Tiny Tales: A Ripple Effect of Kindness

Hello my lovely readers… 🌸 I am dipping my toes into the Tiny Tales section after a while as I write this heartwarming little piece. This one actually exposed me to the most beautiful part of existing as a human. It made me realize how even one tiny gesture, just with the eyes and a soft-spoken, genuine word or two, can make a huge difference. Like ripples in water. 🌊 Just a tiny, soft hand movement, and there you go, it creates delicate, stunning wave patterns that pass along into the distance. The entire view feels like a therapeutic intervention by nature.

This story gives exactly that same vibe. I hope that when you are done reading it, your heart bursts with the same warmth I felt, as I pass this ripple effect to you... and you pass it along too! ✨

Recently, I visited my family in Moncton (i.e., the east coast of Canada). 🍁 I had a great time with them for a week. As I was coming back to Montreal, I was quite emotional. Leaving family is always difficult, and if you are an immigrant, you definitely know the feeling.

I boarded my plane and settled into my seat. I was in the middle seat, with women occupying the seats on both sides. One of them, presumably in her 60s, sat by the window. She was reading a book. 📖 Her face was so soft and kind. I sensed that about her — it was my intuition when I first saw her.

Another woman, on my right, seemed like she was in her 20s.

I attached my seatbelt. I was as normal as I could be in that moment. There was nothing about me that would hint I was feeling emotional. I remember this clearly, my face was as straight as it gets. Everyone else around me seemed normal too, doing their own thing as they settled into the aircraft.

I don’t know how, but the woman sitting by the window sensed my emotions. I don’t know her name. It might sound crazy, but I am going to give her a name for this blog: Aylin. 💫

Aylin somehow recognized my restlessness. As I was plugging in my headphones to block out the world while the pilots prepared the plane for takeoff, she just looked at me and softly asked,

“Are you okay?”

Now yes, anyone could have asked this question just for formality, and I would have sensed a formal tone too. But the way she asked, I could feel it wasn’t formality. She asked it in the softest, kindest way anyone possibly could. She asked it the way a guardian angel would keep tabs on you, like she truly meant it.

She asked it the way I would ask myself that question to check in on myself. And being a sensitive and empathic person, I recognized the difference.

I looked at her.

Her eyes were dripping with kindness and genuineness. 🕊️

Normally, I would have probably said, “Yes, I’m doing okay.” But I couldn’t stop myself. I answered honestly and truthfully.

I told her,

“No. I guess I’m feeling a little bit anxious and emotional because I’m leaving my family.”

That heaviness instantly flashed across my face for a quick second, followed by relief because she asked and it felt better.

 She simply responded,

“It’s alright. It is okay to feel like this.”

She had this burst of warmth and empathy in her eyes.

It was just a couple minutes of interaction.

But it instantly made me feel a lot better.

I thanked her in the most grateful manner, and I truly meant it! 🙏 Even though it was just about an hour and 30 minutes, I literally felt like I was sitting beside an angel.

Her presence felt so safe. Her aura itself was healing.

Sometimes, the Universe really does send its angels at the right moment. ✨

She went back to reading her book, and I went back into my world of headphones. I turned on my noise cancellation, but I didn’t listen to any songs. My mind was on this moment.

And then, a prompt came up in my chain of thoughts as the plane took off.

I have always asked myself this question whenever I see my family members, my elders, growing older, retiring, living their lives:

Who am I going to be when I am old like them?

I’ve gone through all the practical answers you could think of: having a safe little place of my own, having my loved ones around me, doing what I love, and so much more.

All the little details, you know...

But I never answered myself this way...until now.

After this beautiful interaction with Aylin, my answer came up: “I want to be kind like her.” 💛

That doesn't mean that I am not kind now. But it’s more about the fact that I want to keep being kind and empathetic, maybe even more than I am today. I want to keep growing into the kindest version of myself. I don’t want to let the world, with all its heartbreaks and hard moments, harden my heart. Instead, I want to use those experiences to open my heart even more, and to feel all of the emotions that this world has to offer.

So yes, I definitely got my answer there!

And this was definitely a ripple effect on me, a huge one. It made me realize that even a tiny gesture of compassion can impact a human heart. You can heal someone. In just a few genuine words, you can make someone’s entire day. And that kindness can be passed along, creating those beautiful, intricate wave patterns that change lives. 🌊

I would love to cite this beautiful quotation by William Shakespeare:

How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world. 🕯️

Aylin might never realize it, but she inspired me to write this blog post. And now, as you are reading this, if you feel something, then this is my ripple effect on you.

I hope you get to feel what I am feeling right now as I write this heartwarming note. And I really hope you pass it along.....by being kind and compassionate toward yourself and the people around you.

Because the world is already hard and cruel enough. We need more kindness, more empathy, and more people like Aylin. 🌎

Thank you so much for reading this blog. I hope to see you in the next one! 🌸