In this month’s article for the Susan Jeffers newsletter, we are talking about the transformative power of doing something caring. An act of caring, whether we are the giver, receiver, or a bystander, enhances us spiritually and can connect us to the world. In Dare to Connect, Susan related the following anecdote about how an act of caring she witnessed made everyone’s lives fuller.
One day as I was walking down the street in New York City, I saw half-way down the block a young tough-looking man, his jacket imprinted with a skull-and-crossbones, swaggering arrogantly in and out of the crowd. I pre-judged him as someone who wouldn’t give the time of day to anyone on the street, not that anyone would dare to ask! At one point, his eye caught sight of a blind old man with a cane tottering precariously toward the curb. Without thinking, he ran forward and headed the old man off before any damage was done. Then he took off once again. After he progressed a little way, he turned back to see if the old man was keeping on a straight course. No, he was once again headed for the curb. The young man darted back and impatiently told the old man he was still going toward the curb. But to no avail. Yet again, the old man went off course. Finally, with a nod of resignation, our tough-guy teamed up with the little old man, and this very unlikely couple proceeded nobly down the street…together. Magical! A moment of connection. A moment of the divine. (And an eye-opener to me about judging people by their appearance!