PureInsight | January 30, 2008
[PureInsight.org] My next door
neighbor is an old woman. She rarely goes out, except to go to the
market to buy groceries. Although we are neighbors we don't have any
contact. I only know she is a lonely woman and nothing else about her.
The old lady doesn't seem to talk much. Occasionally, I have met her in
the corridor of the building. When I greet her, she only responds
softly. She doesn't seem to have friends and rarely has visitors. Every
time I passed by her door, I couldn't help thinking that it could be a
cold and lonely world behind it.
As the New Year approached, I went to a shopping mall to buy gifts for
my family. A wool scarf attracted my attention. I touched and gently
stroked the dark colored scarf with a beautiful pattern. Its texture
was soft. I thought that it would give the wearer a cozy and warm
feeling. I had an impulsive idea: Why not buy it for the lonely lady
next door?
When I brought the scarf with me to her door, I felt a little uneasy.
Would she accept my gift? I knocked on her door lightly. When she
opened the door and saw me, she seemed startled. I hesitated a little
and stretched my hands holding the scarf and said: "This is from
someone who asked me to give it to you. She wishes you to have a happy
New Year." She looked at the gift from a stranger and declined to
accept it. I put the scarf on her hands and sensed that her hands were
quivering slightly.
I saw her the following day when I went to a grocery store. She was
standing at a one-story house talking to a woman. The woman carried a
plastic bag filled with fruit in one hand and held a three-year-old
child's hand with her other hand. I noticed something very familiar. As
I looked closely, I saw the scarf the child was wearing was the one I
gave the old lady. When the old lady finished talking to the woman, she
turned around and saw me. She was startled and walked towards me and
said gently: "I want to thank you for giving me the scarf and I like it
a lot. But this woman's family is very poor. I think they need this
gift more than I do." At that moment, I had a tender feeling I couldn't
describe.
Someone once said that love contains the seeds of bliss. Not only do we
need to collect them, but also to sow them. When the warmth of our
hands carries love and hope to others, we also gain a warm and loving
world in return.
Translated from:
http://xinsheng.net/xs/articles/gb/2008/1/21/42357.htm
