To ask what's the nicest thing anyone has done for you?

[Pricklypear12]

Inspired by the nice little thread about nice little things...
What is the nicest thing(s) that anyone has ever done for you?
Big or small, I want to hear it all!

This is such a lovely thread, thank you for starting it op

My ex SIL takes my children shopping for me every Christmas and birthday so I will have some presents to open. Their Dad is as good as absent and pays no child support but she is always there if we need anything and always does this. Its just such a lovely thing to do and I would never expect it but she does it anyway. She's lovely.

Sister in law cleaned my house, left tea in the fridge with wine and flowers, unasked one day just after my husband left and our lives fell apart. I was at work and came home to it all. Made me cry

When i was 18/19 i was out clubbing and had lost my ticket to get my coat back. It was snowing out and feezing cold. A young man had heard me begging for my coat and i was refused it. i then went outside to call a taxi and this young man came out wrapped his very expensive designer coat around me and told me to get home safely. I was in so much shock. I thanked him very much and said i would post his coat he said it's fine

When I was in hospital 60 miles from home having our very premature baby, and seriously ill myself, our neighbour, who had a key to the house to keep an eye on things and water the plants, took her 2 friends in (lovely elderly ladies, I knew them both quite well) and they gave our house a huge clean, washed all the covers from the couch and chairs, shampooed the carpet, did a general tidy and did all the ironing that was in the basket. We were expecting to return home to the house the way we had rushed out of it when I was taken to hospital but we returned to a beautiful clean, tidy home with everything done for us. I'll be forever grateful to them.

Were currently going through a REALLY difficult time with our new baby, who is 4 months old now. She is literally the most unsettled/colicky/hysterically crying baby you ever did see. Nothing makes her happy and she HATES sleep. Our HV said she’s probably the most ‘difficult baby’ she’s ever seen. Both me and DP are really struggling to keep it together at the moment, as we have a toddler aswell.

My family has been amazing. Taking it in turns to just take her in the car (even though she screams through a good portion of it), taking DS for days out and sleepovers every week. Bringing food. Checking in everyday. My friends have all offered to take her for walks, to take DS or to come and clean my house for me.

One day recently I text my best friend in a meltdown as I literally did not think I could deal with one more day of crying and was hitting rock bottom. She offered to take the baby overnight, saying she’d stay up all night if need be, just to give me a proper rest. This is despite never having any real hands on experience with little babies herself yet. We couldn’t do this as DD is breastfed but in that moment I couldn’t of been more grateful of what she was willing to do for me.

It’s time like this is see how truly BLESSED we are to have a fantastic support network around us and I know we’re only getting through it right now because of them. I can’t wait to pay it forward with them when all this is over.

This wonderful thread is making me cry

Place marking! This is such a feel good Thread. Really needing it right now 🙂

I work in a hospital and live many hours away from my own family. I always try to be kind, give my patients cuddles, tea, anything I basically think I'd like someone to do for my mum. Never thought much of it.
I was seriously ill a few years back and at the time was single and lived alone. I ended up admitted to hospital and a new member of staff I didn't really know at all brought me to my bed, then 20 mins later came back with a bag of magazines, water, sweets, all sorts.

A few hours later I woke up to a little stack of notes with phone numbers from members of hospital staff, emergency services, all offering any help, including going to collect my parents if need be, and a letter from a colleague saying they were going to take me home to their family after I was discharged. I've never forgotten how randomly kind everyone was and it has cemented my "be kind" philosophy.

Years later I was pregnant (only DH and I knew, we were about to tell family) and I
went to sit down in a cafe with a cup of tea because I felt really tired. An older lady behind the counter came over with a glass of water and a little rub to my shoulders (I must have been grey) and went back to what she was at. I remember thinking how lovely that was. Sadly I lost the baby a few weeks later but this was one of my main positive memories of my pregnancy and very important to me.

People can be so lovely.

After having dd2 I was struggling with pnd, a newborn and a toddler. Dh had gone back to work and I was sitting on the floor crying with a crying baby who wouldn’t latch properly and a clingy toddler and a house in absolute shambles. My best friend phoned me to check in and I broke down.
She dropped everything and came straight round. She brought the casserole she had made for own families tea. Made me a cup of tea, put a dvd on for the toddler and reassured me that I was doing fine.
As I calmed down the baby managed to latch on and had a good feed. She took her changed her and put her down for a nap. Ordered me into the shower and to bed. When I woke up she had cleaned the kitchen and helped dd1 make a picture for me.
She came around every single day for a week and spent the entire time taking care of me and the kids. Doing housework when I slept. At night she made meals to bring around the next day.
She absolutely saved my sanity.

Raised a 4 figure sum for my DS1s new wheelchair.

After a long cold journey home during the winter, walked into the house to find that Dd1 had visited, switched the heating on, popped a casserole in the oven and had even put coffee ready. It was like walking into a warm comfy duvet.

Looking after DGdaughter age 4. We were watching kids TV and I said how cold my legs were. She disappeared for a minute and came back with a throw which she laid across my legs. Such a simple gesture from such a little person.

I lost my NC mum to addiction last year. She left no insurance policies, no estate, just debt.

Despite being NC, it was all left to me to deal with and I was sick with worry about how to find the money for the funeral. But my amazing friends raised the £3200 for the basic funeral in 46 hours!

I'd never felt so humbled in my life. It reduced me to tears.

So many over the years - I’m a very lucky woman.

