| The other day I was at Subway, grabbing lunch with some friends.
I received my order, sat it on a table, and went to the bathroom to wash my hands. On my way back I noticed a young man struggling to get his drink. He was spilling everything and making a mess. He was looking for the lids but reaching in the wrong trays and dropping straws and napkins everywhere.
As I got close to him I notice why. He was blind.
I saw that he had still not gotten his drink so I went over and offered to help. I asked him what drink he wanted. Then, instead of getting the drink for him, I took his hands and guided him through the process.
After we were done I took him by the hand and led him to the table. I asked him if he needed anything else and he said he was fine, so I left.
One thing I have learned through the quarter century that I have been on this earth is that there is no such thing as coincidence; I strongly believe that everything does happen for a reason. I also believe that wherever a person is at any given time is where they are supposed to be. I say this because after lunch I was going to leave the city and head back to my side of town but I decided to head to the community college that was only walking distance away just to socialize.
About two hours later I was heading to my car and the rain started pouring down. I took shelter under the canopy of a nearby building, and then I saw the young blind man again. He was trying to cross the street and using his stick to make sure that nothing was in his way. He pressed the button so the light would turn red and allow for a walking signal. He was hesitant about crossing the street and just stood there.
I didn’t have an umbrella and I had about an hour and half of driving to get back home so I knew I would be soaked for the ride back. But then I thought to myself, would I really let the rain get in the way of me helping this young man cross the street? The answer was obvious so, of course, I went to his aide.
I went up to him and said, “Hi!” He smiled and said, “Hey! You are the young lady who helped me back at the restaurant.”
I smiled and said, "Yes." Then I took his hand and led him across the street. I asked him how he normally gets around and he said he does fine but he never crosses the street alone in the rain because he can never tell if a car is coming since he can’t hear so well over the sound of the rain. I asked him how he knew I was the same person from the restaurant. I have heard before that when people lose one sense the others get stronger. So I expected him to tell me something weird like he could smell me, but instead he said that he remembered my energy! He said he could feel it just like before!
I smiled as we exchanged introductions for the first time. We made it to the other side of the street and he told me he was safe now and could make the rest of the way on his own. So, we said good-bye and went our separate ways.
As I got in my car to go home I was soaking wet but on the inside I felt warm. I was glad that I was able to be in both places to help that young man out even if it was very simple. He helped me as well. He told me I had a positive energy and that made me feel great about myself. So wherever he is today, I hope he knows what a pleasure it was for me to have those two moments with him.
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Our neighbor grows the most amazing gardens! They are real works of art. The beauty she creates spills out even to her neighbor’s yards with amazing displays of color.
Dalai Lama Foundation Study Circle Montreal 