The kindness shown, by this young mother, toward a complete stranger, teaching her own young daughter the lessons of how important it is, to care about the world around them, translated…
After the Great Heat, the temperatures continued to rise, the entire island became, baked, I was so hot in the kitchen, I had to, desert my cookware, to escape the battlefields. This was so totally different than that freeze frame of the three-generations sitting together, with the younger mom, and young child, dressed up to the nines, the elderly woman, in her, floral printed cloth shirt, with the old flipflops. “The stingy daughter abusing the mom?” “Troubles between the mother and daughter-in-law? Intentionally, given her a lesson?” don’t know why, my mind started, running through all the possibilities then.
As they ate, they’d rarely exchanged any words at all. Are they, following that rule of: silence is golden? Or, are they, following the etiquettes of eating, don’t talk with your mouth full? The mother, watched over that young girl, patted her face, wiped her mouth away, with gentle love and care, but to the elder, there’s, the repeated, “don’t hurry, eat it slowly.” As the steaks were served, the mother cut it up into smaller bits and pieces, pushed it to the elderly woman, told her, to eat it, slowly, to chew it down completely, and yet, there’s, that coldness of tone of voice, and we can’t feel any of the heart of a daughter that’s, well rounded enough at all.
kindness towards, someone who’s in, need
photo from online
But, the elderly woman seemed not to care, just focused on the food that’s, before her, based off of her age, she had, a huge, appetite, like she’d not been fed for a long, long time, that she’s planning on, filling up the vacancy that’s inside of her stomach all at once, she’d, gulfed down the salad that was a tiny hill of green, and had two bowls of soup already, the eight-ounce steak, totally, cleaned off her plate, the chocolate cake, the Boston Crème Pie for desserts, all gone, ice cream…three scoops in a breath…as I watched her, I’d, started, exclaiming inside, “Wow, eating contest winner, I’d, read you, wrong!”
And, the elderly woman finally, burped, and got up, satisfied, “Thank you, ma’am, for treating me to this meal, mighty kind of you!” she’d continued thanking the woman, then, turned around, left. The young girl lightly complained to her mother, “she stinks! So sweaty, smelled too, bad…………”, that young mother told the child, “Grandma had been, picking up the recycling materials in the heat, look how hard she was sweating, then, you know how hard she’d worked, to, make a living for herself.”
So, they’re not, a family then, to the point, of never meeting before, it’s a wonder, they’re, eating their own meals, with no words of, exchange. It’s just, that this young married woman had, passed by the elderly, and, felt sympathetic toward her, and invited her to the meals, and, the elderly was lucky enough, to meet someone kind, and got a fulfilling meal.
The steak meals of less than four hundred dollars, I can pay for it too, but, inviting an unknown elderly to come along and eat with me, that’s, a thought I’d, never had. The young mother’s, “not giving to her like she’s a charity case, and made sure the elderly’s pride was cared for”, her act of, kindness, it’d, given her own young, the best, example.
And so, this is the story of kindness in the world, that the writer had, observed, and, this young mother is, amazing that she’d, invited this unknown elderly woman, whom she’d bumped into on the streets, noted that she was having a difficult time in her life, and, invited the elderly woman along for a meal, and you just don’t get that enough these days, because, we’re all, keeping our heads down, watching for our own means, we don’t really, have the mind, nor the time, or even, the energy to care about, someone else’s needs, and this young mother was a good example for her own young daughter.
How sometimes, being a little “nosy” can help out, a whole, lot! Translated…
As the sun hung high up in the skies, I’d parked my scooter, carried my groceries I bought from PXMart, slowly, walking toward my home. I came across an elderly man, very slim in his body, he’d become, unstable in his pace of walking, and had stopped from time to time, seeing how he’d started, rolling his eyes upward, like he wasn’t, able to see.
Being timid in nature, don’t know what got into me then, I’d gone up to ask, “Mr., what’s wrong with you?”, “I’m out of energy! My son told me to stay home, but, I’m getting really bored, staying at home alone, and I came out for a stroll, and now, I’m completely out of it, I can’t, get home!” ahhhhhhhh! How can this be, resolved? Thankfully, the elder recited a series of numbers, then told me, “this is the number to the apartment manager’s office. I don’t know which one’s the correct one, can you help me call, so the apartment manager can give me a lift home?” I’d taken out my cell phone, and dialed that first series of number he’d stated, but, it’d rung a long, long, long time, nobody answered.
