A nurse took me home when I was a 16 year old runaway and sleeping in the hospital lobby. The first kindness shown to me except for a grandma I wasnt permitted to see.

She had an infant and it was years before I truly understood the risk she took.

Years later I let teens my kids brought home crash at my house as long as they didnt use drugs while in it. Most were lbqt that had been kicked out.

Still in contact on facebook with many of them

I discovered after being promoted that a top-level director where I work, sent the most wonderful and beautiful letter of recommendation on my behalf to my new boss before I was selected for the position. I had no idea whatsoever that he had done that for me. I had no idea that he felt the way that he did towards me, as an employee. My new boss read it to me a few weeks after being selected for the position and she said that he wanted me to get this job. I teared up. He has since moved to another organization. But I will never forget him. He will always be number one in my book. Always.

At my last job, I was in a very difficult, high stress situation. I was barely hanging on, day by day. However, I did not share this with any coworkers. On day, a coworker told me that I look really worn down and that I should remember that its not worth sacrificing your health over a job. I was really touched that another person actually noticed and cared about my well being.

If 62 (and fit)doesn't seem young enough for you I would understand. You are pretty. I am an intellectual, though that doesn't make me better than anyone.

I was 6 when my younger sister,3, fell out of our camper and cut her head severely. At the nearest town she was rushed to stitching while myself and older sister cried in the waiting area. Two kids, 10 and 11 taught us a simple game that calmed us.

I know this isn't the question, I pride myself on doing good deeds, and always want to do more, but I sometimes get the feeling that the universe doesn't like it. I once gave a lift to some people in a blizzard, off the main road, managed to roll my dad's car through a gate down a field, everyone was fine I was only doing 30mph but black ice doesn't care, so that was the first time I noticed, and my motto has been let no good deed go unpunished ever since. But I don't let it stop me. I often list useful items on gumtree for say, a tenner, then when people turn up I don't take the money, I just say pay it forward, it's such a wonderful thing to see the smile you put there and It's sometimes fun waiting for my punishment haha, I think this makes me a bit bonkers lol

The day before my ankle surgery (this past November) a few of my friends came and made meals for my son and me, and cleaned my house to help alleviate the strain of being a single mom who couldn't walk for 12 weeks. It was so small to them, and made life so much easier for me. I've made sure to do the same for others whenever possible.

After my little brother died his Chipotle store sent over food for 100+ people and paid two of his co-workers to serve it all and clean up the mess for the reception. Also, a number of friends and co-workers (of mine, my mum's, my sister s and my pop's) sent Edible Arrangements. I thought those were the biggest waste until I realized, the kids were eating healthy at a time that the adults were all too sad and busy to make snacks. Again, this is a thing I do now. That was an amazing comfort during a ridiculously awful time.

My gran used to take us out to "get a little something nice" pretty much every August. It wasn't until I was older, doing the same for my sister's kids that I realized she was taking is school shopping, without telling us we were poor.

I have many stories like these, and similar ones where I was the one doing the giving. I like to think that there's an element of "you get what you give" at play there. I don't necessarily believe in karma persay, but something karma'ish, anyway...

Ok, this sounds a bit heavy to start with but it's not.

My dad was in hospital and on his last legs. It had been arranged for there to be a meeting to discuss 'do not resuss' but before we could have the meeting my dad went into cardiac arrest so the Crash Team set about their work, it also transpired that their was a training session going on with junior doctors re how the Crash Team worked so we had the A Team on Crash duty. They kept my old man going long enough for me and my mum to get to the hospital.

The really cool bit though was quite a few months later. I was working at the hospital where my dad died, I was during the above as well, and was scheduled to do CPR training, the guy taking the course took me to one side before we started and asked if I was ok doing this. I asked him why and he said he was on the crash team that tried to save my dad and wanted to make sure I was cool with everything.

We exchanged a little Red Dwarf moment when I emailed him to thank him. which won't make sense to most people that read this so I'll leave it out, but that was a good moment

I can say I'm a blessed person. There were a lots acts of kindness in my life. I cannot think of one. After each act of kindness I think I have the duty and the privilege to do something good for other people.

