You Never Know

A couple of weeks ago I was on a city bus and noticed a very shy looking woman who was older, and for some reason, I felt very drawn to her. Yet I had no idea why. Then she got off the bus at my stop, and my curiosity peaked. So I introduced myself and asked her if we´d met. She surprised me by telling me she had seen me with my mom once - she said “your mom was so kind to me - she was very encouraging to me”. So we talked for a few moments and then I got the feeling she needed to get going. So I smiled, told her it was great to meet her, and we parted ways. And yet, as I walked away, I couldn´t shake the feeling that I was supposed to reach out to her further. I got the clear sense that she needed help, and that I was meant to give it.

So, long story short, I did a little bit of sleuthing and discovered that I knew someone who lived in her apartment building - someone who could deliver a note from me to her. So I wrote her a note, letting her know that I would be happy to help her with anything she might need, if I was able. I also gave her my home phone number and told her that I felt sure that my mom would be happy about this. And my friend put the note into her mailbox.

Then, miraculously, a few days later, I found a hand-written reply in my mailbox, from her to me. She thanked me for my care and kindness, and for my phone number. Then, she shared something that touched me deeply. She told me that she had lost her mom recently and she wondered when she would feel like “my normal self again”. She ended the note by thanking me again and saying “now I know I am not alone”.

Many of you likely remember that my mom passed over a year ago, and so when I read her words, I realized just how much my simple offer of care likely meant to her. Perhaps, in part, because I offered it freely - without any expectation that she take me up on it, now or ever. I may or may not hear from her again - I don´t know. But I do know that by following that very clear instinct to reach out to her, she felt cared about during an especially tough time. And I know that I was able to help someone that my mom knew, and had cared enough about to help - and THAT gave me a lot of joy. And I know that it all happened in a most mysterious and wonderful way. #purejoy

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