In a time where we do life differently than the other parts of the year, one story reminds me to be kind, as we don’t know other people’s pain. Another reminder is that bad behaviour may be a cry for love, acceptance and help.
The story: A group of men were locked up – murderers, frauds and thieves.
One day, as all were sitting against a prison wall, just before sunset in the cool of the day, they heard it …. A sweet song from the other side of the wall.
Is it a girl? Is it an angel? they whispered with tears in their eyes as the song touched their hearts.
Months went by with each day at the same time a little girl stood on the outside of the wall singing a song of healing to people she never met. The men sat still as they cried silent tears from old wounds and people they once knew.
Only one of them, Big Ben Bully, was fuming. With tears in his eyes and clenched fists, he would stomp around disturbing the solemn silence with grunts and sighs. One day he could not listen to the pure song anymore. He took a stone and threw it over the wall in the direction of the singing. With a shriek silence followed, which lasted for many days.
The silence of the song brought a great hush among the men, a sadness of losing something so pure. They sat at their spot every day, hoping this beauty would be theirs again. And one day, they heard it again. It was the same voice but a different song. This time it was one of victory that brought hope to their hurting souls. Hope that there are people who haven’t forgotten about them, even though they did some terrible things.
A startled teary-eyed group saw Ben, with his eyes closed, with a clear voice starting to also sing the song he tried to kill.
Imagine what would have happened to these men if this little girl did not return to sing her song again? The world is deprived of the talent or skill you give to others and sometimes people you don’t know. This to me, is an excellent form of kindness. To truly give from my heart, I had to learn to keep doing it, even if they throw stones at me. It is the kindness of forgiving and the girl’s tenacity to give something to them that touched their hearts and not necessarily the face behind the hand.
Copyright Annalie Anticevich© December 2022
Photograph thank you to Denny Müller https://unsplash.com/@redaquamedia at https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1516959000310-4eb0178333ab?ixlib=rb-4.0.3&ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&auto=format&fit=crop&w=1170&q=80
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