“I don’t think this is the right number”, then, the elderly read the series of numbers, with two of the digits switched, and yet, I’d still, gotten, a number with no one answering on the other end of the line.
“I don’t think that’s correct either”, I’d tried helping him sit down in the chair, but, carrying all of my stuff, and, I’d lose the arm-wrestling match with an elementary school kid, as I’d rummaged through the things, the lady from the shop from across the streets saw me rumbling, with her apron still tied on, she’d come over to help (at this time, I’m really glad, that I’m not the only, nosy one in this world!), and finally, we’d helped the elderly man to the chairs before an afterschool care program.
Then, the elder stated an address, it was close by, and I’d, had the lady from the shop watch him for a bit, then, ran fast to his building, found the super, and told him what had happened, thank heavens, that even though he’d not remembered the right number for the super’s office, but he hadn’t, misremembered his own home address. And so, I got on one side of the elderly man, the super, on the other, helped him safe and sound. I am really glad, that I’d not allowed the elderly man to pass out under the scorching sun, because I was fearful.
That was two years ago, and, as I retired, and, with everybody I knew retiring one by one, I’m reminded of how quickly, we’re all, getting old. I hope, that one day, as an elderly woman like me, walking down the streets, as I come across some sort of a trouble, someone can, be “nosy”, and help me out a bit too………………
And so, this is how being a bit nosy can help a whole lot, like how this woman had, assisted the elderly man in the parking lot of a shopping mart.
The kindness of exchange, that became, a cycle of kindness…translated…
Upon thumbing across the article, “More than Just a Caramel that Stuck” on the eighth, it’d reminded of how as I took my mother back to the hospitals to get treated, there’s a “pretty grandma”, an elderly woman, who’d become connected to us.
It was during the summer, my mother had been having symptoms of dementia and suffered from depression, suddenly lost her ability to swallow, and had to get the feeding tubes in, and it was also during the time that my mother became a frequent “customer” of the neurology department as well. On the day, we met “Pretty Grandma” in the waiting area, she looked very fashionable, sitting in her wheelchair, wheeled in by a caretaker, she’d greeted us on her own, and introduced herself to us, told us that she is a resident of the nursing home unit of the hospital. She’d patted at my mother’s arms, told her, “You need to eat more food, so you will fatten up, as we age, we need to gain some weight, to look prettier, to have the defenses.” As she’d stated, she’d handed my mother, a caramel, my mother smiled bitterly, told the elderly woman, “I can’t swallow!”
Pretty Grandma stated confidently, that for a time, she couldn’t swallow either, that through the physical therapies, she’d regained her ability to swallow again. Seeing my mother in disbelief, she’d patted my mother’s shoulders, told her, “you must have faith!”, then, the once every month return to the clinic became the gathering of the two elderly ladies, sometimes, they remembered each other, at other times, they would need the reminders to recall who each other is. The sisters two would chat together, until both of them were done, getting treated, then, they’d bit one another, farewell. During the time, with the physical therapy, the upping of her food intake, the swallowing practices, and Pretty Grandma’s encouragements, she’d finally gotten off the feeding tubes, and, the caramels became a must-have of their afternoon tea parties.
what the two elderly women, shared…
pieces of caramel…photo from online
That’s how life is sometimes, the best times, usually, gone, in a, jiffy, the final time we saw Pretty Grandma, she’d become nothing but skins and bones, her eyes weren’t focused, with the feeding tubes installed. Her caretaker told us, that Pretty Grandma’s physical health was deteriorating fast, said that she didn’t want to impact anybody else, that she was going to, starve herself to death. My mother handed her a caramel, and told her, with a serious means, “You’d told me once that I needed to eat to get well, that as we age, we needed more fat, that way, we would look better, and have enough strengths.”
Pretty Grandma just, looked at my mother, without a word.
And, we hadn’t seen the elderly woman since. After my mother passed, I’d started volunteering at the hospital, and as I worked my shifts, I’d always have the caramels in my pockets, offered them to those patients with low glucose, or young children getting fussy, I’d, offered them a piece. What nobody knew, was that these caramels, once told of the stories of the connection of two elderly women who’d met up late in their, lives.
