Stories of Kindness from Around the World

  On Saturday evening we had some new friends over at our house. One of the guests was a frail 91- year- old lady, the mother of one of our friends. At some stage in the evening the two of us were alone at the table where we were sitting outside in the beautiful evening.

  Margaret, the elderly woman,  started talking. She is very quiet and mostly listens to conversations. Being very weak, she cannot walk on her own any longer, and weighs probably something in the neighborhood of 40 kilograms.

   “I don’t know why am still kept alive,” she said. “I struggle physically, don’t sleep well, and feel like a burden to my son.” (She lives with her son).

   We talked about possible reasons why she would still be around. “You bring out the gentleness and kindness in people, simply by virtue of who you are, “ I said. “You create the opportunity for people to discover and practice kindness and gentleness in themselves, in dealing with you.”

   The conversation was very honest and truthful, with no small talk. But it was not heavy at all. It was as if there was a light between us. I shared with her my worrying about my own elderly and sickly mother, and my questions about how ready she is for the passing-on experience, and how she really deals with her own weak body. We talked about her son and how well loved and respected he is in the groups where we meet and got to know each other. I mentioned how beautiful and peaceful the home where the two of them live is, how it reflects a wonderful energy. And it gave her some peace to hear all these things quietly shared.

   When the two of them left so she could go home and rest, I held her gently and repeated some of the things we had talked about.

  Afterwards, I thought how much that conversation meant to me, to be able to talk about things I am unable to share with my mom. And again I realized the miracle of real contact, of two souls meeting one another even if the two human beings have not known one another long. Was she the one to receive or be helped, or I? Both of us, I think.