Finding Peace in the Eyes of a Stranger
Despite the fact that hoomans are social beings just like dogs, the hooman world can be a very isolated one at times.
In fact, the more I experience life with mom, the more I understand her deep love for dogs. She has found in dogs the comfort and non-judgmental love that allows her to be who she truly is.
Because for us dogs it doesn’t matter whom you like, where you come from, what your skin color is, your political views, religion or whether or not you have money. All we really want is love, food and calm energy around us :)
Our adventures in Los Angeles continue, and I have one in particular I’d like to share. The other day mom and I parked at a shopping center garage in Marina del Rey. We got a Jamba Juice smoothie and some snacks to eat in the car while she worked on her laptop. I took advantage of this time to take a long nap.
When I woke up, mom decided to take a break and go for a walk but as she tried to start the car, the engine wouldn’t start.
After hearing her exclaim “Oh no!” a few times, I realized we were in a bit of trouble. Mom grabbed her phone to look up “What to do when your car won’t start!!” but quickly realized that her phone had a battery life of only 5 percent. Again I heard “Oh No!!!!!.”
To top things off, it was Sunday evening and the stores around us were about to close. As these things sunk in, I felt a bit of her panic kicking in. Luckily, she caught herself on time, took a deep breath and asked herself: “What is my next best step?”
She learned this magic question from a famous lady on TV called Oprah. Apparently mom is a big fan of hers.
The answer to that question was simple: “Duh, find a way to charge your phone!!”
And so we left the car and hit the stores that were still open looking to borrow a charger.
We approached cashiers and customer service reps at a grocery store but to our misfortune nobody was able to help us.
Just when we were about to leave the grocery store, mom saw a man sitting by the wall charging his phone while reading from it. I’m not sure how to describe him but he appeared to be homeless.
Mom felt a bit uncomfortable and had zero expectations but still asked this man if by any chance she could borrow his charger as we were in an emergency situation. The man, in a very friendly manner, reached for his backpack and pulled out a second charger he carried and gave it to my mom. She couldn’t believe it. Trying to control her tears she sat next to him and waited till her phone charged.
When we left the store, after thanking the man for such a generous gesture, mom remembered something that happened a few months ago while she was shopping at a Trader Joe’s in San Francisco. There was a homeless person inside the store who kept counting his dollar bills to see if he had enough money to buy food. Mom didn’t have any cash with her so she offered to pay for his groceries using her credit card instead. For some strange reason, she felt this man needed her help. And despite her initial discomfort with approaching this stranger, she was glad to be able to help. Leaving the grocery store in Marina del Rey with her phone fully charged, mom realized that this was the way the Universe paid back her generosity from a few months ago. With that realization she couldn’t hold her tears of joy and gratitude any longer.
Generosity, isn’t it an amazing thing? We can extend our love to someone and receive it from a completely different source. What I find more amazing is the fact that from all hoomans that mom asked help from, the one she least expected is the one that actually saved us that day.
I guess generosity can be offered in many shapes, ways or forms. The important thing is to give because it feels right in your heart and to do so without expectations or judgement. The Universe always finds a way to pay it forward. So don’t be surprised if next time a complete stranger becomes your hero when you least expect it.
Oh, and if you want to learn what happened to the Mini car, I’ll tell you all about it in my next blog. Stay tuned! :)
Love & Paws,
Monchi