A few days ago I was at the “Osteria dei Poeti”, a very nice place where I like to stop at the end of the day, for a drink or something to eat, when a lady approaches me.
«Excuse me, madam, do you have a coin to give me please?» she asks me with an air of affliction and full of shame.
I look at her and I am surprised by her appearance so decent, clean, and kind. She didn’t give me the idea that she was really in trouble.
«Sorry ma’am, I have no cash. I’m so used to paying with an ATM that I no longer carry any money with me.» I was telling her the truth, albeit with distrust.
«Excuse me I didn’t want to bother» she says sorry, taking a step back.
«No, wait! There is no need to apologize. Do you want to eat something? Are you hungry? I can do this willingly. Come on, have a seat.»
«Yes, I’m hungry» she replies without hesitation.
All mistrust collapses! Nelia, this is her name, she sits in front of me and waiting for the order, she tells me something about her life. A story of extraordinary normality but with an unexpected ending, which sees her in difficulty, with no family members to help her. She eats her sandwich, drinks a glass of water, and, thanking me, leaves.
I don’t know if everything she told me is true, I want to be honest, but something must have happened to her. What I know for sure is that making small gestures of solidarity can change your day and someone else’s, making it better.
Eating a sandwich with Nelia, and seeing her happy for that moment of sharing, made me feel useful and lucky.
You don’t need to do great things to save the world, but small good deeds do, and I am convinced that in this way, we would already be halfway there.
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