Tell your heart-warming story here

Poststructural Pub
1

Because I get so sick of all the bad news and bad people in the world, I thought I’d share this little incident with you.

Yesterday my daughter and I were putting some purchases in our car when we saw a man nearby get into his car and start it, preparing to leave. As he did this, a young mother with a child in a chest-pack type carrier and a completely full grocery cart attempted to maneuver her cart behind his car and over to her own. We noticed the man stop his car, get out, and help the young woman to her car where he unloaded her grocery cart for her.

:smiley:

Susan

2

This isn’t about a good deed, but it warmed my heart anyway.

Yesterday we visited some friends for a backyard party. There were three dogs playing together and my daughter thought it was the funniest thing she had ever seen. The dogs were running around near us and Joey started laughing hysterically. Dan and I smiled so big that our faces hurt.

:slight_smile:

3

A few weeks ago I had to take my daughter for some blood tests (all was fine). The last time she had had blood tests, she nearly passed out and had to be wheeled out of the lab to a “recovery” room, so she was not exactly happy about having more tests. In fact, being 15, she was exceedingly UNhappy about having to have them and did not fail to make her unhappiness very clearly known to me.

So we sat there, in the waiting room, she glaring and saying every few minute, “I am NOT going to do this,” I swallowing hard and biting my tongue but feeling the steam build up inside of me. Then we see a lab technician look over Claire’s orders. She had her mask pulled down under her chin, and was oozing mucus, coughing, wiping her nose on her sleeve…and Claire REALLY glared at me, with one of those highly articulate glares that says: “If she is doing my bloodtests I will surely die from the contagion and that won’t be good but at least I will have the satisfaction of knowing this is ALL YOUR FAULT.” Even I began to have second thoughts amidst the wheezing and oozing.

However, that technician was, happily for all concerned, leaving for the day, and we were before long shown into a room where a very different kind of presence defined the space. “I’m Hattie,” she said in her Jamaican accent, her front teeth easily a half inch apart from each other and her body round and black and about 50 years old. “What’s your name, you pretty girl you?” Claire looked at me doubtfully but was clearly brightening and answered her quietly. Hattie went on, commenting on Claire’s clothes (camouflage pants, faux leopard skin vest, blue hair): “Girl, your outfit is so on! How you get to that look of yours, huh? Now tell Hattie…are you a musician? Because I am too. Play the trombone, sing gospel. I just can’t get enough music in my life, uh huh.”

Claire was a total goner, talking about her band, the songs she writes, how she wants to learn to scream when she sings…and Hattie was listening, nodding, mm hmmm’ing all through this as she drew the blood and beamed at Claire. When she was done, she said, “Claire Skinner. I’m gonna remember that name, girl, because YOU gonna be famous. I’ll say, ‘I took her blood once, I did.’”

The whole rest of the afternoon Claire was happy and singing, looking at herself in the mirror, admiring her taste in clothes. No kidding, Hattie turned our day around with her deep good nature, and both Claire and I decided we’d try to do the same whenever we could.

Carol

4

Oh, it’s the usual story, but when I was playing as part of a trio for a wedding reception last Friday, the wee kiddies were hopping and gyrating madly on the dance floor for nearly every set. It happens all the time, but it always seems fresh to me. I have to smile inwardly when I’m playing flute, though.

Jigs usually seem to be the most compelling with the little ones.

If you want the grownups to cut a rug, waltzes and mazurkas will reliably draw a handful of them out like moths to a flame. :slight_smile:

5

On Saturday my wife and I had the honor to take our four and a half year old granddaughter to get shoes, tights and dress for the ballet lessons her mother had signed her up for. So we went to the dance studio and went through the measuring, etc. and Maggie tried on the outfit. When she saw herself in the studio’s mirror she began to dance and watch herself, completely oblivious to everybody else in the studio. It was a dance of joy without inhibition, an angelic smile on her face. I swear, if I could regain that childlike sense of joy and living in the moment I would put on a tutu and dance in front of a mirror too. What a gift it is to be a grandpa!
Mike

6

About 40 years ago I was lying in Holy Cross Hospital dying. The staff had told my wife not to get her hopes up because I probably would not make it. I had a nontypical ruptered appendix that left me with severe peritonitis due to an E.Coli infection. The antibiotics wouldn’t kill this strain. Further I entered the hospital about a month and a half before Christmas. Of course I had not bought any gifts for my wife because men wait until a day or two before an event to do such things.

On Christmas Eve my boss and long time friend came into the hospital to see me. We talked for a while and then he gave me a small package. He said, “This is for you to give to your wife. I know that you couldn’t get out to get her something.”

Later that night my wife came in and after a few minutes I gave her the package. She said, “What is it?” I said, “You will have to open it to find out.” This was true because I had no idea what was in the package. It was a bottle of Chanel Number 5. From that day to this she has worn Chanel Number 5. We always remember that simple but wonderful act of kindness.

