Someone was just very kind to me

[Sairelou]

I'm still feeling a bit emotional about it too!

I took DCs to Morrisons cafe as we needed a couple of bits on the way home from the park and they were getting hungry. I went to pay and my contactless card wasn't working I couldn't remember my PIN either and after a couple of tries I was getting really flustered and hoping the ground would swallow me up. Typically I had left my credit card at home and no cash on me. I went to get DS who was sitting down at a nearby table to leave (bracing myself for the inevitable tantrum, understandably!) and the gentleman behind me in the queue offered to pay for our lunch!

I've put something on my FB page and hoping to track him down so I can repay him and I will certainly do the same if I see anyone else in that situation (provided I can remember my sodding PIN).

We've been through a tough few months (dd2 born with downs syndrome and a heart problem, spent most of her 3 months in hospital). We've been so blessed. Friends and family cooking dinner, my mn antenatal group from dd1 sending amazing gifts for the whole family, friends of friends giving gifts, friends dropping off magazines and cans of gin and tonic for me, everyone praying for her. I feel like we've received a lifetime of blessings in a few months.

The gift that made me most grateful was the Ronald McDonald house. We spent about 8 weeks in two of their houses, allowing us to be near our daughter, as a family, at no cost. That strangers would donate and enable this is mind blowing.

Oh, and a friend of an acquaintance came into hospital and took some professional photos of my daughter, before her surgery as i wanted lovely photos incase she didn't survive. He dropped everything to take them, at no cost to us. It meant the world to us.

I still remember a lovely lady, about 5 years ago, when I had dropped DC1&2 at school/preschool and settled into a cafe for some breakfast - had been up half the night, school run a bit fraught and starving. DS was asleep, I was enjoying the peace and had ordered beans on toast when he woke up. Had to bf him and then my food arrived and I was so hungry but one handed. A lovely, lovely lady came over and cut up my beans on toast for me - I was so touched!

A while ago I came off my motorbike on a busy high street. Didn't really hurt myself but bruised my elbow and was trying to figure out how to pick my bike up with one hand and get to the side as I was in the middle of the road. No traffic stopped they all just drove past. A teen who was shorter than me so young (I'm only 5 2) crossed the road to me, picked the bike up and pushed it to the pavement.

I was so grateful, and I think he was pleased to as he ran back too his friends going "I'm a hero"! It was when all teens were meant to be obnoxious and uncaring and reminds me that most people are kind

This thread has made me cry a few times tonight.
I've had some amazing kindness shown to me over the years.

When my DS was a few weeks old and hadn't stopped crying since taking his first breath (turns out he had reflux) a lovely lady at a children's centre took him off me for a good hour and gave me the break I was desperate for. Someone also posted £50 to us just after he was born.
An amazing friend put money into my account this month as I was short on my rent (single mum going through redundancy bla bla) I'm gonna sell a kidney to repay them.

On a visit to a hospital in London we had a few hours to kill and it was pissing down. I stepped into one of the attractions but didn't have enough to go in and the man at the counter just charged us one ticket!!! Amazing.

Today, again at the same hospital, i'd spent an hour trying to find the right ward. Ds was having a meltdown, he was hungry, tired and sick of walking round. I was in tears in utter frustration and full of anxiety. A lovely lady took me by the hand and walked me to the right place... absolutely made me day.

Late for a train, lovely woman paid for my full day parking.
My daughter fell and knocked herself unconscious in a shop, brought by ambulance to hospital the paramedic put peppa pig videos on his phone to calm her down on the journey.
The lovely man at Birmingham airport who sorted our car parking overstay fee due to a sick relative.
The lady who came up to me in the loos as I was changing my son and told me how beautiful and loving I was with my son, I had horrible pnd and doubted my every action as in my head I was the shittiest mother ever, making myself cry remembering her kindness.
Lots of people are very kind, it's what keeps humanity afloat

This is one that probably saved my life.

