Acts of kindness

zeb222

I’ve never posted here before but wanted to share:

A few years ago, my hubby’s grandmother lived in a quite isolated house, up a track that you wouldn’t know unless you were there for a reason. One Sunday afternoon in December she was taking her dog out for a walk when she caught herself on the gate to her driveway, falling over and breaking her hip. As the evening drew in and the temperature dropped, she started to try and drag herself back to the house but couldn’t get very far. After a while two hikers walked past in the dark and heard her dog barking, came over to check that everything was ok and found her near death on the ground. They called an ambulance, warmed her up with their coats and stayed with her until the paramedics arrived. They literally saved her life that day.
I don't think 'act of kindness' is really enough to convey what they did!

Lirin

That's a lovely offer to make! I've very glad I found this site now as it's been so helpful for so many things.

The biggest act of kindness I can remember ever- I had a meeting with someone, and we got on quite well. I was going through a very bad time at that stage, and although I hadn't said anything, he gave me his number as he left and said if I needed a friend, he'd listen. One night when it was really bad, I texted him, and he phoned me back and let me talk for hours, and gave me help and advice.....

I've since married him.

ShAnE

Wow, this thread already restored my faith in humanity to a point, but that has really done it. Nicely done Martin.

Suppose I should share some of my stories.

Always remember a neighbour of ours, used to "see stuff on special" so would buy 4 for the price of 2, and give us the 2 as they would never use them in time.

I never felt I went without as a kid, but looking back I certainly think my parents had it harder than I do.

I always hold the doors open, it's just polite, and have time for an elderly neighbour to tell me a story. But in future I will try to keep an open eye for people in difficult situations who could do with that helping hand to get through the week.

ShowmetheMoney

Well done Martin!!! What a lovely thing to do.

MaryA

Lovely offer Martin, very heartwarming as are many of the stories, have loved reading them all.

My one was shortly before Christmas last year when the snow was thick, one of my sons and girlfriend collected me to take me out for a meal for my birthday, meeting another son half way distant between the two places.

To make it easier for me he managed to park outside the restaurant but when we came out discovered that, even digging the snow out, we were still having trouble moving the car.

Along the road came a group of youths, not even properly dressed for the weather, in sweatshirts and hoodies, I was a bit wary of them but they looked at us, asked which car was shifting first, and all got behind and pushed us out. They then turned to my other son's car and did the same for him. We couldn't do more than shout our thanks from the car windows as we daren't stop in case we got stuck again.

It was a lesson to learn not to judge people by their looks.

Outside my local Asda a few months ago, sat crouched against a wall in the rain was a woman who seemed so thin and frail. I felt almost guilty loading up my boot with the groceries I'd just bought but after turned to her and gave her some money, hoping that she could buy something to eat. The look on her face told me how hungry she must have been. I haven't seen her around since, like another poster said above, I hope she isn't sick.

flossfour

I have always believed that there are more good people out there than bad and this forum has just made my day!

I once had a serious accident on the way to pick up my sister from the station, totally writing off a 4 x 4. A complete stranger held my hand whilst waiting for an ambulance and then offered to collect her for me (this was before the days of everyone having a mobile). Not only did this stranger collect my sister, she waited at the station for over 2 hours when my sister's journey was delayed, then, after stopping at her own house to inform her parents where she was and so my sister could call and find out how I was, she drove my sister 40 minutes out of her way to bring her to the hospital.

My sister had made a note of her address and a few days later, we made the journey to take her a huge bunch of flowers. She wasn't in but her father was and when we asked him to thank her for us he told us the story of her own, very similar situation that had occurred a few years previous and how a random act of kindness by a complete stranger had made such an impact on her. She was actually quite grateful she was able to do the same for us - kind of a 'karma in return'.

Also, I have a 23 year old son who is constantly stopping to help people, from the elderly couple struggling at our local rubbish tip one day to the lady with the broken leg, bags of shopping and torrential rain trying desperately to get home - he loaded her, cast, shopping and all, in the car and took her to her door. He is always thanked profusely and has been offered money before (that he refused). And as a 16 year old, he once stopped a group of lads cruelly tormenting a young disabled boy. They ran off but not before my son got a beating. The boy's parents were extremely grateful to my son and he never regretted it.

And at the moment, like many other people I suspect, am in extremely bad place. Have wonderful friends though including one who keeps 'finding herself with too many leftover dishes' or have been given extra meat that she can't fit in her freezer! If I don't get to pay her back I do hope to someday 'pay it forward'.

