It was a cold Saturday afternoon in the city of Melbourne in Australia. It was not even winter yet. The cold winds of autumn make you want to snuggle beneath your blanket and stay cosy at home. I was in the city that day, doing some shopping. As I felt the wind hitting my face, I regretted choosing that day to brave the weather. All I could think about was getting home and warming up. I could not imagine how it will be in winter!
While having this conversation in my head, I saw an old homeless man sitting on one of the busy street corners with a cardboard sign. He looked very scruffy. Well, he is homeless, that must have been the least of his worries, right?
I continued walking, as this is something you see every day, almost everywhere you go. I walked for a few metres then suddenly stopped. I asked myself, how could this man bear this cold weather without a jacket on? I was wearing so many layers, yet still could not feel my extremities.
I turned around and walked back to him. I gave him some money and was about to walk away, but something stopped me. I had so many questions to ask him. I did not think it was appropriate of me to do that as I did not want to unintentionally say something hurtful or rude to someone so fragile. So many thoughts were rushing in my head at that very moment and as I was turning away, the man grabbed my hand and squeezed it so tight that, to be quite honest, it terrified me. I knelt over with the force of his grasp. He stared at me for a few seconds and said to me with tearful eyes: “May God bless you my child”, and then let go of my hand. I immediately walked away without saying a word, but the man’s words and gratitude have been occupying a fair share of my thoughts.
I remember as a kid, I used to always think to myself that I would make a fortune by asking a million people to give me one dirham each, so that I could collect a million dirhams easily. Now that I think of it, it still makes sense and I believe it is very doable. If we think of it in terms of donations, if each one of us has stopped for a moment and helped those who are less advantaged even by one dirham, it would still make a difference.
Sometimes it is hard for us to stop and think about the things we take for granted. Many of us are blessed to have a decent life, where we can afford the basics that we can survive upon, to say the least. Yet, there are many others who do not have such basic survival tools. I am sure, by the happiness on their faces that anything they receive makes a difference in their lives.
We often get caught up in fulfilling our own needs, but we seldom feel satisfied and are always looking for more. Sharing a little of what we have with those who do not have anything at all could make a difference, not only for the receivers, but also for the givers as well.
Zainab Al Mousawi is doing her MA in social work at the University of Melbourne.
If you have a good story to tell or an interesting issue to debate, email Melinda Healy at mhealy@thenational.ae.