Acts of kindness (small or otherwise) can have some of the biggest impacts on our lives. I have been extremely fortunate to have had many acts of kindness bestowed upon me. Each and every time I have been full of gratitude and expressed it to those performing these acts. I do what I can to pass it forward when ever I can and I think that is one of the best ways to show my gratitude.

After I was done with public elementary school, my mom decided she didn't want me to go to public junior high, so she got me into a local parish school. An Italian parish school. Here I am, 12 years old, one of the most awkward times of your life, and it's a brand new group of kids that I never laid eyes on before in my life. So there I am before school starts, looking like a real polak - all blue eyes and blond hair among all of these olive skinned kids, everyone is in their group of friends and I'm just standing around looking out of place, and a kid came over and said "Hi, my name is Louie. You're new here, right?" and he introduced me to a number of people before class started. One of the people he introduced me to turned out to be a best friend with whom I remain in contact to this day, and I still keep in touch with Louie too. It was just what I needed at that time, and not that big a deal for Louie. I try to pay that forward each time I see someone looking out of place or unsure of what to do. Good question, thanks for the memory.

When an old person gave up his seat in a crowded train for me because I was barely managing to hold the book to study. Don't know that person and maybe never will but won't forget that.

An unusual one: In 1959, after training as an artillery surveyor, I was sent to West Berlin, Germany. There I was taken to the Classification and Assignment sergeant in Berlin Command Headquarters. He stated, "Under the Four Powers Agreement, we have no artillery in Berlin, so we have to figure out what to do with you."

He scanned my records and his comments indicated that we connected in a way, as we both had college backgrounds. He asked, "Can you type?" I answered, "Nor well." He retorted, "That was not my question. Can you type?' i answered, " Yes."

He then said, " Then I have a position in US Army Hospital Berlin headquarters for a clerk-typist.Are You interested? Its either that, or going to the Battle Group as an infantryman." That was an easy choice, and my experience in Berlin and at the USAHB was a life-changing one. My deepest thanks, sarge, whoever you were!

Had two of my friends from High School sit me down and tell me that I was wasting my life and capabilities. Pretty much told me to stop it and make something of myself. Inthe next couple years I joined the Army. After I got out I slowly found my way to College and earned my engineering degree. I now own a home and have an outstanding son thanks to their intervention.

A bigger impact on my life was when I was about 8 and was being swarmed by wasps; 72 total stings. A stranger rushed in and literally saved my life, getting stung himself. He picked me up ran across a log over a creek and carried me all the way home. Had he not been there I don't know how I would have gotten out of there. I found him after I recovered and remember thanking him, I even offered him my allownce, but he kindly refused. I know what kind of sacrifices others make, so I am always very appreciative when others help me and will bend over backwards to help if I can.

I had a teacher who was very caring when I lost my cat at 14. She played a huge role in my life for many years. Other than that, I don't know that I've had anyone outside of family do anything spectacular. I do try to do unto others, but people don't generally reciprocate. That's life.

Whilst adjusting her glasses "I've seen smaller "

You just jogged my memory. Years ago, when my first marriage was falling apart, I was temporarily living with my in-laws (and this was after their daughter had had an affair during our marriage, so how strange is that? LOL!), and working part-time as a stocker for a Safeway store in the SF Bay Area, in a town called Redwood City. I remember working in one of the aisles one day when a middle-aged man approached me. He had apparently noticed my sad demeanor because he befriended me and spent some time with me. Took me to lunch a couple of times and to a health club with him. This person turned out to be the principal of the high school I had graduated from years earlier. He wasn't "my" principal, so I didn't know him from school and I was a stranger to him. Did his kindness have a profound affect on me? No, but he came to me, uncannily, at a particularly low point in my life and I appreciated that.

My sister (now deceased) told me once, whie we were driving around together that I was the smartest of all of our siblings (I have/had 5 sisters, and 2 brothers). I thought that was the nicest, kindest thing anyone had ever said to me. It gave me more confidence in myself, and in my abilities.