Helping yourself through helping others

Blush_01

I've been on boards for years, and it never ceases to amaze me how the little things we do for each other make the biggest impact.

Just today (which was a challenging day personally) I came home to find a PM from someone that really lifted my spirits, and it got me thinking.

We all buzz off each other, we all help each other where we can. But I also feel better (and a little warm and fuzzy inside) when I hear about something small that someone else has done for a person to make their day a bit better - even if it's so small that you might not notice it.

Do you have a little story about the people you've met who've touched your life in a small way and made you think about things a little differently, maybe even made you be a little kinder to someone? I'd LOVE to hear them.

Personally, I think the thing that made me realise how much impact small things have was the realisation that sometimes a smile is the best thing you can give a person. I was in college, working in a part-time job. I finished and plodded off over to Henry St. to do some shopping. At the base of the spire, I slipped and landed on my back, but I had a heavy backpack on at the time, and was a bit like a turtle, stranded on the slippery rings at the base of the spire with no way to get back up. Lots of people walked past, some pointing and laughing. Then three foreign language students ran across the road and helped me up. I don't think I've ever been as grateful. I thanked them and went on my way. I decided to pop into Boots - the boots with the narrowest aisles in the world, it seems, especially when you have a backpack on. As I walked down one of the aisles, an old man passed me. He wasn't particularly clean, and he looked a bit unkempt - hadn't brushed his hair, had some serious stubble, and he didn't look very happy. So I smiled at him. After all, what did I have to frown about, hadn't absolute strangers nearly killed themselves to help me up a few minutes earlier? Anyway, I reversed back in the aisle to the top to let him past, and I smiled at him again. I finished looking at the stuff on the shelves, and thought nothing more of it... until I got a tap on my shoulder. Assuming the worst, I turned around, to see the old man standing there. He had come back into the shop to thank me for smiling at him. He said it was over a year and a half since someone had actually smiled at him. I was gobsmacked and I didn't know what to say, but it really brought it home to me that a smile costs nothing and has a huge impact.

None of us really know what's going on in other people's lives. Maybe smiling at a stranger could make their day.

LeeHoffmann

I'm game. Had a few experiences that I always remember when I and the OH moved to a foreign city -1. my OH helped a lady with moving something heavy in her shop so she gave us some free buns. This meant a lot to us as we had nobody in that city, no place to live, no jobs and feck all money. The buns served as breakfast the next day.
2. Still living in that city, I had to get a root canal and crown for my tooth but couldn't afford it at all. My extremely kind dentist did all the work for me for free. He also always spoke to me directly rather than to my OH (as many others had done). I will never forget him or his kindness or the respect he showed me.
Edit: I'm not sure if you were looking for the other side of the story - little things you've done for others that made their day?

Doolee

Out of the blue, little package arrived in the post for me from an aunt of mine who I havnt seen in months and who I rarely see. It was a necklace and the note attached said something like; you admired a necklace I had on last time I saw you and I thought this was like it. The comment you left on Facebook made my day so this is for you!.
I didn't remember what is said to her on fb but checked it and saw that when it was her birthday a while back I told here I'd always seen her as the youngest, cool aunt of all. It's one of those family fb additions that you sort of have to accept cause they won't really have a lot of friends etc.

Always nice to get a little package in the post! Just thought it was a nice thing to do:)

Villette

Thanks for your post OP, it made me cry when I read it!
I think about this sort of thing a lot because it is fascinating how a little thing can make your day. Unfortunately, like a lot of people I suspect, I worry that I'd be weird or embarrassed if I did something out of the ordinary. One thing that I have started doing is comlplimenting strangers if I like their shoes/clothes/perfume. A woman stopped me on the street a few months ago, on a day when I had decided to wear a really nice outfit to try and cheer myself up about something, and told me I looked amazing - she really made my day with something so small. So I try to do the same if I'm struck by something.
A complete stranger bought my chocolate and bottle of water the other day because the shop didn't take laser and then ran off before I could get cash - things like that are really rare so thank you stranger!
Other small things like someone going out of their way to open a door for you, or helping you pick stuff up are nice to just put a smile on your face.

Blush_01

It kind of restores your faith in people when you see someone doing something small for another person that makes a huge impact for them.

shinikins

I think people grossly underestimate the power of being nice. A quiet word from you may not seem like much, but it really can mean the world to someone else.

I got a PM from a Boardsie when my father was extremely ill. I'm sure it was nothing to them, but at the time all my energy was focused on My father and on supporting my mother and to have someone say "I'm thinking about you" meant so much to me. A very small thing that meant the world.

Having worked in many jobs where I'm constantly in contact with customeres I'm concious of saying thank you and please and actually meaning it. When you work in a service industry so many people treat you with disdain and rudeness, some treat staff like they are invisible-so I know that to take a few seconds out of my day to look straight at the person who is behind the till, or serving my coffee and acknowledging that they exist makes a massive difference to their day.

It takes more energy to frown than to smile, and smiling makes me happy, so I try to do it every day

I love things like that. Thanks for sharing your story!

What often shocks me is how willing some people are to actually help. A few years ago I was in London walking down the stairs to a tube line, when this guy who had very obviously drank a lot, tripped and landed rather nastily down the steps. People just stood there, gawking at him, so I pushed my way through them to help him up. Regardless of how drunk somebody might be, it's unfair to leave them in those situations.

It's genuinely amazing how easy it is to make someone's day, just by smiling at them or saying hello.

Asphyxia

Love this thread

I can't tell you how amazing I feel when I get a cheery uppy PM from a Boards user, I was going through a crappy time and if it wasn't for certain Boardsie I think I would have broke down. She completely flipped my emotions and I cannot thank her enough for it I am trying to put some sort of gift together for her to thank her for the support and understanding she gave me