My parents best friends from New Jersey (who have known me since I was a baby), just sent me an awesome temporal artery thermometer in the mail, because I had been on FB complaining how all my stupid thermometers are broken and say my temp is 68 (which is sooo wrong, LOL)... 'Aunt' Fran was worried that I had 3 kids and no thermometer... HOW SWEET!! She didn't have to do that!! I was touched....
A while ago, when I was only a few months preggers with #3, our friends (who still lived in TN at the time) didn't like that we didn't have a phone. We haven't had cell phones in forever, and the place we moved to we were having trouble getting phone service to... our friends sent us a pre-paid cell phone, PLUS minutes for it!! I mean... who does that?! They were worried about us. Again, this touched me.
When my 2nd baby was only 3 weeks old, I had to go back to work. I was freaking out because I was working 2 jobs, and still couldn't afford daycare. One of my old coworkers mothers offered to take '2nd shift' watching my newborn baby... for free. She babysat from 6pm-1am for me, 5 days a week, for about 3 months. I never, EVER could have survived and supported my children without her. She is my guardian angel.
What was the kindest, most thoughtful thing anyone has done for YOU? And have you done anything to 'pay it forward?'
MY 'pay it forward'... long story short, I have a sensitive spot for single moms who are really, really trying. I babysit for free on a regular basis, as much as I can handle. I'd love to create a safe house for struggling moms regardless of what background mistakes they've made... anything to get their lives turned around and help them get on their feet, to better their childrens lives. I'm no saint, but I definately have a soft spot for them!
@Krista, EXACTLY, I think we all need a reminder of the kindness in this world and remember to do our best to CARE!
My husband actually married me. I honestly think that is the kindest, most thoughtful thing anyone has actually done for me. I really, really dont deserve him.. he can do a lot better :)
the kindest thing anyone has done wasnt just for me but for my family. in 2005 when my father passed away my best friend would drive 40 miles round trip when she got off work everyday to go be with my mom because i lived in a different state at the time. when i heard she was doing this it made me cry! and this same friend made me a blanket out of his old clothing :) i could never thank her enough for the help and love she gave us during that time
My middle child, Daniel, who is 16 now, STILL makes me cards with construction paper and crayons and such for Mother's Day, birthdat, Easter Christmas, sometimes no reason at all, without being prompted or reminded.
Sigh, can't BELIEVE I have to send him off to college soon, he's our household Nice Guy! :(
A few years ago my husband and I were really struggling. We had an expensive car repair and a few other expenses happen all at once. Needless to say, we weren't prepared. We had to fix the car because my husband had to go to work, we had to pay the electric bill or face a shut off. That left no money for food. A good friend of mine let me cry on her shoulder for about an hour. Then she mailed me a check and some food. It was honestly the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. When I got the box, I sat on the floor and cried. It was so needed and appreciated more than I could ever express to her.
There are so many wonderful and caring people in this world and it's nice to be reminded of it!
After my nephew died, we were devastated and as a family have had a very difficult time recovering from the loss. I have a very dear friend who was my roomie all through college and a bridesmaid at our wedding who is just one of those people who does kind things without realizing how kind she really is. Not only did she call me every day for two weeks (living in the Netherlands now), but she sent cards and emails periodically just so that we would know that someone was thinking of us and loving us. 18 months later, we Skyped last night b/c she just wanted to know that we are okay (father-in-law died two weeks ago).
People move-on with their lives after sending condolences- we all do, it's just human nature, but the ones who experience the loss hurt for a long time. Having someone say "I know you are still hurting and I love you" is immeasurably wonderful
My thoughtful things are little ones that really made a big difference. I had my first child the day before one of my best friends got married 3 hours away. Of course, all our friends left for the wedding on the day my son was born, but one. She stayed and was at the hospital in the hall outside my room with my parents when my son was born. She said I needed at least one friend to be there to share such a wonderful moment. I will never let her forget how much that meant to me. After my second son was born, he had to stay in the NICU for a week. It was almost unbearable to leave him at the hospital when I went home. As we were driving home, I found 2 messages on my cell. Both from good friends who had been through the same thing. Each had some words of encouragement and love. Made the trip home much easier. I will always love them for that. Lastly, A moment I will always remember. On my wedding day, just before I left my dressing room to walk down the aisle, there was a knock on the door. It was my younger brother, who I love dearly, with a long stem pink rose,a kiss on the cheek and an "I love you." He is so kind and loving. I will never forget that sweet moment.
Our sweet, wonderful horse, Cody, passed away (1 year ago, this past fall). When the family got together for Christmas, my brother and his wife presented us with a card that said they had donated money to the humane society in Cody's name. I'm tearing up, just writing about it now. It had been a bad year for all of us. My brother and SIL lost their German Shepherd in August and my sister and BIL had to put down their dachsund in November. All three losses were right after each other. We really felt each other's pain. I was so touched.,,
Wow, I'm not sure I've done anything terribly note-worthy like some of you other amazing Mama's. I mean, I've fed friends currently lacking in the financial department dozens of times, but that makes me as happy as it makes them. I let one of the girls in my office do all of her laundry at my house for a few weeks when their washer was broken so she wouldn't have to go to the laundromat. I do as many volunteer things as I possibly can between working full-time with a husband & 2 very busy kids. My favorite is probably whenever there's a Habitat for Humanity project near enough to where I live to make it feasible. A few weeks ago a bunch of co-workers & I spent an entire Saturday painting classrooms at a girls Catholic school whose funding has been cut drastically.
