Random Acts of Kindness

[specialmom]

Hi there,  So, I was wondering if anyone wanted to share a random act of kindness that someone did for them.  That surprise gesture that touched you or an anonymous helper that came to the rescue (as in a stranger helped you at a critical time)?  

Have YOU ever done something that you don't really share with others but it stands out in your mind as a moment in which you felt really good providing a random act of kindness for someone?  This is the place to share it without ruining it (as in doing it for accolades).  :>)

[Nighthawk61]

One thing that stays with me, is when a man came up to me and my then year old son, and gave me a white unicorn stuffed animal. I was always a sucker for stuffed animals when i was younger. It was such a simple gesture, but i still have that unicorn within eyesight to this day, and my son turned 27 in July of this year. A simple gesture sometimes is what make a huge difference when we are looking for reasons for true happiness.

I think that the things that i have done for others that i can be proud of giving a random act of kindness, would be traffic related as well. One day i was driving at night on a 3 lane roadway through our town, and in front of me was a large piece of furniture that had obviously fallen off of a truck and left broken and across the roadway. I think i may have gotten around it, but something stopped me. I saw the way that it was lying, and the lack of light, that many would have driven into it, so i wanted to be able to drag it off the road way. I waited in my car until another car came along. to possibly help me with their additional hazard lights. I was pretty sure i was going to be hit, so i' stayed in my car, and within minutes a car came and rear ended me. A young girl. had hit me, and I ran up to her, seeing how upset she was and told her there was no bit damages to either of our cars and not to worry. I asked her to back up a bit and leave her hazard lights on so there were two sets of hazard lights to warn off other cars, while i dragged the offending wood pieces off the highway. She was so happy i wasn't interested in the nick on my bumper, She was young enough to be worrying about her insurance in a big way.

Another time an older women rear ended me, which resulted in another dent in my bumper. I jumped out of the car, and ran to her window. She looked scared and in shock. Without thinking i reached in her window and took her face in both my hands and asked if she was alright (probably not the best reaction as i could have really scared her.) but i was saying to her, " It's okay. Are you alright. It's okay everything's okay"  At first she said "this isn't my fault," and I had to say to her "yes, it is your fault, but it's okay, my bumper is okay (although it had a dent). I just want you to be super careful.(she obviously was not a great driver, and it might be because she was quite aged.

I once was coming home from extensive dental work, and really should have had my husband driving me home. i slid into a Navigator, and there was a hairline mark on the side of the step up on her truck. This women had called her husband, and as a result that little tiny hairline mark on her paint. I could have really used a bit of break, and that's when i realized how important it is to give someone a break sometimes and not be so anal about little scatches or dents. It would have cost us another $100 a month, if we didn't change insurance companies. I had asked her that if i could, i'd like to pay for the damages out of pocket and not through the insurance company, cut she would have no part of it. A little understanding goes a long way and i'm proud that i'm able to feel for the other guy, rather than to be obsessed with perfection. People feelings are more important to me than inanimate objects.

[specialmom]

I love random acts of kindness. They do make you feel good to see and hear.

so, I had a really bad, dangerous experience a couple of years ago.  I was driving my husband's car.  Old jalopy because I'm a stay at home mom, right?  And I was headed home, it was 9 pm in late fall, dark and raining and cold.  I saw I needed gas but wanted to get gas by our house and turned down the road to do that.  it's like straight up a winding hill for a couple of miles with a gas station at the end.  Well as I was on a bit slant up, going around a bend, my car died.  Two lane road.  Dangerous because to pass me, another car would have to go in the other lane at a turn where there is no way the other lane would see them. I was scared to death.  AND, couldn't find the hazard lights on my husband's car.  I sat in the car (probably stupid with the positioning and the fact that an accident felt likely to happen) as it was pitch black, howling winds and raining.  I called my husband but got our answering machine.  I was in tears.  When a bit truck drove past me, parked a long way down the road.  I thought they were like everyone else going by honking in annoyance but the occupants of the truck got out, a man and a woman.  They jogged up the road.  The woman got me out of the car and got in and with a flashlight and no nerves like I was having, found the hazards (in a really weird spot, swear I did NOT see the button) and then they got out and the man directed traffic with his flash light on the back end of my car and the woman on the front end.  I finally reached my husband who showed up with gas about 30 minutes later and that couple stood outside in the howling rain being VERY nice to me making sure no one got in an accident.  I tried to thank them and they just said "we'd want someone to do that for us.  We knew you were probably scared."'  Very nice.  