Ron

7

Bless you, Susan.

Thanks, all, for your contributions to this thread. It has surely brightened my day, and I appreciate that more than I can say.

Best wishes,
Jerry

(Carry on.)

8

When my long-time employers, Casady & Greene, Inc., went out of business a little over a year ago, I posted something about them at http://www.coastalfog.net/idata/candg.html

Here’s a extract that’s relevant to this thread:
Casady & Greene was a family business in many ways. Not only were several of the owners family, but quite a few employees got to work with their family members, as well. There were at least two pairs of sisters, and several married couples (including me and my wife for a while), and the children of many employees had summer jobs there. And all employees were treated like family.

My own experience with this is that my wife had a stroke in the summer of 1998 that paralyzed her left side. After six weeks in a rehab center, she came home, and required constant care for some time. When it became apparent that I wasn’t going to get much work done, Charles [Fulweiler, CEO] told me to take all the time I needed. He said, “Take off as much time as you need. If it takes a month, take it. If it takes a year, take it.” In fact, I ended up taking off about six months with pay, while I figured out how to deal with being able to take care of my wife while working from home.

For several years after that, a couple of the company’s owners brought a couple more employees over to my house once a week to play mah jong with my wife during lunch. Even though I had to be laid off a year ago [June 2002], the company continued to pay for my wife’s dental insurance.

9

Okay, this is working. I’m feeling warm and fuzzy. Thanks everyone and keep 'em coming!

Susan

10

Ron’s story about a gift brings this story to mind. I attended a funeral for a local musician’s mom. At this musician’s next live performance, I brought a gift. The gift was a silver dollar coin from the year that the musician’s mom was born.

I handed it over and the musician dropped it, almost as if seeing a ghost. Then came the story: the mom used to go to Las Vegas all the time and play the dollar slot machines when they still took real silver dollars (as opposed to casino tokens). Mom would usually have good luck and bring home some silver dollars for each kid. This musician kept those coins for many years. Unfortunately, the entire stash of silver dollars was stolen, never to be seen again. As you might imagine the gift was appreciated.

  • Bill
11

Sunday morning at the Milwaukee Irish Fest, I was sitting in a tent wearing my Chiff & Fipple t-shirt and listening to Grainne Hambly play some beautiful tunes on her harp when a gentleman came to the table and asked if I was Dale Wisely. Of course I denighed that mis-identity as humbly as possible :smiley: and became involved in a great discussion about local bands and sessions. I certainly learned a lot since I’m new to the area.

I must appoligize to Dale. I failed to think on my feet as quickly as he does. Had I not been so honest and quick with my response I’m sure I would owe him at least a couple of beers.

Oh well, any time you’re in Racine Dale be sure to drop by there’s usually som Guiness in the celler and always a drop of Jamisons in the cupbord.

12

A few years ago, around Christmastime, I was grocery shopping, and a young man that I did not know walked up to me as I was filling my cart and handed me a twenty dollar bill. He said, “I wanted you to have this.” I told him thank you, to which he responded “God bless you.”

13

This brings to mind my grandma, she has never had much money in her life. She gives what money she does have away left and right, always saying that the best use of money is to watch others spend it. And a happier person I have yet to meet in my life. Just like the old saying, money can not buy everything.

And true to how giving can influence a person, her family during the wars and depressions used to have familys on weekends drive from detroit to their farm to have a meal and take some food home. Not even knowing me as I was not born, these people and their descendants have contacted me to thank me and some have even took me to a meal.

14

I was playing at the market on Sat and two ladies
showed up to register voters. I asked if they
were from a church; previous registrars have been
church folk. They said they were from a
synagogue. Unlike the church folk, when people
said they didn’t want to register these ladies
followed them down the street, arguing with them:
'Don’t you care about your country? etc.

I kept playing jigs and reels and after awhile
the ladies started dancing, in fact, they seemed
to care increasingly less about registering people
and more about dancing. When they left
they put five dollars in my jar.

15

Well, a few years ago I was coming out of a bar with my ex-girlfriend (we were kinda drunk) and another drunk young woman came out of the bar and was being very rude, bumping into people and telling them to f#%! off… She pushed my girlfriend, but instead of getting mad, my girlfriend held the other woman and asked her what was wrong. The “mean” woman kept on saying nasty things to my girlfriend but my girlfriend kept on asking her calmly what was wrong and if she could help. At one point the other woman warmed up, they both sat, and the “mean” girl started saying that she’s been dumped that night and just didnt know how to handle the whole thing, she was really hurt. They kept on talking for a few minutes, then they finally hugged, the other woman was crying but you could see she felt much better, and completely changed her behavior.

I learned a lot about human nature that night, it truly made me see things from another angle.

