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This is sortof a s/o of the rudeness thread. Maybe we could post examples of strangers being kind.

 

I'll start. This last week I flew with an infant and a toddler to visit my parents and back. Every single person that we encountered along the way was very, very nice. I had worried about corralling the toddler while nursing the baby and really stressed myself out beforehand. One of the flight attendants helped my toddler open the pretzels while I was nursing and he was so kind and polite. The security people were very nice and helpful and none of the other passengers looked at us like they hoped we weren't on their flight! Overall, it was an amazing trip!

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The folks who shop our Aldi are the some of the nicest, friendliest people I come across. They will invariably let others go ahead in line and chat while waiting. The cashiers get to know the customers and we them. It's one of the main reasons I shop there.

Edited by Mejane
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Last year my husband, youngest son, and I were on a long flight but seated separately. Two teens, a brother and sister, offered us their much better seats so my husband and son could sit next to me. Teens tend to get too much of a bad rap, but I'll always remember their generosity and kindness.

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Middle was at his golf lesson and they were practicing chipping. He practices in the yard every day and he's got a natural swing. A wonderful elderly gentleman who'd just finished his round watched him and then told him he did a great job and that it had taken him 40 years to swing that well. :)

 

The ER Doctor (who seems to understand my GI symptoms better than the two GI specialists I've fired this year) did a quick assessment and treatment and was so nice I nearly teared up. I get so tired of being told this is all in my head.

 

The entire congregation sang Happy Birthday to oldest Sunday during the service. Most of them have watched him grow up.

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A few weeks ago, my daughter was playing outside with some friends on the sidwalk out front, a few houses down the road.

 

I tend to periodically go over to the front door and look out to check on them.

 

On this particular occasion, I looked out the front door down the street, and saw one of the kid's balls go bouncing into the middle of the road.

 

At the same time, I saw a minivan coming up the street toward the ball.

 

The kids stood waiting for the minivan to pass so that one of them could run out and get the ball.

 

Instead, the minivan stopped, and someone got out, grabbed the ball, threw it back to the kids, and then drove away.

 

:) :) :)

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We were at the park and my kids were talking to an older husband and wife (they had two dogs in one of those doggie strollers - yeah, you know my kids thought it was the most incredible thing in the world). I walked over and the couple told me that I had the most polite and well-behaved children.

 

Hmmm...my kids? Polite and well-behaved? :glare: All four of 'em? Yeah, they just wanted to pet those dogs in the stroller. :lol:

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Dh and I were sitting in a crowded movie theater last Friday night. A mom, dad & son came in looking for three seats together. They weren't having much luck and were then trying to figure out how to split up. A young couple (who had an empty seat next to them) jumped up and offered their seats. No hesitation, no concern about if they'd find good seats or be stuck on the front row.

 

It left me with the desire to find a way to help someone else. I love the 'pay it forward' type of thing....

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A few months ago, I was gassing up my car on the way to a friend's daughters funeral. I was very, very upset and just could not stop the tears. As I was pumping gas, a lady pulled up to do the same on the other side of the pump. She had her radio blaring with praise music, and she was singing along as she filled her tank with gas. It was so comforting that I poked my head around and thanked her for being there, playing the music that I needed to hear. She saw my tears and asked me why I was crying and I told her. She hugged me then held my hand and prayed with me right there in the walmart parking lot. It gave me what I needed to drive the rest of the way. I am teary just thinking of that day.

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Last week, my dad was en route to a dr appt on an interstate when a car with 4 women drove next to him honking the horn to get his attention. They told him he had a fire in the back of his pickup (lots of pine straw had fallen into his truck...).

He pulled off the road, and they did as well to help. My dad had materials to smother the fire, and the women poured their drinks onto the remains of the fire.

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Guest Dulcimeramy

The owner of our boys' taekwondo school likes to bring cakes once a month to celebrate the students' birthdays after class.

 

When she learned that all four of our boys have celiac disease, she educated herself on gluten-free baking and started bringing a homemade GF cake every month so our boys can join in the fun!

 

:001_smile::001_smile::001_smile:

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The kids and I went to a new dentist last week. Everyone in the office was so nice to the kids and me. Nobody fussed about the baby sitting on my lap or the kids playing in the lobby by themselves. Nobody fussed when I asked the boys to come into the room with me to watch the baby a minute, or when they had to leave the room again to go to the bathroom.

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Dh and I once got a flat tire at something like 11pm, with baby in tow. This guy who lived in the neighborhood saw us and pulled up. He said he had a tire that would fit back at his house. He left, and came back with it 20 minutes later, helped us change it and sent us on our way. Thirteen years later, it still stands out as a major moment of kindness received.

