We can never really predict the consequences of our actions. Even with good intentions, things can go wrong, and sometimes the outcome can’t be changed.

I once had a friend who lived with her great-aunt and was always depressed. I wanted to make her happy, so when I couldn’t be there for her birthday, I sent a gift through my husband. A month later, she confessed she’d fallen in love with him and even threatened me. I decided never to deal with people like her again.

My uncle once took my brother and me in so we could get a better education. His intentions were good, but his wife made our lives miserable, and he didn’t stand up for us. We still managed to graduate, but his reputation in the family suffered.

Another time, I found a wallet on the beach. Wanting to do the right thing, I turned it in to the police. Instead of thanks, I was interrogated and even accused of theft.

Good intentions often backfire in smaller ways too: I once tried to help a waitress by lifting a glass from her tray, but it caused a spill. My wife scolded me when I “helped” prepare Christmas food incorrectly. A husband tried to surprise his wife by hiding a ring in a shower gel bottle, but she threw it away, offended by the “cheap” gift.

From pranks gone wrong to offering help where it wasn’t needed, these stories remind me that even when we mean well, the results aren’t always what we expect.