Diary Entry – June 5, 2023
I had a long and very demanding day on Monday, June 5, 2023. Productive but LONG!!! I share about it in the post – Being the recipient of the Silent Treatment from Ms. Flow.
A major work event was going down on Wednesday, June 7, and guess whose life turned into a chaotic roller coaster ride? Yup, you guessed it, yours truly! Who would’ve thought that orchestrating an event with a whopping 200 attendees would be such an overwhelming endeavour?
Seriously, it’s like juggling flaming torches while tightrope walking on a shaky wire! And as if that weren’t enough, on top of the event madness, I still had my pile of daily work tasks staring me down like an unruly boss. Can someone please pass me a cup of Mint tea and a superhero cape? I definitely need both to survive this epic challenge!
Anyways, around 5:57pm, I was like, “Madam, you gotta go home, you’re totally beat and your brain feels fried.” I just wanted to get home ASAP, you know? I needed to crash and recharge for the next day.
I packed up and got into the elevator which was occupied by just one person. I remember because the elevator is usually empty when I get on it. I rested in the corner of the elevator, spread out my feet and closed my eyes as the elevator descended. I always take this stance as I experience motion sickness from the ascent and descent of elevators.
When we got to the ground floor, I stepped out of the elevator and looked left and right to confirm the correct direction. I began walking towards the exit. A man was standing beside the automatic revolving door while a woman was in front of it, waiting for it to swivel. When it didn’t rotate, she opted to take the exit on the right.
As I was getting closer to the exit, I noticed, out of the corner of my eye, this kid sprinting towards me from the other end on the right. I couldn’t see her right away because of this massive pillar in the lobby, so I decided to slow down to prevent crashing into her.
The subsequent occurrence left me dumbfounded, as I beheld her looming before me, her left hand uplifted. Although she uttered words, it took me a fleeting moment to assimilate them, still transfixed by her audacious deeds.
It occurred to me that she said “High Five”. I smiled big and slapped her palm with mine. Her hand was much smaller than mine. I glanced up and noticed two women sitting where she had come from. I smiled at them and kept going.
I was so exhausted that I couldn’t fully comprehend what had taken place. However, upon returning home, I revisited the unexpected occurrence and couldn’t help but laugh at the young girl’s spontaneous gesture. Her impulsive action unexpectedly brought me immense joy during a challenging period in my life. It served as a timeless reminder that there is always a silver lining in every difficult situation.
I don’t know her name but I’m genuinely grateful for her spur-of-the-moment action. I pray that nothing in this life will ever diminish her spontaneity or take away her joie de vivre (joy of life).
Have you ever experienced a random act of kindness from a total stranger when you needed it the most? Do share in the comments.