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Our YMCA has a cross-country team, and they always have somebody running at the back to make sure the little kids don't get lost. One time, the little boy who was far, far at the back crossed the finish line and, beaming, said, "I came second-last! I didn't come last!" The teenage boy who had been running at the back never once let on that he hadn't been racing; he just congratulated the little kid for a good race.

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I have a special needs son and sometimes the mornings are a bit hectic.

 

A month ago my husband forgot to put the cans out (a common thing) and I didn't check that morning.

 

My son noticed the lone garbage man walk up to the house, get the cans in the side yard, drag them and dump them, and return them to the side of the house. He didn't need to, that certainly isn't part of his job description but I appreciated it!

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Dd11 is profoundly MR and autistic, and, although we have had our share of ignorant comments, I'm always awed at the sweetness and goodwill of so many people. She can be very vocal in public, and recently we were at Walmart, standing in line, and dd was getting VERY inpatient. She was screaming and making funnynoises, and we had our share of stares and whispers. But a kind man stepped forward, asked if she could have a cookie, and got down on her level (she was in a wheelchair) and TALKED to her. Of course she grabbed the cookie and devoured it, crumbs flying and all. But the fact that someone stepped out of their comfort zone, not knowing what to expect, and actually tried to interact with her warms my mother's heart.

 

Her disability really brings out the absolute best in some people:001_smile:

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Oh, people are kind to us every single day.

 

We go to a Mediterranean restaurant weekly and they pay attention to how we like our food, LOL, giving us more cheese or olives on one plate and more tomatoes on another. They always give me so much meat that I can't eat it all (lunch portion)!

 

Other places the wait staff always have some kind words for us, especially if we've frequented them for a long time.

 

In most stores where I shop, other shoppers always think I work there and ask me for help, which I try to give if I can. When they inevitably come to understand that I don't work there, they are always very kind about thanking me....

 

On the road, lots of drivers always let me in to traffic, yield to me when I'm trying to make a turn, etc. There are more kind people on the roads than otherwise....

 

I love talking to the folks at our doctor, dental and other health care offices (I used to work closely with the medical community). They always have funny stories to tell me....

 

Teachers for my son's outside classes are all very kind. The college where my older son is enrolled is constantly inviting us to some sort of event (I don't really do parties)....

 

When I was asked to do a last minute small VBS at our little church this past summer tons of folks (proportionally, compared to the large church where I used to be) stepped up to help out....

 

Human beings, in general, are not a hateful species....

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Our scoutmaster was hospitalized over the weekend and was in very bad shape. He was telling me last night that he'd had so many people stop by to check on him and his wife that the nurse and corpsman (medic) were rather surprised. They were especially confused that although he is a mid level enlisted, he had several senior ranking officer who were friends coming to check on him. Mostly it was chapel and scouting folks rallying around one of our own.

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I posted a plea on FB to borrow a truck to run stuff out to the dump before our move and another plea for help with moving itself.

 

Another homeschooling mom that I've never met IRL helped us with the dump run. Not only is she helping with the moving, too, her husband is taking out the seats to her van so they can bring two cars to help.

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Her disability really brings out the absolute best in some people:001_smile:

 

This makes me miss my old dog. She was *so good* with children who were very shy or in a wheelchair or anything in between. She would approach the child and stop, and wait for a word of "okay" and then move very gently forward and "nose" the child's hand or arm. She didn't do this with typical kids who were running around. Then she would stand and let her ears be pulled. She seemed to understand when a child needed to be treated like a tiny puppy.

 

She was also our diaper patrol. The moment that diaper was soiled, she'd be over there in a shot with her nose in his crotch, shooting me a "you're supposed to be over here licking this" look.

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A few months ago, I was gassing up my car on the way to a friend's daughters funeral. I was very, very upset and just could not stop the tears. As I was pumping gas, a lady pulled up to do the same on the other side of the pump. She had her radio blaring with praise music, and she was singing along as she filled her tank with gas. It was so comforting that I poked my head around and thanked her for being there, playing the music that I needed to hear. She saw my tears and asked me why I was crying and I told her. She hugged me then held my hand and prayed with me right there in the walmart parking lot. It gave me what I needed to drive the rest of the way. I am teary just thinking of that day.

 

This made me cry!!! What a comfort.

 

Our YMCA has a cross-country team, and they always have somebody running at the back to make sure the little kids don't get lost. One time, the little boy who was far, far at the back crossed the finish line and, beaming, said, "I came second-last! I didn't come last!" The teenage boy who had been running at the back never once let on that he hadn't been racing; he just congratulated the little kid for a good race.

 

As a runner, I find this particularly sweet. What a wonderful teenaged boy!!!

