Tuesday, February 08, 2005
little miracle of the day: an act of kindness in the streets of new york city.
walking back to the train station after class today, we noticed a lady walking in the opposite direction. nothing strange, just another fellow-pedestrian on the street. but she did look flustered. and she hurried like a woman late for an appointment.
ordinarily, we wouldn't even have taken a second glance. we would have forgotten her face, her gait, her apparent agitated state in the next split-second. but strangely enough, we do remember this person, this face. because of that look that it wore; it was a look that overflowed with pure gratitude (untainted by pride). her eyes and her smile said it all-- the biggest "thank you" anyone could ever receive.
never seen so much real, honest exchange between two people before-- between two strangers whose lives had never crossed, whose paths had never met before that moment.
but it's really life's little upsets-- silly, careless embarrassments that bring out the best in people. (yes, even in the city where Fear, Suspicion and Distrust reigns, where people shut their souls up in dark places and lock their hearts away from one another.)
she let her hand slip and the contents of her cd case, as if eagarly awaiting their cue, burst out onto the sidewalk, flipped and spun and rolled about gleefully in all directions till they were very well-covered in wet slush.
her Fellow-Pedestirans blinked narry an eyelid. none would stop to help, and the sidewalk threatened to swallow her whole.
whole in a hole of invisible stares; out of sight of lid-less eyes.
far less than a Knight in shining armour, far less than a Prince Charming, and in many ways, far less than the average New Yorker (in dresscoat, hat and well-shined shoes), our man-of-the-day at first glance seemed to fall far off the "hero" mark. yet, "hero", he nevertheless was in the eyes and smile of she-and-her-cd-case.
afterall, he had come to her rescue when no one else would.
his reflexes were lightning-quick. he waited-not, deliberated-not. there were no questions to be asked and answered, no doubts, no fears-- he was not restrained by years of psycological drilling (the kind that crowns the mind Tyrant over the heart). his first impulse was to help, and nothing held him back.
it all happened so fast (cds recovered, matter resolved), we wonder if anything had even happened at all.
but we witnessed the exchange and we appreciated the grace and beauty of open-hearted, no-strings-attatched generosity. it sparked a little something within us and so warm was the after-glow! our heart skipped a beat in joy (manifest in a secret upward curve of the lips).
today, we renew our faith in Love. (Love in it's purest essence).
and today, we release our long-arrested heart, sharing everything with you.
planted @
7:44 AM
