The Hardest and Toughest Job In the World

I love you mum! God bless you real good!!!

Here & There

The fact that you are "HERE" (where you are now) is a proof that you will get "THERE" (where you aspire to be). The only difference between "HERE" & "THERE" is the "T" which stands For "TIME".

Just persevere and you'll get THERE...

Love and Marriage

A student asks a teacher, "What is love?"The teacher said, "in order to answer your question, go to the wheat field and choose the biggest wheat and come back.

But the rule is: you can go through them only once and cannot turn back to pick."

The student went to the field, go thru first row, he saw one big wheat, but he wonders....may be there is a bigger one later.

Then he saw another bigger one... But may be there is an even bigger one waiting for him.

Later, when he finished more than half of the wheat field, he start to realize that the wheat is not as big as the previous one he saw, he knows he has missed the biggest one, and he regretted.

So, he ended up went back to the teacher with empty hand.


The teacher told him, "...this is love... You keep looking for a better one, but when later you realize, you have already miss the person...."

*"What is marriage then?" the student asked.


The teacher said, "in order to answer your question, go to the corn field and choose the biggest corn and come back. But the rule is: you can go through them only once and cannot turn back to pick."

The student went to the corn field, this time he is careful not to repeat the previous mistake, when he reach the middle of the field, he has picked one medium corn that he feel satisfied, and came back to the teacher.

The teacher told him, "this time you have brought back a corn.... You looked for the one that is just nice, and you have faith and believe that this is the best one you can get.... This is marriage."

You can never know what will happen in marriage...it takes the grace of GOD to accept someone with all your heart!

The Power Of Faith: True Life Story

There was a couple who had waited for a child for 12 years. On the twelfth year, they were blessed with a bouncing baby boy. There was so much rejoicing and celebration in their family, from friends and well wishers. On the day of baptism of the child, the child suddenly stop breathing. After some first aid and other checks were done by medical professionals present, the baby was certified dead. The woman didn't shed tears or lament while others were doing so but instead took the child to the Blessed Sacrament Chapel and told God to take the child he gave her that he's dead. She dropped him gently and was walking out of the Chapel when she heard the child crying and turned back to see he was alive. There was so much rejoicing and the baptism went on as well planned and the child is doing very well.

Do you have faith? Nothing is impossible with God.

Have a lovely week peeps and believe.

Values Of Love And Care

The passengers on the bus watched sympathetically as the attractive young woman with the white cane made her way carefully up the steps. 

She paid the driver and, using her hands to feel the location of the seats, walked down the aisle and found the seat he'd told her was empty. Then she's settled in, placed her briefcase on her lap and rested her cane against her leg.

It had been a year since Susan became blind. Due to a medical misdiagnosis she had been rendered sightless, and she was suddenly thrown into a world of darkness, anger,frustration and self-pity. 'How could this have happened to me?' she would plead, her heart knotted with anger. But no matter how much she cried or ranted or prayed, she knew the painful truth, her sight was never going to return. A cloud of depression hung over Susan's once optimistic spirit. All she had to cling to was her husband Mark.

Mark was an Air Force officer and he loved Susan with all his heart. When she first lost her sight, he watched her sink into despair and was determined to help his wife gain the strength she needed to become independent again.

Finally, Susan felt ready to return to her job, but how would she get there? She used to take the bus, but was now too frightened to get around the city by herself. Mark volunteered to drive her to work each day, even though they worked at opposite ends of the city. At first, this comforted Susan and fulfilled Mark's need to protect his sightless wife who was so insecure about performing the slightest task.

Soon, however Mark realized that this arrangement wasn't working - it was hectic, and costly.

Susan is going to have to start taking the bus again, he admitted to himself. But just the thought of mentioning it toher made him cringe. She was still so fragile, so angry. How would she react? Just as Mark predicted, Susan was horrified at the idea of taking the bus again. "I'm blind!" she responded bitterly. "How am I supposed to know where I'm going? I feel like you're abandoning me."

Mark's heart broke but he knew what had to be done. He promised Susan that each day he would ride the bus with her until she got the hang of it.

