Who's been unexpectedly kind to you this year, or at any time?

Unsung heroes.

I just remember the kind colleague of my Dad's who just quietly turned up and looked after my sister's garden after her husband was killed. He never rang the bell or anything just got on with cutting the grass and trimming the large hedges.

Some of these little kindnesses are pretty big...

A neighbour who had been friendly with my husband but I hadn’t known, knocked on my door after seeing me with my arm in a sling. I’d fractured my shoulder and was very restricted for minths. He called every day to walk slowly with me and my little spaniel. He fixed the hose pipe. He took my bins out for about 4 months till I could use my arm.
My dog trainer came as soon as I got home from hospital and boarded my lab for months. Yes I paid but half her usual fee. My dog was loved and cared for - the physio/doc very clear I couldn’t safely handle that huge daft yiung dog, plus I had abdominal surgery as soon as I was fit enough post fracture. He’s home and doing good
My daughters were beyond anything I could have expected during a tough time

And Mouse I missed your post until just now.
Are you feeling better now?

Me too, Madeleine

Hope you're home soon Madeleine45. What a time you've had. Very nice of that kind couple.

What a lovely story madeleine45, this goes a long way towards restoring my faith in humanity. But what mess you have been in, must have been stressful. Hoping you have a peaceful Christmas in your own home 🌺🌺🙏🏾

Just the other day, I was sat in the hotel lounge, in a lot of pain, surrounded by people out for coffees and christmas lunches with friends and family. My back was very painful, and this is an old listed building so no lifts. All the staff are very helpful and do their very best for me but it was a bad morning and I felt very alone, with no end in sight as to when I could go home. I had had to move rooms for the third time as naturally the hotel was booked weeks ago and they had to move me about , which was still better than having nowhere to go!!
My bathroom at home had had an undetected leak from the pipe behind the toilet which the tiles had hidden. A very kind plumber who was supposed to be doing a job at home, came straight out to me as I could not hear any water running and only a damp carpet made me aware there was something wrong. His plan was just to find the leak and turn the water off until it could be sorted. It ended up with the complete bathroom having to be taken out. I was stood at 2pm with no toilet, no hot water and total chaos everywhere. Nowhere to go as friends away and DIL and GS got covid. Eventually got a room in a hotel via booking.co. as there was no available rooms anywhere .After the first week I was able to book direct with them but have been there for more than 8 weeks now. The bathroom had to be sanitized and driers took 3 weeks to get it to the state that it could be worked on. This kind plumber fitted in with what was happening and has only been able to begin last friday He was working here until 10pm, done everything he could to help, got everything he needed asap, but we were waiting for the seat for the shower which only came today and the handrails., which needed to be at the right height. Last night he had persuaded his electrician friend to come and wire stuff up so that it would be useable today. He has been here and done all the measurement and fitted it all , being very patient as I had to try sitting and standing and with a bad back it takes a long while.So I have been very blessed with his good work and lovely attitude . But the little thing that I was going to talk about was that a couple who come every week to the hotel for coffee and to sometimes meet friends for lunch , came in that day. "You still here? Are you staying for christmas? " they said. I told them what was happening and that I might need to see if there was a stable that I could stay in - there was a precedent for that I know. ! So we chatted and then they met their friends and I said good bye. A few minutes later a waiter came with a very nice coffee and put it down on the table. I said , No sorry I havent ordered coffee and he said that this kind couple had paid for a coffee and asked him to bring it with their good wishes and hope that I would be home soon. I have never met them before I went to the hotel so it was such a kind gesture and not only was the coffee very nice I was warmed by their kind thought which with the plumbers good efforts are helping me keep going.

I think everyone could do with a James, BA69 He sounds a real gem.
Also, your computer man reminds me, when I needed to provide copies of medical stuff when I was first not well.

I wasn't even well enough to go and stand in the library and do reams of photocopying, I knew I wouldn't be able to do it.

I asked on the nextdoor site, and a total stranger let me go and use her copier, while I sat down and had a cup of tea.

She really did me such a massive favour, when I really needed it.

A lovely young man called James who cleans for me but is now my friend. When my husband died last August he came round straight away (I have no family) to be there for me. He went out to buy me an air fryer (I paid for it of course) because I'd mentioned I wanted one now I was cooking for one. I know if I ring him anytime if I needed anything he would come round, although I don't take advantage of this. He encouraged me to put up my Xmas tree this year when I was feeling low, and couldn't be bothered. He and his partner took me to a Xmas fair.

Also, the man who sometimes fixes my computer, I hardly know him personally,but when my printer was broke and I couldn't print out my husband's eulogy he came straight round and fixed it for me for free

We hear so much about the badness in this world, but lets always remember the majority of people are good.

