As my husband and I were watering some plants in the front yard an elderly man walking by stopped to talk with us. He asked us to guess his age and the best answer I could think of was 75 years. That was obviously wrong because he was 93 years old and turning 94 on February 1st!
He mentioned often to me about the problem he is facing which is that he cannot find people to talk to. I welcomed him to sit on our bench and offered to be his friend. I asked him the secret to his longevity and here’s what he replied.
His father was a very rich lawyer but it seems he had no peace of mind. He then met someone who gave this advice. “If you want peace of mind, then be of service to others.”
This new friend of mine, Mr. V. had a high position with his former employer. He has given away all his pension money that he received after retirement to charity. He lives with his son and said he didn’t need the money. He enjoyed talking and gracefully accepted my offer of some desserts. I also packed some for his son as he left.
Only a couple of hours later he came searching for us and gave me a pure silk shawl as a gift. I am grateful for this chance of acquaintance and friendship which reinforced in me that if you want peace of mind then be of service to others. A very valuable lesson to practice and experience peace and good health too!
He mentioned often to me about the problem he is facing which is that he cannot find people to talk to. I welcomed him to sit on our bench and offered to be his friend. I asked him the secret to his longevity and here’s what he replied.
His father was a very rich lawyer but it seems he had no peace of mind. He then met someone who gave this advice. “If you want peace of mind, then be of service to others.”
This new friend of mine, Mr. V. had a high position with his former employer. He has given away all his pension money that he received after retirement to charity. He lives with his son and said he didn’t need the money. He enjoyed talking and gracefully accepted my offer of some desserts. I also packed some for his son as he left.
Only a couple of hours later he came searching for us and gave me a pure silk shawl as a gift. I am grateful for this chance of acquaintance and friendship which reinforced in me that if you want peace of mind then be of service to others. A very valuable lesson to practice and experience peace and good health too!
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- Posted by Butterkind
- Nov 14, 2021
- Comments (11)
Readers Comments
Mish wrote: What a lovely connection 💕
mindyjourney wrote: Thank you for reaching out with your time and listening heart â¤ï¸. And what many lovely gifts he has given to you in return! 😊 The bench reminds of the “buddy bench†placed in some places to encourage a listen — mostly in schoolyards, but maybe should be in more places!
SissyLee wrote: What a beautiful story.
michelelpurce wrote: thanks for sharing such a great story!! you did such a great thing by just spending time with him and really listening. in this hurried world it is hard to find that no matter what age. and i love Leo Buscaglia. :)
Balou wrote: What a beautiful connection!
Helenconnell2 wrote: How lovely and it never ceases to amaze me how these chance meetings occur!
drjoybug wrote: Lovely story.
kmbhai wrote: very valuable. thanks for sharing..
dance wrote: Lovely, such a lesson indeed
DANCE wrote: Beautiful connection
