Happiness in Service

The other day I came out of the office and walked with Des to where my car was parked. It would probably take a 5-minute walk to get there. At that time, I was feeling quite down and my mind was preoccupied with a lot of things. Des and I walked silently. I thought about the many things in life inlcuding the recent events that had quite an impact to my plans, where I am now and what I would want to be. It might sound a bit general, but I guess each individual has his own unique reflections, however shallow or deep it might seem or sound. As we got near the parking lot, I noticed a girl searching through some trash bags. She got ahold of some rotten bread and searched for more. I remembered I had a piece of chocolate in my bag but we were past her already. I told myself that I would just give it to the girl on the way back since we'd be passing the same way. But I never had the chance to - she was gone. "Oh, well...," I told myself. On the way to Megamall, I stopped for a red light. A lame man knocked on my window and then I saw a boy selling sampaguita. I told myself I'd give the piece of chocolate to the little boy. A bit hesitant to open my window because the man kept knocking, I waited for him to stop and proceed to the next car while I struggled to take the piece of candy from my bag. He stopped alright. But by then, the boy was quite far from my car as well. Whew! Two opportunities to share the chocolate right under my nose, but that piece of chocoalte never had the chance to get out of my handbag. I felt bad. I realized that if I really wanted to, I could have called that young boy, or went back for that little girl, or even opened the window for the lame man and give them that piece of chocolate. You guys, don't let opportunities to serve pass you by just like that!

I can't believe I dwelt too much on my own dilemmas in life, when some people have far worse predicaments. If I had a tight spot that day, they had stiffer and more rigid ones! That made me realize how I should be truly grateful for the things that I have. Somehow, it put my life back into perspective.

Had I given that piece of chocolate to the girl with the trash bag, or the lame man, or the little boy with the sampaguita, I think, and would most likely, have felt better that day.