Kindness of strangers

[anderson8505]

About 15 years ago, I was living paycheck to paycheck, raising a daughter while my husband at the time was always gone to work or college, and I got a flat tire--the 2nd one in a month. I happened to be wearing a skirt, and my little daughter was with me. I can change a tire, I'm not helpless at all, but it was on a busy road, in a skirt, with my little one. I started to get out the materials needed when a man and his son pulled up. They put on their t-shirts (it's Florida and summertime and their windows were down so their A/C probably didn't work or whatever) and the man asked if he could help. I said "I can do it." He said, "I know, but I want to." He immediately told his son what to do and in minutes the spare was on.

I didn't have any cash, but offered to give him a check. He refused. I asked if he would at least give me his information so that I could give him something. He refused. He said "I would hope that someday if my wife needed help, someone would help her." He and his son got back in their small car and left.

I had always believed in doing something nice for others, even strangers. Since this incident I do even more, and I'll never forget him. Pay it forward people, pay it forward!

 

[featherfinder]

Nothing has actually happened to me but i have seen it for others. When i use to work at subway like 3 years ago we had someone come threw the line that had like $50 in subs. They only had $40 and i was running register. I felt bad because there was nothing i could do. The people behind them spoke up and said we will pay for the whole thing. Add it on to ours please. I was shocked and did as told. The people said thank you and walked out while the one couple that had just paid for it stood there for another minute and said well you know what we will get the people behind us to and hands me more money. The people behind him were shocked and said no its ok and thank you but the couple insited they pay. They told us a story that started about 5 years ago about how they were shopping and the couple infront of them paid for all of their stuff to. They said that they try every year to do it for a nice looking caring couple so they picked it up and kept it going. After that they left all of us working a very nice tip. And this was all around Christmas time. They said they do this every year and share the story in hopes more people will do it as well.

 

[Avalon1984]

A newspaper delivery lady found one of our horses on the road early Saturday morning. He had broken out and was wandering around looking for grass. Although we don’t get the paper she knew where the horse belonged and walked him to our house (without a halter on) and knocked on our door at 5:30AM Saturday. I am trying to find out who she was now to thank her properly (not while standing in 30 degree weather in my unnies looking for a halter and lead rope while cussing out loud). That I thought was a true act of kindness. God knows what could have happened had she not brought him back.

 

[ChickInDelight]

One of the check-out girls at my local grocery has holiday greeting cards and is asking all the customers if they care to sign. The cards will go to our soldiers overseas.

 

[jtbrown]

I have had numerous great experiences with strangers, I truly believe that the majority of human kind is nice and just wants to live in a good world too. Unfortunately we remember the bad ones much too long.

I was pregnant with my 2nd kiddo in 2 years (our only two and we tried so long and hard it was worth the craziness), but went to Walmart to get groceries and I was half dead tired. I got home put groceries away and went about my business. The next day, I realized my wallet was gone, I had taken only my wallet to the store.

So, I went back to walmart 24 hours after I had been there, and said, "I think I may have lost my wallet, did anyone turn it in?" I had my driver's license, my professional credentials, 30 bucks in cash, credit cards, debit cards, etc. in that wallet. I was fearing the worst. The clerk said "let me go check." She comes back and has a driver's license and said, "it looks like you, but what is your address." I told her and described what else was in the wallet and she gave me the wallet. EVERYTHING was in there.

I had left it in the front of the basket when I put groceries away in back of my car, I left the wallet in basket and pushed it into cart return. The lady said someone saw it and brought it in sometime that evening. I asked who, so I could thank them, give them a reward, she said they didn't want to leave a name, they knew someone would miss it soon enough.

I have other stories of strangers' kindness that I have seen and had happen to me. I try to pass it on when I can. I truly believe more people are good than bad, we just need to show it more.

 

[kari_dawn]

I hope to be so lucky as you! I loose my wallet ALL the time!

I once rode the public transit in Dallas, and left my phone behind...The DART rail goes through tons of bad areas of the city. I was sure my phone was lost forever. I called it, and was mortified when someone ANSWERED it! Lucky for me, it was the DART staff members...some nice person had turned my 300 dollar phone over to them, and they held it for me till I could come pick it up.

 

[M.sue]

What a positive thread!!! I love knowing that there are kind, generous & loving people out in this big bad world. I specifically try to avoid watching the news just for the fact that there is so much bad & ugly stuff that goes on daily and at times can get depressing to think that such things happen. The focus is on all the crime and at times it is difficult to explain the reasoning to my 12 & 10 yr. olds when they ask why.

 

[RoeDylanda]

We got stomped in the recent snowstorm (?!?) and were out of power with little ones in the house. We bought a wood stove after Irene, but neither of us had ever built anything other than a campfire and asked a neighbor to help get it going the first time (I know we should have tested it sooner but we *just* got it installed). He came over at dusk, brought extra tinder and kindling, helped us get it going and then looked over my pile of wood cut last winter and said it wasn't dry enough. So he brought us an armload of his own wood, then dropped off another the next afternoon. His expertise and kindness let us weather the better part of a week at home with no power.

 

[Fierlin1182]

Quote:
Oh, I like this! I would like to try this some time, but I wouldn't have the courage to speak up. I mostly keep to myself.

I'm trying!!
Anyhow, I once read a story in the RD about a young man who had only a dollar at the supermarket, so instead of buying his bread bought the item that the old lady in front of him couldn't afford. It was a lovely story.

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

I had to put my dog to sleep last April of this year. It was horrible for me, as he wasn't an old dog, but had a bad disease. I couldn't bring myself to pick up his ashes...until today. It was very hard taking the items in the bag out -- a pack of flower seeds to plant in memoriam, a satchel of dried rosemary. Taped on the outside of the beautiful carved box was a small ziplock bag of Foenix's hair. I didn't ask for this, but the Vet knew me well enough to understand I would want it. It is quite a large chunk of hair, and looks to be clipped from his tail. I am so grateful.

Edit to fix date.