And here is another of my favorite random moments.  I had my first child that I'd longed for for MANY years.  (never knew it was such hard work to make a baby!) but before that, my first baby was my dog.  Oh my gosh, I loved this dog.  But once I had my first child, I was kind of engrossed with him and wasn't as in tune with my first babe.  I tell you this to paint the picture of guilt I felt when I had let our dog out, got busy with baby care and forget to get the dog right in.  Well, dog was gone.  GONE.  GONE GONE GONE.  I put the baby in a stroller and went looking.  I got neighbors looking when that didn't work.  Husband came home and started looking. Could not find my dog.  By nightfall I was a wreck.  I went to the print shop and made signs and husband and I went all over putting up signs. I didn't yet live in the suburbs so our street was smack in the middle of busier streets.  Then I was up most of the night wandering around the area looking for my dog!  Couldn't find her.  A second night.  No dog.  I was beyond upset.  The third day, we got a phone call from a young lady who had seen our sign and 'thought' she may have spotted our dog.  This was an urban area that we lived in so there were some 'deserted' things like an old school building.  it had a tall fence around it and they were on a walk and saw in the overgrowth and woods behind the school a little dog that looked like mine.  This was about two miles form our house.  We hustled over there.  And this young girl about 20 and her boyfriend were waiting.  They said they couldn't see her anymore through the fence.  They'd called to her and she ran.  The only way to look was to get in that fence.  The boyfriend helped my husband over and then walked around for looking for ways in to help my husband.  My poor dog was so freaked out that she wouldn't even come to my husband.  She'd turn and run every time he got close.  The boyfriend found a way in and my husband and the boyfriend trapped my little dog.  They got her.  Then they worked together to get her over the fence.  She was covered in caked on mud, disoriented and looked bad.  How they even recognized her as my dog, I don't know.  If you'd have seen me that day---  oh my gosh, I might not have showered since she went missing, I had bulging eyes from crying so much and was a tad hysterical in old clothes holding my baby while they tried to get her and this girl just sat with me quietly telling me it would be okay.  She would say things like "well, you sure do love her.  I can see that!" which was perfect with my guilt!  anyway, truly kindness.

[RockRose]

I see random acts of kindness and caring all the time.

This afternoon I was running errands and driving on a 4 lane road.  The kind with stop lights and two way traffic and LOTS of cars.  It is on a hill.  Suddenly,  this little teeny boy,  couldn't have been 4 years old,  zoomed out of an apartment complex on a little razor scooter,  turned right on the sidewalk,  and zoomed down the hill at breakneck speed,  no adult in sight.  This little one zoomed down the hill and came to a halt at the first intersection that had a walk/don't walk crosswalk sign,  and waited there.  At that point,  a mom stepped onto the sidewalk and began walking in his direction,  out for a stroll.  About 100 yards back,  so it certainly wasn't obvious at all that she was with this little teeny kid.  I hooked a quick u-turn, and before I was able to get to the intersection with the child,  3 more cars had also pulled off to approach him and help out.  Seeing this the mother broke into a run to intercept her child while 2 motherly looking women stood there with him.  I drove off,  knowing it was taken care of,  and hoping that they read this mother the riot act.  One little bobble on his razor and this little one would have been hit and killed by cars going 50 on that road.

Anyway,  heartening.  Immediately on seeing this boy,  he didn't get 15 seconds down the road before 4 cars stopped to sort out this problem.

[Londres70]

Once someone put a substantial amount of money in my bank account.  I told the bank I think someone made a mistake and they told me it was no mistake.  Strange, but kind.

I volunteer and I don't really share that I do that with everyone.  I've bought coffee, sandwiches and groceries for strangers that were in need.  The poor and homeless are people who always touch my heart strings.  I don't give money away though.