Yesterday I got off work early and went shopping with my best friend. Unlike most girls we’re pretty precise when it comes to shopping so we knew what we wanted and where we’d get it so the plan was to be done in less than an hour and then head home.
But before we could even begin we came across the cutest pair of street kids. They were both pretty young. The elder girl barely 4 years old and the younger boy maybe two. The girl helped him walk, lifting him as well as she could onto the sidewalk and that’s what caught my eye. She went to a nearby store selling cigarettes, mints and candy and bought three candies for them. She patiently helped the younger boy sit, opened the candy and popped it into his mouth.
She then proceeded to help herself to some candy as well. My friend and stood watching the duo and gushing over how sweet they were. The boy soon noticed us and as he caught my eye he gave me a halfway there somewhat shy smile and through gestures offered me his candy. When I said no thank please continue, he turned to my friend and offered her the candy as well. We were just so touched by his kindness. Here he was with nothing but the clothes on his back, quite filthy and most likely begging on the streets with his family and yet he showed me kindness.
Normally I’d buy him something to eat but there was nothing around that I could buy for them so I went to the store and asked the shopkeeper to give me the same candy the girl had bought and gave a handful of the candy to these two cuties. The girl seemed a bit wary but the boy was ecstatic. The smile on his face lit up the rest of my day and made me wonder about innocence.
As we grow up life happens and through it all we lose our innocence and our capacity for kindness. We don’t necessarily become hard but sometimes we’re just so busy getting somewhere or meeting someone that we don’t look beyond ourselves.
The sad fact is that no matter how hard we think our lives are, someone has it harder. So the next time you can help anyone less fortunate than you, please do. Any help, in any way will make a difference.
That little boy showed me that all of us no matter our situations, have in us the capacity to show kindness, if only we look up from our lives and see others.