And so, it was because that caramel, that your mother and the elderly woman connected, and, it was a kind gesture from the elderly woman, which helped your mother found her spirits to live back again, and, after the elderly woman passed, and your mother was gone too, you’d gone back to the hospital, carrying those caramel pieces in your pockets, to hand them out to those who are in need of one.
Meeting back up with his high school instructor now, and she’d wondered how he’d been, translated…
During the summer of my sophomore year in university, I’d worked at a gas keg delivery shop, to make my own tuition and money for living, in the three months’ work, I’d only taken two days off.
At sunset that day, I’d ridden out on my scooter, with two large gas kegs, rammed into the tiny alley. The woman who’d heard me rang the bell came, ushered me into her kitchen. I lowered my cap, put down that heavy gas keg, swiftly, I’d, exchanged the old one with the new, and working in the high heat, it’d caused me to sweat like crazy.
The woman handed me a bowl of mung bean soup, and it’d moved me. After all, in my days of working as a delivery person, I’m more used to being treated aloofly by others.
I’d lifted my head up wanted to say thanks, but, as I saw the woman’s face, tears came falling down my cheeks.
The woman opened her eyes wide up, looked stressed at me, the originally kind expression, suddenly turned merciful, and doubting, her eyes were, red too.
That woman, was my high school Chinese instructor. She’d, identified me, anxiously inquired, “are you still in school, how’s the family? How have you been?”, her inquiries came very fast, she’d still remembered how back in my final year of high school, that something majored happened at home, how I’d, frowned through that final year, never spoken another word to anybody again.
“Teacher, all is well with me now, I’m grateful for your concerns of me back then, I’m just, part-timing as a gas keg delivery person in the summers, it pays better!”, I’d explained to her, and she’d, started, smiling.
As I said goodbye to her, my instructor stood at the entrance of the alley, paved with the golden rays of the setting sun, like a kind mother, waving goodbye to me.
And so, this is how this instructor kept you in her mind, because of how you were back in high school, and, she’d become like a mother to you, as she’d shown the care and concerns for you back in your high school years, and you were grateful for her for being so kind too.
One morning during the outbreaks, I stood in line at the side entrance of the hospital, waiting to get my national health insurance card to register so I can clock in for work. Finally, when it was almost my turn, a middle aged man with a guiding cane came out of the taxi, carefully, prodded with his guiding cane around his environment; I’m guessing that he’s in an unfamiliar place to him. Because of how there weren’t the volunteers stationed there, and the pandemic was at an all-time high, nobody was there to offer him assistance. Seeing how there were the steps that he was about to bump into, my “nosy sense” came over me, I got out of line, walked to him, told him, that I’m a volunteer here, if he needed assistance? He’d looked relieved, nodded his head, and he’d told me he was headed to the massage station of the hospital to work. I’d had him put him hand on my shoulder, and, I’d originally thought I had to get in line from the back again, but the man who was originally behind me let up his spot, told me to get back in line, to stand in front, and told those behind him, that helping someone out is a good thing, that everybody should allow us to cut in line.
And so, that middle aged man, with his hand on my shoulders, and, I’d become his eyes, telling him, we’re entering the doors, then, stopping to get the temperatures read by the guard, using the alcohol spray to sanitize ourselves, then, we’d turned left, to the hallway, that there was a small bump about five steps away, that I will stop so he can lift his feet up, he was glad and told me it was no problem, and asked if I was trained in guiding the visually impaired? I felt bashful, and told him that I’d watched a video on how to help the visually impaired person cross the roads.
like this???
photo from online
A bit later, we’d arrived at the massage station, and his partners came to get him in. He’d told me thanks, said that it was only a short time before he became visually impaired, that he was still a rookie in it, that it was his first time working at this location, that it wasn’t easy for him to know which way he was going, that he was glad to be helped out by me, and I’d wished him a good day at work. Actually, I’m more blessed to have met him, he’d let me see several surprising things: first, how the visually impaired, despite their predicament, still positively live their own lives to the fullest. Secondly, this was the very first time I’d ever assisted a visually impaired person, it’d felt like I got out of my own, comfort zones. And, there was also the man who’d let up the spot in line for us, it’d showed me that there’s still a lot of kindness in this world. More importantly, I feel that I am amazing! Not recognizing the ways as I, I’d not lost the way to get him to where he was going, in a large-scale teaching hospital.
