I reached my seat. The lovely gentleman beside me was an Israeli doctor flying to take up a post in London. He spoke with me and offered me great sympathy and was so nice.
I then arrived in Gatwick and the flight home the next morning was from Heathrow, so I had to catch a transfer bus. When we arrived at the terminus in Heathrow I burst out crying again as I didn't realise that I would have to get another bus to my hotel for the night. The bus driver was so kind and took me directly to the hotel.
I could cry just thinking about how kind these people were to me !
I always try to pay it forward !