What is the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

My wife – she married me.

Nice Sentiments cprevite! Happy holidays.

My friend who helped me open my eyes to Christianity.

Show me Luvre on fluther.

One of the blessings of tragedy in your life is that you have the opportunity to see people at their best. When my Children were very small (Newborn, 2, and 4 I think but maybe 1, 3 and 5) My first husband (who was bipolar and very sick) separated a couple of days before Christmas. We sold our only vehicle to buy plane tickets for me to move with the kids back home with my mom.
I had no money and neither did my family. It was just before Christmas and to late to ask any charities for help for Christmas.
I told the last Charity I called (I wish I could remember what it was!) That I was planning on giving my daughters my Barbies from when I was a little girl and that all I really needed was some Barbie accessories. If they knew anyone who had any Barbie accessories in their attic or anything we would be able to make a great Christmas. I told them that the Baby wouldn’t know the difference anyway so I wasn’t to worried about my son.
I knew that chances were bleak and had accepted the fact that Christmas would be lean and I would be teaching the kids more about the Holy meaning of Christmas that year.
I was sitting by the fire with my mom, at about 10:30 or 11:00 that night when I got a knock on the door.
This Charity had arrived with armloads of gifts! So many Barbie things, furniture, clothes, cars ! They also brought presents for the baby! I was in tears and Shock!
Many Christmases have come and gone, but that Christmas, when were were flat broke, has always stood out among me and the kids as the best Christmas ever, when we experienced the generosity of the human spirit, and humanity at it’s best.
Like no other year before or since, I experience humility and joy as I watched the kids eyes light up that Christmas morning.

(I just realized that I didn’t say that the night the gifts arrived was Christmas eve!)

Christmas does seem to bring out the best in people. A few years ago my husband became very ill and needed surgery right before Christmas. This left us with very little money to spend on our sons who were 8 and 10 at the time. A co-worker of my husband’s brought us a collection tin at the hospital. They had collected a little over $100 for us to buy presents for our sons . Another co-worker brought over bags full of video games on Christmas Eve. We will never forget the generosity of those people!

I agree jonsblond. When my first husband finally did die from his disease (He committed suicide when kids were 4,6, and 8) The place he worked put my kids names in all the left over slots on their Super Bowl Football pool. I’m not sure how those things work, but the kids won some slots and the person who won the big pot gave it to my kids.
I have been the recipient of so much generosity! I finally started praying , “God, if it’s more blessed to give than to receive, I would like an opportunity to be blessed.”
I can say that I am now in a position to do more giving than receiving and I know that because of the generosity of others I have a great big obligation to pay it forward.

Judi: Very very nice. We have (Seattle area) 13” of snow on the ground and it is snowing right now (9:10am 12–24). Yesterday I took a load of firewood out to a poorish family from our church and their gratitude made me uncomfortable. Of course loading a P/U full of wood and driving 20 miles through this crud was no fun, I was embarrassed by their actions.

@cardinal;
So sorry you’re buried. My nephew is stuck in Portland. I was thinking that if I lived in one of those snowed in Cities I would be taking blankets, clean clothes and cots to the people stuck at the airport. Maybe even organizing a Christmas dinner for those still stuck tomorrow or tonight. At least Coco and cookies!

Judi: There are hundreds stuck at the bus station. I could easily take in 15 or 20 folks, but the police have closd the roads and you literally can’t get there from here. The Grinch

It was pouring rain one day and as I was walking into the school building, an assistant principal asked if he could borrow my umbrella to head back outside. I told him that the umbrella was crap, had a hole, and one of those wire things had broken. He took it and headed outside anyway. When he came back into the building he was soaking wet. He looked at me and said, “Gimme, there is a present hanging on the closet door in my office. I want you to have it.” I walked into the office, and hanging on the knob was a big beautiful umbrella! He gave me his umbrella! That was sweet. One of the nicest things anyone has done.

Nothing like your 5 year old daughter coming up to you and giving you a big kiss and a hug when you’ve had a terrible day at work…

My husband’s and children’s love, understanding and forgiveness are a daily kindness in my life.