And so, this showed, how helping out brings something positive, not just to the ones you’d helped out, but yourselves too, and it would drive you to help other people in need out more, because, it makes us feel good about ourselves, that we can, offer assistance to someone in need, to make their lives, a whole lot easier.
Some good news here, the legacy of love, of giving, passed down by this, elderly woman here! Off of the Newspapers, translated…
The founder of Children & Adolescents’ Homes Welfare Foundation in Nantou, Chen passed away yesterday, at the age of ninety-two. Chen had cancer in her midlife years, beaten it with chemo, she was with the illnesses big and small, but, we see her out, with the drip racks, to the events that cared for the lost youths and the less-fortunate, her actions gained her the reputations of “Grandma of Puli”. The foundation stated, that it will keep on carrying the goodwill of Chen, to pass the legacy of care, of love shown by Chen while she was still alive.
The elderly woman, Chen didn’t have the opportunities to get an education, but had helped a lot of the adolescents who’d followed the wrong paths, and the younger generations from lesser homes, the Ji-Nan University awarded her the honorary doctorate just last year, the elderly stated humbly, “I wasn’t educated, I’m not fitting to receive this.”, the president of Ji-Nan University, Wu told, that grandma had the heart of mercy, and helped the youths who had gone down the wrong paths to steer themselves back onto the right tracks, she’d used her life as a lesson to teach them, she’s an amazing educator.
Back when Chen was young, she’d lost her mother, was sent to the Chens in Puli as an adopted daughter. After she married, she had seven children, at age thirty-eight, she had been diagnosed with colon cancer, uterine cancer, and other forms of cancer, she’d not gotten defeated by her illnesses, bravely gone through the chemotherapy treatments, and used her own illness as strengths she’d found, to give to the world around her, helping the children from lesser backgrounds to get an education, so they can turn their own lives around.
the elderly woman, at an event hosted by her foundation, photo from UDN.com
With the support of her husband, Lin, she’d sold the land, the house, and helped built a total of thirteen temples including the Liang-Xien Temple, in 1983, the Liang-Xien Temple became the Yu-Liang Xien Tang Social Welfare Organization, then she’d set up the “Chou Chen Home for Youth and Children”, as a place for the children and youths who are from lesser backgrounds.
More than decades ago, there was an adolescent who got placed in the home by the juvenile courts because he got into fights, he was having the troubles adapting to living in the group home, but the elderly woman found that he’d carried his mother’s picture with him, that he’d often sat in the corners, and cried on his own, Chou Chen told him, “You don’t have your mom anymore, but you still have me!”, it’d helped the adolescent loosen his guards, and stopped getting into trouble, the young man even got into university. He’d returned to the Liang-Xien Foundation to take care of other adolescents.
The Ji-Nan International University awarded the honorary doctorate to Chen last year. The elderly woman stated, “I’m uneducated, and reason why I received this award, it’s all due to everybody’s giving, I’m only, a representative, hoping that everybody can help out with these children, to get them educated, so they can contribute to this country.”
The foundation told, that the elderly woman had already set up her own final affairs, and her final wishes were that she didn’t want any obituary, that her final affairs should be simple.
And so, this is an amazing woman, who started up her foundation, to help the youths who are on the wrong paths, to steer them onto the right directions, and, it’s with this amazing love she has, that’s touched a ton of younger generations, and even now after she’s gone, her spirits, her will will, keep on, going on, strong.
How a lost cell phone, became, that catalyst to pass forward the kindness, translated…
Due to This Comfortable Position, My Ancient Nokia Slipped Out of My Pocket Twice in a Matter of Few Short Days……
The First Time It’d Slipped Out Was as I Was Transferring at Chih-Du
As the seasons of rain came, I’d started riding the trains, instead of riding my scooter all over the places. I’d loved how the trains are steady, with the large windows, spacious and comfortable seating, not only was it fitting to read the papers, I can look out the windows to see the world flash by if I get tired. If the rain worse, I can let go of my original plans, just kept riding the train, and treating the process of getting there as my final destination.
Of the trains, I’d especially loved the ticketless, Zi-Chiang Route that you can scan your MRT pass to get on, as I alight, I’d found a seat, lower the seat to almost flat. But, because of this comfortable position, in just a few short days, it’d caused my Nokia ancient cell phone to escape out of my pockets a couple of times.
