Share a kind act someone did for you

amother

Brunette

Sat, Jul 25 2020, 9:46 pm

My dd was giving us and the school a really difficult time and my husband wasnt being very supportive so I was dealing with it all on my own. I had a really draining meeting with her principal and the school social worker which my husband refused to come to.

At the end of the meeting the principal said "you look like you can really use a hug, can I hug you?"

Even though Im not a touchy-feely kind of person I agreed, and she gave me one of the best, most appreciated hugs Ive gotten in my entire life.

It made such a difference to see how much she really cared. And every time I had to deal with her after that she made it so obvious how much she cares.

amother

Smokey

Sat, Jul 25 2020, 10:37 pm

As I was getting ready for d&c the nurse that came into my room gave me a tight hug and said “I’m sorry...there was nothing you did or didn’t do that caused this miscarriage...it’s not your fault!”

I was such a grouchy bundle of nerves and hardly cared about the preg loss at that busy time in my life... but 10 yrs later I realize how absolutely kind that was.

amother

Crimson

Sat, Jul 25 2020, 10:55 pm

Recently had a mis. I called atime and the call was routed to CF the head of the department. She asked me if there is anything I want or need and just stayed on the phone while I cried. I didn't tell anyone (even my parents) she was the only one and just allowing me to cry and listen quietly gave me the strength to move on.

SYA

Sat, Jul 25 2020, 10:59 pm

I was in my ninth month and my aunt saw me carrying a bottle of juice and two large bottles of milk. She went out of her way with my cousin to carry my bags home for me. She didn't know what it meant to me. I had really bad sciatica on one side and an inflamed muscle in the other side. Walking itself was painful. Carrying heavy bags made the pain much worse.

amother

Vermilion

Sat, Jul 25 2020, 11:08 pm

A friend heard that I went through a certain challenge. She came over to my house, sat for 10 minutes shmoozing and then gave me a huge hug, while saying: I can't imagine how you feel now but I'm feeling along with you, and feel safe to cry on my shoulders.
I did cry on her shoulders (this selfless and kind act made me cry) for two minutes and it felt good.

Another friend sent over a cheesecake. While another friend just sent a note with a mini balloon at the door, stating: I'm sorry for what you're going through, I'm with you through thick and thin.

A sweet woman in my community heard I gave birth to a special child and sent over a lunch with a blanket for the baby, she then called to say that she wants to come over for two minutes. She said she teaches little kids with special needs and showed adorable pictures of children playing sweetly...

When I hurt my foot and was in a cast over Chanukah, 6 friends made a surprise lunch party for me at my house. One friend called to ask if she can visit me in a few minutes. In walked a few friends with tablecloth, papergoods, food and goodies. Set up my table and we had a wonderful time.

A phone call or hopping over for a very short visitor sending over a care package can go along way to someone going through a challenging time.

All of those little gestures came along way to healing my pain.

Another little act of kindness, a friend came over for a few minutes to my house every so often (about once in two months)- Just to say HI, randomly. Claiming she she was anyways in the area, or thatshe needed a little outing.

amother

Lemon

Sun, Jul 26 2020, 12:28 am

It's funny what stays with you as a 'real kindness'. I live in lovely community that sends round suppers for a few weeks after we have a baby and also sends round breakfast for kimperturin. I really appreciate it. But it's the unexpected that really touched me. Here is what immediately came to mind :

My second child was born Shabbos morning. My husband had to walk home to take care of my oldest and there was no one else to visit me. Mid afternoon, two women I didn't know, from a completely different community popped their heads in to wish me Mazal tov. They'd walked to the hospital to wish a friend Mazal tov and they looked around to see if there was anyone else who was from on the ward that they could visit. It was a very long Shabbos afternoon and I was really touched!

