Unbelievable generosity

Relatively minor, and it was well over 20 years ago, but I still remember the astonished face of the man with a collecting tin for a major charity for the blind, outside the Tesco’s where I’d just taken my mother - when she put a £10 note in the tin. She’d always had a particular sympathy for the blind.

I post on a football forum, and they have a great record of fundraising for specific things. They recently started a ‘no questions asked’ fund for posters struggling with the cost of living, and it’s really amazing reading the messages from people who have been helped. The message when the fund was started was that they were willing to take the chance that some people may abuse it, as they didn’t want genuine folk to miss out.

My son arrived in Japan last week and was looking a bit lost as he looked for a bus to his hotel. A Japanese couple approached him saying they had hired a car and wanted to give him a lift, which was quite a distance away. They shared their snacks too. Such kindness. Another incident happened (he is still on holiday); he witnessed an accident, where a biker collided with a car. As he is a clinical support, he is trained in CPR. He took charge of the situation, clearing the crowd trying to move the injured man and told them not to move him whilst he then carried out CPR, following which the man recovered and then taken to hospital by ambulance. Restores faith in humanity.

My sister-in-law and I went out for the day and stopped for lunch a lovely little cafe. When we asked for the bill the waitress told us that the man at the next table had paid for it before he left. We were astounded! What a kind gesture. I have never forgotten it and when I can I try to pay it forward in small ways.

A colleague's son was diagnosed with leukemia and cancer as a child. She and her husband obviously wanted to be with him as he was very unwell but they didn't have any money coming in. Our entire school staff put what we could afford into an envelope once a month. There was no pressure to give as it was confidential, however it helped out a family who were struggling with the diagnosis and the loss of income. We did this for months. The boy recovered and grew up healthy.

What a lovely thread. These stories have brightened my day. Thank you.

Seabreeze

Maywalk.
What a lovely story. How clever of you to put it into poetry.

Many thanks SeaBreeze. I believe it helped bring the four chaps, who had won the money, down to earth and it was uncanny how quiet the inn became as the war veteran related his view on life after the uncalled for remark was said to him.
A moment that I have never forgotten.

Nothing as startling, but my DH had a decent salary as MD of a big European company, based near Worcester. Every year they gave him a 15% increase in his salary (those were the days???), but he always refused it, took 5% and told them to distribute the rest between the staff who were only getting 7 or 8%. When he died, I was amazed at the response of his old colleagues, many of whom said he was their ‘best boss’ ever and spoke of his generosity in time and deed.

My mother in law bought me some sausages when money was pretty tight for both of us. Inside was the winning ticket for a thousand pounds, obviously we shared it!

Years ago, I belonged to a women's club with many wealthy members. Everyone had contributed an item to a Christmas hamper as a prize in the raffle, and it was truly magnificent. I had bought fifteen tickets. My friend had fallen on hard times, and sadly confessed that she couldn't afford to buy any. Of course, it was no hardship to me to give her three of mine. And she won! This made a wonderful Christmas for her and her family which she could not possibly have afforded otherwise, and I was so happy for her.

Maywalk.
What a lovely story. How clever of you to put it into poetry.

Money IS very important though as lack of it can cause terrible problems. People who say money can't buy happiness should try going without money and they'd soon change their minds.

Flip side story. Some years ago I was part of the local NSPCC fund raising team. I had been given a stack of raffle tickets to sell. As I hadn't managed to sell all of my allocation I put the money in and wrote the details of some of my family and friends on them. A while later my SiL told me that had won first prize on a lottery , a week for two in Majorca. She was puzzled as she hadn't even bought any. I confessed to her that I had bought them. At that time she and her DH had never been abroad. I was happy for them, but a bit miffed that she didn't even offer to pay me back the £1 🤣🤣. I didn't even get a present when they came back.

I wrote this poem after witnessing this in a small inn that hubby and I had stopped at when on our way to a Classic Car rally many years ago.
I was SO impressed with the quiet dignity of the elderly gentleman I could not get it out of my mind hence the poem.
I wrote the poem in 2004 but it had happened way back in 1980s when we still had our Ford Classic but it had stuck in my mind and I always said I would write it down some day.
A true tale put into verse.

A MILLIONAIRE.

As I listened to a loud conversation taking place in country inn
Between four young men discussing a great big lottery win
One said he would go round the world on a wonderful cruise
Another mentioned pretty girls and drinking lots of booze.

The third said the wonders of the world he would go to see
The fourth one said I will help no one I will spend it all on me.
An elderly man sat nearby quietly drinking as one loudly said
"What would you do Granddad? Have hair put on your head?"

A hush fell over the customers as the sarcasm the old man defied
When the old chap looked straight at them and very quietly replied
"I have all my wealth and happiness when I wake up each day
As I hear the birds all singing and can see the children play

I have travelled on life's ocean and at times it's been quite rough
But I had a good woman by my side and to me that was enough.
The wonders of my world are my sons and my lovely daughter too
And finding each day can show me something fresh and new

No amount of money on this earth can buy me my good health
I have never craved for material things and never wanted wealth,
I went through a war where lads like you were daily slaughtered
A bloody war to bring peace but I'm afraid nothing has altered.

So you see I AM a millionaire I dont need money to spend
And when your broke just think of me as through life you wend.
Think of the old man that you derided about his thinning hair
And I just hope that you too have found someone to really care."

