One morning, my father was driving to work in London and stopped at a petrol station to fill up his car. There stood a pregnant girl, just nineteen years old, begging for help. She asked him for spare change, but he apologised, saying he had no coins on him, and got back into his car to leave.
A moment later, however, he stepped out again and asked how she had ended up in such a difficult situation. The girl, whose name was Emily, explained that she had argued with her parents over her life choices. She had fallen pregnant outside of marriage, and they had turned her out. My father asked if she had a job or any financial support. She shook her head. After hearing her story, he made a decisionhe handed her his business card and told her to call him the next day.
Emily rang him, and my father arranged a meeting at his office. She was interviewed, and within a week, she had a jobanswering phones and handling small tasks at first. Over time, she worked her way up and eventually became one of the assistant managers. Now, she has her own little family and is thriving.
Sometimes, a moment of kindness can change a life foreverproof that small acts of compassion ripple far beyond what we can see.