When I moved a couple of years, with my large family and me being 8 months pregnant, I thought that by Friday, things would be organised enough for me to make Shabbos, but in truth I was completely overwhelmed. My DH's colleague asked him if he could do something on Thursday evening (a reasonable request under normal circumstances) and my DH said no, he had to set up the house for Shabbos. The colleague had thought my mother would be sending round food for Shabbos and when my DH explained that my mother had just come back from overseas, and wouldn't be sending anything, this colleague's wife sent round everything for Shabbos : soup, chicken, kugel, schnitzel, dessert etc. I was really touched!

amother

Oak

Sun, Jul 26 2020, 12:50 am

When my child got diagnosed with cancer r"l, my sil just came to sit with me in my home for a week, whenever I was alone, for emotional support.
Two diff family members came to sleep with me at home, for first two nights, while my dh stayed with my child in hospital for the night.
One didn't leave till I ate the breakfast she made.
Another sil cooked the shabbos & moved into my home to stay with me while my dh stayed in hospital with my child.
A friend asked me if she can send over Kugel for toamehu, for my family, when my dc was in hospital, she sent entire eggbox of food, weeks on end, so we can send it to hospital for my dc & dh. She even set up her cholent on Thu so it will be ready Fri morning.
On yom tov, she sent hot food with a non Jewish driver, right before mealtime, for them to have yom tov food in hospital.
Some working women in family stayed to sleep over in hospital with my dc.
Some stranger in hospital gave my husband $500 after hearing our plight & ordeal with this child. Also my dh airline passenger neighbor send us a check in mail for yom tov. He wasn't even frum.
A family friend sent raw challos before shabbos to bake in our oven to at least have the smell of shabbos in our home then.
Countless selfless people helped us so much.

amother

Firebrick

Sun, Jul 26 2020, 1:05 am

Mi k’amcha yisroel!!! My mother was in the hospital nisht mer gedacht and the incredible yachad organization had non Jews taking food to patients over YT so we were b”H able to send her homemade food for Pesach. (Due to Covid they didn’t allow any visitors so no one was able to stay or bring food directly)

Aylat

Sun, Jul 26 2020, 2:00 am

amother [ Oak ] wrote:

Wow!!!

amother

Puce

Sun, Jul 26 2020, 2:21 am

I've been going through a hard time recently. DD's gannenet tested positive for corona and all the family had to go into bidud - me, DH, DD (4) and 3 younger kids, and on top of that I'm pregnant. We were supposed to be selling our apartment and buying a new one and everything was cancelled because of this whole mess (no way to go out to sign with banks, lawyers, nevermind that we'd need to pack up our whole apartments during this 2 weeks of bidud with nobody to help with anything and DH working from home full time).

A woman in my community who hasn't seen me in ages found out through our DHs and baked us challah, a cake, a kugel and fish for shabbat, as well as luxury chocolates. Texted me to say she'd left it on my doorstep and really made my shabbat.

life is fun

Sun, Jul 26 2020, 2:25 am

I met a person who I knew was divorced, just a few days before receiving my get. I was so nervous about it and asked her what its like and what will happen..... the next day erev shabbos she stood at my front door with flowers and came to sit down on my couch for a chat.
Something I will never forget

amother

Vermilion

Sun, Jul 26 2020, 5:03 am

There's a special woman in my community, who sends over Farina for breakfast to all kimpeturins.
When I heard about it it thought it was weird and silly just to send Farina (every morning for a week).
That was Until I received it myself.
A hot cup of delicious farina at your door, with a chocolate every morning for a week.
Mi k'amchu yisroel.

amother

Seafoam

Sun, Jul 26 2020, 5:29 am

When I was 10 years old, my parents sent me to sleep away camp for the first time. I was an overweight and socially awkward nerd with no friends, but my sister was getting married in August and my parents just couldn't manage with me underfoot.
It was a disaster. I cried every day because I was homesick and because I was the target of severe bullying by my bunkmates. (Thankfully, I got older, matured, lost weight, developed a personality, and ended up going back to this camp for 9 more years, having a blast and making lasting friendships but that first year was brutal.)
My parents came up on visiting day and when it was time to leave I cried and begged for them to take me home with them. They couldn't, obviously, and left, and I was left at the gate, sobbing. A counselor (not mine) came over to me, hugged me, took me the the cantene, bought me some nosh, calmed me down, and bought me back to my bunk. I have no idea who she was, I wish I did so I could track her down and thank her. I don't know why a counselor would bother with some fat, snotty, kid at the gate that she didn't know. But she has no idea what she did for me. She was the first person in 2 weeks that even looked kindly in my direction. It was actually a turning point that first year. I still think about her to this day.

amother

Red

Sun, Jul 26 2020, 5:38 am

Here is another one,

We were in a different country and my toddler would only drink apple juice which we forgot to bring along. We called someone from the community 1 hour before shabbos who we knew slightly to just ask where we can pick up kosher apple juice. This precious jew ran around to find it and brought it to the place we stayed and refused to be reimbursed.