A hug

I was in a hospital ward visiting an old man whom our Foundation had been helping by providing monthly financial aid. On my way out, I saw this elderly makcik, clad in sarong and baju kebaya and a head scaft loitering in the hallway, a little agitated and seemingly unsure as to how to navigate her way around . I approached her and asked if she needed assistance to which she replied she was visiting her grand daughter and one of the hospital staff had told her to take the elevator to another floor where her granddaughter was, but being from a remote village and illiterate, the so-called modern facility designed to convenient us was such an unfamiliar thing to her, and she felt embarrassed to ask for assistance.

I then led her to the elevator, taught her how to press the buttons and brought her to the floor where she was at last reunited with her grand daughter. This old lady thanked me profusely, then extended her arms gave me this warm hug and gratefully uttered `terima kasih, nak’ .

I felt so touched by her little gesture. And she had been such a gracious lady with a heart of gold to want to address me as `nak’. At that moment, I truly felt like I was one of her own. And I felt I belonged.

Isn’t it humbling to know that you are the one at the receiving end of loving kindness when you and your bloated ego so selfishly and adamantly told you that you were actually the ONE initially reaching out to offer help to someone in need?

She just lighted up my day.