As the world gets older, it feels tougher each day; emotions now feel deeper, and even the commonest of things hold a whole lot. A lot of us have grown into minding our business, not wanting to bother others with our problems, because obviously every human has his or her challenges, but there are those unexpected moments- an angel without wings suddenly shows up and makes the burden we feel lighter, also awakening our hope to pass on that feeling to someone else, because sometimes, we are not meant to carry our burdens alone, an extended hands surely makes it easier.

I've had several of these encounters myself, and truly, the feeling that comes with it is relief and pure joy, knowing that someone out there cares, even without voicing a word about what you are going through with them. Sometimes it doesn't even have to be a cash gift or a physical gift; just being there, a compliment, or encouraging words can do more than we can imagine.

I remember the period when I started learning how to sew and wasn't even confident in making my own dresses, let alone make an outfit for someone else. Though I still tried to be consistent in practicing, regardless of the errors I made, I wore my creations even though they weren't perfect. Then one day in church, a fellow member complimented my dress; I was flabbergasted and even asked again if she was referring to me. Yes, you, she confirmed. I felt happy and gained the confidence to tell her I made it myself. Guess what? She asked if I could make the same dress for her, and just like that, she became my very first client. Even when I wasn't ready, just a simple act boosted my confidence and skill. To this day, I don't make beautiful dresses just for her alone, but for a whole lot of other women as well.

She might not know what she did for me that day, but it has lived in my heart, and when I see anyone who is in the same position I was, I make sure to extend that same confidence and encouragement. And even recently when I went to get my broken phone's screen fixed, I encountered an almost similar situation, where a young girl who also came to get her phone fixed as well was admired by someone else, then she went on to say she had only started learning and could only make dresses for herself, she didn't even have a taperule with her, I reached for my purse and brought out my taperule- I always have mine with me, handed it to her, and encouraged her to take the job and if she wasn't confident, she could reach out to me for guidiance. I knew exactly how it felt to lack that confidence. Judging from the outfit she was wearing, I could tell she had the skill; she just needed a little confidence boost to believe in herself.

She reached out after a week, thanking me for encouraging her to take the job. Now she feels more confident about improving her skills and getting more job opportunities, rather than just hiding away sewing for herself alone.

We may never fully know the impact of our small acts of kindness, but just like the lady who unknowingly boosted my confidence when I needed it, we can choose to be that light for someone else. So, whenever you have the opportunity to make someone's burden a little lighter, please do it. You never know whose hope you might be restoring, whose confidence you might be building, or whose life you might be quietly changing.

Image is generated using AI

Thank you for reading.