Its about time, I sprinkled some kindness on my blog. And what better way than to share a memoir that would rekindle your faith in humanity!
One stormy evening, in a small town in India, an old lady of wisdom, Leela went to consult her doctor. By the time she was done with her visit, the sky had turned dark, and it started pouring cats and dogs. The weather was wild and the road treacherous, but she wanted to reach home before the conditions worsened. So she cautiously started walking through the waterlogged street towards the lined up auto-rickshaws.
As Leela was walking, she was suddenly stopped by a soft voice-“Namastey!”
Leela turned around and saw a woman in a bright yellow saree, standing with her hands folded with respect. The woman continued, “You don’t know me Ma’am, but I often see you walk past the bakery shop I work in.”
“And, as it is dark and raining, can I give you a ride back home?” she asked.
“That is very nice of you. But I don’t want to trouble you. I will hire an auto-rickshaw and go on my own,” said Leela who did not like to take favors.
“It is not a problem at all,” the woman insisted. Leela gave in to her request.
“Rani, please take Aunty to our ride,” the woman said to her daughter, who must be around nine years old.
“Come, Aunty, ” said Rani as she held Leela’s hand and started walking.
Leela said to the little girl, “Beta (daughter), I do not want to bother you. I can hire a rickshaw and go on my own,”
“No worries, Aunty, even we came in an auto-rickshaw! My dad is an auto-rickshaw driver. He’ll drop you home. ” said the girl.
An auto-rickshaw! Leela was surprised. She had imagined the ride to be a car as rickshaws are typically three wheeled taxis for hire.
The auto rickshaw driver dropped Leela home, and then returned again for his family at Doctor’s office.
Leela was so overwhelmed with the kindness of this stranger family, that she called me after that and narrated the incident.
Leela is none other than my mother. So, I was grateful to the family that opened up their hearts, and in turn, I felt an urge to sprinkle some kindness through this post.
Hopefully this yet another random act of kindness would inspire us to get out of our personal zone and go an extra mile to make a difference in someone else’s life. After all, kindness is what makes this world livable.
So, do you have any kindness stories that you’d like to share and inspire others?
An Act of Kindness: A Memoir