And that is exactly what happened. For two solid weeks, Mark, military uniform and all, accompanied Susan to and from work each day. He taught her how to rely on her other senses to determine where she was and how to adapt to her new environment. He helped her befriend the bus drivers who could watch out for her, and save her a seat. Each morning they made the journey together, and Mark would take a cab back to his office.

Although this routine was even more costly and exhausting than the previous one, Mark knew it was only a matter of time before Susan would be able to ride the bus onher own. Finally, Susan decided that she was ready to try the trip on her own. Monday morning arrived, and before she left, she threw her arms around Mark, her temporary bus riding companion, her husband, and her best friend. Her eyes filled with tears of gratitude for his loyalty, his patience, his love. She said good-bye, and for the first time, they went their separate ways. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.... Each day on her own went perfectly, and Susan had never felt better.

On Friday morning, Susantook the bus to work as usual. As she was paying for her fare to exit the bus, the driver said,"Boy, I sure envy you." Susan wasn't sure if the driver was speaking to her or not. After all, who on earth would ever envya blind woman who had struggled just to find the courage to live for the past year? "Why do you envy me?"

The driver responded, "It must feel so good to be taken care of and protected like you are." Susan had no idea what the driver was talking about, "What do you mean?" The driver said,"You know, every morning for the past week, a fine looking gentleman in a military uniform has been standing across the corner watching you whenyou get off the bus. He makes sure you cross thestreet safely and he watches you until you enter your office building. Then he blows you a kiss, gives you a little salute and walks away. You are one lucky lady."

Tears of happiness poured down Susan's cheeks. For although she couldn't see him, she had always felt Mark's presence. She was blessed, so blessed, for he had given her a gift more powerful than sight, a gift she didn't need to see to believe - the gift of love that can bring light where there had been darkness.

"You don't love a woman because she is beautiful, but she is beautiful because you love her..."

There will always be greater or lesser persons than yourself

I was jogging one day and i noticed a person in front of me, about 1/4 of mile. I could tell he was running a little slower than me and I thought, good, i shall try to catch him. I had about a mile to go my path before i needed to turn off.
So i started running faster and faster. Every block, i was gaining on him just a little bit. After just a few minutes i was only about 100 yards behind him, so i really picked up the pace and push myself. You would have thought i was running in the last leg of London Olympic competition. I was determined to catch him.

Finally, i did it! I caught and passed him by. On the inside i felt so good. "I beat him" of course, he didn't even know we were racing. After i passed him, i realized i had been so
focused on competing against him that i had missed my turn. I had gone nearly six blocks past it. I had to turn around and go all back. Isn't that what happens in life when we focus on competing with co-workers, neighbors, friends, family, trying to outdo them or trying to prove that we are more successful or more important? We spend our time and energy running after them and we miss out on our own paths to our God given destinies. The problem with unhealthy competition is that its a never ending cycle.

There will always be somebody ahead of you, someone with better job, nicer car, more money in the bank, more education, a prettier wife, a more handsome husband, better behaved children, etc. But realize that "You can be the best that you can be, you are not competing with no one." Some people are insecure because they pay too much attention 2 what others are doing, where others are going, wearing & driving. Take what God has given you, the height, weight & personality. Dress well & wear it proudly! You'll be blessed by it.

CRY

I had three friends. Eric, Cathlyn, Carol. Eric was chased by all the girls in our high school. Cathlyn was one of those popular girls. Cheerleader, sexy, and stylish. Carol was just one of those plain and average girls .

Cathlyn and Carol were both totally crazy and wacko over Eric. Cathlyn didn't have to do anything to attract Eric, for she was already attractive enough. Carol on the other hand, showered Eric with love and care. Carol wasn't ugly at all. In fact, she looked sweet and pleasant. However, she wasn't a cheerleader and she didn't wear spaghetti-straps or tubes.

So like everyone expected, Eric chose Cathlyn. While Cathlyn was labeled as the cool and attractive type, Carol was just one ordinary and plain girl. 

Eric always insulted Carol. He was always telling her what a 'Plain Jane' she was and how dumb she looked. It made Carol felt hurt and useless. Despite Eric's insults, Carol never gave up. She wanted to prove something to Eric. She wanted to prove that looks aren't everything. She studied hard, really hard. She became the top girl in her school and all the guys who once ignored her went after her.

