simonbaker
Chef Extraordinaire
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2011
- Messages
- 16,478
I helped a lady with a cane take care of her shopping cart at the grocery store.
Random Act of Kindness - start the wave DC!
- Thread starter Alix
- Start date
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CWS4322
Chef Extraordinaire
I helped a lady with a walker carry her groceries to her car...she wanted to tip me! I told her that my mom uses a walker and I would hope that someone would help her carry things.
Good for your both!
OP
OP
WOOT! Go team DC!
CWS4322
Chef Extraordinaire
This isn't a recent act of kindness, but it is something I was able to do years ago. I worked as a Tour Manager. We had "an empty room" that the tour company was paying for at each hotel (the people canceled). We checked into a hotel in St Pete's (it was raining--that I remember). A woman came in, she was weeping--not crying, but weeping as one does when one has suffered a grave loss. Her father had just passed away. She and her son (who was about 9-10) looked like h#ll and needed a place for the night. The hotel was sold out. "Sorry m'am, no vacancies." After she begged for a room through her tears. I was standing there (I think I'd brought the airline tickets down to put in the safe deposit box). I turned to the clerk and said, "I have a room, give her the key." To this day, I like to think that that woman, and her son perhaps, when they remember that night, remember a stranger who said "I have a room, give her the key." They got the key, they got the room. All she said to me was "thank you." Other than that, we did not exchange a single word. The clerk just shrugged and he never said anything to me either. The hotel was going to let that room (the room the company was carrying) be empty and turn that woman and her son away. The tour company paid for it (or rather, the folks who canceled did). Empty or slept in, the room was paid for. But that act of kindness, I hope, was paid forward in some way later in those two people's lives. And, the fact that I was there when she walked in, that was fate.
I haven't told many about this story--I've kept it to myself believing that if something you have done has touched s/one else's heart, you keep it to yourself. I count this one act as the one time I've been someone's angel--even if you don't believe in angels. If I have done nothing else in my life that has made a difference, I believe this one act made a difference. So even if it seems that what you might do--a person with a cane is putting gas in the car--crossing the street--or a young mother is trying to shop with three kids and only has two hands, what you do can make a difference. I know if I'd been in that woman's shoes, I would have appreciated the stranger who gave my son and I a place to rest our heads.
I haven't told many about this story--I've kept it to myself believing that if something you have done has touched s/one else's heart, you keep it to yourself. I count this one act as the one time I've been someone's angel--even if you don't believe in angels. If I have done nothing else in my life that has made a difference, I believe this one act made a difference. So even if it seems that what you might do--a person with a cane is putting gas in the car--crossing the street--or a young mother is trying to shop with three kids and only has two hands, what you do can make a difference. I know if I'd been in that woman's shoes, I would have appreciated the stranger who gave my son and I a place to rest our heads.
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CWS4322
Chef Extraordinaire
My mother has dementia. I think I've mentioned that. I'd like my mother back--it's not going to happen. One of the things that I have, however, are all the letters that my friends wrote to me when I was an exchange student in Germany. I hadn't read those letters in over 30 years. I also had lost contact with those friends after I moved to Canada. In 2008, before I went to MN to care for my mother for the first time since her diagnosis, I was cleaning out the basement and stumbled across "the box." I have so many letters from so many of my friends where they reported back to me about bumping into my mom in town and "how her eyes lit up at the mention of my name..." "how much she obviously loved me..." The words in those letters are dear to me now--if you have a friend who has a parent suffering from Alzheimer's or dementia, writing a letter to that friend of your memories of that person before the disease could be an "act of kindness."
CWS4322, your story reminded me of an act of kindness done for me. My ex and I were stopped on a dirt road, in the dark, trying to make the headlights work on a 1964 or '66 GMC step van (an old mail truck). I didn't even have hazard lights. I don't think they had been invented when that truck was built.
A family stopped and helped me get he headlights working. We asked where they were headed. They were headed to the in-laws to stay the night, because their house had just burned down!
A family stopped and helped me get he headlights working. We asked where they were headed. They were headed to the in-laws to stay the night, because their house had just burned down!
As a person who uses a cane and has a father who uses a walker inside and a wheelchair outside, I thank you both from the bottom of my heart. Since I have been going to the Y, it has just been amazing how many young guys hold the door open for me, whether I am alone with my cane or pushing Dad's chair. There have been other times where people have stood watching us struggle to get the chair through, and looking disgusted because we are slowing them down.
