An unforgettable experience that impacted me positively.

Some certain events happen in our life and the impact would be an everlasting one on us, it would reshape us and sometimes make us dedicate our minds and resources towards something great in life. I have many times been a beneficiary of people's kindness but someone did something that made me doesn’t hesitate to give as long as I have the power to do it.

I laughed it off today when I see someone who refuses to help others because they don’t have enough, some act of kindness doesn’t require you to be rich, and doing it from the little you have is what makes it special.

This experience happened over 16 years but the impact on me would never get old.

I came from a poor background but education was a priority for my mother, she is a strong woman who believed so much in education so it made her give everything she had. Despite her effort, my education was rough and I remember how they didn’t hesitate to chase me out of school on many occasions.

The junior school-leaving examination came, mom did her best and I sat for the examination. I passed and the family was happy about it. Soon it was graduation day, I told my mom about it and she told me that she doesn’t have the power for it; I knew it was hard for her because my younger sibling was also writing an exam at that time.

From the moment she told me that she wouldn’t be paying for the graduation, I became a sad boy and everyone noticed it. I can’t blame her; she wouldn’t have hesitated to pay for it if she had the money. I made up my mind that even if she wouldn’t pay, I must attend the event. I won’t be stopped from attending but I wouldn’t be recognized as a grandaunt and the only thing that could hinder me was that all my clothes are old.

I was depressed, and my mood worsened but mom had nothing she could do about it. It affected my engagement everywhere, the day came and I locked myself indoors. I was sad and crying badly, mom had gone out to find our daily bread and my younger ones were in school already.

It was around 10 am when I heard someone knocking on the compound gate, I didn’t leave my room because we stayed in a rented apartment and it could have been anybody. The person kept knocking so I decided to go check who was there, I forgot to dry my tears as I left my room.

I opened the gate and it was our church member who was close to the family, he worked as a plumber. He had work to do in the house so the landlord called him, I helped with his bag and he was asking why I didn’t go to school. I told him we were having a party and I can’t attend because we couldn’t afford the graduation fee.

He looked at me and patted me, he said I should just go and have fun with my friend even though I wouldn’t be recognized as a grandaunt. It was then I opened up to him that my clothes were old, he went to the landlord to collect his service fee even before he started the work and handed it over to me. I turned it down but he insisted, he took his phone and called my mom. I went to meet her and we went to the market where fairly used clothes were sold to get a top and trouser for $2, we rushed back home and I went to prepare for the event.

I was ashamed for not matching my friend’s standard but I was the happiest person when I was called for the second overall best student, I could feel eyes on me as I was walking to the podium.

Firstly, I wasn’t having the graduation gown. The fairly-used cloth has this common smell that made everyone that I just got it, all that didn’t matter to me as I received the prize with pride.

I ran back home to show my mom what I got, she told me to take it to the man who helped me with the cloth. He prayed for me and I returned home. I didn’t have a better understanding of what he did until I got a bit older and it is one of the reasons why I don’t hesitate to give to people in need as long as I have.

The man is in his 60s now and is reaping his kind act towards me then, we regard him as a father because we because closer after what he did for us. Later on, he made me understand that he was supposed to use the money to buy some drugs because he wasn't feeling good but he couldn't stand the way I was feeling and God blessed him with multiple folds of the money he gave me because he got a house contract two days after.

A lot of people believe in having millions before helping others which is not true, a small act of kindness could change someone’s life completely. Before Covid19, I work as a sales and logistic supervisor, and two years after leaving the job, my team still comes around to celebrate their success with me because I didn’t hesitate to give them jobs when I was in the position to do so.

We all have the power to touch lives but many of us feel like we need more to make that decision, I don’t know about others but I feel really happy whenever I can help someone out there. It is one of our purposes and I might not have realized it without what happened back then.

Helping others is part of me and I feel terrible in some situations when I can't help, aside from the fact that there is a heavenly reward for showing kindness - it is an act of restoring hope in the life of the beneficiary and the best way to transfer the lesson that it is important to show love and kindness always as long as we have the power to do so.

The article was actually written for a contest on another platform but I had to share it here since I am super busy today and won't be able to come up with an article.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend?

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