36. Random acts of kindness

Edric Subur
Jul 23, 2017 · 2 min read

One morning on the bus, I see two Caucasian tourists having problems paying the bus fare. Their EZ-link runs out of balance. They ransack their bags for coins but they don’t seem to have enough.

A mid-40 lady next to me notices them scrambling. She reaches out for her coin pouch in her bag, pours a few coins out to her palms and accosts the two tourists. Without saying much she smiles at them and inserts the coins into the machine. Thankful, the tourists hand a few dollar notes in exchange for her coins. She kindly refuses. The tourists look surprised, their face light up with smiles and thank her profusely.

Watching this scene, I get a warm and fuzzy feeling in my stomach. It’s so nice to see strangers caring for each other. To see a random small action making someone’s day.

Sometimes we are so invested in ourselves we barely take the time to care for people. We get caught up in chasing our desires. We forgot that the key to happiness is not in indulging in wealth, fame or power, but in doing good for others.

And the best form of kindness comes from something small, unsuspected and genuine. Saying I love you to your family for no reasons. Flashing a big smile to the customs personnel. Praising a customer service officer for a job well done.

Imagine everyone doing these tiny good deeds every day. The world would be such a beautiful place to live in.

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