“Who if I cried out would hear me among the angels’ hierarchies? And even if one of them pressed me suddenly against his heart: I would be consumed in that overwhelming existence.”
- Rainer Maria Rilke
What an intense year it has been for all of us. It has passed by so rapidly that I feel that I had hardly time for anything else, but moving in circles. Covid made it all bizarre, as if caught in limbo. The war in the Ukraine overshadowing Europe once more, prices are on the rise, but on the other hand it made people become more aware of what they truly want in life.
A few months ago a young guy (maybe 16 or 17) came into the store with his friend. They were both looking for gifts for their Mum. As the store was almost empty I helped them pick out gifts. This guy did not have enough money, but because he was so enamored by the package, I told him I will gift the rest of the money to him. It wasn’t much. Just two euros. He felt embarrassed, but accepted the gift. He promised to come back and give me the money. I said that it’s okay- it is a gift.
I had forgotten all about it and months had passed. Last week there was a day when I felt that something extraordinary was happening: A client came in and he asked me if I spoke english and if I could help him. I asked him where he was from. He said he was from Egypt. So I exclaimed that it must be extremely beautiful. He said that it was and that he loved living there. He gave me a bookmark with Egyptian hieroglyphs on it as a gift, as if he knew that I liked reading and had none. I thanked him and was wondering what was going on. What a nice surprise gift.
A few hours later the young guy from a few months earlier came back in and said that he had been waiting for me to have a shift. He gave me back the two euros. I felt very touched that someone so young would keep his word. Of course he was starting to look for another gift, so we chatted a little bit. He said he would come back next week when I would work, so we could pick out another gift for his Mum for her birthday.
Then another Lady came in and said that she was very difficult with choosing gifts and that apparently everyone at the store has had issues with giving her a hand. She wanted for gift baskets. So I said to her: Why don’t you go and pick what you like and then we’ll see what we can make out of it. I asked the Divine Mother for help so that it would turn out great.
And it did. It was very easy. She picked everything herself and said she would run some errands while I was making the baskets. It all went smoothly and I told her that it was my energy, that’s why she found everything and it wasn’t a problem. She looked at me and said: “Indeed, this is right. Because with everyone else it was so difficult.” We smiled at each other in complicity and she came to the back with her car and we loaded the gifts in.
Why am I telling you this story?
Because no matter what you are grappling with, may it be foul health, an awakening process that is lasting like a million years, maybe you are struggling with emotions like anger, or helplessness. Maybe you are feeling lonely. I would like to tell you that, no matter what, there is always hope and that there are people out there who will uplift you, even when you are having a hard time. Even when you are having dark moments of doubt and life seems to be giving you a hard time, there are people who will speak to you and you will feel as if touched by Grace, by compassion, and benevolence.
That was such a day. Amidst my own difficult year, there is light that is shining brightly and I felt deeply touched that day by small amounts of benevolence and little miracles of every day life.
Have you experienced benevolence lately?
Vanessa
A Beautiful World 