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A young lady, Carie, was waiting for her flight in the boarding hall

of a large international airport. She was feeling tired and a little

lonely.

As she would need to wait for a few hours, she decided to buy a book

to while away the time. She also bought a packet of the best cookies

she could find.

She sat down in an armchair in the VIP room of the airport, to rest

and read in comfort.

Beside the armchair where the packet of cookies lay, was another seat

and a man soon settled down there. The next minute, he opened his

magazine and began to read.

When Carie took out the first cookie, the man took one too. She

looked at him with irritation, but he did not seem to realise how she

felt; he appeared engrossed in his business magazine. She

thought: " What a nerve! If I was in the mood I would have said

something to him! "

After a while, Carie picked another cookie and the man did the same

again! For each cookie she ate, the man took one too. It was too

annoying for her. She just wanted to get up and give the man a good

piece of her mind but could not do it; she had never been able to

speak up for herself, always preferring to avoid conflicts.

When only one cookie remained, she thought: " What will this awful man

do now? " Then the man, taking the last cookie, divided it in half and

offered her the other half!

Ah! That was too much! She was in a rage now! In a huff, she took her

book and bags and stormed to the boarding gate. Giving one glance

behind her, she saw the man looking at her with a puzzled look on his

face. " Well, some people live on a different planet, " she reflected.

 

She settled down on her seat in the plane with a quieter mind; quite

relieved to be away from that ill-mannered human being. She now

wanted to read the good book that she had carried and could not do so

all along. She looked through her purse to find her glasses, and to

her consternation saw her packet of cookies - untouched and unopened!

" Oh my God! " she exclaimed and felt so ashamed. She had actually

forgotten to take her cookies out of her purse.

The man had shared his cookies with her, without the least

hesitation...while she had been upset, grumbling within and cursing

him. And now there was no chance to explain herself... or to

apologize.

Carie had learnt her lesson too late; she had now not only the full

pack of cookies but also plenty of food for thought.

If we examine closely, there are always many such dramas playing out

daily in our lives. We only have to be alert and aware, and not

forget our heart as we think with our minds. Can we be like the man

in the story and live beyond the small world of `me' and `mine'?

Swami says:

" It is unfortunate that people even harm those who help them…. We

should help even those who harm us. "

Let us never lose an opportunity to lighten other lives because that

is the only way we can make our life bright.

Illustrations: Ms. Lyn Kriegler Elliott

~ Heart2Heart Team