Deeply Connected For A Moment
Create A New World!
There is often an African English-speaking boy at the supermarket with a twinkle in his eye.
He sells homeless newspapers to support himself.
I usually bring him some groceries.
He likes bread and I supplement that with fruit and sometimes something extra from the advertising.
Today he got a bag of chocolate cookies.
He hadn't seen me go in because a lady bought a newspaper from him.
From behind I asked him if he already had laughed today.
He smiles in surprise and gratefully accepts the groceries.
He briefly told me about his current situation in the Netherlands.
When he talks about his homeland, the conversation stagnates when he mentions his mother.
It's not easy, he says.
Luckily he has a warm place to sleep.
He says he eats what I buy for him.
With a smile he says: “I trust that it will be okay someday”.
He says God will fix it someday.
So much hope in such a dependent situation, waiting for a residence permit.
My challenge with every contact with him is that I keep turning on the twinkle.
But today it was different.
After he put my groceries in his bag, I told him that I've learned to love other people all my life.
But in the past few days I resolved to love myself above all.
And that I notice, since I do that, I can love other people even more.
I tell him I can feel him so well when he's here at the supermarket.
And as I say it tears well up in my eyes, because I am always so touched by his being.
He listens to what I say and then the tears roll down his cheeks, which he quickly wipes away.
“Oh my God, you cry for me.
Bless you!” he says.
For a moment we are deeply connected.
From person to person.
From heart to heart.