Kindness on a train journey from Athens to Yugoslavia

About 20 years ago, when I was a school kid, I took a overnight train from athens heading for "yugoslavia".
and happened to share a compartment with a korean guy who seemed to be around thirty.
in spite of summer, the temperature began to drop rather low. then he proffered his blanket to me.
although I appreciated his kindness, I felt too bad to make him chilled because of me, and had to decline with thanks. but he told me to use it and pretended to be alright and sleep.
we didn't seem to have the choice of being wrapped up in the blanket together.
so with thankfulness I slept in it. woke up around dawn and since I got to sleep enough in warmth, I returned it to him so that he could sleep well at least till thessaloniki where he was supposed to transfer for turkey.

Crouka

A woman in need, the woman who helped and the lad who....

In January this year it was very icy. I was walking to the shops, pushing my babies in their tandem pushchair. I skidded crossing a road. I'd just got the pushchair up the sloped kerb on the other side when I heard a thud behind me. An middle-aged woman had slipped and fallen in the road. She looked as if she was in pain. A small crowd gathered around us, keeping traffic away, as I gently helped her to her feet. She already had one arm in plaster and she was worried she had broken the other arm. We were outside a bicycle shop so I took her inside. One of the shop assistants called for an ambulance, another kindly wheeled my boys inside. The small crowd had dispersed, probably because there was nothing more to see.

Although the injured woman, Sharon, told me to go, I could sense that she didn't mean it. So I asked the shop assistants for a chair and a glass of water for her. The she needed the toilet. She said she would be okay on her own, but after a couple of minutes she called for me. I was worried about leaving my boys, so I kept talking so they could hear me. I knew they would cry if anyone tried to take them (I know, I'm paranoid - that's what being a parent does to you)! Poor Sharon. With two broken arms she couldn't do anything for herself in the toilet. If either of us was embarrassed we didn't show it.

As we waited for the ambulance, Sharon showed signs of going into shock. I managed to sit her on the floor and kept talking to her. Eventually the ambulance arrived and they took her to hospital. I thanked the lads in the shop for their help, although I think they were glad to see the back of us.

One week later I was passing the bike shop. One of the lads ran out to talk to me. I thought he may have heard from Sharon, or was going to ask if I'd heard how she was. But no. He asked "Have you wiped any old ladies' arses this week?". S.

This is a great example of kindness and the contrasting ways in which actions can be perceived. On first and second reading, I didn't quite get the final paragraph, but on qualification I was correct in that the lad in the cycle shop was trying to be clever. Trying to be clever but not quite coming across that way?

Our daughter amazes us AGAIN

I am a mum of four with a family that you all too easily stop seeing for what they are on a day to day basis.

I have just returned from a five day trip to Blogher in Chicago. Leaving my family behind was tough for us all but I can see now that it has ignited a flame between us all as we feel the magic of stolen conversations and messages that we should never have lost.

My kind act is small but monumental to me.

My little girl has personally special things - her cuddly bunny that I gave to her on her first Christmas and her snuggly blanket.

As I was getting ready to leave for my trip she gave them both to me so that I could have the same safe feeling when I am alone miles away from home that she feels when their comfort engulfs her.

She is seven years old and very special.

Neighbour, stranger but a saviour.

A few months ago, I had purchased a new counter top that we use as a desk, balanced between several drawers units. the whole piece was about 12ft long and weighed a ton being wood. I needed to carry it up 5 floors with my girlfriend, as we were half way through the first floor and already frustrated, a neighbour we have never seen came into corridor. she was a middle aged woman, she basically left her bags there, kicked off her heels and started carrying the table with us all the way up to the 5th floor. Without her help, we most likely would've left it halfway and continued later as it was so hard to manuever in the staircase. the fact that she would stop on her way out and spend a good 10 minutes helping us even though we've never met before was really heart warming.

Mike L

My daughter amazes me.

The thing I love most about my kids is their ability to completely astound me. Take this morning. Biba 7 and Betty 5 had spent the first three hours of the morning shouting at each other. This is not an uncommon occurrence. We then did our usual thing of going to the local car boot sale. We did not anticipate how cold it was going to be as it has been reasonably warm over the last few days. Betty was shivering and complaining how cold she was. Biba immediately took off her jacket and gave it to Betty, leaving her with just a T shirt on. She said that Betty's needs were greater than hers. It's things like this that make my life so much richer.

Kindness in Melbourne = A crime in New York

Just thought I would share, this happened last year.

I lived in the Melbourne city and had parking meters, there was an officer putting tickets on cars who's meters had run out. I watched this lady parked her car, got out and walked to the meter and insert coins. As she was about to walk off she saw an officer a few cars down and looked to the meter for the car next to hers. That meter had expired, she then puts coins for the car next to her.

It just struck me as a nice thing for her to do even if they were strangers. Glad to see there are so unselfish people in this world.

Fenrost

Unbelievably this action is an actual offence in New York and would have earned the lady a ticket of a different kind. I guess acts of kindness do know bounds. Geographical ones.

Contemplation

Last week, my ex-coworkers daughter died. She was 5, was born a month after my own daughter. It was a hellish week. The power of imagination, I hope to never deal with you again.