16

Ok, we have this young super dorky guy at work called “Scooty”. We are talking Lord God King Goober. Ok? After we caught him brownosing the boss today, we told him “Scooty, ya got somethin’ on yer nose”. So he is trying to wipe it off and says “that it?”. “No, still there!” So he keeps rubbing his nose. He is using the arm of his shirt, then a shop rag. I mean, he is scrubbing it till you think it’s about to come off. This goes on for a full two minutes. My face still hurts from suppressing grins. His nose was as red as frostbite.
Actually, pretty much everything we do to him makes me feel this way. But he is getting better finally. Overwieght, dorky, very judgemental, raised by a religious zealot grandmother, he has been tough to break in. Being “one of the guys” was like some kind of strange concept to him.
I quit picking on him, though, cause I figured if he ever cracked up and went postal, I’d be on his top ten list.
Oh, and we took our old dog to the vet, afraid she was on her last leg. Losing weight, limping and such. We had been afraid to take her because we were afraid of bad news. Insted, he gave her a clean bill of health, had us give her glucosamine and asprine every day, and now suddenly she is getting around just like she used to.
I guess the dog story was a bit more heartwarming than the Scooty story. Oh, I drew some pretty neat pictures of Scooty, too. But he hasn’t seen them. That’s why I’m not on his “list”.

17

On February 16, 1991, Our farm house burned to the ground. It was a Saturday morning. My hubby and I were milking the cows and our son and daughter were still in bed. By some miracle, our son woke up and got our daughter awake and they called us on the phone at the barn and said that the house was on fire. My hubby and I raced up to the house and he ran up the stairs and brought the kids down. The fire was burning in the stairway under the stairs they came down on. They couldn’t see to come down because the smoke was so bad. Then, my hubby raced to the barn to call the fire company, this was before we could dial 911. I ran the kids over to my in-laws in the car and called my best friend she brought some of her kids clothes for them to wear because our daughter was in her night gown and our son in his skivies. The temperature was about 20 degrees that morning.

Before I could even get in the car to go back over to the farm to see if the fire company got the fire out, there were neighbors bringing money and food and clothing to us. My daughter couldn’t see because her contacts were burning in the house I called my parents and asked them to call the eye Dr to see if they could bring her some temporary ones. The Dr. told them to stop in and they gave them to us and wouldn’t let us pay for them. Then a couple weeks later when I took the kids to the Orthodontist for their braces checkup, The Dr called me back to his office and said that their bills were paid in full. Over $2000.00 worth of bills gone!

About 3 weeks after the fire, We got an invite to go to a dinner at the firehall in our little town and when we got there the community had a “fire shower” for us. They gave us so many gifts that it was better than our wedding reception had been. It took me forever to get all the thank you cards sent out. I have a little book with a list of all of the things that people did for us and all of the gifts they gave and also all of the money people sent to us. We even got a couple of envelopes in the mail that had no return address on them that had a $100.00 bill folded in a blank piece of paper. Also, the kids friends had a little party for each them and gave them gifts too.

I did so much crying during all of this, but not because of what we had lost but because of all that we had gained. Some of the people that gave to us didn’t have 2 nickles to rub together yet they gave to us when we need it. We have been so blessed. We were living in a 150 year old farm house with crooked floors and 15 year old furniture and appliances and all of a sudden, (well, 6 months) we had a new house and everything you could ever need to fill it. I still get teary eyed when I tell people about this, and it’s been 13 years!

I am really enjoying reading everyones stories.

Cheers,
Kathy :slight_smile:

18

I was recently at a cross-country running meet. There were 110 kids lined up in a big mob in an open field ready to sprint off toward a narrow trail through the bush. We parents always hold our breath as the mob heads toward the trail, hoping nobody falls and gets trampled. Sure enough, one 12 year old tripped, was stepped on by others, and left behind. He lay on the ground sobbing, and although the parents nearby gently encouraged him to get up and join the pack, he had the look of resignation in his teary eyes and stayed put.

My son’s gym teacher is an amazing motivator and, although she had no idea who this kid was, she leapt out onto the course, picked him up, wrapped her arm around his shoulder, and began running alongside him. They headed off into the forest together trailing the group, and further down the trail she veered off the course as the kid began to catch up to the pack. Later, as the race ended, she tracked the boy down to find out his name so she could email his gym teacher to let him know what a great attitude the kid had shown.

This teacher recently left us to teach a group of very fortunate kids in Thailand. There are many examples of her wonderful ways with children, but this one, involving a complete stranger, sums it up best. We miss Mrs. Simpson.

Jef

19

CP thread look out! There’s new competition in town!

Keep it coming.

20

Great stories so far.

Once when I was about 11 or 12 we moved to Dallas Tx due to a variety of reasons. It was sort of spur of the moment and my Mom and Dad had enough money to get us started. Unfortunately we had a terrible time getting a place to live and work and the money started to run out.
We had lived in Texas about a year earlier and just when we were at the point of living in the car (which I thought was cool) I ran into one of my friends and his family. When they heard about our plight they invited us to their house. In fact they insisted. They were dirt poor but took us in without hesitation. In two days my parents found work and a place in Irving to live.