Years ago when I was an idiot student, I went on a night out at New Year in a nearby city to the one I lived in. We were supposed to be staying at a friend of a friend''s flat, but I got incredibly drunk and ended up separated from my friends. It was in the days before mobile phones and I didn't know friend's address.

I don't remember much, but the next morning I woke up in the living room of a random man's flat. He had found me sleeping in a doorway on one of the coldest nights of the year and he took me home & made up a camp bed for me.

When I think of the things that could have happened to me that night it makes me shiver. I'm sure this man had loads of better things to to at New Year than babysit a pissed up teenager, but something made him care and actually do something to help. .

I thanked him in the morning, but was so embarrassed I left as soon as I could and didn't get his name or address to send a proper appreciative letter. I have never got into a state like that again and have thought about his selflessness and what could have happened to me so many times over the years.

These are so lovely. Glad it's in classics.

Awww, love this. I've been sobbing reading some of these.

Mine are only little.
A lady insisted on buying me a cup of tea when I arrived at a cafe with a screaming baby. She didn't even know it had taken me two hours to walk from our house to the cafe (it was a goal I'd planned for a couple of weeks) that without a screaming baby takes 20mins max. I rarely left the house as it was too stressful.

My stories are all screaming baby related. I was on a packed train (that in hindsight I shouldn't have got on but there were lots of cancellations and I needed to get dd home) and 6 month dd was screaming her head off, she'd gone red, tears everywhere, scream started to sound sore. I wanted to get off that train so so much I was holding the tears in. The lady next to me got pepper pig on her phone didn't work, and basically everyone in the immediate vicinity was so so kind trying to distract her, give me an inch more space and trying to show sympathy when really the screaming must have been ruining their journey. In the end I had to breastfeed her standing up and when the next stop came (was a looooong gap) they all made sure I got a seat.

A man once told me I had my skirt tucked in my knickers . The hundreds of other tube commuters I'd walked past didn't though!

I was staying a caravan park when I was about 20. I was walking the long walk to the collective bins and saw that a middle aged man was too. I politely offered to carry his too thinking it would be accepted. He said no and we walked next to each other in awkward silence the whole way.

It's really weird the kindnesses you remember. My mum died a few years ago and I'm sure a lot of people were really kind to me, but instead I remember the little things above. Small things can make a big difference.

About a year ago, I was knocked off my bicycle by a car as I was cycling to work - a driver pulled out into a roundabout as I was already on it and drove straight into me. Thankfully, I wasn't seriously injured, just battered, bruised and shocked, but my bike was unusable. A lady came out from a nearby house and insisted on taking me into her kitchen and giving me a cup of tea and a biscuit to calm down. She then drove me to the local bike shop to drop of my bike to be fixed, and then insisted on driving me to A & E to make sure I hadn't broken anything. I meant to go back to her house with some flowers and chocolate to say thanks, but realised afterwards I was so shocked that I couldn't actually remember which house she lived in.

Aw some lovely ones. Notable how good black can drivers are, can't see über doing that
I've had help with the buggy a few times, and helped people.
When we were coming back from holiday I'd booked the bulkhead seat at the front (it was all standard class but you paid extra) so toddler could get on the floor/have more room. I'd taken a multitude of new toys, books, iPad, snacks, boobs, but he kept grousing.
There were an older couple on the row across and I heard her say something but didn't cash it so I said "pardon" fearing she was about to lay into me, and she said "I think you're marvellous. You've got so many things for him to do and you've not once lost your patience, you're doing a wonderful job". I was so grateful. I don't have a great deal of confidence so it meant a lot.

When I was 19 I gave evidence in court against my abuser. I attended every day of the 2 week trial, sometimes alone, and spent most of the time sitting in the waiting room run by Victim Support.

The volunteers were unfailingly kind and sympathetic to a scared, embarrassed, angry teenager trying to keep it together. They found me magazines they thought I would like to try and distract me, made me drinks and told me it was ok to cry and grieve for what I had been through. They believed me unquestioningly. On the days my parents couldn't face court and DP had uni so I had to go alone they chatted to me and kept me company while I waited. When I got angry about the whole process they tried to soothe me.