Regardless of her success, she never forgot Eric. Everyday, she put a red rose in Eric's locker with the same words.
'I care for you, and I always will' Because she knew that Eric was facing a hard time.

Soon, Eric began to realise how dumb he had beenwhen he saw his beloved girlfriend Cathlyn flirting with other guys. He regretted choosing the wrong girl.

Cathlyn broke up with Eric some time later for she had found a wealthier guy. Eric felt cheated, stupid and dumb. He went to look for Carol. He knelt on his knees, and said.
"Carol, please forgive me. Do you want to be my girlfriend?" Carol rejected him, much to everyone's surprise. She only uttered these words.
"You've suffered a great loss, so I don't want you to face another one"

-------------

Eric felt disappointed. He didn't understand a word that she said to him. However, they became good friends and did everything together. Eric began to change into someone better because Carol showered him with the love he had never experienced before. His ex-girlfriends had never treated him that way as they just accepted him for his looks. In comparison, Carol accepted him for who he is and changed him to become a better person. Carol continued putting a red rose into his locker everyday with the same words. She never forgot.

One day, Carol didn't turn up in school. She didn't come for a week. At first, Eric thought that she was on a vacation with her family because she told him that she would be going Hawaii with them. He thought nothing about it until he received a call from the General Hospital. They told him that Carol was about to die. She had been suffering from cancer but Carol forbade them from telling him because she didn't want Eric to worry about her.

Now that she was about to die, she wanted to see Eric for the last time. Eric rushed to the hospital immediately. When he saw how weak Carol was, tears streamed down his cheeks. 
He whispered, "Why didn't you tell me earlier? Why did you hide this from me?"
She looked at him and smiled weakly.
"When I said that I didn't want you to suffer from facing another loss, I meant this. I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want you to worry. I wanted to spend my last days with you cheerfully." Eric looked at her.
"You can't leave me!" he said.
"What will I be without you?"
"You'll be who you are now. I will always be there by your side. Never forget that. Cherish those times. Live life happily. And one more thing."
"Yes?" 
"I love you"

And she died. Eric screamed. He still couldn't accept Carol's death. He had only spent a month with Carol. One short month was enough for Carol to change his life in a way that no one could ever explain. Eric had many regrets but he knew that Carol would always be keeping an eye on him from Heaven.

Sometimes, we just don't appreciate those people who really care for us until they leave us or until we lose them. Then, it would be too late for regrets. Outer beauty doesn't matter; it's the inner one that counts. It's better to tell someone how much you love them now rather than to not tell them and lose them without telling them.

Love is when we fight till the very last minute just to show and tell someone how much we love them to live life without regrets.

Poorest and Most Humble President in the World

Meet the “Poorest President” in the World – Uruguayan President José Mujica Drives a Volkswagen Beetle & Donates 90% of his Salary to Charity

While our Nigerian leaders are being berated for refusing to declare their assets publicly and demanding astronomical pay rise to add to the already exorbitant allowances they receive, the President of Uruguay,José Mujica is getting world wide recognition and respect for donating 90 percent of his earnings to charitable causes.

He has earned what most people would call an enviable reputation as the “poorest,” or the “most generous,” president in the world. His nickname, “el presidente mas pobre” translates to “poorest president”.

The President said in a recent interview that the only big item he owns is his Volkswagen Beetle car, valued at $1,945 dollars (about N308,283) . He earns a salary of $12,500 a month (N1,981,250), but only keeps $1,250(N198,125) for himself, donating the rest to charity.

He lives in a farmhouse which is under his wife’s name,  Lucía Topolansky, a Senator, who also donates part of her salary.

The 77 year-old who has been Uruguay’s president since March 1, 2010 told El Mundo, “I do fine with that amount; I have to do fine because there are many Uruguayans who live with much less.”

It was also reported that under his stewardship, Uruguay has become known for low levels of corruption. The South American country ranks as the second least corrupt country in Latin America in Transparency International’s global corruption index.

