Random Acts of Kindness

[Beekissed]

I have been a victim many times of this sort of thing. It feels GREAT! I've also been one to dish it out as often as I can, when I manage to think of it.

This holiday, someone in the car ahead of us paid our bridge toll and we were so startled that we didn't think to keep it going and do the same for the next person!

Anyone else out there have a great story to tell about a kind stranger?

 

[Farmfresh]

One time we were the kind stranger. I try to help where it is needed.

We were pulling into the grocery store and saw a family stranded beside their broken down car. Hubby pulled over and asked if he could help and they were grateful, but informed us they were traveling when they broke down, but they were close to a relatives house. Now they simply waiting for the husband's brother to get there and help was on the way.

As we were heading on into the store to shop I took another look at the family. The family looked very poor. It was high summer and the temperature was close to 100. They had three little kids with them that were fussing and hot.

I simply had to do something. All I could do was picture that family being us!

While I was shopping I threw a water bottle each into the cart for the family, a few oranges and a six pack of cold Sprite as well. I had the kids (I had three too) each pick something they would like to do while waiting from the little toys at the store for the children. We had the stuff sacked separately from our groceries. As we were leaving we stopped by the stranded family again and left our package. The kids were thrilled with the coloring book, and toys we had brought and EVERYONE was very glad for the drinks and snack. The mom was tearing up as we left. I hope we made their wait for rescue a little easier.

 

[hwillm1977]

I have paid for another person's coffee sometimes when I used to go through drive-thru's first thing in the morning.

Helped an older someone shovel a driveway because it looked like they were struggling when I walked by with my dog. They threw snowballs for my dog, I shovelled their driveway.

And that's all I can think of at the moment... we didn't come from a religious family, but my dad always told us that if we 'did unto others, as you would have them do unto you' that we would be just fine in this world.

 

[Farmfresh]

A man TRIED to help me out one time. I was heading to work in a new pink skirt and sandals, when my car had a flat tire. Unfortunately MY helper pulled in just as I was tightening the last lug nut! Go figure.

 

[hwillm1977]

We were pulling into the grocery store and saw a family stranded beside their broken down car.

This happened to my hubby once, and a good samaritan helped him... it's been 15 years and he STILL wishes he knew the person's name.

He had gone to the city (an hour from home) for a day of hanging out at the mall with some buddies... they were all 15 and 16 years old. When they came out of the mall, their car wouldn't start, wouldn't turn over, wouldn't do anything.

Someone saw them struggling with it, came over and offered to help... the man must have been a mechanic, he had tools in his car and got to work, he actually went to a repair shop and PAID for the parts they needed and fixed the car for them... he refused to take any money, told them someone had done the same thing for him when he was younger.

I was stranded once too, and a kind person helped me out... I was also a teenager... on a road trip in a different province. My car started to smoke while driving down the highway... it was on fire, not just blue smoke coming out the back... I pulled over, we all got out, a crowd formed cheering for my now just smouldering car and they were all hoping it burned. (it didn't burn)

A man came through the crowd and offered to help. He called a tow truck, paid for it (his insurance covered tows), drove us into the city (still 30 minutes away) and dropped us at our hotel... it was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for me

 

[SKR8PN]

A man TRIED to help me out one time. I was heading to work in a new pink skirt and sandals, when my car had a flat tire. Unfortunately MY helper pulled in just as I was tightening the last lug nut! Go figure.

That's always MY luck. Get there to late to rescue the good looking "damsel in distress"

Last week I was at the gas station/convenience store that I fuel up at.....there was an elderly lady standing near the sandwich counter, counting her money to see if she had enough to get a bite to eat, I made sure I got in line well ahead of her and gave the clerk an extra 10.00 with instructions to pay for the ladies gas or food, whichever it would cover. She came out of the store crying....

 

[FarmerChick]

random acts are nice!

Shopping at Target for Nicoles pricey toy, a lady saw it in my buggy and cut out a $10 off coupon from her booklet and gave it to me......very nice of her. She made my day actually...LOL

I help people when out and about if I can. If the opportunity presents itself I do the right thing.

 

[sylvie]

My best friend recently told me that she and her mother will go to a restaurant to eat, look around and chose someone whose meal they completely pay for. Anonymously done.
They have been doing this for 20 odd years and I had no idea! How cool!

I also don't seek acknowledgment for my generous deeds.

 

[hikerchick]

Sadly I can only think of one time I have done this. Back when I lived in the city, I was outside cleaning out my car one day when I saw a woman who was probably in her 80s walking along pulling a grocery cart. It was a hot, humid day, and I thought it must be so uncomfortable for her to walk with those groceries. So I asked her if she would like a ride home, and she accepted. My husband at the time thought I was nuts, but it felt like the right thing to do.

Looking back, I think I should do things like that more often.

 

[Farmfresh]

I just thought of another instance, but this one happened to my hubby.

His car broke down (u-joint) on a weird lonely stretch of highway in a pretty bad area of town where another highway overpasses the first. He broke down at the bottom of a VERY steep hill.

He had been working all day on something and was wearing dirty ratty clothes. His hair was scraggly and he had about two day growth of beard on his chin. He only had a couple of bucks in his wallet. My hubby (although he cleans up REAL nice) can have a pretty mean look on his face with his brow furrowed and deep black eyes contemplating something. He can look REALLY scary! (As a matter of fact his job evolves him taking care of fleet cars and he spends LOTS of time in the parking garage at work. In winter when he is bundled up working the security department gets lots of "Vagrant in the Parking Garage" calls! )

So on this day he was NOT looking his best, hiking up a steep hill in a bad lonely part of town. Along came HIS Good Samaritan... A brand new Cadillac pulled over and offered him a ride. Its driver was an obviously wealthy older black man wearing a nice business suit. He offered hubby a ride!

Hubby was so scroungy he was hesitant to even sit in the nice new car, but the man insisted. He drove my hubby to the gas station and even paid for the phone call to call me at home. He was a true blessing in a time of need. It was unbelievable that anyone would have stopped to pick up my hubby given his looks at the time and the circumstance.