Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Today I went out for a nice stroll with my husband to tank up on some sunshine and glorious fresh air under trees ablaze with gorgeous autumnal colours.

It seems many others had the same idea. Some people greeted us nicely as we passed them by and I gave them a cheery hello and a warm smile, but some passers-by just looked away grumpily.

Of course, it is our choice to do the one or the other but wouldn't the world be a much better place, if people did NOT choose to look away in certain situations? For example, when injustices are done? When people are unfairly treated? When somebody is judged for their appearance, creed, religion, actions or beliefs? When crimes are committed? When somebody is involved in an accident and people just drive past and stare rather than administer first-aid or just hold that person's hand as they wait for the ambulance to come to the rescue? When somebody's pet lies dead on a road and the cars just swerve past it with the danger that this poor creature will get flattened?

Society seems to dictate for the greater part that it is normal to look away because such tragedies and wrongs still continue. We all need to learn not to look away whether due to indifference, fear or ignorance. For the sake of the young ones who are watching and copying our actions. For the sake of being able to make the world a much better place - for the young generations and especially for the future generations.

Those kind human beings who choose NOT to look away are true unsung heroes in my eyes. It all starts with us and our decisions whether to look away or not.

Years ago I stopped to help a girl who had fallen off her bike and gave her words of comfort moments after a kind stranger called the ambulance. Everbody else - passers-by, cyclists and drivers alike just stared at us as they went by. Another time, I did not swerve around a beautiful but dead cat and I was pleased the man in the car behind me stopped to help me carry the cat to the grassy verge before it risked the danger of getting flattened. It felt good to help. Then I knocked on doors for an hour or two trying to find and notify the owner. However, I found it even more tragic that nobody in that (respectable) neighbourhood knew who owned that cat, let alone even knew who their own next-door neighbour was...

May we choose not to look away when the opportunity arises. We may very well be an angel or hero for somebody who needs our help or simply brighten up somebody's day with a mere smile :-)