The Praise and Thanks Thread

[BetterRed]

The other side of the Vent and Rant thread

BR

[BetterRed]

Yesterday I bought some electronic food scales from what we call a "$2.00 shop". Inevitably the pair of AA batteries had been fried in transit, I cursed myself for not looking at them before I left the shop and asking for a discount.

So on my morning walk I dropped in at the local newsagent (stand), they'd sold out of AA's. As I stood outside, contemplating whether to walk back down the hill to the service station, or up the hill (and towards home) to the Mena grocery, a guy (who was obviously what we call a 'tradie') exited the newsagents and asked, "What sort of batteries were you after mate".

When I told him AAs, he said, "I should have some in my truck. It's just around the corner, lets go take a look."

We walked around the corner, on which there's a construction site with a 4 metre deep hole surrounded by a chain mesh fence. He rummaged around his white van but couldn't find any. As I started to thank him he says, "Its OK, Eddie will have some in his truck." He shouts out to a guy in the hole, to ask if he has any batteries.

Eddie climbs the ladder out of the hole, and goes to his white van. In seconds he's found a pack of 10 AA's, which he rips open asking how many I need. I only needed one as I had one at home on standby for the mouse, he insisted I take two (just in case) and refused any offer of payment.

BR

[GrannyGrump]

That is a wonderful story. Renews your faith in human nature!

[crich70]

Originally Posted by GrannyGrump

That is a wonderful story. Renews your faith in human nature!

Indeed. It's the little things that show that not everyone is about greed etc. Funny thing is that I have a battery story today myself. My fiancee has a strong of Christmas lights that run off of batteries. She wanted me to take them down for her today (she had forgotten about them) and I suggested taking out the batteries so they won't corrode in the case and damage the compartment. It requires a screwdriver to open it so we asked the guy who maintains things at the Manor for some help. I'm sure Ron had other tasks to handle but he took the time to open the compartment and remove the batteries for her.

[FizzyWater]

This is an old story, but it still makes me grateful whenever I remember it.

I had a very pregnant friend who was living in an RV while the barn she and her husband had purchased to convert into a home was being updated. She would drive into the city to provide cleaning services for people's homes.

She was nearing her due date around Christmas time and we were visiting one night and she was bemoaning the fact that she couldn't fit her pregnant self into the tiny shower cubicle in the RV! I gave her a key to my apartment and told her to feel free to drop in anytime she was in town. I warned her that I'm a bit of a slob, but the bathroom was clean. She gladly took me up on it.

A few weeks later, I went out of town for a few days to visit family up in Cleveland for the holidays. When I came home, she had cleaned my apartment from top to bottom as a thank-you for being able to use the shower! And I had left the place in a particular mess because I'd pulled out the wrapping paper and ribbons and left snips and leftovers all over the place.

It truly brought tears to my eyes to have the place so shiny and clean-smelling. If she'd made me a batch of homemade cookies, that would have seemed a "fair trade" if she'd felt she needed to repay me. But that was service WAY above and beyond.

I lost track of her when I stopped going to the same church as her and she (and her family) moved out to that rural barn to live. But I always send good thoughts her way when I think of that story, and hope she's doing well.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Roshni Patel

What is this thread all about?

See revised first post

---

I got to carry a stranger's 2 year old to a play group today.

A young woman on a bus had three pre-school age kids to manage: a six month old bub in a stroller (buggy/pram), a girl between 2-3, and a boy about 4. I'd been impressed by the impeccable behaviour of two elder children on the bus. We got off at the same bus stop, I was headed across a suburban park to a shopping mall (to buy some exercise kit). I assumed they were going there too, so I hung back behind them to ensure they got across the busy road one has to cross to get to the park and thence to the mall.

Must have been intuition on my part, because the two-year old duly stumbled crossing the road, no drama, she picked herself up stoically had a little grizzle. I caught up with them as they reached the footpath (sidewalk, pavement), and I asked, "Would it help if if carried one of them." My offer was graciously accepted, but they weren't going as far as the mall - they were going to a play-group gathered under some trees within the park.

My thanks go to the mother who accepted my offer to carry her daughter, allowing a stranger to carry a precious 2 year-old daughter is a gift to the carrier.

Soon after I discovered my telco has been charging me for a service I never asked for, and one that I had specifically opted out at the beginning of January - but that's a story for the other tread [sic]

BR

[crich70]

I have a neighbor who I have had a few words with (relating to a plumbing problem) who I decided to help out a little. He's mid-60's and a veteran. Anyway after they plowed the driveway there was a good bit of snow behind his car and on either side. I dug his car out for him. I told him he could either consider it me trying to be a good neighbor or a good Christian as either would apply. He appreciated my digging him out. It can be a challenge having a clear place to walk when the snow gets deep. I sometimes do some of the sidewalk here so my neighbors can get out easier as well.

