Happiness is there, just around the corner.

I arrived at the requested address and honked the horn of my cab, after waiting a few minutes I honked it again and after waiting without getting any answers I thought about leaving, but since it was the last race of the day I decided to park my vehicle and go to the door to ring the bell.

- Wait just a minute," answered an old man's voice over there.

I could hear something crawling on the floor. After a few minutes the door opened. A small woman in her late 90s, I think, stood in front of me, wearing a patterned dress and a veiled hat that looked like a movie character from the 1940's. Next to her was a small nylon suitcase.

The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years, all the furniture was covered with sheets, there was nothing on the walls, no utensils or anything, and in one corner you could see a cardboard box full of photos and glassware.

- Would you please take my luggage to the car?, sir.

I took the luggage to the vehicle and then I came back to help this woman. She took my arm and walked very slowly to the cab. She thanked me for my kindness in the treatment and I replied that it was nothing.

- I love to treat my passengers as I would like to be treated myself. I told her.

- Oh, you are such a boy," she said.

When we got to the cab she gave me an address written on a piece of paper. And then she asked:

- Gentleman, could you go through the downtown first?

- Ma'am it's not the shortest way.

- I don't mind, I'm not in a hurry. I'm going to a nursing home to be taken care of, she said.

I looked in the rearview mirror and saw her eyes sparkle.

- I have no family, the doctor said I don't have much time left, she said in a sweet voice.

I discreetly stopped the meter.

- Which way would you like me to go ma'am? I said.

For the next two hours, I drove around the city. She showed me the building where she worked as an elevator operator, we passed the building where she and her husband lived when they were newlyweds, she made me stop in front of a furniture store that was once a dance hall where she used to go dancing as a young girl. Sometimes she would have me stop in front of a particular building or on a street corner and she would stare blankly in thought without saying anything.

When the sun began to join the horizon she suddenly said:

- I am tired, I would like us to go to the old people's home now.

I drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a small building with a simple nursing home with a door leading to an alley. Two nurses came out and headed for the cab, they seemed very considerate and were keeping a close eye on the woman's movements. They were obviously waiting for her arrival, I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already sitting in a wheelchair.

- How much do I owe you," she said as she opened her bag and looked at me.

- Nothing," I replied with a smile.

- You have to earn a living," she said.

- There will be other passengers," I replied.

Without thinking I leaned over and gave her a hug, she hugged me tightly.

- You gave this old lady a moment of joy, thank you," she said in an excited voice. I shook her hand and turned around.

I will never forget that look and that hug. Behind me a door closed, it was the sound of a life-ending. I took no more passengers that night. I drove aimlessly for quite a while, lost in thought. I hardly spoke for the rest of the night, just wondering what would have happened if the woman had had to deal with an angry or impatient driver, or if I had left without waiting after honking my horn several times. On second thought, I don't think I have done anything more important in my life than what happened on that day....

I wanted to share this story because we can't continue to go through life unnoticed like this, because sometimes we believe that our life revolves around big moments, but the big moments are usually in reality beautiful little moments, like the protagonist of our story today. If we don't pay attention to the little moments we will miss big moments.

You know what? Our actions, no matter how small, can bring a smile to someone's face, and many times those same actions give us pleasant moments in our lives. I have learned that everything happens for a reason, that people don't meet by chance. We are part of a master plan. God knows who we will meet along the way and what lesson we will learn.

You know, true happiness lies in making others happy, that is indisputable. Are you looking for happiness in your pride or loneliness? you are wrong. It is necessary to reconsider what you are doing today to help all those around you and those who make up that inner circle or that social circle. Happiness is linked to the empathy you feel for the needs of others, to be happy I think you have to start sowing in others.

Happiness is not as far away as we sometimes believe or as the media tells us, I believe that happiness is there, just around the corner, we are part of a master plan. Never lose sight of the small details and I believe we have to become better people every day.

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Pictures from: unsplash.com