They waited for me outside the toilet because I was too frightened to walk around the Crown Court on my own. The perpetrators' family would stare at me from a distance, and one particularly kind man in his sixties wouldn't let me out of his sight when he knew they were in the building.

When I had to give evidence via video link a volunteer sat with me in the room. When I told them how embarrassed I was that they would have to listen to intimate details about the abuse, the lady told me that I had nothing to be ashamed of, and that I was a brave young woman who had a wonderful future to look forward to. I've never forgotten that moment. When we found out he had been convicted and then sentenced they reacted with genuine joy.

I'd like to find a way I can pay this forward to other victims of crime in the future. Sorry this was so long. Remembering their kindness has made me cry 😢

vodkalime you are very brave.

Thank you fed up, that is very kind ❤

These are all so lovely. Breton your post brought a tear to my eye

Remembered another one after reading some more of these (I love this thread - it's a wonderful one!)

Took my three monkeys away for a few days holiday last year - couple of nights staying in a Youth Hostel, and exploring the local area. We went out to a nearby town for tea and found a friendly pub, settled down for some grub and general chit chat about what we'd been doing and where else we might go. An older couple sat a table or so away from us stopped next to us on their way out, the lady commented on how well behaved and polite my boys were and that they were a credit to me. It was such a lovely comment and made me so happy, and made all the times they drive me nuts worth it :)

Last November I was walking to pick up my car from the garage. On the way I walked past a Japanese lady waiting at a bus stop. She had been to a nearby tourist attraction, she stopped me and showed me her bus timetable and asked in broken English about buses to the train station.
The garage is on a country road and I knew there were very few buses and found it difficult to follow her timetable. I explained in simple terms i was going to collect my car and I would drive her to the train station, about 4 miles away, as I didn't want her stranded there.
I got the car, returned and picked up the lady. We "chatted" as best we could in the car as she spoke very little English and I spoke non Japanese.
Her name was Takae and she told me a little about herself. She was the same age as me, with birthdays in the same month and we both had sons at University. She was on holiday in London and had travelled up to the tourist attraction (where my son works) on her own.
We exchanged address and emails as I dropped her off and she seemed very grateful. At Christmas I received a hand made Christmas card and Japanese calendar from her.

This morning at T5 international arrivals my two very small boys were going nuts waiting for DH to arrive (He's been a way with work for a while). Lots of lovely people smiled at me and spoke to the children and were generally kind during a very stressful wait. Sometimes just a smile and speaking to someone is enough.

I was on a train once with my dd who was 1 at the time, and she had the mother of all meltdowns. A drunk passenger at the other end of the train started shouting down the train about how I was a shit mother who couldn't shut her up, his words exactly. A kind lady came and said I am just going to sit here with you as I think you need it. I have never forgotten her kindness. She also gave me wipes to rub on the back of my lo's neck to cool her down. I did need that and I wish I could tell her I still think of her today. Still feel a bit anxious now about having to travel with my dd if she's grumpy. I know I shouldn't but.....

One of my best friends died suddenly a few years ago. At the time only off peak calls were included in my mobile plan but I used it loads in peak time in the following days.

I rang orange just before my bill was due to try and find out how much it was going to be so I'd have enough in my account - I knew it would be loads.

They weren't sure exactly but thought it'd be about £50 extra and asked if I wanted to change my plan. I said no and explained the situation.