Yahoo News reported that the President has no bank accounts,  no debts, and he enjoys the companionship of his dog, Manuela. When his term is over, the President hopes to rest even more peacefully in his farmhouse, along with his wife and his inseparable dog.

There is something about leading by example. When you do, it becomes easier for other people to follow.

This is the definition of humility! God bless his generous and humble soul. Amen.
Are you inspired?

Culled from BellaNaija

MIRACLE OF LIFE - A MUST READ..

MIRACLE OF LIFE - A MUST READ..

Twin girls, Brielle and Kyrie, were born 12 weeks ahead of their due date. Needing intensive care, they were placed in separate incubators.

Kyrie began to gain weight and her health stabilized. But Brielle, born only 2 lbs, had trouble breathing, heart problems and other complications. She was not expected to live.

Their nurse did everything she could to make Brielle’s health better, but nothing she did was helping her. With nothing else to do, their nurse went against hospital policy and decided to place both babies in the same incubator.

She left the twin girls to sleep and when when she returned she found a sight she could not believe. She called all the nurses and doctors and this is what they saw (refer to the picture above).

As Brielle got closer to her sister, Kyrie put her small little arm around her, as if to hug and support her sister. From that moment on, Brielle’s breathing and heart rate stabilized and her health became normal.

Well, I was wondering hows it possible..It seems too miraculous to be true..

A little bit of tender love goes a long way. Show affection to all ♥.

Like and Share, If you are touched by Brielle and Kyrie life story and say 'Amen' to receive the same rare Healing.

Really Heart Touching Story... Must Read

Really Heart Touching Story... Must Read

Really heart touching.........

I was walking around in a Big store shopping, when I saw a 

Cashier talking to a boy couldn't have been more than 5 or 6 years old..

The Cashier said, 'I'm sorry, but you don't have enough money to buy this doll.

Then the little boy turned to me and asked: ''Uncle, are you sure I don't have 

enough money?''

I counted his cash and replied: ''You know that you don't have enough 

money to buy the doll, my dear.'' The little boy was still holding the doll in his 

hand.

Finally, I asked him who he wished to give this 

doll to. 'It's the doll that my sister loved most and wanted so much . I wanted 

to give her for her BIRTHDAY.

I have to give the doll to my mommy so that she can give it to my sister when 

she goes there.' His eyes were so sad while saying this. 'My Sister has gone 

to be with God.. Daddy says that Mommy is going to see God very soon too, so 

I thought that she could take the doll with her to give it to my sister...''

My heart nearly stopped. The little boy looked up at me and said: 'I told 

daddy to tell mommy not to go yet. I need her to wait until I come back from 

the mall.' Then he showed me a very nice photo of him where he was laughing. 

He then told me 'I want mommy to take my picture with her so my sister 

won't forget me.' 'I love my mommy and I wish she doesn't have to leave me, 

but daddy says that she has to go to be with my little sister.' Then he looked 

again at the doll with sad eyes, very quietly..

I quickly reached for my wallet and said to the boy. 'Suppose we check again, 

just in case you do have enough money for the doll?''

'OK' he said, 'I hope I do have enough.' I added some of my money to his with 

out him seeing and we started to count it. There was enough for the doll and 

even some spare money.

The little boy said: 'Thank you God for giving me enough money!'

Then he looked at me and added, 'I asked last night before I went to sleep for 

God to make sure I had enough money to buy this doll, so that mommy could 

give It to my sister. He heard me!'' 'I also wanted to have enough money to buy 

a white rose for my mommy, but I didn't dare to ask God for too much. But He 

gave me enough to buy the doll and a white rose. My mommy loves white roses.'

I finished my shopping in a totally different state from when I started. 

I couldn't get the little boy out of my mind. Then I remembered a local news 

paper article two days ago, which mentioned a drunk man in a truck, who hit a 

car occupied by a young woman and a little girl. The little girl died right away 

, and the mother was left in a critical state. The family had to decide 

whether to pull the plug on the life-sustaining machine, because the young 

woman would not be able to recover from the coma. Was this the family of the 

little boy?

