Yesterday as I sat drinking coffee outside Starbucks on the corner of a busy street, I witnessed something that restored my faith in humanity. As we were enjoying the weather and sipping on our coffee, we suddenly heard the sounds of sobbing. We looked out at the street corner and saw a woman in obvious distress. She was standing in yoga clothes and crying, until suddenly she couldn't even stand and crouched down from crying so hard. In the commotion, unsure what to do -- we saw a man walk up and help her.
He crouched down beside her and just comforted her. He asked if she was OK and let her know he was there to help. She slowly got up and hugged him, and he hugged her back.
This woman needed some obvious comfort and this man offered that to her. He was not intrusive, he was not creepy, he was simply an amazing Samaritan. You could tell he was not doing this to simply stop the commotion that was happening -- but because he actually cared.
How rare is that? This man comforted a complete stranger because he genuinely cared about her well-being.
That is not even the best part, though. This woman spoke almost no English, but the man still helped her. She only knew a little English, but spoke Chinese, so that man went as far to call his co-worker who speaks Chinese, so the woman could talk to someone in her own language and feel safer.
While this is just one story among the countless out there, it is stories like these that show how good people really are. I felt it was important to share this, because nowadays everyone is so focused on the hate happening in the world.
People focus too much on what makes us all different, that they do not realize that we are all human. It does not matter what language you speak, what ethnicity you are, you are still human. Sadness is sadness no matter who you are. If you see someone suffering, you help because that is basic human instinct.
Witnessing this situation, made me think, "How many times have I seen someone in distress and just walked by?" It truly makes you think about what you would do in situations and how to be a better human. So next time you are walking down the street and see someone having a bad day -- smile at them. Next time you see someone upset - ask them if they are OK.
Kindness goes a long way, and simply asking a question could mean the world to someone who just needs a little comfort. Think if the roles were reversed -- how would you want to be treated?
I know this seems obvious, but I honestly needed to see this happen yesterday to take a look at my own actions. I like to think I am a kind person, but everyone gets caught up in life sometimes. So taking a step back and thinking about someone else -- truly caring about someone else's feelings for just a couple minutes can change a life.