Heavily pregnant with DS2, got flu, DH was working away. I asked my friend if he could possibly have DS1 for an hour. He collected DS1, took him for a full day out and fed him, bathed him with his DS, brought him home in PJs and brought me a pot of soup.

I once got dropped of by DH in town with kids (4yo and 1yo). Realised as we went to buy drinks I’d left my bag on the kitchen table with my wallet and keys. DH was on a course until 5. Home was 8 miles away.

A lady in her 50s said “you look worried, do you need help?” I explained I’d realised I had only brought the nappy bag, not my handbag, but I would figure something out, it was OK.
She pressed £10 in my hand and said “someday you’ll see a young mum having a hard day, and you’ll do the same.” She wouldn’t give me her address to repay her. I was so grateful. We could get cold drinks and the bus home and play in the garden til DH got back with keys.

She was right, I have seen young mums having a rough time and I’ve paid it forward. I know they will too, when the time comes.

Another one that we have had, that we are ever so grateful for was when I was suddenly in a very bad financial situation and had no money for shopping etc. I mentioned on SM that our tax credits had been cut suddenly (due to DS leaving school age), just to air my frustration. A little while later I received a message from a friend who I know through a charity. She wanted to send me a generous sum of money so that we could pay for our essentials. The only stipulations that she said was that a) it was not to be paid back and b) it was to be completely anonymous. As it was her duty as a good christian to help others.
I don't think she is in MN, so she won't see this post. She will always have a special place in our hearts.

At 17 years old I had decided to take my own life, I have suffered with MH problems all my life due to abuse from my parents. I was sat at a bus stop waiting for the bus that goes to a local suspension bridge which is very, very unfortunately a suicide hotspot locally.

It was raining and dark, the bus stop was just that, no shelter or anyway to get out of the rain. I was sat on a bench with no coat on, just a t-shirt and jeans which were soaked through. An older gentleman (not that old now I think about it, he must have been around 40) was walking by and obviously noticed I was not in the right frame of mind, he sat next to me and said nothing for a while, until he said just a few words to me, "it get's better, you don't need to get that bus". I looked at him with tears pouring down my face and completely broke down.
He took me for a coffee at a local late night cafe, we didn't talk much at all but it was all I needed to make it through that night.
I left my parents home 5 days later and went into a house share, I was lucky I was working. It was hard as I was working 2 jobs and at college full time too, it was one of the hardest points of my life but he helped me get through it.

I've never, ever forgotten that gentleman and if I could meet him now I would show him how far I have come and how well I am doing, all thanks to his 10 words.

Our DD had a very difficult birth and had to go to NICU at a major central hospital nowhere near our home. Neither dh or I drive and I was in no fit state to use public transport, I'd had many stitches, pp haemorrhage etc. Dh's well off aunt slipped him an envelope when she came to visit the baby in NICU, when we opened it later it contained £1000 in cash to cover daily taxis to and from hospital. It was so thoughtful and generous, I'll never forget it.

@FortheloveofJames I just wanted to say you will get through this. DD was that baby too. Friends with babies marvelled they didn’t know they came like DD. I nearly lost my mind.

But magically, at around 6 months, she changed and she’s just the best 13yo now.

I just wanted you to know it’s survivable and it will be worth it in the end. You’ve got this

When my DD was around 18 months old, I had to do a big food shop at the supermarket. She was being a little demon - screaming, trying to climb out of the trolley etc, whilst I was trying to load the shopping onto the conveyor and trying to stop her falling and hurting herself at the same time. A lovely elderly couple saw my distress and started to to talk to my DD and playing games with her to keep her occupied so I could finish loading and pay for my shopping. They saved my sanity that day and I will forever be grateful to them for being so kind.

Lovely thread

@DukeChatsworth THANK YOU. You have no idea how much your kind words mean to me. We will survive it, because we have to.

Going to add you to the list now for taking time out to personally respond to me on this lovely thread.

This is the side of MN I love

After 4 years of primary infertility, and multiple failed rounds of IVF, I was at the lowest point of my life.
My best friend, who had completed her family, offered to donate eggs to us.
We did one further round ourselves, which resulted in ds1 and then DS 2 2 years later, but I will never forget how selfless her offer was.
X

Not as lovely as some of these but here's mine.

My DH is always helping his friends out, lifts to the airport at 2am, diy, helped friends with building projects, manual labour etc he's done it. He's a firefighter and his work colleagues are his best friends. He's helped them all out numerous times over the years.

When we moved house we got a van from DH's work (his other job) and packed up the house ourselves to save money. It took us ages, I have no upper body strength, DH was late getting home from work then got called out half way through. We finished at 3am. Exhausted. We were up at 6am to get it all finished and get out by 12.

We get to our new house, (which was filthy) me and MIL crack on cleaning the lounge and bedroom so we have 2 useable rooms. DH opens the van doors and I actually start crying at the thought of having to unpack it all. At that moment I see a fire engine pull up into our road. 6 of them (including DH) unpacked that van in 30 minutes. I had to stand at the front door directing people and that was it. One of them even put our bed together for us .

@TwinkleLightsRubberDucks I'm so glad that person arrived at just the right time and that things are better for you now!

A friend had me stay for two weeks following surgery. Not only that, she put fresh flowers in the room, and when I asked in wierd delirious state for pomegranate she cut one up and dished out the seeds for me (swiftly followed by bloody hell the mess went everywhere, I'm never desseeding a pomegranate again). True friend.