Two days after this encounter with the little boy, I read in the news paper 

that the young woman had passed away.. I couldn't stop myself as I bought a 

bunch of white roses and I went to the funeral home where the body of 

the young woman was exposed for people to see and make last wishes before 

her burial. She was there, in her coffin, holding a beautiful white rose in her 

hand with the photo of the little 

boy and the doll placed over her chest. I left the place, teary-eyed, feeling 

that my life had been changed for ever...

The love that the little boy had for his mother and his sister is still, to 

this day, hard to imagine. And in a fraction of a second, a drunk driver had 

taken all this away from him.

Please DO NOT DRINK & DRIVE

The World's Smallest Woman

The World's Smallest Woman

Despite everything she always puts on a smile, and aspires to be a big Bollywood Star. Check out the The World's Smallest Woman and inspire yourself.

Hey I have a very unique information to share. I was scared to see the world’s tinniest girl but the most unique fact is that she is happy for being so small. She says she is not scared at all and is happy for the attention she gets from all for this small size.

Name: Jyoti

Age: 17 years

Height: 1 ft and 11 inches (58 cm)

Weight: 11 lbs (5 Kg)

Jyoti belongs to a family of two sisters, one brother and parents. Here is information about her family:

Sister Rupali: 18 years old

Sister Archana: 23 Years Old

Brother: Satish, 22 Years Old

Mother: Ranjana Amge, 45 Years Old

Father: Kishan, 52 Years Old

Jyoti is smaller than the average two-year-old child. Doctors say she has a form of dwarfism called achondroplasia and she will not get taller than her current height in future.

She wears dresses and jewelry made specially for her. She has a tiny bed of her own and uses special plates and cutlery to eat. Despite of her smaller size, she says that she is happy with her smaller size.

She is going to a regular school in Nagpur, Central India where she is given her own small desk and chair. She is happy because her classmates deal her like other normal students. Jyoti has her own mini grey uniform and school bag. She looks just like a doll among other teenage class fellows.

She says:

“When I was three I realized that I was different to rest of the kids” she said:

“I thought that everyone was bigger and I should get bigger too”.

She says there are many people in the world that are dwarfs like me. She says I am same just as other people. I eat like you and dream like you. I don’t feel any difference and don’t want to be treated differently.

World's smallest girl Jyoti wants to be an actress. Despite her tinniest size, she wants to live a normal life. She says, “When I first went to school everyone was so big I used to get scared but I am ok now. I like it. I have a different desk and chair that were specially designed for me. I’m a normal student. She works from her custom made chair and table but her pen and books are still too big for her.

During her first five years of life, she feel constantly sick but eventually she grew stronger.

She is same like other teenage girls as she has a large collection of dresses. She says I like to shop for me. She loves makeup and dressing up like beautiful models. She has a dream to do films. People in the region of India where the family lives flock to see the teenager Jyoti and some people treat her as a Goddess. You all are requested to pray for her happiness and long life.

90Minutes Speaker Series

Get inspired with Mazi Sam Ohabunwa @ 90Minutes Speaker Series. Click on the link for more details.

Nothing can stop you: There is really ABILITY in disABILITY

Cobhams Asuquo (Picture below) despite being born blind is undoubtedly one of the most talented producers, and musical geniuses, out of Nigeria. Listen to this amazing piece from him and inspire yourself. Remember there are footprints on the moon so the sky is just the starting point. I had goosebumps listening to it. I cannot even play the keyboard with my two eyes even with the times I have tried.

The World's Youngest University Students

Britain’s 12 Year-Old Xavier Gordon-Brown & Nigeria’s 15 Year-Old Saheela Ibraheem inspire many as two of the World’s Youngest University Students