That first time, was at the transfer at Chih-Du, as I alighted a northbound, it’d felt lighter! I’d patted my pockets, my pant pocket was, empty and light, I’d screamed, “oh, NO!” on the inside! I’d immediately got off at Ba-Du, asked for help from the train attendant. The male worker who was having his lunch left his food, wrote down my cell phone number, my last name and my address, and told me to wait for his good news, and I’d, immediately, cancelled my travel plans, rode the next train back to Chihdu, and asked for help from a female worker there.
The female worker used the internet, the cell phone, the walkie talkie, to track, and found that the Zi-Chiang Route I took will return to Chihdu in Keelung in five minutes. I’d rushed over to the platforms, successfully gotten on the trains, but because I’d not written down my seat number, I can only start searching for my phone seat by seat, train, by train, and I’d, bumped into the conductor. The meeting meant, that no cell phone was discovered, although it was only a cheap, old thing, losing it, I’m not to be, found by anybody again. I was bothered by this, and, upset, returned back to Taipei Main Station, I’d not left the station at all, and as I’d scanned my MRT card, I’d found, that I was charged $114N.T.s, this made my day even worse.
I’d inquired to the workers of the railroad company, and he took me for not wanting to pay, and as I’d wanted to explain how I’d lost my cell phone, he’d, ushered me onward! At that moment, I was furious to beyond speaking, I’d wanted to leave a written grievance on him, but then, no matter what, I’d used the services provided for close to two hours, I should pay for that, and, seeing how the employees from the Chihdu to Badu Station worked so hard to assist me, how can I erase all of their passions for helping me because of one minor displease?
At that moment, my heart cleared up, and I’d, decided, to change my complaints to praises. I’d used the public phones dialed 104, and had the operator transferred me to Taiwanese Railroad, told the lady on the end of 104 how I was helped by the workers, and the voice on the other end came shocked, the woman told me, that she’d never gotten a call like mine, that all the calls she’d picked up were all complaints. How’s that possible! Could it be, that all modern day people do is, complain? I’d told the operator, “if there were complaints, there are bound to be, praises, the workers with the kindness should get the accolades”, the woman took my words, and told me that she will, handle it. I’m thinking, that I’m a, nobody, that this will end right then and there.
illustration from UDN.com
At night when I got home, my mother told me that the Badu Station of the Taiwanese Railroad kept calling nonstop, said that they’d found my cell phone, she’d thought it was scams, and hung up on them several times, and stressed to me, that the “Badu station is really, agile!”, I’d used my home phone, called my cell, it went through, the worker told me, that my cell phone had, tramped all the way to, Keelung.
The next day, I’d gone to the Keelung Station to pick it up, after a full twenty-four hours, I was so fearful that people can’t find me, and yet, there was the unanswered calls from the Badu Station, and me.
Shortly after I got my phone back, I’d received the call from the Chihdu Station manager, said that they were, very happy, to receive my praise, it’d honored them and pleased them. Accidentally, my simple action, had caused this, huge effect. And now, I feel, very happy too, but, it’d not lasted long enough, because in a few days, on the Zi-Chiang Trains from Hualien to Dounan, I’d, lost my phone, again.
This Time that It’d Gotten Lost, I Wasn’t at All, Stressed
And this time, I’d reported my cell phone missing where I got off, at the Taipei Main Station, and written down my cell phone model, and my contact number at the first-floor station manager’s office. Taipei is a major transit station all right, with the specialized system, workers who could handle these things we’d lost on the trains.
And this time, losing my cell phone, it’d not freaked me out one bit, I’d felt, a bit, glad even. Not that I’m more experienced, but why would I need to get, upset, for losing a cell phone that I used mostly for the calculator, and flashlight, getting emotionally kidnapped by that? Besides, there were, only three known persons who might call me on that cell phone, taking away the scam artists, the commercials.
The following day, I’d called the Taipei Main Station to see if my cell phone was found, and learned, that there’s a lost-and-found registry online to check. I’d click open the website, wow, so many items lost, with the days they’d been found, the trains they’d been found in, hats, umbrellas, canes, chairs…………from the news previously, there’d been, a two-meter golden python that’s been found. And, there are, countless cell phones lost in a day, a lot of unclaimed, iPhones, what’s up with the owners of those? It’s worrisome to me.
and finally, I’d caught a black phone that looked, just like mine, I’d called up the station, the operator told me the brand was Samsung. As I’d just about given up, the attendant told me, that I “should call the terminal station of the train, you might find something there.”, and, the attendant told me, that all those lost items will eventually get, auctioned off, other than the cell phones, because of the risks of our personal information getting leaked, the cell phones would all be destroyed with a huge hammer.
