Sometimes, little angels just pop up in our lives. The other day, this old lady saw I was trying to give Mosa water from the tap at a temple (I had forgotten her bowl), and promptly took it upon herself to help the process. She filled her hands with water, then mine, then Mosa drank up. She firmly instructed me, 不要動手 (don’t move your hands) and carried the water from the sink, down to my hands at Mosa’s level. And then we went along on our separate ways, after profuse thanking and big smiles. Such a sweetheart.

This also reminds me of when I fainted on the MRT, going from Dave’s house to mine (side note, I don’t think I ever fainted any other time in my life). You’re not allowed to even drink water inside the station, so even though I felt light-headed, I obeyed the rules, and got on the MRT. After all, it was only a few stops. There were no seats available that late at night, so I clung to the handle, and the next thing I knew, I was crumpled on the floor looking up, and some people were looking at me all concerned, and ushering me to now-empty seats. 

This car somehow had an attendant on it, which the Brown Line rarely does.The most magical thing of all though, was this woman, who I swear to god was an earth angel. I do not remember her name. This would have been 2013 probably, because I think it was shortly after I had returned from my first trip home in the summer, and was jetlagged. She was another foreign woman, and taught at a Christian school in Neihu (I don’t even know?? I was not able to find this school later on). She happened to live near me, or so she said, and assured me and the the MRT attendant that she would get me home safely. Even though I lived a 5-minute walk from the MRT, she got me in a cab, called her husband to tell him what’s up, and delivered me safely to my apartment. I to this day have no idea who she is, and have never seen or heard of her since. Freaking angel. Since that time, if I feel dizzy or light-headed on the MRT, I will quickly, quietly, inconspicuously, take a quick sip or two of water, rules be damned. Following the rules is never worth the risk of fainting. 

Interesting, looking at the stories now, that these two angels popped up around the need for water, or being thirsty. Water has long been associated with our emotions, and is our most basic physical need (after air!), so maybe there’s something to that.

I guess my point is… don’t give up hope. Don’t lose faith in humanity. Accept help from a random stranger, and allow yourself to spontaneously be that kind stranger who picks up a dropped item or holds a door open. Do the next right thing. Be a conduit for good. And don’t deny others the right to be of service, just because you think you should have all your sh*t together or “I can handle it, I got this” when you really don’t got this, and are at your breaking point.

Learn to accept. Learn to say thank you. Learn that kindness doesn’t have to mean anything, or come with strings attached. Learn to spread the love and the positive stories, instead of just the grumpy road rage stories about some jerk who cut you off (ahem, possibly because no one, you included, was letting him or her in). Learn to allow people to merge in front of you and be in the flow. Learn that you are always, always, at the right place at the right time, and sometimes, just sometimes, for a reason. Be open to it.

Who knows, maybe your next kind act will have someone telling stories about this earth angel they just met!