Horace

Some of you will know that I have been on MSE for quite a while, although in more recent times I haven't visited so much. It has been a tough few months as my self employment has not been as profitable as it could be and I literally ran out of money:o I was at a particularly low ebb when one of my suppliers got quite nasty (I have vowed that I will never ever buy anything from him again) because I owe him some money..he would rather see me starve...still that is by the by.

I started a new diary and recently was contacted by various people offering virtual hugs and in one case friendship. I am very wary of exchanging personal details with people but I took a chance as a result, I was collected from my home on Sunday afternoon and taken to some stables and fields. I looked at the horses and was shown where the blackberries and sloes were in the hedges. I picked sloes whilst my new friend mucked out. After a while she came to pick sloes before asking me if I wanted a tea as she would put the kettle on and I could head back to the stables in 10 mins. Back at the stables, I was offered tea or coffee in a proper mug as well as homemade cake. My new friend said that I could take the rest of the cake home with me. I havent had cake for a long long time so it was much appreciated to be given some. I have also been promised a bag of apples - pinched from the horses:rotfl: As for friends, we are staying in touch, when the horses are fit we shall go out for a ride and we shall be picking sloes etc. again (thanks Millie2008):D.

This small act of kindness has meant a lot to me and certainly made up for the horridness that I have been on the receiving end of lately. As for jobs..applications are in, some interviews done and I am waiting to hear whether or not I have been successful`

joolzpop

I am the head of an educational unit for vulnerable and excluded children. A couple of years ago I had a boy in my care who had experienced awful family problems. He would often come into school traumatised, hungry, freezing and poorly dressed. We'd often provide him with food and other stuff. For various reasons he was no longer unable to live with his mum and was sent to live with his dad. Dad had just spent several years in prison and they didn't really know each other. About a week before the end of the Christmas term X's dad dropped him off in a taxi. Making conversation I asked if they had their Christmas tree up yet. He muttered that they wouldn't have one (or any presents) as he was awaiting money from social Services that he wouldn't get until January. It broke my heart because X was a lovely lad and his behaviour and circumstances could have been so different had his family circumstances been different. My colleagues and I rang round all our friends and family, I scoured charity shops and snapped up bargains and made them a Christmas. On the last day of term I got my support assistant to whisk X off to help with a job and made his dad wait while I loaded the taxi with a tree, decorations, sweets, tons of brightly wrapped parcels containing toys and clothes and a few bags of food I'd bought them from Morrisons with my own money. There was so much stuff there was hardly room for him to get back in. I will never forget the beaming smile on X's face when he came into school in January and proudly showed me the new trainers, coat and rucksack "Santa" had got him.

crazyguy

MSE_Martin wrote: »

Hi Oregon

We can't have such sentiments in this thread. So if you PM me your name, sort code and bank account details. On behalf of MSE I'll put £100 in the account as a sort of inverse "post of the day".

That way we can prove good things sometimes happen for no reason.

Martin

PS this is genuine - I will delete your account details as soon as the money has been sent (shouldn't normally send them by PM - so delete them from your send box too for security).



PPS should just say this is a one off - sorry we can't do this for everyone. I just wanted to do something nice after being moved by this thread.

Good on you Martin, well done for offering that to Oregon,

Oregon, I am a believer in kama and as per another thread so are quite a few others, your so called friends that have scammed you will have some bad luck at some point.

:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T

IrKirsty

I've only had one instance where i've had an act of extreme kindness, a couple of years ago I was involved in a car accident and got my car written off while I was quiet away from home. I had my two young children with me at the time and no way of getting back except for the what little money I had in my purse at the time which took me as far as Birmingham train station. Once I got there I had roughly 20 miles left to travel with about £10. I walked up to a taxi driver and explained my situation to him and asked if he could take us as far towards the direction as he possibly could with the amount I had but the taxi driver just refused saying that I wouldn't pay him then a kind gentleman came up who said he has overheard the conversation and was travelling in the same direction as us and would share the taxi with us, I told him I only had £10 and that didn't phase him at all and insisted to go on so we went on and when it came to getting out the man refused to take any money from me and insisted he paid the whole amount! I was stunned by his generosity, I just wished I could have caught his name to thank him! It really does restore your faith in humanity.
Now you do see less and less acts of kindness and the only other thing that really does restore my faith it my eldest daughter. She will go out of her way to help anyone! Last year she gave her prom dress away to another girl who couldn't afford one herself. I admire her for that.
It's a shame we don't see as many acts of kindness as we used to -the moment we stop looking out for each other is the moment we lose our humanity!