And surely enough, my cell phone had, made its way to, Dounan, if I go and pick it up personally, it would take a long time and very costly, as the person heard my difficulties, s/he’d told me, s/he can mail it to the station that’s closest to me. That very night, my cell phone rode the trains from Dounan to Shuling Station. The following day as I’d gone to pick it up, I saw it wrapped in a brown legal-sized paper envelope, like it was, something that’s, cared for by someone else, I was very moved.
The cellphone without the LINE and FB icons, used an alternative way, connected the kindness of everybody who’d picked it u0p; and I’d, decided to use, an alternative means,——to help everybody who’d ever, helped me out too.
And, since, when I met a worker with excellent customer service skills, I will get really nosy, and tell on them to their superiors; these past few months, a lot of workers are commended. This isn’t actually really annoying, everybody can do it, if you feel shy, telling the person personally, you can, send in an email, or make that call. In this age of the soured tongues, the outbreaks, allow the encouragements we give to one another, balance out the sourness of this world of the outbreaks.
So, this, is how the help from the employees at the various stations to help you track back your phone is truly, appreciated by you. And the writer is absolutely correct, that these times, there are, just way too many grievances, complaints about things that someone does for us that’s not up to “standards”, and too little, encouragements and praises, and if we can give more praises to those who offered us assistance, then, it will slowly, change the world for the better.
A relay of kindness, on the MRT stations here, translated…
Upon thumbing across the article, “An Alternative Form of Passing Along the Love”, it’d reminded me of how back when the pandemic is still high, people’s emotions don’t get masked up by that piece of nonwoven cloth.
“Beep~~beep~~beep~~beep~~”, as the door on the MRT was about to close at Guting MRT station. The volunteer in the vest helped a young lady with a guiding stick on, made sure she’d steadied herself against the pole, then left, looking at the girl, she’s, probably about the same age as my son.
As we arrived at C.K.S. Memorial Hall Station, the door slid open, the passengers who were rushing to transfer all ran toward the other side of the platform; the young lady, with the cane, slowly, moved out of the car, I’d thought there would be a volunteer helping her, but, I’d waited, and nobody in a vest showed up. Seeing how she’d become, hesitant in walking, worried that she may get bumped down by the rushing of the crowd, I’d followed behind her, lightly asked her, if she needed some assistance? She’d told me she needed to transfer to Beitou, I’d told her that I’m transferring too, and I can take her there, she’d thanked me in a light voice. The line to the MRT was already long, but what’s amazing was, others around us made ways for us to get to the front of the line.
Not long afterwards, the red light flashed, I’d told her, that the train is coming, she’d taken a step forward, I’d told her, that the train hadn’t come to a complete halt, for her to wait a bit. She’d smiled apologetically, maybe, it was me who wasn’t, clear and precise enough! As we alighted the trains, I’d led her to the seat for her to sit down. Seeing there was a woman about my age sitting next to her, I’d asked if she was riding to Beitou? At first, maybe because we were strangers, she’d not responded, and I’d told her, that because this young woman was going to Beitou, but I am getting of at N.T.U. Hospital, that if it was at all possible, I’d hoped that the woman can assist this young lady.
The young lady lifted her head, “looked” at me, told me, “don’t worry, I can listen to the announcement, and I would know if I’m getting off.”, as the woman heard, she’d extended her hand, to hold the girl’s, told me not to worry, that she would, make sure that the young lady get to Beitou Station safe and sound.
As the train got to N.T.U. Hospital Station, I’d walked out of the trains. The beeping noises, signaling the door closing came again, and the taillights of the MRT trains, vanished in an instant. I took a deep breath in, and that feeling of happiness came with me, because I knew, that with the sounding of the beeping of the doors opening and closing, there would be the relays of kindness from strangers, who will, help this, young woman to her destination.
And so, this is how kindness starts, with just one act, and then, one act became two, then three, and it just, keeps on, multiplying, and this showed how little it takes, to help someone out, and, with you helping someone in need, others around you will be, motivated to help out as well, and sometimes, you just, have to, voice out your needs, so others can know that you are in need of assistance.