However, the thing that brought me to tears occurred right here on Fluther! I had posted that my husband was likely to be out of work by Christmas, and I hoped just to be able to buy gifts for our children. I awoke the next day, logged on to Fluther and saw a Private Message that touched me deeply. A member (who shall remain nameless out of respect for her) had written to offer to send me some money to buy presents for our children! She made it clear that it would be a gift, not a loan. She worried about offending me, and explained that she had been in a similar situation once upon a time and wanted to spare me that kind of Christmas. This Jelly, whom I have no connection with outside of Fluther, has been going through some extremely tough times of her own (not financially, but otherwise). I was absolutely amazed at her generousity and ability to think of helping a stranger while in the midst of her own troubles.

I am thankful that I did not need to take her up on her offer, but even more thankful that she made it. What a wonderful world.

I can tell you something nice some people have done for me today. I’ve been having the worst month of my life, and certainly the worst Christmas. Too long to explain. But 3 friends called me today (and one more sent me a message) giving me their full support, no matter what. Unconditionally.

My supervisor at work, who is a close friend, loves and accepts me for who I really am. It is a wonderful gift.

love me unconditionally

@Jack79: Here’s hoping your Christmas is better than you’d hoped, and then on to a bright shiny new year!

@augustlan: unfortunately it even got worse…my daughter was kidnapped last night…this is some sort of metaphysical jinx, nobody can get that much bad luck in the same month! :(

What the hell! Is there anything we can do to help?

pray if you’re religious I guess

this has gone so far that I’m actually laughing, it’s the type of shock laugh when you can’t believe things could possibly go so wrong. My whole psyche has locked, I’m absolutely calm and void of feelings. There’s a special name for this condition, after one of the women on the Titanic, who spent her last moments packing her clothes neatly rather than panicking like everyone else. Anyway, all this is irrelevant to the thread. But thanks for being kind :)

I’m sending my intention that she arrive home quickly, safely.

Yes – here’s hoping for a speedy resolution and that she is home again soon.

last night my son who is 2 years and two months said “love you” for the first time ever. incredible

@lynneblundell: That is the best. My daughter’s 6 and it never gets old.

I’ve been told to enjoy it now because when she’s about 13 it becomes “I hate you”.

I’m hoping that’s not true.

to both of you: enjoy every second with your children. Cherish every moment. Even when you’re asleep and they wake you up wanting milk, even when you just want to lie down and they want to ask annoying questions. Even when they won’t even let you go to the toilet, like mine did…until recently.

I don’t know when I’ll see her again, I just hope she is well, wherever she is. And I know they won’t dare harm her.

Last time I saw my daughter she puked on my shoes. Even that would be wonderful right now…

@jack79

What is going on? Was you daughter actually kidnapped or is that some metaphor for something? If she was kidnapped, what are you doing about it and why are you still posting?

I’m concerned about this.

I’d rather answer you in private.

Jack, of course I can understand you wanting to keep such a sensitive matter private. You’ve mentioned it a few times publicly, and I’m concerned, and I’m sure others are too.

I’m hoping that any way you can think of to tap the power of the collective, you will.

What he ^^ said.

What I basically told jannb in private (and you already know the story more or less) is that it’s not that I don’t want to talk about it, but that this story is so incredible that people simply think I’m making it up. To be fair I wouldn’t believe it either if someone else told me. Even my own parents thought I was exaggerating, my lawyers never believed me (except for one), the police and judges didn’t even bother, and only a few of my best friends even listened. So I’ve just given up on trying to persuade people that I’m not imagining everything.

Another point is that I see fluther as a place to ask questions (which is why I joined). As in questions that have answers, eg “does anyone here know the per capita income of Zimbabwe?” (ok that’s an easy one, because it’s a little less than 1 cent per year). So even though I realise this is of course a community, I do not feel very comfortable about turning it into an agony aunt corner.

I do appreciate your support though, especially since I’m a new member whom you don’t really know.

Jack, we don’t have to know you well to pray for you. So consider yourself on my “list”, anyway.