Receiving Kindness from a Stranger

In many ways, we have received kindness from people especially those we never expected from and it leaves us in awe or shock to know that there are still kind people in the world, it's just that a lot of evil people have filled everywhere making us conclude there's no good person until we experience them.

In several ways, I have gotten such kindness from people I never expected from and didn't see it coming, and I would become speechless at such an act done to me. Kindness is a good thing and when you are kind to others, you would be left surprised when such is reciprocated back to you in a way you never imagined. Such is my case recently.

Thanks to this edition, I never thought I would be writing about it, but forever, I won't forget the act. I travelled from Lagos to my place yesterday and it was a long journey. I took the first bus from Mowe to Ibadan and the bags on me were heavy. Many times, when I travel with heavy bags like this, most people on the road start mocking me and say things like, "You are short and still suffering yourself carrying heavy things," but I don't even mind since I don't complain to any of them.

As we all alighted from the bus at the last bus stop, I was worried at first how I would carry those bags and cross to the other side of the express road, but I summoned the courage and carried my cross. I had only taken a few steps forward when a lady whom we boarded the same bus together, who sat at the front beside the driver volunteered to help me. She had lifted the heavy bag on the other end while I was to hold it at my end so we could share it together, but when she noticed we weren't walking faster than we should have, she took the bag from me.

I was speechless. This wasn't something I expected from a total stranger. Many people won't even try to help out on such busy roads as everyone is busy minding their businesses. The lady told me to alert her once I've gotten to where I was going to take another cab and all I was just saying was, "Thank you, sis. I really appreciate your kindness" She, too, on her end, kept saying it was nothing. The truth was, she relieved me, and I was able to walk and breathe easily.

This lady did not know me from adam, and she was so kind to help a stranger like me. That alone left me extremely surprised, knowing there are still good people. She'd noticed the heavy bags on me and decided to ease the stress and relieved. Sincerely, it is what I would do if I were in her position, especially when it involves elderly people.

In contrast, some would make you feel sad about how they treated you, especially when it comes from someone you are close with and never expected such treatment from them. These people love to pretend to love and care for you, but in reality, they are the opposite, and it leaves you concerned about their attitudes towards you. That's so unfair, and the truth is, everyone is different; we can never be the same when it comes to showing kindness or reciprocating back the good deeds being done to us.

I remembered a time when I was in school, I had this friend whom I thought could keep my secret, especially ones I'd begged her not to expose outside but to be between us. I thought I had seen someone whom I could trust and would easily divulge some of my personal information to, only for her to start revealing them to her boyfriend, who in turn would use it against me.

It hurts me then to know how unfair people can be. This is someone who would tell me her secret and tell me not to tell anyone and I would gladly keep it to myself because I see it as something confidential and not to be exposed outside. In fact, when people tell me their secrets, I see it as them trusting me, and I should also respect their privacy. But not everyone would be the same just like I said above. Some people would find pleasure in hurting another person and would not want the same to happen to them. That's life for us and we must keep doing the right thing.

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_{Both images are mine}