A simple story to change your perception

I once heard this story from a very respected lady, teacher and mother of mine. Hear goes:

She was a young teenage girl when she read the newspaper report. A report about how con-men exploit children to collect donations and cash to their interest. She hence never trusted any child or gave any donation whenever they came around collecting it.

One day, while out with her mother, a young girl of five years of age approached them. Begging them for donation to feed her family. Remembering the article once more, she warned her mother and refused to give. But her mother gave without a second thought, and two dollars, a small change but a huge gesture, came out of her pocket and into that young pitiful girl's hand.

The teenage girl turned to her mom and asked her why. The words she said at that point of time, rang and will continue to ring in the ears and touch hearts of those who of the future generations to come: "Whether the case is genuine or not, there is no doubt that that $2 means only a little to you. But should the case be real, that small $2 would mean a world of difference to the girl."

Mrs Oon told me this story two years ago, but each time I faced a begging child, a schoolgirl asking for donation, a blind man selling tissue, I try to remind myself about this simple but meaningful story I heard once of and do what I am able to help. Yesterday, I found myself in the shoes again. A man who lost his ez link, who needed just $2 to make his way home. He even offered his phone number for us to reach him to have our money back. Having no small change, I tried breaking the $5 note Kevin had, but no one would just stop by and do so. It made me ponder, this exchange between strangers. If even I, would required small change to exchange for a $5 note was unable to get help, what about the man who needed $2 to go home. Exasperated, we decided to give the whole green note, only to be repaid with extreme gratitude and appreciation which I could read from his gesture and words. I wonder how long he stood there asking, I wonder how desperate he felt. The thought of whether what he said was the truth pricked me, but I decided that it didn't matter. For if the case was genuine, the small green note would have saved a man from desperation and loss.

The words he repaid rang loudly in my ears, coupled with the warm fuzzy feeling that i've helped somebody today, with the gratitude and massive appreciation: "May God bless you"

p.s ( to do a good turn a day is incidently a unspoken rule of the guiding movement)