SOMEBODY LOVES YOU

“Don’t forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it.”

Hebrews 13:2

One miserable rainy night, a man decided to end his life. In this mid-fifties, he had never been married, had never experienced the joy of having children or spending holidays with family. Both his parents were dead for seven years. He had a sister but had lost contact with her. He had a menial job that left him unfulfilled. Wet and unhappy, he walked the streets, feeling as if there was nobody in the entire world that cared if he lived or died.

On that same soggy night, I was sitting in my room watching the rain hit my window. I was six years old and my life revolved around my Barbie collection, I was dreaming of the day when I would have enough money to add Rapunzel to my doll house, to help me make money, my dad paid me to jog with him, everyday at 7 o’clock, we jogged together and everyday I was 10 rupees closer to my Rapunzel.

When I heard the doorbell ring, I ran into the living room, my mother was already at the door. Opening it, she found herself face to face with a very disheveled looking man with tears streaming down his face, my mother, overcome with pity, invited him in and he sat with my parents in our living room.

Curious, I edged a little closer, to get a better look. I couldn’t understand what they were saying, but the sight of the rumpled ran, holding his head in his hands and crying made my chest ache. I raced back into my room and stuck my hand into my money jar, pulled out the 250 odd rupees I had earned till then and ran back, when I reached the door of the living room, I walked right in, the three adults looked at me in surprise as I quickly made my way over to the stranger, I put the money in his hand and told him I wanted him to have it. Then I gave him a hug and turned and ran as fast as I could out of the room; I felt embarrassed and yet happy.

The man sat quietly with his head bowed, tears streamed down his face as he tightly clutched the notes, he said, “It’s just that I thought nobody cared. For the last twenty years, I have been so alone, that was the first hug I have gotten in- I don’t know how long. It’s hard to believe that somebody cares. “

His life changed that night. When he left our house, he was ready to live instead of die. Although we never saw him again, we received letters from him every once in awhile, letting us know that he was doing fine.

Being a six year old, I hadn’t thought about what I was doing that night. I had just reacted to the sight of someone else’s pain. On our morning jogs, my dad and I had talked about the importance of giving, but I hadn’t had any idea what it really meant. My life changed that night too, as I witnessed the true healing power of giving. Even if it’s a tiny gift of Rs 250/-

Before the man left, my parents asked him why he had knocked on our door. He said that as he’d walked the streets that rainy night, hopeless and unhappy, he noticed a bumper sticker on a car and wondered about the people who lived in the house where the car was parked. Then, in a fog of unhappiness, he had made his way to the front door. It’s hard to imagine that a bumper sticker and a hug could change two people’s lives, but somehow they did.

The bumper sticker on the car read: SOMEBODY LOVES YOU. The car however belonged to our neighbors….

PS: am sorry to all those who feel that this post was kinda similar to my previous blogs, but thanks for reading it anyway! cheers!