On the flip-side, similar to one of the other Mama's, we had a really hard time financially about a year ago & had to decide between buying groceries and paying the electric bill. One of my girlfriends is not the type to ever hand out money, and I am not the type to ask, but what she did was ask me to keep her company while she was grocery shopping several weeks in a row & whenever she saw something that was 'a good deal' or something I had never tried before, or something that she loved how I cooked it she tossed it into the cart & bought it all. It was her way of feeding my family without making it seem like she was helping us. The tables have since turned & while we still struggle, it's manageable now & she is currently out of a job altogether. I feed her as often as I can possibly get her to come to my house for dinner & once every couple of weeks we meet out for lunch & I buy every time she'll let me.
When I had my first child I was single. This was a bit of a scandal in my family but my parents were wonderful and let my son and I move home and pay minimal rent and my mom provided daycare 4 days a week for free. She later provided 2-3 days of childcare, for free, for a total of 12 years. That's been a life saver for us in so many ways.
Anyway, when I was pregnant with my first, my co-workers threw a surprise baby shower for me. I worked in dining services management at a university and most of our employees were making around minimum wage and every single one of them chipped in on a group gift of hundreds of dollars worth of things I needed and some of the older ladies gave me hand-knitted clothing and blankets. Their generosity in my time of need was overwhelming. Also, one of my aunts decided that I should have a shower. My mom didn't think it was appropriate, but she of course came and so did all of the women in my family and it was wonderful.
A couple of years ago I was a gestational carrier for a friend of a friend. The mutual friend who connected us is someone I know through a working mom networking group in my town. They threw a little "Baby Mama" party for me near the due date and gave me gift cards for a manicure, restaurants, etc. It was so sweet! And when I was on bedrest for 2 weeks at the end, that friend came over immediately and she and the rest of the ladies in the group took care of meals, grocery shopping, cleaning, and rides for my kids. A whole community of people stepped up to help us, and it was amazing.
So my biggest pay it forward was being a gestational carrier, and I am using part of that compensation to pay for electrical services for a family I know who basically have a PICU in their living room and all of the equipment is on extension cords. On an ongoing basis, I give all of our outgrown clothes and unneeded household goods away, usually on freecycle. A single mom received my crib, changing table and lots of other gear. Also on an ongoing basis, my town has a Lotsa Helping Hands site for local families in need so I bring meals to families who have people in the hospital or are recovering from illnesses, etc.
Great thread - I live reading everyone's stories!
We moved to a new city last year, away from both our family and friends. Our next door neighbor's husband was deployed a few weeks after we arrived. While he was gone, I got very close to his wife and family, helped with the kids, nothing I would not have normally done for my friends, but apparently it meant the world to him. He presented me with an American Flag that was flown over Afganistan in honor of an American soldier who lost their life in a road side bomb. He carried it in his back pack while under fire. We were at his homecoming party and he gave a speech about it. I had no idea. It is in an engraved box and on my mantle as I write this. Yes, I still cry every time I think about it. You never know how much your actions impact other people's lives, do you?
The kindest thing I can recall is when a girlfriend of mine brought over a truck full (and I mean truck full) of baby stuff when I was pregnant with my first. My ex and I were broke, in school, and living off of school loans and unable to work much due to our school workload. She came over with food, swings, a bouncy seat, a jumparoo, clothes, a diaper genie, you name it, she brought it. This was all stuff left over from her baby, and it was in nearly new condition. She knew she was done having babies and she knew we needed the stuff. She was very well off and had no need to sell it or care about the money - we were so grateful I am pretty sure I cried. She saved us hundreds of dollars on many necessary items and it really lifted our spirits.
In fact - I am going to call her right now and remind her what a good woman she is! She probably still thinks nothing of her deed, but my ex and I will forever remember her kindness.
To pay it forward - I just last weekend donated a ton of items similar to those listed above to a local shelter and food bank that gives things away to needy families in the area. I could have sold the items for a buck, but I felt SO much better donating them. I try to gather items at home and from coworkers on a bimonthly basis. We also go to the store and purchase new items for these families (ie hygiene items, socks, etc).
Almost forgot another pay it forward - a girl I know (very young, just turned 21) is about to have a baby. She and her boyfriend are struggling financially - she is going to get a bunch of my maternity and baby items as well. I hope I can help her as much as my friend helped me!
Great question!
When our German Shepherd was still partially recovering from seizures, (this had been ongoing for 5 days and we thought she was good as dead for 2 of them.. but she had suddenly been able to stand up on her own and walk a few steps...and our family was exhausted from trying to stay home and care for her and emotionally drained wondering if she would be dead when we came home from things we couldn't avoid doing)... my friend called me on the phone and said "I am bringing you guys dinner". They live half an hour away. Hubby was at work and it was just me and the kids, and I was trying to get homework handled and the dog cared for and baths, etc.... and making dinner wasn't going to happen. I was going to have to LEAVE to go get take-out! And out of the blue, she called me and said "I'm on the way".
Love her.
Our dog is fine, now, by the way. That was a year ago almost exactly.
We do whatever we can to help out when we see a need. It isn't always a big grandiose gesture, but it's often the little things that matter to people most.
A recent example from my life:
My dtr and her Girl Scout troop were outside of a local grocery store on a cold Feb day selling cookies. I couldn't believe the number of people that came up to us just to hand us money (not interested in buying cookies).
It was so nice and the troop earned a nice little profit from those kind folks.
My mother passed away after a battle with lung cancer. One of my co-workers (I co-teach a class with them) got a card and had all the kids sign it for me. I was so touched I started crying. The kids had no idea that my mom was sick and, quite honestly, my co-workers was one of those stereotypical macho male types and I never expected such an outpouring of compassion.
Paying it forward - I always let the people at the grocery store who have fewer items than I do skip ahead of me in line when I have a cartful of groceries and the kid. Same goes if a parent shows up to checkout at the child is having a meltdown.
To me, it's the little things!