A silence had fallen over everyone as the old man had his say
When one of the lads said "Drink up old timer this time I will pay "
The quiet dignity of the old man had overcome their hurtful jeers
And a bottle of whiskey was handed to him as they all said 'Cheers'

"Thanks for opening our eyes to all we thought money could buy
If we were to spend the lot today we would all finish up saying WHY,
Asking Why! did we not give a portion to those desperately in need
For a children's hospital, and the aged, could we not do a good deed?

Old man you have taught us compassion, respect and much humility
And your strength of character seems to have been your inner key,
We will discuss this win of ours to see what would be the best way
To share our win with others and it will help to make their day.

We realise and thank you for the sense you have made us see
That no amount of money can buy happiness or the love of a family.
We drink to your health and we will remember when we all grow old
Of the tale of a millionaire whose faith in his family was his pot of gold."

Written by Maisie Walker in 2004.

I had not longed joined AOL internet, and was so dazzled by it all I entered every competition and giveaway I saw.

Home for lunch from work one day and I had an email which said I’d won a prize. Called them up and they said ‘You’ve won a prize worth £6,000 - a trip for 2 to Africa! Thirteen days on safari, Serengeti, Mt Kilimanjaro trips.. and then 3 days on the paradise island of Zanzibar before flying home.

Well… I didn’t even have a passport! I’d just passed my driving test and had planned a trip to Dorset! I was so excited about hitting the road and being ‘free’ to travel in the U.K.
Africa was a far flung place I’d never ever thought of visiting.

I asked my daughter if she’d like to go to Africa - and she said ‘No Mum, I’d be too scared of the spiders and bugs!’

So I gave the prize away to a friend I’d made online, and had been chatting to - he’d been very ill with cancer and was getting married.
Also had been told he’d never have kids which gutted him.

He couldn’t afford a honeymoon - so I called him and offered the holiday to him and his bride to be.

He was so gobsmacked he burst out crying and collapsed on the floor, with his colleagues running to help him. Said he’d never had anyone be so kind to him and couldn’t believe it was true. I assured him it was!

Spoke to AOL and transferred it all over to him.

For no known reason, a month or so later, he stopped chatting and I didn’t hear from him again!

Moral of the story: Think first! I’d love that holiday now - once I’d got my passport and discovered travel abroad, I found that I LOVE going on holiday - wherever it is!

I’ve heard he married, but don’t know if he took the holiday. He now has two children, so maybe if they did go, the paradise island of Zanzibar worked its magic and did him a big favour

You're right, Jay21 I've been meaning to change it for ages!

Not on the same scale; but I had been working as a barmaid in a snooker club for several years trying to make ends meet as my husband was out of work through ill health and we had 2 children to support. The Treasurer came in as usual one day to empty the one armed bandit. He called me over saying someone had left his winnings - a couple of 50p's in the pay out drawer and invited me to have a go. To my embarrassment it paid out the £100 jackpot. This was in the early 80's when that was a lot of money. I tried to I've it back to him but he refused, so I made him take the original £1 stake amidst a lot of laughter. Another time they had a Christmas draw and one of the club members insisted on putting my name on a couple of his tickets. They then insisted I made the draw and one of the tickets in my name won the magnificent and huge free range turkey. The farmer who reared it told me how to cook it and it was so delicious we ate it all in one go. When I eventually left to leave my family at home in Scotland to train as a Social Worker in Bristol, they gave me a cheque for £200 and a terrific send off. I'll always remember their tactful kindnesses.

My niece's young dog got out a couple of weeks ago, and was hit by a car. Her mum, my sister, started a Go Fund Me appeal to help towards the £5000 initial vets bill. It found its way to my niece's husband's employer, who paid the lot.🥰

That's nothing to be disgruntled about! Change your name to Delighted!😀

Some time I was volunteering at a mother and baby home. Each Christmas another volunteer and I made up Christmas baskets for the residents. One Christmas I was standing in the supermarket queue with a trolley full of baby toiletries, little things for the mums, etc. and the cashier asked me why I had so many of each item. I explained, and the next thing I knew the lady in the queue reached forward and paid for the lot! The cashier and I were so touched we nearly cried.

Many years ago I had a phone call from a man from a firm of solicitors: "Do you know XXxx?" "Yes!" "Well my job is usually boring, but today I have the pleasure of telling you that I am posting you a cheque for £20,000 from XXxx"

When my ex husband left me and our sons for a woman he was having an affair with. Cleaning out most of our money with him. I worked in a cash and carry at the time and they did a cash pot for me without me knowing I cried like a baby when they give it to me just over 5000 and the shop owners had done me a food hamper which they bought to my house. Filled my cupboards and more. Yes ex hubby bit on side didn’t last and he did try coming back but I didn’t let him. Lol The most I’ve won on lotto was few hundred pounds and that was years

Nothing on that scale but I recently had to cancel our subscription for dog food as our beloved Alfie had passed away. They refunded my last payment and told me to donate the food to a local dog charity. I was impressed with that. Well done Tails.com!

My hair is dreadful. Balayage and cut was a generous gift to me.

Like this.

Just heard today that my great neice has been gifted a 3 week trip to Japan by her uni friends .She has been ill recently and they were all going and decided a holiday was just what she needed,I felt quite teary when I heard.