Good Deed for the Day

[Claire]

OK, there's probably something like this already here, but I can't find it.

What have you done, or has someone done for you, recently that really gave you a lift to your day.

For example, about a year ago, I was in the Wal-Mart parking lot and found an elderly woman really struggling to get her husband into a wheel-chair. It was a chair owned by Wal Mart and the brakes didn't work and one of the foot rests wouldn't stay up long enough to get him into the chair. I'm tall and strong and was able to stop the chair, reach over and hold the foot rest in position, while she lifted and dropped him. She was so grateful and it made my month.

On the other hand, I've had hip surgery, and I live in a small town. Every time I limp though my local grocery store, up my street, in a restaurant, people, sometimes people I don't know, tell me how great I'm doing!!!!

Don't be afraid to brag, because sometimes it gives us an inspiration on how to bring a ray of sunshine to someone else.

 

[Katie H]

Your thread is very timely for me Claire because today was one of those "good deed" kind of days.

I shop for groceries every Tuesday and because she's "car-less" and lives in an assisted living facility, I also do the grocery shopping for my mother-in-law.

As background, the facility in which she lives there are several different levels of residents. By that, I mean some are (like my mother-in-law) very ambulatory, can take care of themselves, etc. Then, there are those who are limited in their movements and ability to care for themselves and there are, finally, others who are borderline able to be at this facility. Just a slip away from a full blown nursing home.

At any rate, I'd been to visit my mother-in-law and was walking down the hall toward the elevator. As I approached the elevator and pushed the button I noticed another resident coming from the other direction, moving quite slowly with her wheeled walker.

I was in no hurry and, looking at my watch, I realized it was minutes away from lunch being served in the dining room.

The lady was dressed very nicely, red blazer, black slacks, hair done "just so," a little make-up and a tasteful bit of jewelry.

The elevator arrived and the door opened well before the lady made it to where I was standing. I reached in and held the "door open" button and waited until the lady was able to join me in the elevator.

We chatted pleasantly as the elevator made its way to the main floor, she left the elevator and went on her way, with a whispered "thank you."

Why not? Some day I might be where she is. I was happy to have made a little difference in her day.

 

[Snip 13]

A new friend of mine baked me a cake for my Birthday. I haven't had a birthday cake made for me in 20 yrs. Felt nice to know someone cares enough to do it for me.

A while ago a teenage boy knocked on my door and he was in a bit of trouble. He was unable to get home since someone stole his money, shoes and jacket after a rough party.
He asked for food so I made him a sandwich and gave him a juice, an apple and one of my old jackets.
Felt nice to help but I felt bad that I couldn't do more. We had no money at the time, I just went and sold some household items the day before to buy food for us.

 

[Claire]

Snip, that reminds me of one of the most fun "good deeds" I've done in my life. A few years ago I was at the grocery store (remember, small town, Midwest, USA). There were two nice looking young men in the parking lot, speaking a language I couldn't understand but thought might be Eastern European, toting wheeled suitcases. They approached me and asked how to get to .... and named a restaurant. This is a tourist town, quite small, but on steep hills. I thought of how to tell them (rights, lefts, down the hill -- not real distant for young men, maybe a mile, but also difficult to describe to someone who can just speak English). I just said something to the effect of, "If you're still here when I come out of the store, I'll bring you."

Came out of the store, and there were these two handsome young men. I had them toss their suitcases in the bed of the truck, and took them home. Husband was just delighted. We fed them baloney sandwiches, I called the restaurant manager, we got their suitcases from the truck, then walked them down and delivered them to the restaurant manager. My husband ascertained that they were Eastern Orthodox and had a Greek Orthodox friend give them some information. I wrote a column about it and still get teased about about being a "cougar". The times I went to that restaurant, when the boys were still there (it was a sort of apprenticeship)(yes, all above-board), I got hugs. I wasn't home at the time, but before they shipped back out, they came and gave me a little plaque that say's "friends forever" and is signed on the back.

I still get very good, even preferential treatment at that restaurant, even though it isn't one I go to often (a bit pricey), and, yes, still get teased about being a "cougar".

It's easily the most fun good deed I've ever done, I still live on the memories!

 

[Addie]

I prefer to do RAK. My old nemesis (shyness) rears its ugly head and makes it difficult for me to accept owning up to doing a good deed. Aside from my regular donations to my church food bank, I also save all my bags from grocery shopping. I make a neat pile and give them to the church. When they have about 30 people show up for the food bank, each family gets two bags full of food. So that is four bags that are needed for each family. They are always in need of bags. No one knows it is me that leaves them at the door.

Recently one of the residents here lost her husband. I asked her about his walker. She was going to throw it away. I took it, washed it down with antiseptic wipes and left it at the door of another resident with a bow on it. No note except with her name on it. She was trying to save up to get one of her own. I see her in the halls getting around so much better.

Because I am one of two residents that has a computer, I often will look up information for anyone that asks and then print it out. I also help any resident that wants to apply for food stamps or MassHealth. We can do it right on line. It saves them a trip to their offices or mailing it in. And they receive a reply faster.

I have an illegal washer. It is portable and small. One one of the residents (who knew about it) lost her mother. She had no clean clothes or money to do laundry. So I washed some for her and then gave her the money to dry them downstairs in the laundry room. She had clean clothes to wear to her mother's wake that night. She is constantly trying to repay me in small ways. I wish she would stop. I don't do good deeds with a reward in mind.

 

[Claire]

Addie, none of us who really mean it do it hoping for rewards! But go ahead and let people repay what they can in kindness and favors. It makes us all feel better if we can do something to repay the kindnesses given to us. I'm not talking corporate donations for tax deductions. Just doing something nice for someone. If they can do something nice for you, then great.

If you're always giving, and refuse or are taciturn when someone tries to give back, you leave the person you gave to feeling powerless and in-debt. That sort of defeats the purpose for most of us (believe me, I've known many people who love giving for the feeling of power it gives them over those upon whom they bestow their favors).

So if she wants to repay you in little favors, be gracious and enjoy it.

 

[taxlady]

Addie, none of us who really mean it do it hoping for rewards! But go ahead and let people repay what they can in kindness and favors. It makes us all feel better if we can do something to repay the kindnesses given to us. I'm not talking corporate donations for tax deductions. Just doing something nice for someone. If they can do something nice for you, then great.

If you're always giving, and refuse or are taciturn when someone tries to give back, you leave the person you gave to feeling powerless and in-debt. That sort of defeats the purpose for most of us (believe me, I've known many people who love giving for the feeling of power it gives them over those upon whom they bestow their favors).

So if she wants to repay you in little favors, be gracious and enjoy it.

Well put, Claire.

 

[taxlady]

My good deed for the day was not killing any of those annoying, rude, drivers who were on the road today.

 

[Dawgluver]

My good deed for the day was not killing any of those annoying, rude, drivers who were on the road today.

 

[chopper]

Well put, Claire.

+1