[Deskisamess]

We have 5 grandchildren and none of them live in our area. One son and his wife, and their 3 boys live near Philadelphia PA, another son and his wife, and their daughter and son live in Louisville KY. Our sons left Ohio in 2002 for college in KY, and never moved back here.

The son in Philly is most likely going to be able to move back to Ohio, in an area about 30 minutes from where we live. It will be a job related move. This is fantastic news for us, as it is very hard to be so far away from them, and the boys are growing up so quickly. They are 10, 8, and almost 6.

This may encourage our son in KY to move back here also...he can do his job anywhere that can offer high speed Internet.

Our oldest son is in South Korea, and has been there going on 2 years. He has no children, and is newly divorced. We've no idea what his future plans are, he was due to come home this coming August, but we don't know if he will. He is a middle school science teacher, over there with EPIK, (English Professionals in Korea) teaching conversational English and signage to middle schoolers.

[kansaskyle]

I wait tables at night to bring in extra money to pay for my kid's college education.

One of my fellow servers is pregnant, and she is not waiting tables at the moment because she is nervous about all the flying elbows and bodies in our crowded beverage station area plus all the walking and standing. To bring in some money, she accepted an hourly position folding cloth napkins, rolling up silverware bundles, etc., which keeps her in the back of the restaurant out of harm's way.

Last week, I chatted with her as she was finishing up a meal and she said, "The baby was hungry! You know what sounds really good? Some of our fudge cake warmed up enough to melt a scoop of ice cream." I found a manager and shared the request. He asked, "What do you want me to do about it?" I suggested he had the ability to get her some free dessert. When he brought it to her, she later said, "I was so surprised, I almost cried!"

[issybird]

Back when I was on the road before 6:30 AM, I used to hire someone to plow my driveway. But now that I'm mostly working at home, I figure I can shovel it myself. It's long, but it's exercise, it gets me outside and I generally don't have to be anyplace in a hurry. I'm certainly not going to starve.

About a month ago, though, after it snowed over a foot during the course of a day, my heart quailed when I got up the next morning to see the stinking winter wonderland outside. I was thinking it would be days before I was mobile again. And then my heart rejoiced; a benevolent plow angel had dug out the top of the driveway where the town plows had worked their evil and taken a swipe along its whole length, so all I had to do was some general tidying.

Blessings on thee, kind sir or madam!

[Rumpelteazer]

Today my father got a new phone to replace his old Samsung Galaxy S2. With it came a free JBL bluetooth headphone. He was muttering about another thing that would gather dust, since he wouldn't use it. So I asked if I could use them. I've been checking out bluetooth headphones earlier in the week, which I can wear crafting or cleaning, when wired headphones aren't practical. In fact, I had been looking at the same JBL headphones my father got.

He gave them to me, he's happy to get rid of them. I'm happy to have them and my mother is happy not to have another thing to dust that isn't used.

[5thWiggleWife]

This happened several years ago.

I commute into downtown Toronto on the GO train and take the subway to get to my office. That’s an hour and a half each way.

Going home, I have a very narrow window of time to get from my office to Union Station to catch my train home. If I miss the train, I have to wait another 45 minutes before the next train and my kids would already be in bed by the time I made it home.

One afternoon I was a little late leaving the office and I ran to the subway. I got to the platform just as the doors closed. I stopped in front of the closed doors with my head down.

Suddenly the door opened and the conductor at the end of the train called “hop on”. I couldn’t believe it.

When I got to Union I went to the end of the subway train and thanked him before I ran for my train.

That small guesture meant so much and I will never forget his kindness.

[poohbear_nc]

Last month whilst I was driving home from work, traffic slowed and cars began pulling off onto the sides of the road. Fearing an accident up ahead, I too slowed down, and noticed a dog running along the side of the road. There had indeed been an accident in the intersection of 2 very busy roads, involving a car that was carrying several dogs, who had escaped and were obviously terrified and not responding to their owner's calls. Cars stopped to avoid hitting these dogs, which were running back and forth across 4 lanes of traffic. People began getting out of their cars (this was at 5:00 rush hour) and began to help the lady corral her dogs and get them back on leashes. College students on mopeds even joined in. I have never seen such concern and actual help given to save these terrified dogs from becoming road kill.

All dogs were safely recovered.

[FizzyWater]

It's fun reading all these good-news stories.

[crich70]

I think we also need to thank BetterRed for starting this thread. It is good to see some good news postings like this certainly.