Embodied With Kindness

by Kevin
(Illinois)

For certain, we human beings are embodied with kindness. There is that nature in us that is almost like a reflex when doing acts of kindness. For I never even stop to think about it, I just did what I think was appropriate for me to do.

This experience is something that I will never forget for the rest of my life because it almost cost me my life.

This is my story and it happened 5 years ago. I was working in a local harbor. My job is to receive and do inventory of shipment or cargoes that arrived for a certain company that I was working.

During a lunch break I was passing by the ATM machine and I noticed an old woman withdrawing some cash. And then suddenly I heard shouts. The old woman was shouting because a certain man grabbed her purse. She was calling the man to give her back her purse saying that the money is for her ill husband in the hospital.

The man ran past me and without second thought I ran after him. I tried to outrun him and grab him by his shirt to stop and get the purse.

Since I am bigger and taller than him I was able to pacify him a little. But I didn't know then that he had a gun but we tried to grapple at each other but the gun unfortunately went off and hit me on my belly.

Fortunately there were some police who arrived before the man could flee any further. And that was the last thing I remembered and I was unconscious.

I didn't know how many days I was in the hospital. I thought I was dead already because I saw lots of people in white shirts. When I finally regained consciousness, I saw my mother at the side of the bed crying.

She was very happy to find me conscious again. She said she almost lost me since I had a sensitive operation and I lost a lot of blood.

I was very happy to see her and my family again. And the old woman came to visit me and was crying when she thanked me for my help.

The money was indeed for the operation of her sick husband and without that she will lose him too. She told me I am very kind. I told her it was nothing. All I wanted at that moment is to help her get back the money since I am aware that she needed it very much.

I did not regret doing what I did because I know that it was the right thing to do. Any man could have done what I did knowing the woman's predicament. And I felt an unexplainable happiness and joy of knowing that I was able to help her.