The charges never appeared on any bill - the lovely man on the phone must have wiped them

I remember being in a card shop looking for a birthday card for my grandad who was dying of cancer and only had months to live. I just suddenly got overwhelmed with the knowledge that it would be the last birthday card I would ever buy him and I burst into tears right then and there. This lovely older couple who were looking at the card display opposite came over and asked if I was ok. The women then asked if I needed a hug which I gratefully accepted. They asked me if it was because I had lost someone and I poured out my heart to her while she just held me and stroked my hair in the shop for about 5 minutes. (I noticed when I was calmer that the man, bless him, had been ushering people past us to leave us in peace.). When I eventually stopped crying they told me that my grandad was very lucky to have a granddaughter who cared about him so much and that I could still wish him happy birthday for many years to come whether he was on this earth or not.
They then helped me to chose a card and offered to pay, but I refused telling them that they had already been complete angels to comfort me as they did. I told my parents about them when I got home and they said that they were indeed a blessing.

I don't have any lovely stories to share of acts of kindness to me by a stranger.

however, I once worked for a company who dealt with surveys on houses, we were told under no circumstances to jump the queue as such as it would set everyone else back! It was also near impossible to speed reports up given the time it took.

Was asked by a broker on behalf of a guy who's wife was dying of cancer in a caravan IN THE WINTER, if we could speed it up so they could get in their new home quicker, he was looking for around 4-5 days, he rang me at 9am that morning, I rang him back at 5pm that evening to say it had been done.

I got sent such a lovely letter thanking me! It made my heart swell!

Il be honest, I'm always the one looking to help others, whether that the public or in a professional setting! I like making others smile

One for myself paying a kindness (though only a very small one).
I was on my way back from a trip to the pub with friends late at night and was carrying a tub that contained 4 buns I had leftover from a 'being and share picnic' we had had earlier in the day. I spotted a couple of homeless men who looked quite cold and hungry and on a whim stopped and asked them if they would like the buns. They accepted and I then found myself explaining that they could keep the tub and that I wasn't a very good baker so sorry if they were not very good. They just smiled at me and said it didn't matter as they hadn't had homemade cakes in ages. It was such a lovely feeling, but what was even lovelier was that the next day when DS asked if he could have a leftover bun (I had forgotten I had text DH to say there was some!!) and I told him the story he immediately said "That's ok, they needed them more than me and we can always make more."
VERY proud moment.

I'm also one to tell strangers even if I look like the biggest loon if I like their dress/hair/make up!

I just think it makes people feel good about themselves! And shows people notice too

Me again!! Lol. I've just remembered another one of the many acts of kindness I have been shown and had to share it (there is another but I've shared it on MN loads of times).

When DS was 5 we were on the way to his after school music class and as he had been really good we stopped at the local newsagents to get him a drink and a kinder egg. However after they had been rung up at the till I realised that I hadn't got my purse with me! I rooted around in my bag and found my 'emergency' money which totalled £1, enough to get one drink between us but not to get a kinder egg too. I appologised to the man at the counter and said to cancel the transaction while I sorted out what to do. I put my drink back and told DS I would just have a swig of his and apologised to him that he would have to put the kinder egg back and get a cheap chocolate bar instead. Bless, DS he was so good and went and swapped it without any fuss at all. Throughout this I had the vague notion that the man at the counter was watching us and felt a little embarrassed. When we got back to the til with our then 95p (or so) worth of stuff the man said to DS "You really wanted that kinder egg didn't you? Was mummy getting it for you because you had been a good boy?" To which DS replied "Yes" and "Yes". He then told DS to go and put the other chocolate bar back and go and get the kinder egg. He then rang up his staff discount on the till which made the total just over £1 and told me I could give him the 95p I was going to pay for the other items and he'd make the rest of the new total up himself. When I tried to protest he told me that it was just so lovely to see a child who was so polite and adaptable and who didn't make a fuss at having to compromise.
DS was so happy that the first thing he did when entering music class was tell his teachers about the kind man in the shop! It really made an impression on him.

I'm a community nurse and had a horrendous shift. My cars fuel light went on, so I started heading to the petrol station... and my car cut out. It was throwing it down. I managed to push the car to the side of the road and started walking to the petrol station with my emergency can. A lovely lady stopped, gave me a lift to the station and back to my car. I am forever grateful!