My ice-skating class is right next to the Valco mall. After the class, sometimes I go for a walk in the mall. It makes me forget the body-pain that I get from falling at the ice-rink. :)
It’s a fun walk... I love hopping from store to store, trying on different stuff. Observing people around, is something I love even more! What I don’t like is that I always end up buying something I don’t really need!
Yesterday was one such day. I stood outside the mall, made a resolution that I won’t buy anything . Then I stepped in. Luckily, I didn’t even find anything interesting that would tempt me to break my resolution. But I still kept walking.
It was about 40 minutes later, that I suddenly heard a voice from behind... “Hi!!!”
I turned around to find a girl holding hand of a woman. We had never met before. The pair didnt look like mother and daughter to me... maybe they were relatives. The girl wore a shabby red T-shirt and jeans. She was skinny, with her hair braded and wore thick glasses… too thick for her age.
Anyone could tell that she was a special child. She looked about 8 years old but her mental age could be around 2-3 years. Since I did not recognize her, I looked at the lady for some help. She simply stood there silent; I figured I am not going to get any help from her there. There were a few other people around and it was kind of awkward situation for everybody.
“Hi!!!!” the girl said again, looking straight into my eyes. I looked at the lady again. She turned away as if she was embarrassed because of the child. For one moment I thought of simply walking away, but something made me stay there.
I looked at the girl... she was smiling as if she was very happy to see me. I shook all my thoughts away, smiled and said “Hi…”
“What is your name?” she asked.
“My name is Saylee... and what is yours?”
“Roshni!”
“Roshni! It’s a nice name!”
Then for a couple of moments we just kept smiling at each other.
Then she suddenly said “Ok... bye bye!” .. still smiling.
“Bye!” I said.
I was about to leave when she said “Kiss?”
All this was going at a very fast pace for me to comprehend. But I could feel the love in it.
She opened her arms wide, with assurance in her eyes that she will definitely get a kiss!
The lady now had turned her back completely as if she didn’t know what was her happening behind her. And I didn’t care if there was anybody else looking at us.
I took a step closer to her and she gave me a kiss and a hug. She was very happy and so was I. I felt so touched by that child in just a few seconds! She asked me my name and that was all she needed to know to feel like we've always known eachother!
I waived my hands to say god bye and started walking. It was lovely!! I suddenly found that mall much more beautiful, more cheerful and filled with love and happiness. I felt good about me.
I didn’t buy anything that day, I walked for some more time and then returned home. On my drive back I kept thinking about the girl... what a loving heart she had!
A heart that could love strangers!
Because of her mental condition and appearance, I am sure that she must have been laughed upon and neglected. But she still had immense love for the world in her heart. I could see it in her eyes.
May I also be blessed with such a loving heart…
Anyone can love their own family and close ones. I don’t call that a loving heart though.
A loving heart is a heart that can love strangers…
A loving heart is when you don’t get irritated by a slow driver in front of you thinking that he could be a new driver.
A loving heart is when you take time to see if the ugly old lady in the handicapped chair at the checkout queue needs help, just the way you do to admire and smile at the irresistibly cute baby in the same queue.
A loving heart is a heart that can love someone that can do absolutely nothing for you...
And it’s hard …
The little special child taught me a lesson of love all over again...
Through a kiss at the mall..
It’s a fun walk... I love hopping from store to store, trying on different stuff. Observing people around, is something I love even more! What I don’t like is that I always end up buying something I don’t really need!
Yesterday was one such day. I stood outside the mall, made a resolution that I won’t buy anything . Then I stepped in. Luckily, I didn’t even find anything interesting that would tempt me to break my resolution. But I still kept walking.
It was about 40 minutes later, that I suddenly heard a voice from behind... “Hi!!!”
I turned around to find a girl holding hand of a woman. We had never met before. The pair didnt look like mother and daughter to me... maybe they were relatives. The girl wore a shabby red T-shirt and jeans. She was skinny, with her hair braded and wore thick glasses… too thick for her age.
Anyone could tell that she was a special child. She looked about 8 years old but her mental age could be around 2-3 years. Since I did not recognize her, I looked at the lady for some help. She simply stood there silent; I figured I am not going to get any help from her there. There were a few other people around and it was kind of awkward situation for everybody.
“Hi!!!!” the girl said again, looking straight into my eyes. I looked at the lady again. She turned away as if she was embarrassed because of the child. For one moment I thought of simply walking away, but something made me stay there.
I looked at the girl... she was smiling as if she was very happy to see me. I shook all my thoughts away, smiled and said “Hi…”
“What is your name?” she asked.
“My name is Saylee... and what is yours?”
“Roshni!”
“Roshni! It’s a nice name!”
Then for a couple of moments we just kept smiling at each other.
Then she suddenly said “Ok... bye bye!” .. still smiling.
“Bye!” I said.
I was about to leave when she said “Kiss?”
All this was going at a very fast pace for me to comprehend. But I could feel the love in it.
She opened her arms wide, with assurance in her eyes that she will definitely get a kiss!
The lady now had turned her back completely as if she didn’t know what was her happening behind her. And I didn’t care if there was anybody else looking at us.
I took a step closer to her and she gave me a kiss and a hug. She was very happy and so was I. I felt so touched by that child in just a few seconds! She asked me my name and that was all she needed to know to feel like we've always known eachother!
I waived my hands to say god bye and started walking. It was lovely!! I suddenly found that mall much more beautiful, more cheerful and filled with love and happiness. I felt good about me.
I didn’t buy anything that day, I walked for some more time and then returned home. On my drive back I kept thinking about the girl... what a loving heart she had!
A heart that could love strangers!
Because of her mental condition and appearance, I am sure that she must have been laughed upon and neglected. But she still had immense love for the world in her heart. I could see it in her eyes.
May I also be blessed with such a loving heart…
Anyone can love their own family and close ones. I don’t call that a loving heart though.
A loving heart is a heart that can love strangers…
A loving heart is when you don’t get irritated by a slow driver in front of you thinking that he could be a new driver.
A loving heart is when you take time to see if the ugly old lady in the handicapped chair at the checkout queue needs help, just the way you do to admire and smile at the irresistibly cute baby in the same queue.
A loving heart is a heart that can love someone that can do absolutely nothing for you...
And it’s hard …
The little special child taught me a lesson of love all over again...
Through a kiss at the mall..