CWS4322
Chef Extraordinaire
And they probably don't have a clue how much that meant to you. Or maybe they do, and that is what they remember about that day--that they could still stop and help s/one else.
CWS4322
Chef Extraordinaire
That is so sad that people do that--that they don't step up and open the door, offer to help (wheelchairs aren't always the easiest to get out of the car--neither are walkers). Reminds me of when I took my mom shopping. Some of the stores at the local mall have wheelchairs BUT you can't take the wheelchairs out of the stores. I whizzed her around the store getting the stuff she wanted, but she also wanted to get her watch fixed. The jewelry store is about 5-6 stores away. I figured I'd just wheel her on over there. Oh no, couldn't take the store's wheelchair out into the mall. The dirty looks I got when I told the store clerk (in no uncertain terms) that (a) I was taking the wheelchair out of the store and into the mall, and (b) that if the person didn't like it, I'd call an attorney and have the store charged for violating the ADA Guidelines and (c) I'd bring it back after I brought my mom back to the car since she'd spent $xx in the store, and smiling pretty--I hoped that would be okay--I'd have the wheelchair back within 20 minutes. It probably would have been easier to put her in a grocery cart than it was to get that wheelchair out of the store and into the mall...funny that I could take the wheelchair out to the car to get her--it is so much easier to take her shopping if she's in a chair than having her trundle along with her walker--she gets very tired, but I couldn't take it out into the mall. My DH says I'm very good at being b&tchy in these situations...I was so mad I was almost in tears--the mall doesn't have wheelchairs, just individual stores do. And, I was really ticked about the "use it in our store only" policy and no wheelchairs available in the mall, but there are strollers and carts.
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OP
OP
CWS4322, My mom is sliding into dementia too, so I understand your words all too well. I love to hear stories from folks about what they remember of our home when the visited.
I was so touched by your story. You really were someone's angel that day.
I think my RAK for today was just having an open ear. I listened to someone who has a lot of burdens to carry, and she needed an ear.
I was so touched by your story. You really were someone's angel that day.
I think my RAK for today was just having an open ear. I listened to someone who has a lot of burdens to carry, and she needed an ear.
I got my co-workers picture of her new Grandson on her computer as the background pic. She didn't know how to get it from her phone to the computer. I also saved it to a memory stick for her, so she could get prints.
Other than that, I was my regular Ogre self.
Other than that, I was my regular Ogre self.
Since I had to use a wheel chair, now a walker I've been treated with such kindness from all sorts of people. Opening doors for us, Where we have breakfast after diaylisis the young lady who always seats us noticed my shoe had come untied and wanted to tie it for me. She is so sweet you just have to love her. We have become close with many of the kidney people you can't help it. we all look out for each other much like our DC family. How lucky I am to have such giving friends.
kadesma
kadesma
Somebunny
Executive Chef
I really do not like "ringing my own bell" but yesterday my co-worker and I did a good deed for a customer who could not pay all of their utility bill and would have been disconnected today. We each kicked in $25 to help defray the balance. They were able to come up with the additional amount this morning to keep the utilities on.
They were able to come up with the additional amount this morning to keep the utilities on.
Somebunny, I think that was a wonderful gesture and I am glad you shared it with us. Don't look at it as ringing your own bell but as inspiration for others.
I hope they realize how much it meant, but they might have just considered it normal - "Well, of course we stopped to help."
It's a large part of what I loved about living in the country/small town Quebec. Everyone was helpful. E.g., If you saw anyone walking by the side of the road, you stopped to ask if they wanted a lift (except near the prison, if you didn't recognize the person
).
Since I had to use a wheel chair, now a walker I've been treated with such kindness from all sorts of people. Opening doors for us, Where we have breakfast after diaylisis the young lady who always seats us noticed my shoe had come untied and wanted to tie it for me. She is so sweet you just have to love her. We have become close with many of the kidney people you can't help it. we all look out for each other much like our DC family. How lucky I am to have such giving friends.
kadesma
It's the same at Cardiac Rehab, we are all looking out for each other and offering hints and tips on how to do our exercises. And worrying about folks who don't show up.
There is a "secret fund" at work that was started about ten years ago, it can be borrowed from and when it's paid back the borrower adds ten dollars. It started at $200, lent from one worker to another for school books. It has been repaid and borrowed many, many times over the years for many reasons. The fund now has $870 in it.
Wow, Princess, that is a really great idea! Do you mind if I borrow it? I know a group that it would be very appropriate for!
Take it, keep it! I know it's helped alot of people when they needed it most.