Someone who is using everything he has to help others in need, a story of hope here, and he’d, given a whole lot to this free meals program for those in need, found the shops that are willing to come onboard this meal program he’d started on his own, off of the Newspapers, translated…
The garage owner of Xinyi District in Taipei, Weng started up the “suspended meal” packed lunches, he said, that the Xinyi District isn’t as glitter or golden as the outside believed it to be, there are many who are in need of assistance there, he’d put up $50,000N.T.s to $60,000N.T.s for the charitable causes, and, as the pandemic hit hard, he’d put up more than $100,000N.T.s, “my wife fought with me on this”, and he only hopes that the world can have more warmth, to show more care and concerns for those around.
Weng doesn’t work in the food industries, and so, he’d worked alongside the food shops, those who are in need can go to his garage to pick up a business card, and take the business card to the shop that are working with his garage, to get the free meals, and the shop would tally up the tabs, and at the end of the month, he’d gone to the shops to pay up the tabs.
the photo of the man…
in his garage…from UDN.com
When asked of his providing the free meals to those in need from two years ago, he’d told, that back then, the pandemic starting caused a ton of troubles for the livelihoods, the shop where his garage ordered the lunches went out of business, there were also those around him whom had lost their jobs during the outbreaks, it’d made him realized, that there are a lot who needed help around him. And so, he’d found the shops that are willing to work with him and notified the online community of the meals-for-free for those in need, “There are too many trolls online, a lot of those who are in need don’t dare asking help as they are in need of it.
Weng found that the number of those in need of the free meals are increasing, and started, expanding his “jurisdiction”, brought the program to Shijr, Nangang, Songshan, and other districts of Taipei. Other than the free meals, he’d also shipped out the boxes of items for those who are in need free of charge.
He’d spent more than $100,000N.T. by the month as the outbreaks were hitting the country hard, and currently, the pandemic slowed down a bit, and, he’d spent around $50,000N.T. per month right now, he’d even used the unused space of his own garage for the storage of the goods he is shipping out.
And so, this is an amazing man, who’d noted the needs of the world around him, and, without any hesitation, he’d started, gathering the resources, found those who are like him, willing and able to, help out, and together, he and his group are, making a huge difference, especially right now, as the outbreaks are still, hitting very hard, and, not all of us have steady jobs, to put the food we need on our, tables here.
Watching the acts of kindness, it changes you, and adds to your awareness, of how important it is, to offer that hand in assistance to someone else who’s in need, translated…
On an afternoon, I was sitting by the window of a second floor of a fast food restaurant, I saw a visually impaired person, with a guiding cane, crossing a six-lane road on the pedestrian crossing. As I was getting up to head downstairs to help the individual, there was already, another woman, who’d gone up and helped the individual to get to the bus stop.
I’d found, that the visually impaired person had a board hung around his chest, I’d originally thought he was passing the gospels, but as I looked closer, it had “12, 36, 0East…………”, that was when it’d dawned on me, that that was the bus route number the individual wanted to take, and, I’d prayed, that the drivers of Route 12, 36, and 0East will see him, and help him get to his next stop. And suddenly, I’d felt enormous respect toward this visually impaired friend, respect for his not getting defeated by his own, reality.
like this…
photo from online
Not long thereafter, came two buses, I saw the woman who’d helped the visually impaired person cross to the bus stop, talking to the driver, then, with her arms, around the visually impaired person, walked to the bus behind the first. As I was confused, I saw that woman bowing to the driver, then, run to the first bus. Then suddenly, I’d, understood, she was helping this visually impaired person settling in. In the five short minutes, I’d felt the warmth from the understanding of the woman, the visually impaired person, and the two bus drivers, how they’d shared an understanding together.
As I got home, I’d told my wife, my two children what I encountered enthusiastically, but, I’d gotten the unpassionate, response from them, and it’d, not felt, good.
As I was getting to bed, I’d run everything I’d encountered of the day through once, and my families’ reactions, and believed, that I needed to, share these, simple but wonderful things with others, most importantly, to keep that sight of love, of compassion alive, so I can be reminded of how much kindness the world still has.
So, this is from a bystander’s angle, watching how this visually impaired person received the assistance that he was in need of, by the unknown strangers, and, it’d touched him, and, it’d, changed him, in ways he isn’t even aware of yet, but that seed is already, planted inside.
Mirroring the World 
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