Thank you MissAdventure for starting this wonderful post.

I was struggling with the water tap at the cemetery on Sunday when a kind gentleman asked if he could help and turned the tap on for me.

My postman.
In the summer when I felt really ill, would knock, come in through my back door and hand my post to me.

The bin men were unexpectedly kind, and one of them followed up by clearing the snow off my windscreen. This was months ago btw, nothing to do with Christmas expectations…

Tammie12

A kindness shown to my daughter, she was driving in pouring rain with baby in car when she had a tyre blow. She managed to pull into a side street, where she called her sister to fetch baby and her partner to change tyre. He was out in rain trying to undo tyre nut when a gentleman from a nearby house came out to see if he could help. He laid on ground in pouring rain and managed to undo the nut, then helped put new tyre on, he then said goodbye and left. They saw which house he came from and took a card and chocolates round plus a box of dog biscuits for dog that had stood at gate and watched it all

There really are some kind people around, and they always just do what's needed, without the need to make a song and dance out of it.

My dad used to fix cars, and I can remember him doing things like that for people, too.

Bill the bodger, he was known as.

Ummm......

A kindness shown to my daughter, she was driving in pouring rain with baby in car when she had a tyre blow. She managed to pull into a side street, where she called her sister to fetch baby and her partner to change tyre. He was out in rain trying to undo tyre nut when a gentleman from a nearby house came out to see if he could help. He laid on ground in pouring rain and managed to undo the nut, then helped put new tyre on, he then said goodbye and left. They saw which house he came from and took a card and chocolates round plus a box of dog biscuits for dog that had stood at gate and watched it all

Wow!
Oh I've not had a walnut whip for years, and I used to love those.

You've earned every one, though, for being such a staunch ally to your friend.

What filling is in your whips, by the way? The white creamy one or the coffee one?

A friend that I've know since 2017 when I first moved here asked for my bank details saying she wants to ''drop a bit of cash in as an appreciation for my friendship to her''.

She's a recovering alcoholic in her 60s so I've never judged her and have always been there for her.

That ''bit'' of cash turned out to be £600.00!

So I went to our local sweet shop and treated myself to a box of Walnut Whips!

I have been subjected to a number of tests this summer before my oncologist would release me. Three days after a PET scan she rang me to tell me it was clear as she knew I was worried. She also apologised for ringing without an appointment.

Also on the same theme when my surgeon discharged me I wrote her a letter thanking her for all she had done for me. She replied with a personal letter thanking me and saying they don't often get handwritten letters of thanks.

Also my odd job man who is always on the end of a phone and can come round at a moment's notice. All he asks for is a bottle of Spanish brandy at Christmas!!

By the way. The woman dabbed my eyes, not stabbed them.
That would have been too much!

Just little things show kindness.
The right words said at the right time, a smile, carrying a neighbours shopping, paying some one a compliment, giving up your seat on the train or bus, simply holding the door open with a smile, a phone call or a card to let a friend know you're thinking of them. Etc. Etc.
So many VERY LITTLE things can make a big difference to the day.
I've received many such acts of kindness through the years and I'm grateful for each and every one.

Ages ago, I fell over at the bus stops near our station.
My foot caught on something, and I really hurtled face down onto the floor.

I hurt my knee really badly, and I just lay on the floor crying.

A group of older ladies all came over and literally picked me up, and sat me on a bench, one stabbing my eyes with her hanky, and another opening her water and making me drink some.

When they looked at my poor knee, it was bleeding badly, so a man waiting for his bus came over and held his snowy white hanky on it, to stem the blood.

They were all so kind. I remember crying "I just want my mum!" and one of the ladies said "Ooh, I'll be your mum, love"

I've never forgotten their kindness, and never forgiven my daughter, mum and grandsons, because they laughed like drains when I told them

I was met with three acts of kindness on the same day a couple of weeks ago. I walk with a crutch as I have back issues as well as arthritis in both knees. I had done the weekly shop plus some Christmas bits so made my way to the checkouts. I was in a lot of pain and feeling very tired too. (I recently had pneumonia and still haven’t fully recovered). The lady behind me asked if I minded if she helped to put my goods on the belt. So first act of kindness. Next the assistant asked me for my bags and she packed up all my shopping. Second act of kindness. Then as I was leaving the store with a very wayward trolley a lady came up to me, asked if she could push the trolley then packed my bags in the boot of my car. Act of kindness number three.

Such kindness, I be was so grateful to those three strangers. I can usually manage but I was having a bad day. I couldn’t thank them enough.