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I just wanted to say...last summer I took my five children to the beach. In the parking payment line in front of me was a classic SoCal surfer dude...completely bronzed and buff with his board under his arm. When he turned and saw me he asked if 'these were all mine.' I said, "yes," and waited for the snarky reply, but none came. He said, "I'm one of five, too. I think it's cool." And he strode off.

 

It totally made my day. :001_smile:

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Just in the last 2 weeks -

 

My son had been helping the work crew as they were digging up our front yard to replace gas lines. It took them days of work on our block. He would go out on his breaks and take water, snacks, and just hang out to see if he could help. At one point the old shovel we let him use/play with broke. That night the crew bought him a new shovel and gave it to him as "honorary crew member" the next day.

 

 

Last week my dad was eating alone at a local restaurant we often patronize. After eating he discovered he had left his wallet at home and had no way to pay. The owner told my dad the meal was on the house and has not yet let him pay.

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Many years ago my mother and I were driving down a very remote highway and had a flat tire. We were both used to changing tires, so we jacked the pickup up and took the flat tire off. . . .and then the jack broke and the vehicle dropped down to the height of the jack. We tried to get the jack to work and tried to get the tire on, but ended up being stuck on the side of the road, miles from anywhere, with a vehicle that only had three tires. The sun was going down when we stopped and by the time we gave up it was really dark. After a while we saw lights coming towards us. The approaching car, carrying two men, stopped to see if we were okay and when they heard what our problem was they got out to help. The jack in their small car wasn't able to lift the pickup either so one of the men raced back to the town we had come from (about a 40 minute round trip) and brought back a jack that would work. The other man stayed with us because it "wasn't safe to leave two women stranded on the side of the road!"

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This happened probably 25 years ago when I was young and single.

 

I had dropped a friend off at the airport and was on my way home (65 miles). Nobody knew where I was that evening.

 

In rush hour traffic on the interstate, in the 3rd lane from the right, my car dies. I did what every young, single, non-mechanical girl would do. I put my head on the steering wheel and cried.:D

 

Soon, though, a car stopped right behind me. This HUGE burly man got out, came to my window to tell me what to do, then pushed my car over to the right shoulder of the highway. 3 lanes of rush hour traffic and up a hill.

 

Then he offered to take me to a phone. I probably wouldn't have gotten in his car, but he did have a car seat in the back.

 

Even now his selflessness (and strength) amaze me.

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What a timely thread!

 

Today an old lady who doesn't even speak English gifted me an armful of geraniums, half a dozen dahlia bulbs, a long stemmed, red rose and three sunflower seedlings all because I smiled at her working in her garden on the way home from playgroup. :)

 

Rosie

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There are many people who show kindness to me and my family all the time, but one incident springs to mind.

 

Years ago (pre kids) dh and I were on a driving holiday in a sparsely populated area. We were driving along and saw an eccentric looking older man with a little flower stall at the side of the road. We stopped off, greeted him and chose a bunch of cottage flowers. When I offered him some money he looked surprised and responded "God gives them to me free, so I'm giving them to you free." I have no idea whether this was just with us, or whether he grew all his flowers to cheer up random passers by. I never saw or heard of him again. But he seemed so uncomplicatedly happy to be giving pleasure to strangers that I will always remember him.

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Oh, I've got another one. Very special thanks are owed to two LDS missionary chaps who helped me when I was struggling on the journey from the train station to the car, which meant going up a steep ramp, down another one, cross country across the nature strip and to the far end of the car park. That's hard work when pushing the pram with one hand because you've got a three year old who fell asleep on the train slung over your shoulder! They weren't even going in my direction and I was so puffed out I didn't even offer to invite them for dinner or something. I have a mental note to be particularly nice to the next missionaries I meet.

 

Rosie

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an hour and a half away from home. I pulled into McDonalds for lunch on the way out. I get my 5 little kids and myself out of the van to notice we had a flat tire. Ugh. I asked a car full of guys if they knew how to change a tire. The driver said "Yeah, sure, you got a jack?" Stunned look on my face. "Uh", I said, I have a tire."

 

He had a jack, and told me to bring my kids into McDonalds and feed them while he was out in the dirty parking lot changing my tire. What an angel!

Hot Lava Mama

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This happened recently, and is a great example of "paying it forward".

 

I had dh take a paperback swap book to the Post Office. He didn't realize that there was postage due, and just dropped it on the counter and left.

 

The next time he was in-again not knowing it wasn't prepaid-he handed it to the clerk, and started to leave. She told him there was postage due, and that the last time he was in and left the book without postage, another customer said "I'll pay it." Complete stranger.

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