What is the kindest thing a stranger has done or said to you?

MarciKS

SF VIP
One time when I was very sad and lonely, a little girl shared one of her cookies with me at a restaurant. She came over and laid it on the table for me and smiled. Her mother apologized and I told her not to because it was the best thing that had happened to me that day.

What about you?
 

Last edited:
As a visitor to Australia, I was looking for a specific store in a mall and was lost. A lovely young woman who worked in another store, literally walked me over to the store I was looking for, which was a fair distance from where she worked. I thought that was really lovely of her to do, when she could have just given me directions.
 

Last edited:
One time when my son was about 3, I think, we were in a local drug store, Carl's. They were in a shopping plaza with a pizza restaurant run by a group of Italians who had recently come here (very cute guys!). My son, Jeff, knew even at 3 where the toy department was. He would head there while I got a cart and would meet him there. I go there and see him looking at the Evil Knevil toys, that I could not afford. Pretty soon one of those Italian guys came to me carrying a big box of the Evil Knevil toy motorcycle and trailer with all kinds of stuff with it. So it was expensive. He told me he just bought that for my son! I said no, you can't do that. I was only 20 at the time and worked in a bar, so I figured he had other ideas and was trying to buy me in some way. He said "no, I bought it for your son because my family is still in Italy and I miss them. I have a son about your son's age and it makes me feel better to do this." He was true to his word and would say hi when I got a pizza but nothing more. And his family did come over finally.
 
One day, in winter, my daughter and I were out grocery shopping (she was around 3 yrs. old). Several blocks from home, the car stalled because of the heavy snowfall (it used to do this in the rain as well). I had called the CAA, but
they were very busy. All I could do, was open the hood and wait for them.

A woman who lived on that street was coming home, and offered to drive us
home. She said she'd seen us when she'd left her house earlier.

Thank goodness for the kindness of others. We went around to pick up the car
when my husband came home from work. Fortunately, it started up.

I always try to "pay it forward".
 
Last year, we were at the casino, and they had a "drawing", and I won a nice Craftsman air compressor. It was a bit heavy and awkward to handle, and when I was struggling to take it to the car, a younger guy asked if he could help. He easily picked it up, we walked about a block to the car, and he put it in the trunk. I offered to buy him a beer or coffee, but he said No thanks....just glad to help. People like that are increasingly rare.
 
Years ago, I was picking up my baggage at the baggage claim at a busy airport in NYC. I had all my bags except one. Finally, that one appeared on the
moving carousel. I wasn't sure how to watch the bags I had already while I got the one remaining one. I had been chatting with a nice, middle-aged woman, and she offered to keep an eye on my bags while I got that last one.

In desperation, I said OK and ran over to get it. When I returned, lo and behold, the woman and my bags were still there! I thanked her profusely.
 
Driving to the airport in a rental car, I had a tire blowout in downtown Seattle right on 1st avenue. I was in dress blues for a meeting I had to attend on arrival and I got extremely frustrated at the sorry jacking system on that car.
A young man came out of a nearby shop and helped me get that tire changed. I was extremely grateful, and I made it to the airport on time.
 
#1: After seeing me do a two-step with her Aunt (my wife), she walked up to my wife and said "yep, he's a keeper!". Guess I danced pretty dang good.

#2: Way before I met/married my wife, a lady in a country-western nightclub, walked up to me and said "you sure have a nice looking butt in those Wrangler jeans." I said "thanks" and that was the end of that.
 
It took a while to think of one and I guess I'm not alone.

I shot a deer while hunting alone and I had a long drag over hills and dales and fallen trees. Another hunter who I didn't know offered to help me get the deer back to the car and lift it into my trunk. I asked for his name and address and told him that I'de bring him some cuts of meat which I did. They were the better ones of chops and steaks.
 
This just popped up in my head....
Many years ago, after i had left my husband, I was out at Home Depot. Now, mind you..I got used to doing a lot of things for myself ..by myself.

So , I was carrying this little tree way out to my car, and here comes this guy to offer to carry it for me. It prob doesn't sound like much...but I was very touched by his helpful gesture.

And, NO...I didn"t give him my # :giggle:
 
Years ago, I was picking up my baggage at the baggage claim at a busy airport in NYC. I had all my bags except one. Finally, that one appeared on the
moving carousel. I wasn't sure how to watch the bags I had already while I got the one remaining one. I had been chatting with a nice, middle-aged woman, and she offered to keep an eye on my bags while I got that last one.

In desperation, I said OK and ran over to get it. When I returned, lo and behold, the woman and my bags were still there! I thanked her profusely.
I had to have a stranger help me with mine when in Laguardia airport in NY. I couldn't even catch it going around. LOL
 
I can think of one nice thing strangers did for me. He/she (a couple) found my wallet in a parking lot of the mall and called the phone number on a card and found me. You have no idea how grateful I was! I will never forget them. By the way, that was the one and only time I had lost my wallet. Apparently as I was getting out of the car, I hurriedly put my wallet in my handbag and it fell to the ground.
 
One that stands out for me happened maybe 25 years ago during a family trip to New Zealand. Wife, kids, and I were on a lightly traveled back road on the Coromandel peninsula when our rental car got a flat tire. As I was opening the trunk to look for a spare tire, another car pulled up behind us and a young man, maybe 20-something, jumped out. He said very little, just pulled out the jack and quickly changed the tire. I thanked him but he wouldn't accept any money. Just hopped back into his car and was gone.

That incident still comes to mind whenever I see a stranger in need of assistance.
 
Today I had a brake leak fixed,rear hubs rotors, etc and the shop was terribly busy. The mechanic said, "Oh, I also checked all your engine fluids. They were all low. so i filled them."I I was astonished! Then he went on to say, "You can come by here every month if you want and I'll check your engine and fluids for you free."
That was so unexpected. What a sweet thing!

Many years ago, I went with my kids (who were little at the time) to see the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. ( the phisicist and founder of Transcendental Deep meditation) We were standing there watching him, unaware that the huge line of hundreds of people with flowers to give him were a ways away. The Maharishi got out of his chair, walked over to us ( about 20 feet) and gave me and my two children red roses! Then he went back to his chair. This man was enveloped in enlightenment. This took my breath away.
 

Last edited:

Back
Top