It is always a delight to hear about great academic achievements from young and fresh minds across the globe. In a world where the focus of young people is being adversely affected by peer pressure and the negative sides of the internet/social media, it is refreshing and inspiring to read about these brilliant youngsters.
Young geniuses are always a pride to their family, friends and communities and it is no wonder why they are often celebrated.
Today, British media has been buzzing with the story of 12 year-old Xavier Gordon-Brown who has now become Britain’s youngest University student. Daily Mail noted that at the age of 8, he got A* in his Maths GCSE. At the time he passed his GCSE which was in 2009, he was the youngest ever student to gain an A* in maths, and could recite 2,000 digits of Pi. A year after his GCSE success he passed his  A-levels.
Xavier’s interest in numbers started at an early age. He  could do double-digit mental arithmetic before starting school and he knew his times tables before he was four.
He only turned 12 last month and is now studying abstract structures, vector calculus and Newtonian mechanics in his spare time!
Because he is still so young, he has to be accompanied to his Monday evening lectures by  his mother. He travels with his mother to Open University lectures in East Grinstead two to three times a month.
He may still be too young to join Facebook, but is already studying for a degree in maths.

His story also reminds me of that of a 15 year-old Nigerian girl who gained admission to study Neuroscience at Harvard University last year.
Saheela Ibraheem, who was then a student at Wardlaw Hartridge School in New Jersey not only gained admission into Harvard, but into 13 of the 14 schools she applied to. They include Harvard, Princeton, Brown, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, Stanford, Brown, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and more.
Saheela skipped the sixth and ninth grades and by high school, she switched from public to private.
Imagine having admissions into such an impressive range of premier institutions to choose from! Wow, simply wow!
One interesting thing I picked out from the stories of these youngsters is that despite their love for the academics, they are also involved in sports and other extra-curricular activities.
Despite Xavier’s busy schedules, he still takes piano lessons and teaches himself Latin at home. He also enjoys football, chess,  Taekwondo and trampolining and takes French and Spanish lessons at a Community College.
Saheela also excels outside the classroom. She is a three-sport athlete, playing outfield for the school’s softball team, defender on the soccer team, and swimming relays and 50-meter races for the swim team. She also sings alto in the school choir, plays trombone in the school band and serves as president of the school’s investment club, which teaches students about the stock market by investing in virtual stocks.
We celebrate the achievement of these well rounded youngsters and hope they serve as a source of motivation to their age mates.
***
On a different note, I picked up a trail of comments from some blogs and Facebook where people said these youngsters would miss out on their youth as a result of their academic commitments. Some people claimed that they would miss out on the fun of socialising and would have boring teenage years.
What are your thoughts on this? Do you think it is possible to still be a “genius” and enjoy all the fun perks of their teenage years?

Culled from BellaNaija

The Window

 

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.

 

The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service! Even where they had been on vacation.

 

Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

 

The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

 

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

 

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

 

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band, he could see it. In his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

 

Days and weeks passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

 

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

 

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.

 

The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

There Is Ability In disABILITY

As the Paralympics just concluded, it was a great scene and a great reflection for me because I saw people with disability still striving for glory despite their conditions. God bless whoever suggested and the group of people that initiated the Paralympics. On the other hand, some of us who have no physical disability still struggle in what we do and most times find excuses when things are not going well.

I have concluded and learnt that there is nothing that can stop you from attaining whatever you want and remember there is truly ability in disABILITY. Just like there is possible in imPOSSIBLE and sense in nonSENSE. Its what you make out of the situation

that determines which one you go for.

I leave with a theme from Microsoft that says "Impossible is Nothing".

Have a wonderful week peeps and remember that nothing can stop you.

Good Things Are Coming Down The Road

Don't Carry Your Mistakes Around

A Sweet Lesson On Patience

A NYC Taxi driver wrote:

I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes I honked again. Since this was going to be my last ride of my shift I thought about just driving away, but instead I put the car in park and walked up to the door and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.

There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard
box filled with photos and glassware.

'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.

She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her.. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.'

'Oh, you're such a good boy, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive
through downtown?'

'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly..

'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice.

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued in a soft voice..'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.

'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.

We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired.Let's go now'.
We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.

Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move.
They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

'How much do I owe you?' She asked, reaching into her purse.

'Nothing,' I said

'You have to make a living,' she answered.

'There are other passengers,' I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug.She held onto me tightly.

'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said. 'Thank you.'

I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.. Behind me, a door shut.It was the sound of the closing of a life..

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day,I could hardly talk.What if that woman had gotten an angry driver,or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.

But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.